Karma // 10k Fic // Completed

Alien Faith

"So when they briefed you, what'd they tell you about this place?" Warren asked as we passed yet another fucking car.

"According to our intel, a few years back there was some sort of crazy cult leader lady broadcasting out of a radio tower near here. Claimed space aliens were gonna land and take all the survivors to some zombie-free planet, but... they didn't." Lilly explained.

"Well that... sounds insane. And oddly familiar." Murphy said.

"Faith is a crazy thing." Warren said.

"Well, we've seen a whole lot of crazy." Doc said.

"Almost a million people." Lilly said.

"What happened to them?" Lucy asked.

"No one knows for sure. Some kind of mass die-off turned them all Z. For some reason, all them Zeds took off from this place en mass" Lilly explained.

"Even Zs don't like this place." Tommy said.

"Last drone footage we have shows the mother of all zombie hoards heading straight for the Grand Canyon." Lilly said.

"We were nowhere near the Grand Canyon." Doc, 10k, and I all said at the same time.

"I can't believe we left Addy behind too." Tommy said.

"Yeah, you've had to leave a lot behind. Haven't you, kids?" Doc asked.

"Sure like to zombify that son of a bitch that shot Addy." Tommy cursed.

"Uhh... . Yeah, you know, 10K, about Addy..." Doc started.

"Doc. Don't move." Tommy said.

"Is there something in my beard?" Doc asked.

"No. Something's watching us." 10's voice alerted everyone. "Something big." His voice returned to his normal level.

"Mad Z?" Lilly asked.

"No. It's some kind of critter" He explained. 

Squeaking could be heard from all around.

"Rat Zs?" Tommy asked then fired a shot. "Got him."

More rats began to make noise. Some knocking off wood pallets or sheet metal.

"Run!" Warren yelled. Everyone ran in different directions trying to escape the rats.

Everyone began looking for Lucy. Everyone met up where we originally ran away from.

"You okay?" Murphy came into view with Lucy not too far behind.

"I'm fine." She answered.

"Thanks for the help! Where the hell were you guys?!" Murphy complained.

"Huh? Dude! Z rats." Doc defended.

"Heard the screams. Junk was too thick. Got here as soon as I could." Lilly interjected.

"What about you, huh? Where were you? You don't care about anyone else? Besides your girl toy" Murphy said looking at Tommy. My smile dropped and I went to lunge at Murphy. Tommy grabbed my arms and held me back.

"Them, I care about. You, not so much. And uh, next time, I won't hold her back" He winked.

"How 'bout you, huh? You're leading us into the middle of nowhere, based on nothing!" Murphy yelled.

Automatic gunfire rang through the air. Lilly took her gun from being pointed in the air back to her hands.

"What we have here is a lack of unit cohesion. I didn't mercy my two best friends to put up with this shit." She said.

"She's right. Now come on, guys. Teamwork makes the dream work." Doc said.

"Hippie's right." Lilly agreed.

"You're bleeding." Lucy said, catching my attention.

"It's just a flesh wound." Murphy answered when she pressed him.

"Okay, now everybody listen up. As your friendly neighborhood mental health professional, it's my opinion that we need to stick together and not go running off alone. Agreed?" Doc said, turning around to notice almost the whole group moved on. "All right, well I'm glad we got that straight. Let's go, Murphy. Kids." He said.

---

"Hey, Luce. What's your take on them Mad Zs?" Doc asked.

"Well, with regular Zs, I can hear their names, see flashes of their lives. I can talk to them. Mad Zs, it's just screaming." She said.

"You can't command them at all?" Murphy asked.

"Nope." She said.

 "Umm, this isn't right. I'm off course." Warren said. We stopped next to an old school bus nd some random cars.

"We were on course? Let me guess. We're lost? Are we lost?" Murphy asked.

"Gesundheit." Doc said.

"Who sneezed?" Lilly asked. I pulled my pistol from my hip and secured my sniper to my back. Another sneeze could be heard to my left.

"There! You, in the pile! Stand up and show yourself or be mercied!" Lilly yelled. 

"What is it?" Tommy asked.

"Looks like some kinda Ender." Doc said.

"Hey, don't shoot him. Better an Ender than a Mad Z. Easy. Easy." Warren coaxed.

"I don't know who he thinks he's gonna scare wearing that thing." Murphy said.

"Enders!" Tommy yelled. My back immediately braced against his. They began to take our stuff off our bodies and our weapons. The chaos went on for another five minutes. My body got separated from 10k's. My right arm took a good hit and my body hit the ground, the enders kicking my body as they stole our shit.

"Oww, they smashed my kiwis." Doc said. I tried to laugh but it came out as a painful cough.

"Nik!" Tommy called. He crouched down to my level and began assessing my injuries.

"They got our water." Lilly grunted.

"He got my bag." Doc added.

"Most of the ammo." Tommy cursed.

"Next time, can we just shoot them?" Murphy asked.

"Hey Land-ho. I can see the way out from here." Lilly said.

"Ugh... hallelujah! Warren, lead us to the promise land! Warren? Where the hell is she? Warren! Where is she?" Murphy caled.

"There." Lilly sighed pointing to her body going the wrong way again.

"Lucy! Come back here! Come on! We can get out this way!" Murphy yelled, Lucy running after Warren.

"Sorry, Murph. Looks like the craziest person wins." Doc said.

We caught up to her and now the group is in an rv while me and 10k keep watch.