Day 352, 10:00 AM
A zombie dog.
"Oh no," Kaminari mutters under his breath. He takes a step back, keeping his eye on the dog. "Nice doggy, nice doggy." The dog growls and steps forward in a challenging stance. "No, no, I'm not a chew toy." He steps back again, the undead dog taking another step. "No, there's... there's some fancy feast at the store if you're hungry." His back hits a tree and the dog takes two steps forward this time. "Please, no. No, please."
The continues to growl under its breath, keeping its dead eyes on Kaminari, waiting for the slightest provocation.
Kaminari wasn't sure but he thought he heard a branch snapping just up to his left. With his head in the dog's direction, he sideglances the source of the noise and sees another zombie dog creeping up. Then to his right, there was another dog hiding behind a tree, already in defense mode, ready to enter attack mode.
Three dogs.
Two more branches snap from behind.
Five dogs.
As the horror sinks in, Kaminari realizes may just be his last day on earth. Slowly being surrounded from all sides by zombie dogs, he takes another step back and, the first dog takes another step. He could sense other dogs taking another step forward as Kaminari freezes in place. Glancing at the undead dogs, he sees that they're all a bunch of different breeds but they all look ready to pounce him.
"If you let me go, I promise to play fetch," the electric boy bargains. Deku, where are you, man?
He knew the dogs were too close because he could smell their rotting flesh. Any minute now, this staredown between him and the dogs was about to come to a head and he was going to be without his soon. With the gas station only a kilometer away or so in the direction directly behind him, he wonders if he could make it.
I have to try.
He makes a run for it.
The dogs roar and charge for him.
Kaminari screams and sprints for the life of him. If those dogs bite me, I'm infected. I'm fucking infected. I'm dead. Sensing a dog is about to leap on him, he veers to the right and causes the leaping dog to slam headfirst into a tree. The dog quickly recovers and chases after the electric boy.
Even as he's running, Kaminari can't help but gasp in shock at how far and high the dog jumped. Five feet in the air at least and at a distance of twelve feet. Amazing.
That's why he ran faster. The dogs were gaining with each passing second, ready to bite into his retreating calves any second now. That's when Kaminari notices a fallen tree. He sprints faster before vaulting over the tree. The dogs leap over the tree and continue their pursuit after him. He turns at the last second as he is about to hit another tree and another dog hits the stump headfirst but is still alive.
Seeing no other choice, Kaminari takes the bumpiest path possible to get back. This includes a path with boulders in the way, logs, fallen trees, thick branches, and anything that might slow the dogs down. He might be slown down but in the open, he doesn't stand a chance against the four-legged monsters.
Leaping over boulders and branches with each, the dogs barely manage to keep up with one of them getting trapped in a thick pile of branches. Kaminari doesn't bother looking over his shoulder and continues traversing the rough environment. He vaults over several more fallen trees before the gas station is within sight. This prompts him to run faster."Bad dog! Bad dog!"
He reaches the gas station and moves enters through the backdoor. Inches away from closing the door, one of the dogs gets its head halfway through the doorway and blocks the door from closing. Kaminari pushes against the dog and kicks it in the snout. When that doesn't work, he looks over to the shelf behind him. There was a knife left behind, reminding him of the knife he took with him when he searched for Deku. Pulling it out of his back pocket, Kaminari thrusts it forward.
The blade enters the dog's eye but it doesn't wince and simply continues growling as if nothing happened. Zombies don't feel pain.
He pushes the door harder but the increase of pressure applied by the other three makes it harder for him to close the door. Speaking of which, the door to the supply closet was open and since there were only four dogs and not five pushing against the door, that meant...
The fifth dog breaks into the gas station through the front door by barreling into the glass doors and shattering the windows. It has a clear path to Kaminari and it charges for him. Kaminari only has a split second to react. He pulls the shelf down... a little too early, but it still blocks the dogs' pathway but it doesn't matter because at the last second, the dog leaps over the fallen shelf blocking the doorway and at Kaminari.
