Aaaaaaaaaand finally I will introduce Kit :D Hope this comes out okay...

"I'm about to put you on speaker-phone," Alec said into the receiver. Aria listened carefully to the voice on the other end. "Okay, ma'am. Alright. You can tell them that yourself."

Alec clicked a button on the phone and the voice of the woman came out from the small holes where the receiver was to be placed. "H-Hello?"

"Good evening," Aria greeted. "My name is Aria Lambert. Who, may I ask, is calling?"

"Macey Harper," the woman replied. "Please, you have to help–"

"Ms Harper," Aria interrupted. "Calm down. Just give us your address and directions to your house and we'll be on our way."

The entire group leaned forward to listen as Macey told them her address and the directions. Mei frowned when she finished.

"That's half-fucking-way across the town," she muttered. "Can we make it?"

Iza frowned while Roberto cut in, answering Mei's question. "Jun and I just came from that way," he said. "The house is near the restaurant I found Jun in."

"Then I guess we go that way," Sora finished. "But wouldn't there be too many of us going there at once?"

That was true – there was nine of them in the lobby, and having them all go at once was kind of dumb, to say the least.

"E-Excuse me?" another voice said. "Are you coming to help us?"

"And who is this?" Roberto asked. The voice cleared their throat.

"I'm Katherine Harper, sir," the voice replied. "Are you going to help me and Aunt Macey? Are we going to make it out?"

Aria gritted her teeth, the girl's voice triggering her big-sisterly side. Damn it – first with Wendy's older brother, now with this Katherine kid. Why did she have to be born with siblings?

Take it back, she thought. They could still be alive – like all of your friends are.

She still wondered if they could be called that. Were they all in it for survival, or were they joining together to be all buddy-buddy and crap?

Nope.

"You'll make it out," Iza said firmly. "We'll get you and your aunt out, Katherine."

Katherine breathed out a silent, "Thank you," and hung up. The group looked to Iza – even Wendy looked to her.

Iza let out a frustrated breath. "What?" she demanded. "I can't feel sympathy and want to help her?"

Alec, Aria, Sora, and Mei all grinned. "We didn't say anything," Alec teased. "But that doesn't mean what you did was wrong." He cleared his throat, raising his hand slightly. "I volunteer to help get Katherine and Macey out of their home. I'll take two more with me while the rest hold the fort. And," he added as everyone went to raise their hand, "I will say who goes with me. Are we clear?"

"Yes," they replied in unison, their enthusiasm deflated slightly.

"Okay." Alec scanned the group, glaring as he did. Aria just wished he'd get a move on with it – the sun was going to set soon.

He suddenly pointed at Aria. "You're coming with me," he ordered.

"D-what?" she gasped. "Why am I first choice?"

Alec stared at her like she was stupid. "Because I've known you longest and you have fast reflexes. Not to mention I'm still waiting to see you prove me wrong."

Prove him...? Ah, yes, she remembered now – he'd underestimated her when she asked to join him. She was amazed he still remembered it, though.

"And," he said, pointing to Iza, "you are coming."

Iza's head bobbed, her eyes confused. "I'd ask why you chose me, but I'd sound like a parrot," she said.

"Ha!" Mei laughed. "Good one!"

"I'm choosing you because you've got a sword, and I know for a fact that it was you that killed all of 'them' in the house you were sitting on," Alec told her. "And because we can't risk having guns go off – you'll notice that I've chosen two people with blades."

"But you've got a gun," Wendy reminded him. He looked down at her, patting her head.

"I've got a silenced gun," he corrected. He turned to the rest of the group. "Who has a phone?"

Aria reached into her pocket and pulled out hers, showing the clear screen of the iPhone and pressing the small button at the bottom. The screen lit up, illuminating the slowly darkening room. Roberto held up a finger, telling them to wait a moment, and he shoved his hand into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a phone of his own.

After examining the battery life of each, Alec said, "Put each other's numbers in them. That'll be our communication for now."

The two exchanged phones and punched in their phone numbers, then took back their own phones and looked to Alec.

"You think we'll make it in time?" Aria inquired. Mei scoffed.

