Bloom and Scatter [Free! Zombie AU]

In Water - Part 3

"Makoto, listen to me very carefully," Rin spoke in a completely even tone, "You're not allowed to argue. You have to keep calm and focus, all right?"

He could hear Makoto gulp, and saw him nod from the corner of his eye.

"I'm going to draw its attention. While its eyes are on me, you need to hide somewhere very safe and very secure. And then you need to stay there and bandage your leg up properly."

"Where are you going to take him?" Makoto asked warily, still training his gaze on the zombie that seemed to be waiting for their next move.

Rin inhaled, "Into the water."

Beside him, he felt Makoto tense up. No doubt, he was remembering what he himself had gone through all those years ago, having doggy paddled in the lake for an hour before he was finally rescued. Rin unlooped Makoto's arm from around his shoulder, stepping forward.

"Rin," Makoto said softly, gripping his sleeve, "Don't."

He lowered his head briefly before he held his arm out in front of Makoto protectively, gently pushing backwards in an effort to make him move.

"Hey, Haru," Rin called out. The Boss tilted its head to the other side in reply, snorting through its gills and nostrils.

This was it. "It's been a while," he said loudly, pushing Makoto back one final time and shaking off the hand that held onto his sleeve as he moved forward cautiously, edging closer towards the lake that stretched into the horizon on the edge of the wood, "I guess it figures that you'd be in your damned swimming jammers even as a zombie."

The Boss let out another animalisatic type of snort, tracking Rin's every move. It spasmed slightly, as though trying to respond, but it was only capable of an elongated growl and whine. Its spittle hung in strands from its jaw, glinting under the moonlight.

"I never did beat you in the water, did I?" Rin was sure his voice didn't shake, "Well, I came back to settle the score for good."

"Rin," Makoto pleaded. The Boss raised its head towards the voice. Rin shot Makoto a sharp look and gestured for him to stay down, stay quiet.

"Hey! I'm the one talking to you here, you swimming freak," Rin called out sharply. It did the trick. The Boss turned its head slowly, almost menacingly, "Yeah, that's right. I'm talking to you. You've turned into some mutated zombie with super powers and I've been training in Sydney. About time we set the record straight for good. And I'm letting you have one hell of a handicap. It's a once in a lifetime chance here."

Literally, a little voice in his head said, but Rin ignored it. He had the Boss' attention, and he realised that the more antagonising his tone, the more the Boss seemed to react. He doubted it understood real human speech. Like an animal, it reacted to emotions. And well, Rin had nothing if not a surplus of anger.

"Let's do it, you undead asshole," Rin took the chance to stagger down the bank towards the water, taking off his shoes and hopping into the water. Out of pure instinct, the Boss chased after Rin, but Rin had managed to jump in and swim several feet from shore. It wasn't what he normally did, but he made sure to be noisy and splash around a lot.

It was strange to see something shaped like Haru stop tentatively at where the water met the shore, snarling angrily at Rin. Rin let out a bark of sharp laughter, smack at the water so that it splashed the Boss. The Boss flinched and shrieked at Rin.

"Come and get me, you zombie bastard!" Rin could only laugh as he slowly drifted to slightly deeper waters, "Never took swimming seriously, did you? Well look who's laughing now, you undead creep. Well? Come on! Come and get me!"