Kaminari barely has time to leap out of the way as the dog crashes headfirst into the door. Kaminari vaults over the fallen shelf and through the doorway, where he promptly slams the door shut just as the zombie dogs get through the backdoor. The dogs bark and roar on the other side of the door and try to break through. Kaminari watches the door in horror as he backs away, tripping on his own feet. Picking himself up, he realizes that the dogs will leave the supply closet through the backdoor before circling to get him.
The very thought of those dogs sinking his teeth in him almost makes him break down in tears but his survival instincts kick in and he heads out the front door. He runs to his dirt bike that was parked near one of the gas pumps and climbs on. Kicking the kickstand up, he starts the bike as the dastardly barks get louder with each passing second. Holding the knife in his left hand, he revs the bike up but one last bark from behind prompts him to look over his shoulder. The zombie dogs were in sight and running for him. He hits the throttle and rides off just as the dogs leap for him. He misses them by inches as he rides down the road, clutching the knife against the handle in his left hand and revving up the bike to gain more speed.
The dogs take off after him, determined to have their meal for the day.
"Good doggy," Kaminari yells as the dogs start to catch up with him. "Good doggy, nice doggy!"
The dogs were almost upon him. Kaminari wanted to cut through the trees to give himself an edge but driving through the forest with unpredictable paths when he was in dire need to escape was not a good idea. He sticks to the road and tries to gain speed no matter what. He was going as fast as the bike could go. Well, somewhat. He knew that he should be hitting full throttle but there was a subconscious part of him that was slowing the bike down to avoid potentially crashing. Damn the subconscious part that prevented you from going all out on a dirt bike.
He pockets the knife as he rides but almost immediately regrets it as a pack of zombies crosses the road. They must've just come out of the forest because they didn't cross the street entirely and left only a small space between the road and the forest. If Kaminari hurried, he could close the distance and get around the zombies without going through them.
He jerks the handles to the left before jerking to the right as he zigzags the zombies, barely staying out of reach. The zombie dogs collide with some of the zombies and knock them over but two of them manage to keep up with Kaminari.
"Roadkill!"
When the road begins descending downhill slightly, one of the zombie dogs decides to leap off at the tipping point. Kaminari jerks the bike to the left and the dog hits the ground headfirst but it recovers almost immediately and continues its pursuit, not giving in for a single second.
"Fetch!" The dogs didn't listen. It was worth a try.
Looking behind him for a split second, Kaminari could see the three dogs that rammed the zombies catching up. They were still a good twenty to thirty feet behind the two dogs on Kaminari's tail but still, too close for comfort.
As the dogs got closer, Kaminari could hear his heart pounding louder and faster in his chest. He needed to get rid of these dogs and fast. If these zombie dogs were anything like zombies, then they should be fried with a nice shock of two million volts. Ironically, when Kaminari was at UA, he didn't use indiscriminate shock if his friends were nearby for fear they might be collateral damage. Now, in this world, if he used it without his friends nearby, then he would be brain-dead for an hour and useless unless someone was there to protect him. Kaminari remembered the hunter beast - or Katsuya beast as he occasionally called him - and noted how he and other beasts seemed immune to the electric boy's two million volts. If these dogs were anything like this, if he tried to use two million volts on them and the dogs proved durable enough to survive, then he was a goner.
Right now, Kaminari's only plan was to escape.
Making a sharp left at an intersection, Kaminari nearly loses his balance but he catches himself by kicking his feet on the ground. Regaining his balance, an overturned pickup truck is spotted in the distance in the middle of the road. Perfect. Kaminari aims the dirtbike for the vehicle and uses it as a ramp to fly in the air. One of the zombie dogs also uses the overturned pickup as a ramp and launches itself in the air like a missile at Kaminari.
Faster than the blink of an eye, Kaminari rips the knife from his pocket knife and turns slightly in the leaping dog's direction. Kaminari yells for a split second as he thrusts the knife forward and stabs the leaping zombie dog between the eyes. In one fluid motion, he grabs the handles with both handles and adjusts his landing as the zombie dog falls flat to the ground like a useless slab of meat.
