Part II - Outbreak
-Day 1-
JuJu and his family get ready to go to the football game at Ford Field –The Lions' home stadium–. JuJu is excited to see his favorite NFL team in person in the opposing team's city. JuJu gets his backpack full of his stuff before meeting his family in the lobby. They all get into the rental car and head off to the stadium.
"It was pretty nice of Richardson to get these tickets for us," says D'Angelo. "These are good seats too."
"Yeah," replies JuJu with a big grin on his face. "This is crazy. UCLA didn't do anything like this when we went there."
After a couple of minutes, the family arrives at the stadium. It was a big building with a roof. JuJu looks at the banners hanging on the entrance showing the star quarterbacks from both teams; Philip Rivers and Matthew Stafford.
"JuJu!" Maria calls out. "Vámanos!"
"Oh shit," JuJu whispers to himself before responding to his mother. "Hay Voy!"
He jogs to catch up to his family to go through the security gates to their seats. He realizes that the seats Richardson gave them were right behind the Chargers' sideline. He sees his favorite players warming up, especially his idol, the player he bases his skills on, Keenan Allen.
"Hey Pops, you see what I'm seein'?" JuJu asks his father.
"Oh yeah, the Slayer himself, Keenan Allen," D'Angelo replies. "He's gonna have a crazy game today."
"Man, I hope so."
After a couple of minutes, both teams head into their locker rooms. Everyone is sitting in their seats waiting for the game to start.
"Hey, Lina needs to go to the bathroom," says Maria to her husband and son. "We'll be right back."
They both go up the stairs from their seats until they aren't visible from where JuJu and D'Angelo were sitting. They continue to talk amongst each other.
Some time goes by and the two still haven't returned from the bathroom.
"Yo," asks JuJu. "Shouldn't Mom and Lina be back by now? Plus, the game should've started by now."
D'Angelo begins to worry. "Yeah, you're right. It's been almost an hour, we should go check."
Just as they get up, they look up the steps and see a bunch of men in military uniforms with M4A1 assault rifles in their hands telling everyone to evacuate the stadium.
"All of you, leave the stadium now! Do you want to live or not?"
They both get up and are led up the steps, leaving the field.
"Wait," says D'Angelo. "I need to find my wife and daughter."
"Keep Moving!" yelled out the man.
The two, including other civilians, are led outside the stadium to a bus. D'Angelo looks around looking for his wife and daughter among the other civilians being escorted to other busses.
"You see them?" asks JuJu.
"No," replies D'Angelo in a sad tone. "I don't see them."
They get to the bus and both look at each other nervously.
"We have no choice," says D'Angelo.
They both get on the bus followed by other civilians when one of the military officers runs up to their bus.
"Get those people to safety now!" yells the officer.
Everyone looks out the windows of the bus to see what they were escaping from. They see what appears to be people but they have glowing yellow eyes and are attacking everyone in their path. People are being bit and ripped to shreds as the military men are shooting at these monsters. The bus drives off with the civilians all in shock from what they've all just seen.
"Where are you taking us?" a woman asks the soldier driving the bus.
"We're going to the Detroit Safe Zone. You all will be safe there. There's lots of protection and you won't be attacked." he replies.
JuJu looks over his seat and sees the patch on the man's right shoulder. He realizes it doesn't say 'U.S. ARMY' it says 'K.H.A.N.' He seems skeptical about it but doesn't say anything.
Minutes later, the bus turns into a gate and the family sees a man standing in front of it.
"Corporal Martinez, these people are from the football stadium"
"Alright," says Corporal Martinez. "All of you, step outside the bus and state your full name and age while we pat you down."
The civilians step out of the bus in groups to say their names and age when they get to JuJu and his father.
"D'Angelo Rose, 37."
"Julian Rose, 14."
"Where are you from and what brings you two here?" says Corporal Martinez in an assertive tone.
"We're from San Diego and we came here for my son's college visit for football," replies D'Angelo. "UM, a staff member gave us tickets for the game today, so that's why we were at the stadium."
"Oh wow, long way from home, huh kid? You 'HAD' a good future. Too bad. Alright, go ahead inside. Private Wilkins here will take you to where you're gonna stay."
D'Angelo thanks the man and begin to follow one of the armed men into the building.
"Pinche cabrón." JuJu says under his breath.