"Don't worry about it, Schizo," she said. "Just get the fuck out of here, get the fuck over there, and bring the fucking Harpers here."

"Pleasant," Aria muttered to herself.

"Pleasant," Mei mimicked, once again copying her accent. She was starting to get on Aria's nerves...

Iza walked over to Aria and smiled, friendly. "Let's do our best, then," she said to her. Aria nodded slowly, hand absently reaching for the hilt of her sword. She'd never been this nervous before in her life. On top of that, she'd never had someone relying on her to get out of something alive before.

First time for everything, I guess.

The phone began to ring once more. Everyone glanced at each other until Sora walked over and picked up the receiver and said, "Hel-lo?"

Honestly, Aria felt kind of sorry for Macey – she was left talking to a chatterbox while she was waiting to be rescued. It couldn't be helped, though. Sora apparently couldn't stand quiet places and Macey needed a comforting voice; two and two could be put together.

What she demanded to know was why the hell Mei decided to come along with them!

The street they were walking on was empty, save for the cars and the animals, and Aria felt a pang of guilt for the people who lived here. Alec was walking out front, leading the way confidently, while Iza and Mei watched the rear. Aria was in charge of sending photos of forks in the road to Roberto.

Bored, she pulled out her phone and switched it to vibrate. If they suddenly got a call, she didn't want the hear the chorus of Beethoven's Ode To Joy playing while 'they' attacked them left right and centre. That would just be too Die Hard for her.

They turned with the street, meeting a steep hill, and they all let out a rhythm of groans.

The phone vibrated in her hand and she quickly looked to the screen. The number was one she'd recognise anywhere.

Panicking slightly, she unlocked her phone and checked the text.

Mum and Dad are safe. Holly is locked down at the school – also safe. Plz reply if u r OK! :( Am worried

Aria gulped. At least she knew Holly and her parents were okay. But he didn't say anything about himself...

She ran her thumb along the screen quickly, replying.

Am fine Daniel. With others. B safe.

She didn't send it straight away, hesitating. What if he was hiding and his phone wasn't on silent? What if he didn't say anything about himself because he'd been bitten? Shaking away the doubts, she hit the send button.

"Roberto sent a message?" Alec asked, not turning around. Aria flinched slightly. That was most certainly not Roberto.

"Yeah," she said casually. "He said that Macey is still on the line and nothing's changed."

"Good to know."

They continued to walk in silence, the hill starting to get steeper. When they reached halfway, Aria's calf muscles were already starting to hurt. They were all visibly slowing down, and she could almost guess why – none of them had had any fluids to drink yet. Well, aside from both Aria and Alec consuming water and alcohol, that is.

They finally made it up the hill, panting a little as they caught their breaths. Aria rubbed her calves tiredly, thankful that they would only have to walk down on the way back. Alec sighed.

"Fork in the road," he announced. He lowered his voice as he added, "One side filled with 'them'."

Mei let out a string of tired and frustrated curses in a rushed whisper while Aria lifted her phone, taking a photo of the two streets. She attached the photo to a text message and selected Roberto's number, sending it immediately.

You'd better recognise the area, she thought. And we'd better not be flung into 'their' path.

Her phone vibrated almost immediately and she quickly opened the message, letting out a breath of relief.

Left, he'd replied. That meant that 'they' still hadn't made it to the Harper house. She pointed to the path without 'them' scattered throughout it and they continued on, speeding up a little. The amount of cars in the area grew in quantity, forcing them to climb over the hoods of a few and to climb through via the opened doors. They made sure to climb in through the back seats, because they all knew it was too risky to go through the front – one of them could bump the horn or something, and 'they' would come flocking to the area in ravenous hordes. Another way she didn't want to die, and another thing that reminded her of Die Hard.

Ugh, she thought as she climbed out of a car, waiting for Iza and Mei. Stop thinking about that movie Yomi rented. It was good, I'll admit that, but you can't keep thinking of it in a zombie crisis! What the hell happened to learning from Dawn of the Dead?

