With Ed, Saeko, and Ben having reunited with everyone, things had slowed down a bit as the Fujimi Survivors settled in the Takagi Estate. Everyone was shocked to hear that Umbrella was apparently behind the zombie outbreak but Saya's mother, Yuriko, didn't seem all that surprised.
"Figures those corporate bastards would eventually fuck everything up."
The Takagis had some connections to Umbrella but cut them off after seeing the company's more...unethical business practices. It was already a pretty shady business run by Ozwell E. Spencer but when the old man died of unknown causes, he was succeded by his apprentice, Albert Wesker, who seemed to have vague goals for the company going forward.
"Dear lord, Mother and Father work there!" Double-D realized in horror.
Luckily, the mood was lightened when Ed revealed the Resolver Weapons given to him, Saeko, and Ben by Vaas and his crew. The crew decided to keep them for safekeeping and decide what to do with them later as well as figure out who should get which one.
Matthew was currently dragging Eddy across the huge hallways of the estate, ignoring the looks he was receiving from various people. When he reached the stairs, he let go of his little brother.
"Is there a reason you dragged my ass across the floor?" Eddy grumbled as he got back up to his feet.
"If I asked you, you wouldn't have come, Pipsqueak." Matthew smirked.
"Ask me what?"
"Help me cook breakfast for the camp."
"Oh...wait WHAT!" Eddy's eyes widened. "Y-You mean our group right, Bro?"
Matthew shook his head and walked down the stairs, Eddy quickly following after him. The two soon made their way into the kitchen, Eddy gazing in awe at the marble counters and white and black tile floor.
"Damn...they could fit a whole house in here!" Eddy whistled. "This is a Chef's paradise, baby!"
"Yeah, but don't mess anything up. You know The Don would have both our heads if we got his house dirty." Matthew warned as Eddy shuddered, he remembered meeting Saya's father at one point before the outbreak...and swearing to every deity he believed in never to piss the man off.
"Alright, Pipsqueak. Let's get cooking!"
An hour or so later, the kitchen is now a mess. Flour was strewn all over the floor, egg shells were scattered across the counters, and several bowls full of mixing batter were upturned. Eddy and Matthew, were laying on the floor with egg yolks and batter splattering their faces as well as flour in their hair.
The brothers could only weakly groan as they stared at the devastation they had caused. Luckily, the maids had helped them with the cooking for the whole house. But they left the cleaning to them.
"This...was the worst brothers bonding experience...EVER." Eddy bluntly stated.
"Yeah..." Matthew chuckled weakly. "Even worse than that time with Grandad and that stripper."
"Awww man, how could I forget that?"
"Hehehe...wonder how that old geezer is doing in all this." Matthew chuckled, but there was a melancholic look in his eyes.
"Well, this is a fine mess you boys have made in MY kitchen."
The brothers looked up to see Yuriko standing there, giving them both the stink eye. The two could only look at each other and let out a defeated groan together. This was going to suck...
Since the Fujimi Crew had arrived, Yuriko ordered all the students to take rooms in the manor as guests and friends of her daughter. The adults and Arisu were in the infirmary mostly to help finish patching up Shota from his wounds. Occasionally Kyoko would take Alice up to the library, her nature leading her to keep teaching. She was also assembling a lesson plan for the rest of the students. Apocalypse or not, she felt that an education was an absolute necessity. Yuriko supported this and ordered a room set up as a makeshift classroom.
Shizuka was perhaps the most valuable asset brought to the Takagi estate. No one that had taken refuge there was a trained doctor. That meant that, as a school nurse, she had more medical knowledge than anyone and was made the de facto doctor of the estate. The typical injuries that were commonplace in a school were also prevalent here. Scrapes, cuts, bruises, and minor illnesses were quickly taken care of and if she didn't have firsthand knowledge of a procedure, there were plenty of medical books in the estate library.
Nikolai had opted to help out after he and Rolf had arrived, even helping her set a broken leg since the man wouldn't stop thrashing around because we didn't have any anesthetic stronger than some Tylenol. Rei was also in the infirmary being treated for her back injury from the wire barrier, Takashi helping with that.