Once they enter the building, the first room they enter is the cafeteria. It's filled with people but some aren't eating. They follow Private Wilkins up the old-looking stairs that will lead to the hallway to their room. It was a small room with 2 good size beds and a big desk.
"This will be your room until it's safe to head out." Says Private Wilkins. "As you have seen, the cafeteria is downstairs and all medical facilities are in Building B and Building D. You'll be able to tell by the front doors. If you have any questions, talk to any of the guards at the entrance of this building or come find me around the cafeteria. You're also free to walk around outside but stay inside the gates. Here's the keys to the room."
Private Wilkins hears a call on his radio and leaves the room.
JuJu throws his backpack at the wall next to one of the beds. He grabs a granola bar from his bag and heads out of the room.
"Where are you going?" asks D'Angelo.
"I'm going outside for a little bit," JuJu replies. "I'll be back."
"Okay, I'm gonna be in the cafeteria in a couple of minutes. Meet me there."
JuJu then heads down the stairs to the cafeteria. He asks one of the guards for permission to walk outside and they allowed him. He finds a chair tipped over and he decides to flip it back up and sit on it, all while eating his granola bar.
"The news was right," he says to himself. "We all ignored the fuckin' thing and acted like it was nothing."
JuJu looks at his phone and sees the words 'No Service' on the top left corner of his phone screen.
"I can't contact my mom or Lina. I hope they're okay."
He sighs loudly and looks up to see a man with a black Baret and a military uniform with three soldiers behind him, walking towards the building he stays at. He gets up and walks into the building after them. He sees his father sitting on one of the tables and sits next to him.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to have your attention. My name is General Quentin Black of the U.S. Army. As you all know, I'm in charge of this place, meaning it is my responsibility to ensure your safety and comfort from the infected outside. I would like to speak to all parents and adults on how things work here and how we can make this a better place for you all…"
The general continues talking about the rules and where he stays, while the others listen. JuJu looks at him and realizes that something doesn't feel right. He can't put his finger on it but he knows something is wrong.
"Can I have the keys to the room?" asks JuJu."Kinda got a headache."
"Yeah, you okay?" replies D'Angelo in a concerned tone.
"I'm good, I'm gonna take a nap. I'll see you later."
-Day 2-
JuJu wakes up the next morning feeling a lot better than the day before. He sees that his father isn't in the room so he gets up and checks his phone.
"It's 11 AM, the fuck?" Says JuJu. "How long was I asleep for?"
JuJu gets out of bed and does a couple of push-ups and sit-ups so he can stay in shape. He then goes to brush his teeth and get dressed as well. He exits the room and walks downstairs to the cafeteria to get something to eat. He looks around once he gets there and sees him outside the entrance, talking to one of the soldiers. He goes up to them and his father instantly introduces JuJu to the soldier.
"Oh! This is my son JuJu, the one I told you about."
"Sup," JuJu says. "Who's this?"
"This guy was a fan of mine when I played in college."
"Yeah," says the soldier. "He was a legend on that field. Sorry about your future though little dude."
"Yeah, yeah, I don't want to talk about that. I'm gonna get something to eat."
JuJu leaves the two to talk amongst each other while he gets a tray and gets in line to get his food. He gets a fresh plate of eggs with sausage and a cup of water. He goes to an empty seat on a table and begins to eat his plate of food. He looks around the place until someone catches his eye. A girl that seems to be around his age, wearing a white and red baseball tee with red short shorts and had brown hair tied into a ponytail with freckles on her face. Her ocean blue eyes were shining in the lighting of the cafeteria as if they were glowing. He keeps eating while keeping his eyes on her.
"Go talk to her," says a voice behind him.
"Ay chingada madre!" JuJu jumps while putting his fists up as a reaction. "Don't scare me like that. God damn."
"Come on son, go holla at her," says D'Angelo while laughing. "I know how you lookin' at her. I did the same thing with your momma."
"Nah, I don't know what you talkin' about. What girl?"
D'Angelo raises an eyebrow and gives JuJu a weird look.
JuJu looks at him back appearing to be embarrassed.
"Alright son," says D'Angelo. "Whatever you say."
JuJu finishes his food and goes to the nearest trashcan to throw away the rest. He turns around and bumps into someone and they both get knocked down.
"Shit," he says. "Yo, my bad."
He helps her up and realizes it's the girl he wouldn't keep his eyes off of.
