The Infected [KageHina Zombie AU]

Chapter 13 - They had a Goal

We traveled down the dimly lit street in a V formation. Tsukkishima at the front and me by his side, the others I was yet to meet. Yamaguchi was inside the V, being protected by the soldiers since he was defenceless. It was quiet, too quiet. Everyone had retreated to their homes by this point and the smell of the burning campfire wood still lingered, mixing with the smell of the rotting corpse not too far away. The only sound was the heavy footsteps of the soldiers as we marched down the street, so far there was nothing.
"Let's check the park first." Tsukishima ordered. He used his hand to direct us towards the park. It was a small forest area located to the west side of the town. It was pitch black. "Lights on." Tsukkishima commanded. We turn on the torches mounted on our guns, they're not that bright and barely stretch three feet in front of us but it's better than nothing. We walked around the silent paths without hearing a noise. The crunching of the leaves beneath our feet made me jump. It was as if something was going to jump out at any second. Just as I was beginning to fall into a false sense of security we heard something running around behind the trees followed by high pitched grunting. It's definitely not human. Tsukishima aims his scope towards the noise. The other soldiers followed his actions, so I did too. I looked through the aim, scanning over the bushes. Everyone was so focused that we didn't even see the creature running at us from the right. It ran right past us on all fours, seemingly ignoring us.
"There!" One of the men shouted. Pointing his light in the opposite direction.  Everyone's heads snapped 180 degrees to catch a glimpse of he leaper pouncing for Tsukkishima, but he was too prepared for it. I'm a matter of seconds Tsukkishima one-handedly shot the leaper mid air, it's mouth still open. It flew right over our heads and slammed into a tree not too far away. It was dead.
"What the fuck is going on." Tsukishima said wiping the blood from his forehead.
"What do you mean?" I said. Surely he'd seen worse than this before. He ran into a horde of zombies for fuck sake. Why was this so surprising. Tsukkishima looked me dead in the eyes, the glint of his glasses reflecting off the moonlight. His voice low and slightly trembling.
"I've never seen them act like this before." He said. There was a moment of silence as everyone realised he was right. From what I'd heard, leapers were somewhat erratic. That's why they were considered one of the less dangers types. They were so erratic that you could see them coming from a mile away, their screams and grunts were loud and they were in no way stealthy. But now, they were quiet, deadly. Something wasn't right.
As the silence set in we heard piercing screams coming from back in town. "Fuck! Let's go!" Tsukkishima shouted. Everyone ran in the direction of the screams.
The screams were coming from a small house on the Main Street of town. All the lights were off and there was a large hole in one of the windows, no glass on the outside. Meaning whatever broke it had broken in. When we arrived at the house everyone's faces dropped. Who did this house belong to?
"Miss Hinata!" Tsukishima screamed, running to meet the crying woman. She carried a small toddler in her arms, blood and tears covered her face as she sobbed to Tsukkishima. She has short ginger hair, similar to-
"Shoyou is in there! So is that thing!" She cried. She grabs onto Tsuksihima with tears in her eyes. "Please get him out!" I feel my grip on my gun tighten and the rubber of my gloves creak against the handle. This was Hinata's house, and whatever was in there was in there with him. I had to use all of my strength to stop me from running into that house on my own. But I kept Tsukkishima's advice in my head. "Don't try to be a hero."
Taukkishima looked back at me knowingly. "Kageyama, come with me." He ordered. I nodded and we ran into the house. As soon as we entered the atmosphere shifted. As if we entered a whole new reality. It was quiet, you could have heard a pin drop. All we could heard was the creaking of the old floorboards beneath our boots. We walked cautiously through the hallway, I glanced to my left, it was the living room and the remains of window were scarred across the floor. Along with a trail of blood that lead through to the kitchen. You could tell there had been some sort of fight. Chairs were scattered over the floor and the place was a mess. Just as I was about to speak up there was a loud smashing sound coming from further back into the house, more glass, followed by quick footsteps. "
It's in the kitchen." Tsukishima whispered. We slowly crept our way back into the house and found ourselves in the kitchen before long. We noticed the smashed plate on the floor. With quick examination we realised it was already gone, and the back door was open. For all we know it had already left the house.
But that possibility soon came to a close as we heard the quick approaching footsteps coming from behind me. Tsukkishima was first to turn around but I didn't get the chance. It jumped on my shoulders, causing me to loose my balance. In an attempt to regain it I dropped my gun. Thats when I felt the thing I'd been trying to avoid all these years. I felt it's jagged teeth digging deep into my neck, the noise echoed in my ear. It was moist. And the pain. I screamed bloody murder as the pain surged through my body. I did the only thing I could think of and began twisting and shaking my body. The leaper fell backwards onto the hard wood floor, making a loud bang and causing it the shake. The leaper quickly recovered and pounced at me once again now pinning me onto the floor. I held it inches away from my face and watched it's jaw clamp together as it tried to bite me. It's drool flying left and right. I don't know if it was the will the live or the desire to keep Hinata safe but as my grip began to let out I got a rush if energy. I threw the leaper off me and across the floor and watched as it bounced. I scrambled to my feet and ripped Tsukkishima's gun from his hands, pointing at at the quickly rising leaper. Then, 1, 2, 3 bullets into his skull. It's brains and insides splashed back onto the counter behind.  I stood there, heaving. My head began to spin. I fell to my knees in-front of the corpse and Tsukkishima ran to my side. At first I thought he was going to hit me for taking his gun, but he ripped my armour off me and pinned me against the counter face first. I wasn't even conscious enough to object. He ripped my shirt from my shoulder, I could feel it peeling away. There was blood.
"You've been bit." He said. His voice shaking as he spoke. "FUCK!" He shouted as he kicked the cabinet door. "I knew Daichii should never have sent you out here!" He shouted.
"Hinata." I said, my lungs heavy. Ignoring Tsukkishima I picked myself up and stumbled through the house. I came across a bedroom, towards the back of the house. The door had been barricaded with some drawers. I pushed it open and in the corner was a shivering boy.
"Hinata!" I said, dropping my gun and running to his side. "What happened to you?" I ask, checking his body for injuries. Completely forgetting about my own. Tsukkishima followed not long after.
"Kageyama...it spoke." He quietly said. Tsukishima and I looked at him in confusion.
"The leaper spoke? Hinata that's impossible...they don't talk" Tsukishima clarified.
"I'm telling you it spoke! It said Kageyama's name! I swear!" Hinata screamed.
"It said my name?" I asked. Hinata nodded and looked me in the eyes, whatever had happened to him clearly had him shook. He looked terrified, and you don't get that much these days. "Alright, let's get you back to your mum and we'll talk about it later." I said. I take my coat and put it around him then lift him in my arms and carry him out, still not sure if he had any injuries, but guessing by the small pool of blood on the floor he's cut himself somewhere.
When we get back outside we notice another leaper body beside the group.
"Killed another one?" Tsukishima asks.
"Yes. And another one ran out of the town but Yamaguchi got a tracker on it before if got away." One of the soldiers answered.
"Alright, let's finish up the search and call for a meeting." Tsukishima said. Everyone dispersed and as Tsukkishima was walking away I pulled him to the side.
"We need to get you to medical." Tsukkishima said.
"No, it's already too late." I looked back at my shoulder, blood still seeping through my shirt. "Just promise you won't say anything until it's time." I looked him dead in the eyes. I had no idea how I was going to hide it this time. He couldn't know, no one could.
"Alright."