She frowned at herself as Mei finally climbed through, allowing them to continue. Alec led them around some cars, the amount of them clustered in one spot getting lower, and they were soon walking on their usual terrain: Abandoned and showing the first signs of rush hour.

The houses they passed were virtually empty, although there was one house that was littered with dead bodies. Both Aria and Iza shuddered at the sight of it, but Alec and Mei kept walking. The followed, catching a glimpse of a gutted body hanging from a tree, a perfect Y cut from the chest to the lower stomach. Tasting bile in her throat, Aria walked faster and looked away.

She caught up to Alec, her stomach starting to rebel. "Please don't make us walk past that place again," she begged silently, only letting him hear.

"We have to," he told her simply. "Besides, they'd have killed us if that didn't happen to them."

"They who?" she shot back. "The ones hanging and unbitten, or the ones that are walking around with fucked heads? Well?"

Alec stopped walking and turned to her, his expression stern. He suddenly smirked, the cigarette sloping downwards with the expression. "They say that, in death, the walls of the room you die in creep up on you, trapping you. That begs the question – are you afraid of death, or are you afraid of the tiny corner you'll be placed in when you die?"

Her face paled at the thought of it. Alec snorted out a laugh and patted her back. "I'm kidding," he assured her. "But, yeah, we will be passing that house again."

Mei passed them with Iza behind her. "Move along, slow-fucking-pokes," she warned. "I'm not staying out here after dark."

Kit was shaking beyond control, her fear making her hear the creatures outside. She didn't want to close her eyes, knowing she would see them in the darkness.

"Kit," Macey said, covering the phone with her hand. "Why don't you talk with them? It will help you calm down a bit."

Nodding, Kit stood and walked over, taking the phone from her aunt. She sat down on the floor next to the cupboard the phone rested on.

"Hello again," she greeted. "It's Katherine."

"Hi, Katherine; I'm Misora," a cheery voice replied. "Feel free to call me Sora."

"Oh, okay," Kit said. "And feel free to call me Kit."

"No need to worry, Kit – four of us are coming to get you and your aunt."

"Okay, Sora," Kit replied. "I'll put Aunt Macey back on."

Removing the phone from her ear, she handed it to her aunt. Kit could only pray that they got there before the people outside decided to come in.

Well, this is ironic, she thought angrily. The four of them stared at the crowd in front of the house as 'they' wandered around aimlessly. There was enough there for them to simply eliminate 'them', Assassin's Creed style. However, Aria couldn't help feeling like none of them were going to be anything like Ezio and Altair at the moment.

She glanced at her three companions and searched their faces for any sign of a plan working through them. Mei's eyes seemed to spark with a plan. Aria once again wondered why she was with them.

"Let's kick some un-fucking-dead ass," Mei said, the look of a madman passing over her face.

Alec drew his sword and grinned. "Fuck yeah," he muttered, running ahead of the group and striking one of 'them' closer to the four. Aria rolled her eyes while Iza chuckled nervously, and the two unsheathed their swords, joining the fight. Iza remained calm and collected during this, taking down two at once with every slice and slash. Aria relied on her speed, using both her dagger and her sword as she dodged away from 'them' and struck them as fast and hard as she could.

Just as she attacked one, the moan from another caught her by surprise. 'They' were right next to her, breathing down her neck and getting a tight grip on her arm. Just as she was about to yelp in surprise, 'they' were thrown back by something. The moment 'they' hit the ground, Aria let out a relieved breath. An axe, most likely used to cut firewood, was lodged into 'their' head, sticking out like a broken thumb. Aria blinked and stared at it, only to be pushed away by Mei, who ripped it out of 'their' head and spun it round, satisfied with what she had done. Aria couldn't help but feel Mei had missed her actual target...

The axe-throwing girl glanced at Aria, a superior grin on her face. There was almost a challenge in her eyes, but it was unmet as Alec and Iza passed them and began to clear a path. Both of them attacked silently and held nothing back, almost synchronising their strikes. Alec stuck to the left, bodies of 'them' falling with every slash; Iza stayed at the right, 'them' barely able to even hear her coming. The two of them were like the perfect fighting team.