"Oh," she replies. "Nah man, you're good. Don't worry about it. Love your shoes by the way. The Jordan 1's are my favorite. Especially the ones you got on."
"Oh for real? That's what's up."
"Yeah I got a few in my closet back ho-, well, 'had' back home, now in this shithole we're in."
"Haha, yeah. What's your name if you don't mind me askin'?"
"Name's Lynn Loud Jr. What's yours?"
"My name's Julian Rose, but you can call me JuJu. I didn't know girls can be Juniors."
"Yeah, I get that a lot. But it's good to meet you, bro. See you around."
"A'ight."
Hours later, JuJu is on the roof of the building on the ledge with his legs hanging off. He looks out into the distance of the city and sees the Lions' stadium barely visible due to the darkness of nighttime. He sees the infected walking in the streets outside the gates, knowing that the world will no longer be the same.
-Day 8-
JuJu is outside his building playing basketball with some other kids until being called out by a familiar voice.
"Yo, JuJu!" Yells out Lynn.
JuJu shoots a deep three-pointer for the game.
"Game!" JuJu yells, "Y'all play the next one without me, none of y'all can guard me anyway!"
JuJu then walks up to Lynn and a boy standing next to her.
"Aye, what's good LJ?" JuJu says while being out of breath.
"I want to introduce you to my family. Oh, by the way, this is my friend, Francisco."
JuJu and Francisco greet each other and do a handshake.
"I'll sub in for you," says Francisco.
"A'ight sounds good."
JuJu cleans the sweat off his body and puts his black tank top back on. Lynn then brings him into the cafeteria.
"Hey, have you seen the movie Coach Carter?" she asks.
"Uh, yeah why?" JuJu replies, a little confused.
"Has anyone told you that you look a lot like Timo Cruz? Just with shorter hair and more buff."
"Nah, that's the first," JuJu says while scratching the top of his head and laughing nervously. "Bro was Steph Curry before Steph Curry though."
Lynn laughs hysterically.
"Nah but really, you do look like him," she continues. "Let me show you my family."
She goes on to introduce her family to JuJu. Lily, Lisa, Lola, Lana, Lucy, Lincoln, Luan, Luna, Leni, Lori, and Rita.
"Woah, you have 9 sisters and 1 brother?" JuJu asks. "I bet there's no privacy in ya house, huh?"
"Man, you don't even know. It's like a war every mornin' and you don't want to get in the middle of it, FYI."
The two then walk up to the area the food is served and Lynn calls out to her father.
"Yo, Dad!"
"Hey, what's up LJ? Who's this?" says Lynn Sr.
"This is my new friend, JuJu. This is my dad, Lynn Loud Sr."
"Nice to meet you, sir. She was right, you are an amazing cook."
"Thanks, son." He says before tearing up a little. "They love my food!"
He begins to shed tears of joy and runs into the backroom.
"Uhh, dId I say somethin' wrong?" JuJu asks, very confused.
"He always does this, dude," says Luna coming from behind. "Don't worry about it."
-Day 10-
It's around dinnertime and everyone in the building is in the cafeteria eating before they go to their rooms. JuJu hasn't seen his father all day. He's looked all over the safe zone for him, including each building. He's asked soldiers and other survivors but didn't get the answer he wanted.
Minutes later, a man jumps up and starts yelling out to the other survivors.
"I have a message to you all! No, FOR you all! Fuck the government! Fuck the authorities! Fuck the General! You have the right to know that this place is about to be-"
The man is tackled by a soldier then knocked out and was dragged out of the building.
JuJu looked confused and in shock at the same time.
Right before he could do or say anything, General black came back into the building holding a vest in his hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" He says. "Today would've been your last day on Earth, but thanks to our soldiers, they were able to stop a terrorist from destroying our home! There are still sick people in this world who aren't infected."
Everyone in the building claps while JuJu stands there realizing what he's just seen.
"Wait, could my dad be…" He says to himself before cutting himself off. "Nah, that's crazy. He said this place is safe. But I still don't trust this fucker Black though. He's sketchy as fuck."
JuJu sighs and looks out one of the windows. He then sees another soldier chasing another man. The survivors in his building hear the commotion and look as well. They see one of the soldiers shot in the chest while multiple soldiers pull out their rifles and fire at the man until he was motionless on the ground. JuJu hears the soldiers' radios going off saying things JuJu can't make out. He wants to figure out what's going on.