***

The next morning we called for a meeting with everyone involved in the search last night. I tried my best to cover my wound, it had already started to fester and I wasn't going to be able to hide it for long. I stood close to the back of the room. Away from everyone else. Hinata wanted to stand next to me but he was told to sit closer to the middle of the room so everyone could hear him. Daichi cleared his throat, capturing everyone's attention.
"So, what I know is that last night we had five leapers in the town for a reason we don't know. 4 were killed one got away with a tracker and you're still tracking that, correct?" Daichi says. Yamaguchi nods as he looks at his computer screen.
"Guys it's heading south again" Yamaguchi says.
"Why would it go back?" Sugawara scrunched up his face in confusion.
"So, tell me what you know." Daichi says, taking a seat. Tsukishima stands up and takes a deep breath.
"A lot of things about last night don't add up. Firstly, the way that the leapers were acting last night was absurd, they seemed....smarter. Like they could attack better and were able to trace our steps. Secondly, why were leapers the only thing that could get into the town, there was no traces of any other kind of zombie, and the walls are high enough so they can't jump over them."
"So you're saying there wasn't a leak?" Daichi asked. He sat forward, a look of fear spreading over his face.
"Exactly, but what's even weirder is that there was 5. That's an oddly specific number don't you think? And since when do leapers move in packs of five, we know they come in the hundreds."
"You're right, that is weird, especially because they were here of all places. We all know we don't find them here. It just doesn't make any sense! It's almost as if they've been planted or something!" Daichi shouts putting his hand in his head.
"What?" Tsukishima says.
"Wait...what if they were planted?" Sugawara says. "Maybe someone's playing with us."
"But how would someone be able to control them without having the leapers actually attacking them?" Daichi asks.
I felt my throat swell up. I choked and began coughing. Everyone turned to look at me. "Oh my god." I mumble.
"Kageyama? You know something?" Daichi asked, giving me a very stern look.
"T-they trained them..." I said.
"Who did?"
"The Iron Eagles...when I way staying there they showed me their complex, they have an entire section dedicated to taming zombies and training them to be ever stronger than they already are. What if..."
"They planted them..." Hinata finishes my sentance. "That explains why they were so strong, and why they spoke, and even why it's heading back south!"
"The leaper spoke?" Daichi asked, looking at Hinata.
"Yes, it said Kageyama's name." Hinata said.
"Then that means they were looking for him..." Tsuksihima says.
"Why me?" I ask
"You were their prisoner... we know how stubborn they are." Sugawara says.
"There must be something they want you for...they wouldn't be so keen on getting him if not." Daichi says.
The whole room goes silent, they're all looking at me. I feel uneasy and my heart won't slow down. "What's going to happen to me?" I say in my head.
"So..our conclusion is that The Iron Eagles have sent trained leapers here to what? Attack us? Play with us? They obviously had a goal in mind." Daichi says
"That's what we've got to find out...and fast..."