I killed one. I killed one! And I lost my knife! Woo-hoo!
Even with one of the dogs dead, the other dogs were in hot pursuit and he was without a weapon. Right now, his best form of defense was to keep away as best as possible. When he rides up to another intersection, he makes a hard right just as the dogs are closing in. He continues down the road and makes another sharp turn at another intersection. He keeps up this pattern for a while, hoping that it'll make the dogs lose interest or lose sight of him but with them hot on his tail, that didn't seem possible. The good news was that he had a full tank of gas courtesy of the gas station but the bad news was he had no plan and no knife. The only thing he had any sense of direction was where the gas station was. He was hoping Deku was back at the gas station but if he was, he might be putting his friend at risk and if he used his quirk, they could attract that pack of zombies crossing the road earlier. Kaminari sticks to riding his bike and hoping for the best.
Though he has to narrow his eyes to get a clear view, he spots a pair of survivors crossing the road. They were waving towards him, hoping to flag him down. One looked to be an old man and the other a young woman. Kaminari looked behind him and saw the dogs were slowing behind a little. Not too far but far enough that it would take at least three seconds for them to catch up to him if he stopped suddenly. He turns to the pair of survivors standing in the middle of the road who don't seem to notice the dogs or, at the very least, don't seem to notice that the dogs are infected.
Kaminari rides past them. He doesn't stop to look back; it's either them or him.
The survivors call out to Kaminari, begging for help, and that's when the four-pack of zombie dogs pounce on the two survivors. They scream as they fall to the ground, their teeth clamping down on their neck and wrists, pulling and wrangling their victims. It was two dogs on one survivor so Kaminari had no more undead threats chasing after him.
Even as he continues to ride off, the scream of the survivors sends shivers down his spine.
11:00 AM
Returning to the gas station after what felt like forever, Kaminari climbs off his bike and turns it off. He props it against a gas pump before heading back inside. With the glass window shattered, he quickly tips over a shelf and uses it as a barricade. He then heads to the backdoor where he sets up a barricade for the back exit and the door to the supply closet just in case using the shelves from earlier. Retrieving his knife, he takes the door to another maintenance room and bars it with a chair under the knob. He climbs the ladder leading to the roof, being careful not to cut himself. On the roof that had been covered with dry leaves Mother Nature left behind the past year, Kaminari walks over to the edge and looks down, feeling like he was the king of the world, even though he was only like twenty or thirty feet in the air.
"I'll just wait for Deku up here." He kicks some leaves away and lies down on the roof, sighing heavily. "Once again, your dirtbike saved you, Kaminari." Man, he was starting to miss Deku if he was having conversations with himself. "Ah, shit." He forgot something so now he had to climb down to go do it.
When he reaches the inside of the gas station, he grabs a marker he found in the supply closet and draws a message on the wall. 'Deku, meet me on the roof. Be careful, there are zombie dogs. Yeah, even I can't believe it'.
After he finishes writing the message, he retrieves his backpack and climbs to the roof where he hopes for a short wait and that Deku will return very soon.
12:00 PM
Waking up from his slumber, Deku falls out of the trees with a short-lived scream. Falling flat on his back, he pushes himself to his feet, groaning. Opening his eyes, he looks around to see himself in the forest. Looking around in a dazed and confused state, he tries to recall how he got there. "What?" He decided to put that on the back burner for now and focus on where he was. Huh, this place looks slightly familiar.
Just in the distance, he could see the only cave that he and Kaminari took shelter in for a few nights. "What, how did I get back here?"
He tries to remember the events of last night - or even this morning - to see if it would help. All he remembers is going to bed and then waking up, talking to All for One. It seemed like a short talk but given the time on his watch, apparently, he had been up for around twelve hours or so. Ten or twelve at least. That means... he would have to walk back to the gas station since it was ten kilometers away. It could take him a few hours to get there and he didn't have any way of communicating with Kaminari.
What the hell happened?