When a rough path was cleared, Alec signalled for them to go to the house. Iza went first, searching around for something to unlock the door, and then let out a frustrated breath. Aria joined her, nodding to the door, and then the two took some steps back. Once they were sure, they rushed at the door and collided with it, shoulders first, allowing it to burst open. That caught 'their' attention.

Alec and Mei ran inside, followed by Aria and Iza, and the teenagers glanced at each other. Though they didn't speak, they agreed that Mei and Alec would stay to fight 'them' while Iza and Aria went on to find Macey and Katherine.

The hallway was fairly large, but not so large that 'they' could easily slip inside and attack at all sides. As the two turned a corner, they caught a glimpse of their companions fighting 'them' as 'they' rushed inside. Aria raised an eyebrow as Mei let out a laugh and swung the axe violently at one, and then raised another eyebrow as Alec raised his gun and aimed precisely at 'their' heads, killing them off like a natural-born killer.

"Hurry," Iza hissed. She was already making her way down the hall, toward one of the doors. As Iza's hand wrapped around the handle, Aria joined her. The door flew open, but no one was inside. The girls quickly moved on to the next. No luck. The next one was the same. This continued for three more doors and a bathroom (oddly enough), until they finally reached a locked door. Iza pounded against it with her fist, blood on her sword dripping onto her shoe.

"Ms Macey," she called. "Ms Katherine. It's Iza and Aria – from earlier."

The sound of a lock twisting came from the other side, and then they were met by a girl of at least fourteen. Her snow white hair and blue eyes very much reminded Aria of Iza. She watched them sadly.

"Aunt Macey went to get help," she squeaked. "She's not back yet. She didn't think you were coming."

Both of the teenagers flinched and looked to each other, then frowned. A silent conversation passed between them.

Back the way we came? Or do we wait for Macey? Iza's eyes inquired.

Aria's replied, Alec and Mei won't last forever. We need to leave.

Iza nodded firmly and reached for Katherine's arm, a kind smile on her face. There was the Iza that Aria had been introduced to.

"You'll be safe if you come with us," she told her. Her smile became kinder, more child-friendly. "I'm Iza, and this is Aria."

Katherine blinked and walked out of the room, letting out a breath. "Call me Kit," she told Iza, taking her hand and shaking it. Iza glanced at Aria.

"Now?" she asked. Aria nodded in response, lifting her sword slightly. Her dagger was in her other hand, her grip numbing. She loosened her hand and the white knuckles immediately turned pale red. Kit's eyes found the path they were going to take. Her hand released Iza's and went down to her boots, searching for something. She smiled slightly, and then pulled out what she was looking for: Two nine inch combat knives. Smart kid.

Aria grinned and said, "Are you sure you're up to fighting zombies?"

A look of confusions passed over the fourteen-year-old. "Zom-what?" she scoffed. "What the heck is a zombie?"

A frown replaced the confusion. "In any case," she added, lifting her sundress slightly. Sitting in a thigh holster was what looked like a gun with a silencer attached to it. "I know how to shoot and I want to get away. What more could I need to do?"

"That's the spirit," Iza encouraged, turning to go down the hall. Both Kit and Aria followed, prepared to face off any of 'them' still at the door.

A frown made its way onto the blind boy's face. "Why so quiet, guys?" he asked. His unfocused grey eyes scanned the room blindly.

No pun intended, Roberto thought to himself.

"Macey isn't on the phone anymore," Sora whined. "I was having a good conversation with her, too."

Wendy looked to her, curious. "You just kept on talking and talking," she informed her. "How is that a conversation? It's one-sided."

Sora sighed loudly. She mumbled something about knowing what a one-sided conversation was and then turned her attention back to the rest of the group – which only consisted of Freddy, Roberto, Wendy, and Jun. None of them could figure out how Mei had managed to leave, but it was still a feat seeing as she had no weapons on her.

"Why don't we play 'I Spy'?" Sora suggested. "I'll go first – I spy something black."

Jun frowned further. "Well, I'm out of the game," he retorted.

Freddy ignored his comment. "Phone," he said lazily. Sora clapped once.

