Persistence - Left 4 Dead X OC

12

"This is just... awful." Ellis mumbles, as we cross a bridge on the highest floor that overlooked the evac zone. Zombies mindless roaming the bottom. "CEDA never stood a chance."

We crossed, funneling into the elevator. Rochelle taps the floor button and I lean against the glass, watching the zombies slowly turning their heads to us as we descended down. I kinda stop thinking about them as people, at that point it makes me feel like I could actually take a human life like we've been doing.

"Do you think they're still... in there?" I asked, as I started to make eye contact with one of the female zombies. She turned angry, rushing over to pound the glass. "Like, they just don't know what's going on?"

"Well if they are, shouldn't they be at least eating?" Coach holds his stomach. "I'd kill for a good burger right now."

I sighed to myself, looking back at the bloody woman. I pressed my hands against her's as she was clawing at the glass. "I wonder how Debbie is..." I mumbled.

"Who?" Ellis asked.

I pulled my hand down, looking down to the floor. "She's my best friend." Holding my katana in hand as I got ready for the elevator to open. "I saw only in state to see her get married, actually I was leaving today for her day. She was supposed to get married tonight when the sun set."

"She could be still out there, who knows? Maybe her and the groom are kicking ass." Rochelle cheered me up.

"She's down in Rayford, hopefully she's already out of the ceremony and somewhere safe." I looked out the window, the sun shining through the tall window panes. "But... I'm sure if I was even one minute early I would be doomed without y'all."

Coach gives me a nudge. "Can't be missing our team member."

The door chimed, alerting all the zombies around us. The metal door scratching along the floor as zombies started pushing through. I grabbed my grenade launcher, shooting through the gap at the ceiling and the explosion killing the bulk of them.

"Aight, let's go!" I pulled my katana out and started running, grabbing a gas can in front of us and chucking it towards the car.

We spilt into teams, Coach and Rochelle, and me, Nick, and Ellis. Hurrying up, we ran up the flight of stairs at the bottom and scanned everywhere for cans. Tossing the ones on the higher floors to the floor near the car. Making quick work of our task

Nick spraying down the horde in front of us. Hearing low grumbling, Ellis stands near the edge to scan around. He tracks Rochelle and Coach, and gasp. "Boomer! Yeah, Boomer!" He shouts when he got the name right, aiming down his sniper and firing a bullet. We heard an explosion of guts and puke, Coach and Rochelle waving at us from across the walkways.

I glanced down one of the doorways to the backrooms, seeing zombies starting to run up the barricades. I fired another grenade, killing the bulk. "They just keep coming." I glanced at Nick taking care of the ones behind us. He killed them, but stopped in his tracks. "Nick?" I tried to get his attention.

"What the hell?" He said, as Ellis and I looked down the dark walkway boarded up to make it more compact. There was a zombie who just flew between us, hitting the wall behind us with so much force it died. We turned our heads back to the dark, seeing a massive figure rushing at us. It's upper torso being so swollen from what looked like pure muscle. Not even a charger looked this HUGE.

"Run!" Nick grabbed my hand, yanking me away from that thing.

Ellis fired at it a few times, but instead he started running from it. "Oh Lord, that's a BIG GUY!" He shouted. We started rushing away as that thing followed us. Ellis fired into it more as Nick held my hand as he used his other to shoot at the zombies in front of us. We caught up to Rochelle and Coach throwing more gas cans off the side and on the car. "We all need to run!" Ellis shouted at them.

Coach and Rochelle looked back in horror. "What is that thing?!" Rochelle screams, picking up the pace away from that thing as we all start spraying at it. I held on Nick's hand tighter for someone to lead my way, dropping my katana instead to grab my grenade launcher.

Shot once, and bull's eye. Shit, it's STILL going. "How many gas cans did you guys collect?" Nick asked the team.

"We got 4 of em'!" Coach shoved a zombie crawling up the beam on the side of the walkway, it tumbled and splat on the floor below.

"We got 7, I'd say two more!" Ellis held onto his hat as we ran to not loose it.

Nick let go of my hand, as he started shoving the zombies ahead of us. Refilling my grenades, I observed out area  Standing on one of the walkways, getting pinched in between the zombies and the Tank. Nick kept the horde in front of us in check and Coach, Rochelle, and Ellis sprayed all their ammo. I aimed again, shooting one at the end of the bridge at it, STILL nothing!

"It's getting to close!" Coach warned us, as I fumbled with my grenades. I shakily placed one in the barrel, dropping it to the ground. Then I saw scaffolding below. I took a huge swing kick at the panels, grabbing hold of Nick's hand and yanking him to follow me. "Guys, with me!" I told them, as we jumped down on the wooden planks.

"If we need two more, I don't think we checked all of the top floor." Rochelle adds, as we made our way to the staircase again, the tank jumping down and crushing a few zombies to soften it's landing.

As we fired everything we got into it, I last by a molly. Picking it up, I smashed it at our feet as the Tank followed us up. It starts burning, it's skin charring. It took one more second before it kneeled, falling to the ground.

We crossed the walkway on the right of the stair, Rochelle pointing towards a dead end. "We didn't check there!" Rochelle rushed over to the dead end, then popping out with both her hands full, holding the two can.

"That's perfect! Let's get to the car!" Ellis cheers, but we heard another rawr and the floor started shaking. Another goddamn tank! We rushed down the stairs to bet it, Rochelle ran to the gas tank and poured in the fuel. Ellis grabbed the can at Rochelle's feet, pouring it in. "I think it's full guys, get in! I'm driving!"

We quickly jumped in through the car's windows. Ellis slide into the driver side and Coach getting in the passenger. The rest of us, Rochelle, Nick, and I got in the back. Ellis flips the sun visor, the keys falling into his lap. Quickly he started the car. The engine purred loudly, and he hit the gas. Tires screeching, and we got whiplash from Ellis speeding up and crashing into the barricaded glass front doors. We flew out, hitting one of the zombies as we started driving down the freeway.

Exhausted, I smiled... only too lose it as I looked out the window. Building after building with smoke reaching into the clouds. This city was being burnt to the ground.

Nick peered out my window, he looked utterly exhausted but the look in his eyes were scared witless. Rochelle set her hand on her chest, breathing rapidly but slowly gaining back her composure. Coach held onto the seat, watching Ellis duck and weave all the parked cars on the hallway. I don't know to be surprised or not being a mechanic, but he was amazing. "New Orleans, here we come!" Ellis cheered. "YEEEEHAW!"