Without thinking, he looked around to see if he brought anything with him. Just a survival knife but that was it. No gun, no car, nothing. Then again, they didn't have a gun or car on them. At least a knife was better than nothing. Pocketing his knife, he turns and makes a run for the road. Without wasting any more time, he sprints down the road as fast as he can. Remembering the endurance training Mr. Aizawa had them go through in school, he slows his speed down to a jogging pace before slowing down completely to a walking pace. If he were to get in a situation that needs strength, speed, or endurance, then he needs to save as much energy as possible. Yes, walking to the gas station will take longer than expected but it was better than dying tired.
If he's lucky, Kaminari will be waiting for him. If he's really lucky, then Kaminari would be riding his dirtbike to pick him up. He hopes that what will happen. Maybe Kaminari didn't notice him gone or maybe he's looking in the wrong direction. Maybe Kaminari already come back to the cave but missed him. It could've been anything except one thing that Kaminari had not arrived: abandonment. Kaminari was not the type of person to abandon his friends, no matter what. If Kaminari came to the cave but left, it was because he didn't see him or he wasn't at the cave. Or maybe he didn't get a chance to look yet. The last option gave him hope because if Kaminari hadn't looked, then maybe he will and maybe he'll stumble upon him on this road.
10:40 AM
Bakugou steps forward and looks at the SHiketsu High students. "So, which one of you is the glorified tracker?"
One of the students wearing a black mask steps forward. "That would be mean. The napes GPS and I am pleased to be at your service."
"GPS? What's your real name?"
"You don't need to know my real name."
"You know my real name."
"Yeah, but you're famous for the sports festival. Some of us in this world still want to remain anonymous."
"Is everyone wearing a mask and using a codename nowadays?" Mina asks suddenly. "When did this become a trend."
"Almost recently," Shishikura admits. "Some of us want to remain anonymous. Others, just want to live out our dreams of being a hero with a cool name, even in this world. I see it as necessary for the sake of our survival. Security is everything, even in the post-apocalypse."
"If security is everything, then does that mean...?"
"We'll still help you," Camie admits. "We promise to help you. Right guys?"
Shishikura nods. "Absolutely. But, the big picture choice is handled by Mora, not me."
Bakguou takes another step forward. "So, which one of you is the leader?"
Mora holds his hand up. "I'm the leader of the group. But Shishikura is my second-in-command. I handle the more big picture stuff while he handles the day-to-day stuff; takes most of the stress off of me."
"How many of them are you?"
"Thirty-eight," Shishikura smiles. "You're outnumbered, by a lot. Sorry if that bugs you."
"We've taken on a lot more."
"Is it just you?"
"Nah, there's more of us," Kirishima says too fast, too happily. "We're part of a large group."
"But not a tight-knit group, right?" Shishikura steps toward Bakugou. "You said you were looking for two of your classmates, right? Your group isn't as tight-knit as ours. That's why we haven't had any deaths so far."
"I thought Shiketsu High has twenty students per class like UA?" Shinsou mentions.
"We did but two of them got invited to I-Island for an expo just a few days before the world ended."
"That big guy, right?" Bakugou sneers. "The one who is always loud, says how much he likes UA, but for some reason, hates the Icy Hot bastard, right? I remember him from the remedial class. What was that baldy's name?"
"He wasn't bald."
"If you can't run a comb through your hair, you're bald."
Came laughs. "Aww, I see your internship with Best Jeanist really paid off, Bakubae. I saw your hairstyle when you interned under him. She steps forward, getting within inches of him but he doesn't push or rebate her in any way. "I prefer your hair spiky, just the way it is."
Bakugou rolls his eyes. "Whatever." He looks over her shoulder at the Shiketsu students. "So, GPS, or whatever your real name is, how can you find our classmates?"
GPS steps forward, smiling mischievously. "Oh, well, I can find anyone in the world but it requires very specific circumstances. First, I need a sniff of one's DNA or fingerprint. A fingerprint is easier because even the tip of a finger is enough to leave a scent. Second of all, I need at least twenty-four hours to be able to create a filter so I can track down this specific scent."