JuJu wakes up early the next morning where everyone but the soldiers is asleep and sees that his father still isn't in the other bed in the room. He puts on all black clothes so it would be harder to see him when he's in the shadows. He grabs his backpack and heads to a drawer. He opens it and finds his father's pocket knife.
"I'm gonna find out what the fuck is going on in this bitch."
JuJu sneaks out of his room and goes through the fire escape Lynn showed him a couple of days before. He quietly slides down and uses his parkour skills to get to the ground without being caught. He sits in a dark alleyway that splits building B and C and overhears two soldiers talking.
"Today's the day right?" asks one of the soldiers.
"Yeah," The other replies. "It's kinda fucked though, don't ya think? We're putting the kids in a bunker and killing as many adults as possible."
"Man, do you want to piss off Black? You know what he did to that one kid's two dads? I wouldn't question him if ya know what's best for you. Plus, it wouldn't even matter 'cause we're dropping napalm on this place."
JuJu is shocked by what he heard and a deep rage builds inside him. He pulls out his father's knife and waits for the right moment. JuJu peeks around the corner and sees nothing but one soldier outside. He sneaks behind him and covers his mouth with his hand while he stabs him in his back which made him paralyzed. JuJu then drags him back into the alley and begins to question him.
"What were y'all niggas talkin' 'bout putting them kids in a bunker and killing the adults, huh? Tell me if you know what's best for you, hoe."
"Alright look," grunts the soldier. General Black wants to kill all the survivors, I don't know why."
"I knew that fucker was insane. Y'all said you were gonna bomb it? Tell me."
JuJu punches him in the face hard before the soldier continues.
"Yes, but he's gonna put some in a helicopter to a place in Maine."
"What place?"
"Houlton. It's converted to a prison of ours. That's all I know. I swe-"
JuJu slits the soldier's throat and watches as his eyes become lifeless. He searches the soldier and takes his weapons. He had an AAC Honey Badger, a compact AR-15 with a built-in suppressor, and a .357 Magnum revolver. JuJu takes ammo from his body and leaves the body hidden in the alleyway. He continues to go to the exit, knowing that it's the best option. He then sees one of the soldiers blocking the exit and JuJu, for the first time, aims his Honey Badger at the soldier's head and pulls the trigger. As he gets closer to the body, he sees the eyes turn a golden yellow and attempt to stand up but JuJu doesn't let it. He goes on to stab it in the head repeatedly until it dies. He drags the body into a ditch and exits the safe zone not being caught.
"I can't believe I just did that," JuJu says. "I deadass just killed two people. I hope the others will be okay."
He continues going along the road until he reaches a liquor store around two blocks away. He grabs a couple of bottles of water and some snacks like pretzels, granola bars, and canned vegetables. He puts them all in his backpack. He sees the Lions' stadium in the distance and walks towards it. While walking, he sees abandoned cars on the street, empty buildings, and things on fire. When he nears the stadium, he sees a K.H.A.N. humvee in the distance and hides behind it. He looks around the corner and sees two soldiers lining up body bags in front of the stadium.
"Dude, look at this," says one of the soldiers. "This is a little girl. She looks to be around nine or ten years old and this seems to be the mother."
JuJu recognizes the description of those people and immense rage and sadness come back. He turns the corner and puts bullets from his rifle into each of the soldiers' heads. He then goes up to the two open body bags and recognizes both of the faces. His mother and his little sister. He tears up and cries softly. He turns his head towards the direction of the Safe-Zone and sees a couple helicopters fly out of the area and then the sudden sound of jets echoing through the buildings. He then sees the Detroit Safe-Zone turn into a ball of fire from the jets dropping napalm with the orange flames reflecting in his brown eyes. He turns back to look at his deceased mother and sister.
"Te quiero mucho mamá y Lina," JuJu says in a soft, cracking voice.
He zips up both body bags and heads in a direction following the street signs to get out of the city. He looks at the gold bracelet on his left hand which has his name engraved on the front plate of it, the only thing he has to remember his mother.
"Black, I'm coming for you, I'm gonna bury you where you're fuckin' standing."
Hey, Spose here, I want to apologize for taking a while to write this chapter. I was in the hospital for a while cuz of an injury and I couldn't continue to write since I didn't have my laptop with me. Now, I'm home and I'll try to get these chapters out ASAP No Rocky. I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter nonetheless!