"Your turn," she told him cheerfully.

"Pass."

"Roberto?"

"No, thank you."

"Wendy?"

The girl simply shook her head.

"Ju–"

"I'm sorry, but haven't you noticed that I can't spy with my little eye?"

"Fine," Sora huffed. "I'll take another turn. I spy something rectangular."

"Door," they all said in unison. It seemed that even Jun knew what shape a door and a rectangle were.

Sora huffed. "You guys are no fun," she told them. "And I thought you couldn't see."

Jun scoffed. "I know what a door is," he shot back.

Freddy suddenly shushed them, sitting up straight in his seat as he stared out the glass doors leading outside. Roberto frowned and watched also, spotting what the younger boy had seen: One of 'them'.

'They' turned slightly to the left, staggering in the direction of the door. Sora rose from her seat and readied her sabre, while Wendy got up and ran for Jun.

"Next floor," Roberto mouthed to Wendy. She nodded and grabbed Jun's sleeve, pulling the blind chef up the stairs. The elevator would be too much of a risk. Sora and Freddy came to Roberto's sides as he drew his sword, watching the doors cautiously. 'They' were right in front of the doors, 'their' movement stilled, and 'they' watched the teenagers with blank and dead eyes.

Suddenly, 'they' launched at the door. The glass cracked, and then 'they' stopped for a moment. The three survivors took some steps back. 'They' raised a hand and pressed it onto the door. It began to slide open, as per 'their' wish. Roberto gulped and nodded to the stairs. The two didn't obey. If only someone else had stayed – they'd have more of a chance to fight 'them'.

The glass cracked again, this time shattering under 'their' hand, throwing 'them' inside. 'They' rolled on the floor as the teenagers inched toward the stairs, and then 'they' were up once more.

Feeling like he was going to regret this, Roberto started to walk forward a bit and sidestepped toward 'their' left. Sora caught on to what he was doing, sidestepping to the right. 'They' were getting closer to Freddy, who had pulled out his gun and was aiming it as a precaution.

Sora and Roberto were close enough to strike. They raised their weapons in unison and struck at the same time; Sora performing a swift and powerful strike to the leg, and Roberto slicing right through the head. 'They' went down without a sound.

Roberto let out a breath. "It's not safe here anymore," he muttered. Definitely not safe, considering that the sun was just minutes away from fully setting.

Freddy and Sora nodded in agreement, making their way toward the stairs. Before Roberto could join them, he had a nagging feeling something had gone wrong with getting Macy and Kit.

He made his way over to the stairs, walking up them two at a time, and joined the others in the room most of them had been in when they met. The windows had a clear view of the streets below, which were still empty, save for the cars and animals.

Someone shut the door to the room and Roberto was joined by Wendy. "Do you see them anywhere?" she asked. The McGrath boy shrugged and pulled his phone out of his pocket. As is on cue, it let out a small chine. He really needed to put it on silent now.

There was one text from Aria. It read, Found Kit. On our way back. Stay indoors.

"We have to stay in here," he announced. "They're coming back.

The other four let out sighs of relief.

"I still can't believe you can throw an axe like that," Aria grumbled. Mei chuckled evilly to herself.

"Shame my aim's a bit off," she mused, glancing at the carrot-top. "Eh?"

Kit approached the axe-wielding girl curiously. "I didn't know axes could be used for more than chopping wood or killing wolves," she said. "Do people do that in communities?"

Instead of answering, Mei mumbled, "Fucking kid," under her breath and walked ahead with Alec, leaving Kit with Iza and Aria.

The girl frowned sadly. "Did I do something to upset her?" she asked. Aria patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it too much," she advised. "She's just shitty with a lot of people – especially those younger than her."

Kit seemed to not quite understand, but shrugged and nodded, fixing her cream fedora and smiling at Aria. Her smile moved to Iza, and then she began to walk confidently with them. They had just reached the street that the house was on, and Aria immediately clamped her hand over Kit's eyes. The younger girl protested quietly, but then asked, "What are you doing?"