"What?" Bakugou's eyes widen. "Twenty-four hours? How did you even get into the hero course?"
"I was actually in general studies at Shiketsku. Unlike most, I had no intention of being a hero. I merely wanted to apply to one of the most prestigious schools in the country because it would look good on my resume. Now, as I was saying, I need twenty-four hours to create a filter so I can track them down. I can only track one person at a time and it can only be within a fifty square kilometer radius. Not only that, but the scent wears off after forty-eight hours. The good news is I can reapply as many times as I want and if it's a scent I'm familiar with, it takes only twelve hours to create a filter. The third time, six hours. After the fourth time, I'm able to instantly filter out a scent. So, this is time-consuming, yes, but it will be worth it because whether they're in the air, on land, in the water, or underground, I can track them. I can track their general direction but not their specific location. That's where my search party comes in. In this case, you guys will be my search party." He claps his hands together snidely. "So then. Do you have something of this green-haired boy and electric boy for me to sniff?"
Bakugou groans. "Weirdo. I don't have anything on me but I do know where I can get their fingerprints and DNA. Just recently, they stopped by Deku's house and stayed there for a while or at least to pick some stuff up."
"Excellent. And this was recent? I need to know how recent because I can track older fingerprints but it takes significantly longer for me to filter because the scent from fingerprints decays over time. How recent?"
"A week, at least. Maybe ten days or so. Eleven at the most."
"Good. I can still work with that. As long as most of the surfaces haven't been disturbed, then should be able to pull off a fingerprint. Now then, let me see your hands."
"Why?"
"If you guys raided his place, I need to tell the difference between your fingerprints and theirs. Now then, let me see your hands."
"I thought you said you could only track one person at a time."
"I can, but like I said, I need to create a filter." He grabs Bakugou's hands. "I can filter out multiple fingerprints but I can only track one set of prints at a time. I need to hone in all my senses when I track someone so my quirk makes me forget what the other scents smell like." He sniffs Bakugou's fingertips like a dog. Almost instinctively, he sticks his tongue out under his mask.
Bakugou cringes. "Do you have some kind of dog quirk?"
"Maybe." He moves to the others and sniffs their hands, being thorough and making sure he knows exactly what their scents are. "I have your scent."
"Good," Shishikura praises. "Get to work on your quirk, GPS."
"Quirk usage attracts zombies," Kirishima warns them.
"Yes, true, but GPS's quirk doesn't activate until he's actively hunting his target. It's a somewhat passive quirk so there's some leeway when it comes to zombies."
"Good."
"We'll drive you back to wherever your friend's house is," Mora assures them, "free of no charge."
Bakugou narrows his eyes. "Why are you helping us? We were barely acquainted during the exams so why are you helping us now?"
Camie laughs and leans closer, making Bakugou lean back. "Can't we be nice, Bakuebae? Isn't helping people still like such a wicked nice thing to do?"
Bakugou narrows his eyes at her. What are these people planning?
Character Cards
-Goro "GPS" Nishi
Quirk: Dog Scent (He can track someone using their fingerprints or DNA)
Occupation: Shikestu High General Studies Student (Formerly), survivor of Shiketsu High
Age: 17
Birthday: April 12th
Height: 160 cm.
Blood Type: A
Likes: Shellfish
Dislikes: Arcane (Too sad to watch).
Other Facts: Writes in cursive.
-Yoshihaki Morioka (The Elderly Wanderer)
Quirk: Irrelevant
Occupation: Bookie (Formerly), wandering survivor
Age: 60
Birthday: December 21st
Height: 153 cm.
Blood Type: AB
Likes: Soy ice cream.
Dislikes: Ambush journalism.
Other Facts: Denied visitation rights for his daughter.
-Shigeko Morikoa (The Young Wandering Girl)
Quirk: Irrelevant
Occupation: Computer programmer.
Age: 18
Birthday: May 22nd.
Height: 140 cm.
Blood Type: AB
Likes: Harry Potter Movies.
Dislikes: Harry Potter Books.
Other Facts: Frequently wears mustard yellow shirts.