Miku and Naomi were quick to pick up anything that Shizuka taught them about medicine. They wouldn't be doing open heart surgery anytime soon, but they could perform some basic first aid with confidence. Takuzo stayed nearby as a backup if they needed a bit more muscle, he had wanted to be a doctor before the outbreak anyway so when he wasn't helping Shizuka keep her medicines sorted he was studying medical books in the library with help from Double-D.
Most of the rest of the girls made themselves available to the maid staff and the boys helped where they could. Some people were found that had family that were on the list of the dead and missing the crew made back at Minami's house. A lot of tears were shed but they thanked the crew for giving them closure.
Ben was acting as a bodyguard, his nanosuit allowing him to cover plenty of bases in case of any danger. However, most of the adult survivors in the estate were rather condescending to the group because, to them, they were just 'kids'. Matthew, Nikolai, and Yuriko got into many heated discussions with them about how the Fujimi Crew were much more capable of handling themselves and that every hand helped.
Occasionally, Saya would drag Kohta, Saeko, Ed, and Eddy with her when she wanted to walk the grounds of her home. She claimed they were her bodyguards, but she told them the very first time this happened that it was because she couldn't stand the "braindead, useless gorillas" her father hired.
Then there was the obvious friction between Saya and her parents. Only her mother was present for now but the very loud screaming that could be heard across half the manor proved that she was angry at both. Only Takashi and Eddy were brave and/or stupid enough to go near her at times like those.
A few days since Ed, Saeko, and Ben had returned and Saya had gathered everybody together in the infirmary to discuss something important:
"Should we stay here or leave?"
"Okay...why are we discussing this in the infirmary?" Rei asked.
"Cuz you can hardly move, and at least you're covered this time." Takashi said.
"What has brought this hoopla about, Angry Genius Saya-Girl?" Rolf asked Saya.
"Whether we can continue moving forward as a group or not."
"As a group?" Toshimi and Misuzu asked in unison.
"It makes sense," Saeko said. "The group is larger now. We'll have to think even more democratically."
"Eh, fuck democracy. Just drink vodka!" Nikolai said nonchalantly, taking a swig of his bottle.
"Do you really think we have to split from the estate?" Takashi asked. "Things are only getting worse out there. Your parents seem to know what they're doing. They have a plan."
"Oh of course they do. They always do." Saya said softly and her voice got worse as she continued. The group could all see her fighting the tears. "I know that better than anyone. Their achievements, don't think they won't shove them right in your face."
"Ahhh, here comes the bitching...just like my wife..." Nikolai sighed before a sad look crossed his face at the remembrance of his beloved wife, even through all the ups and downs of their relationship. "Come on, дорогой (sweetheart). Let's get out of the room."
Nikolai gently ushered Arisu out of the room, Takuzo and Naomi deciding to join in as well to make sure the little girl had company. Shota watched them leave and nodded his head to Nikolai, who returned it as he closed the door.
What followed was a total meltdown from Saya. As Eddy listened, he couldn't help but start to understand the girl he loved/hated a little better now. To grow up in such a suffocating household, in the shadow of two insanely successful people. The pressure she had to deal with to be a 'proper' daughter of the Takagi's must have been insane.
"And where were they!? When I was out there on the streets, fighting for my life! Where the hell were they?!"
"STOP IT SAYA!"
Takashi surprised everyone by grabbing his childhood friend by the collar and lifting her up, shocking everybody. Eddy moved to try and de-escalate the situation but Double-D stopped him and shook his head.
"You don't get it! You don't understand how I feel!"
"It's not just you! We all feel the same way!" He started shaking the girl and some of the others were getting concerned. "We. All. Feel. The. Same. Way! Don't you get how lucky you are?! At least your parents are safe!"
"Tak...that's enough." Eddy said, finally moving from Double-D and placing his hand on his friend's shoulder, Kohta putting his hand on the other shoulder.
"Okay..." Saya sobbed gently, a small smile on her face. "You're right. You can put me down now."