Iza's face paled. Noises were coming from up ahead – screams and chainsaw revs. Iza quickly placed her hands on Kit's ears and squeezed her eyes shut, leaving Aria to guide them. What was the world coming to?

The screams became louder and the house came closer, meeting them with new bodies and live people out the front. Alec raised his gun in greeting to those watching them pass, while Mei rested her axe over her shoulder, ready to strike anyone that came near. Aria's other hand landed on the hilt of her sword. Kit and Iza kept on walking with her.

None of the living – all men with blood coating them and maniacal looks on their faces – made a move to kill them, simply nodded curtly as recognition and let them pass. Aria tasted bile as she swallowed nervously.

They reached the fork in the road, following the path they had come from, and Aria and Iza removed their hands from Kit. The girl blinked once and continued on with them, and they were soon making their way down the hill. After the sun fully went down and the stars came out, they arrived at the hotel. The glass door had been smashed and the inside was too dark to see.

Footsteps bounded down the stairs at the end of the room, followed by Wendy running toward them with a candle in her hand. She smiled, relieved.

"You're okay," she breathed. "Is Macey behind you?"

Kit flinched and looked at her feet, while Alec said casually, "Macey left before we could find her. Kit was the only one we found."

"Oh."

Both Iza and Aria led Kit inside, following Wendy as Alec and Mei surveyed the room. They'd done so much damage at the Harper residence. All along the walls was blood, and all along the floor were unmoving bodies. Everyone was coated in blood, aside from Kit.

As Wendy led them up the stairs, she told them what had happened. She ended her explanation at the top step, saying, "We need to leave and find a safer place."

All three girls nodded in agreement, walking to the room everyone else was in. While Roberto, Sora, and Jun (probably not Jun) were focused on the fact that they were back, Freddy's eyes landed on Kit, growing in size.

"I guess I should introduce the group," Aria said to Kit. She went along in order of who was sitting where. "That's Roberto, with the blue streak in his hair. Next to him – as usual – is Jun. He's blind. Next to Jun, trying to talk, is Sora. And finally–"

Freddy stood and grinned at Kit. "My name's Freddy. That's so you know what to scream."

Both Aria and Iza shot a glare at him, silencing him but not wiping away his grin.

They only had a small amount of time to rest – half an hour, give or take fifteen minutes – and Aria decided to use this time wisely. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and glanced around, checking to make sure no one was going to come into the room. Quickly, she lit the candle in front of her and switched on her phone's camera, starting to film.

"My name is Aria Lambert," she said nervously. "This is going to sound cliché and kind of like I am Legend, but I am one of the survivors in Japan. I am here with nine others, a few of which are foreign in this country like I am. This is the first day of the end, and as such I find it fair to name it along the lines of X-Day or Z-Day. Considering that Z is the last letter of the alphabet, today is Z-Day."

She sucked in a breath and wiped one of her eyes tiredly. "I got a text from a trainee doctor named Daniel Lambert – he is my older brother and the only person in my family I have gotten in contact with, even if it was through three very, very short sentences. If this is the case, then I believe we – the group I am with – may find people they know. Hell, we could find Kit's aunt while we're at it." She laughed weakly at that, and then paled again. She could still see those people at the house, watching them as they passed. "Already, people have adjusted. That is a euphemism, and I refuse to go into detail."

Aria let out a slight yawn. "Today I have already been tranquilised, attacked by zombies, witnessed my good friend turn cannibalistic on her mother, killed someone's infected-but-not-turned brother, met someone who enjoys this life, and found nine other people with the same goal as me: Find help. I think it's safe to say that I want off this carnival ride."

At that, she stopped recording and lowered her phone, closing her eyes as the candle flickered alone in the dark.

Yes, even Aria admits that phone messages in a zombie apocalypse are cliché, but how else is she going to rely a message to whomever finds it? You never know – she could ditch this phone and go for a new one (*cough* not likely *cough*).

That's it. From now on, official chapters :D Also, you'll notice my profile pic has changed. It is a picture of VengefulBiscuit's character, Wendy Matoke. Next character, Mei Todashi (who is XDreamKillerX's character) will be put there when I update next.

Hope you liked the chapter ^^

~Miki