Takashi sighed as he set her down, muttering apologies as Double-D decided to have his voice be heard.
"If I'm being perfectly honest...I don't see how either option will provide much benefit."
"What do you mean?" Yuuki asked her boyfriend.
Double-D sighed as he explained. "If we stay here we're mostly likely to be merged into the large group, in which several of the adults will complain about us carrying weapons carelessly. Before anyone could ask why that will be a problem, let me ask you all a question. If you see someone in their teens with a firearm, what will you do?"
The group all silently understood what Double-D was getting at. The only ones the adults would be comfortable seeing handle weapons would be Matthew, Nikolai, Kyoko, Shizuka, Shota, and Ben, the first five because they were adults and Ben because the weapons he carried were US-based.
"Now on the other hand, we can leave this group behind. The problem with this choice is simple. From what Ed, Saeko, and Ben have told us, Umbrella seems to have it out for us specifically and will no doubt send more dangerous threats to terminate us."
Before more could be discussed on what to do, Ben suddenly held up his hand as everyone looked at him curiously before he gestured out the window. Vehicles, several, and some big ones too, were rolling through the front gates in a convoy.
The group quickly hurried out the front door and watched from the veranda as a limousine and some trucks headed towards the manor.
"That's…" Kohta started as the limousine stopped before Mrs. Takagi and a small entourage.
"Yes," Saya confirmed grimly. "He's the former lord of Tokonosu. The head of the Takagi family. The man who judges everything by his rules. My father."
Eddy was actually starting to shake somewhat. He remembered meeting Saya's old man once before and he still cut a pretty imposing figure all the same. Matthew was just watching with a look of indifference on his face while Ben kept a stoic expression.
Soichiro Takagi made his way towards a stage that was set up in the middle of the courtyard where some of his men were moving a cage with a zombie in it.
"Oh dear...it's an execution..." Double-D worriedly noted.
"Guys, there's children there!" Kawamoto said worriedly. "They shouldn't be watching this!"
"We need to spread out and encourage the parents not to let their children see." Takashi said urgently to everyone. "Take the kids yourself if they're alone."
Everyone nodded and spread out to spare the kids from witnessing more bloodshed. The Eds, Rolf, Ben, Saya, Kohta, Saeko, Takashi, and Shizuka stayed on the veranda to see how things played out.
"This man's name is Tetsutaro Doi. He's the former retainer of the family who had served The Takagi Family. He is also my best friend." Soichiro said. "Today, during the rescue operation in an effort to save his associates, he was bitten. This is the ultimate case of self-sacrifice. What he did was something noble, something any human being could do. However, he is no longer a human. He's become something extremely dangerous!"
The zombie banged on the cage as Soichiro drew the katana on his hip and with a swift swing, decapitated the undead, putting an end to his misery. Soichiro had also taken notice of the Fujimi Crew taking the kids away to avoid the gruesome sight but did nothing to stop them, understanding what they were trying to do.
"This is the present we're facing! And so! Even if they're your wonderful friends, beloved family members, and people you once loved, you must defeat them without hesitation. If you want to survive, you must fight!"
It was a grim but true statement in these dark times. Soichiro had a brief reunion with Yuriko before the couple entered the estate. The crew went back inside but Kohta stayed with Ben and Ed the only ones remaining by his side.
"You alright, buddy?" Ben asked his best friend.
"Swords...they're incredibly inefficient..." Kohta muttered. "They can break after hitting bone and are useless after cutting through three or four people."
"Every weapon has its use, Kohta." Ben said. "But even guns break down."
Meanwhile, Matthew was walking down the stairs and immediately ended up coming face to face with Soichiro, the older McGee brother groaning before smirking.
"Long time no see, Mr. Don."
Soichiro kept a passive expression. "You haven't changed a bit, McGee-San."
Saya and Eddy looked between the two and both of them had these words to say at the greeting they shared:
"WHAT?!"
It seems Eddy's Bro has some old connections with Saya's Dad. Wonder how this is gonna play out...
Also, if any of you have any ideas for his story, I'm all ears because I don't know what I'm doing anymore.