Richtofen's POV
It was midnight. The time was perfect to do what I had planned.
"Dempshey?" I said, shaking him awake, "Could ve go somevhere?"
"What.?" Tank asked me sleepily, "Where would we go?" Yawn, "It's midnight.."
"Ja, zhat's vhy ve'd be going out," I replied, "Just, follow me, bitte."
He yawned and got up groggily. I sneakily grabbed the small ring box and brought him to the roof. Dempsey looked at me strangely, confused as to why we were here. I brought him to the edge, a long box.
"Ok, sit here. Zhat's it. Now, look up, Thomas."
We both looked up and he gasped when he saw the sky.
"Edward..."
"It's much more beautiful zhan zhe sky in our vorld, ja?" I asked, "Zhis vorld.. It has much more beauty zhan ours ever had.."
He nodded. The sky glittered like a million gems. I reached into my pocket and felt the small shape of the box in my fingers. Through the corner of my eye, I saw Dempsey in the pale moonlight. He looked absolutely stunning in this light. I decided this was the right time.
"Thomas?"
The marine looked at me.
"Yeah?"
I got off of the box and getting down on one knee, I pulled out the ring box. A small gasp came from Tank as he realized what was going on.
"Th-Thomas.. I've gotten to know jou very vell in zhe long time ve've been friends und lovers.. Und, I zhink ve have been togezher long enough zhat I can ask.."
I opened the ring box, revealing the ring to him.
"Vill jou marry me, Thomas Dempshey?"
He couldn't speak, but he nodded. A tear was rolling down his cheek and a huge smile was spread across his face. I put the ring on his finger, which fit perfectly as I had made gloves for him once and remembered the size of his ring finger. He looked at it and hugged me tight.
We sat there, me sitting on the ground leaning into Dempsey on the box. He held my shoulders as we watched the beautiful sky.
"Ich liebe dich, Dempshey.." I said, looking at his face.
He smiled.
"Und Ich liebe dich auch, mein liebling." He replied.
"Aww, jou remembered zhat vone?"
"Yup. 'I love you too, my darling.'"
I smiled and leaned up to kiss him, which he gladly returned.
Then, we heard a familiar voice.
"How sweet. Someone should take a picture."
It was Ben. He was sitting on the side of the roof, arms crossed, and was smiling widely - and knowingly.
Ben's POV
I chuckled softly as I stood, stepping out of the shadows with my hands in my trench coat's pockets.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" I asked rhetorically, adjusting my trilby.
Richtofen and Dempsey were both blushing up a storm and stuttering, until I held up my hand.
"It's alright you two, your secret's safe with me. I won't tell anyone."
They both sigh in relief.
"Thanks Iron Man..." Dempsey said.
I laugh and look at the Marine, saying "You have no idea how literal that is, Dempster." I could see he was confused, and sighed before continuing, "My last name, Yzerman. In its original Dutch form, it translates to iron man."
Richtofen laughed and Dempsey grinned. "It fits too! Iron leg, metal gauntlets-"
"Vambraces," I corrected.
He shot me a dirty look. "Y'know what I meant."
I nod and look up at the stars. "So... sorry to interrupt your stargazing lads. But uh... I was trying to figure something out."
"Vhat?" Richtofen asked.
Looking him in the eyes, I became serious.
"We're nearly out of fuel. We have maybe enough to get out to the airport, but it'd be a one-way trip, and we'd never be able to get the amount of 115 we need back here without at least one truck."
Their shoulders slumped, and I could see they were both worried.
"Well NOW what?" Dempsey asked.
I had an idea, but we'd have to get everyone together and explain it.
"Let's go downstairs, I have something that might be able to fix this."
Once the three of us get inside the library, we find Misty was whaling on poor Landon. Growling uncharacteristically, I grabbed Landon and pulled him away, Richtofen doing the same for Misty.
Glaring between them, I went off. "You IDIOTS! What the HELL do you think you're doing?! We have enough problems already without you two trying to kill each other!"
Those in the room who knew me personally - Henry, Aaron, and my family - were surprised. I didn't lose my temper often, and yelled even less. Calming myself, I looked between them.
"Meeting room."
Once everyone was in the room we'd set up for meetings - on the second floor in one of the old kid activity rooms - I explained our fuel crisis. Henry wanted to go to the gas stations and try to get some, but we couldn't do that because after so many years the preservatives in that fuel would have rotted it to uselessness. This was where I presented my solution.
"There's something back at the Compound that can solve our fuel crisis, at least long enough for us to get out there, grab the 115, and get home so Richtofen can figure out how to end this apocalypse. Problem is, we have to go out there and get it first."
I looked at Nikolai.
"You're a mechanic, right?"
He nods, and I look around. A plan was slowly forming in my mind.
"Alright good, you'll be coming with me then. I'll head out there with Nikolai, Takeo, Aaron, Henry and Uncle Pierre to grab it and come back. Shouldn't be too difficult."
Alex's eyes widened as she realized what I was talking about.
"Ben, you aren't thinking of-"
"What choice to we have, sis? We don't have enough fuel to make it out to the airport and get back."
I could see the others were confused and sighed.
"You'll see. Anyway, first we need to find the supplies everyone keeps going on about, so let's go take care of that."
Dempsey's POV
The plan, whatever it was, was coming together. I was barely paying attention, so I had no idea what it was. I had borrowed Henry's phone, which he had Richtofen set up to be powered by a tiny piece of the small 115 shard, and listened to his music though a spare pair of headphones. It wasn't bad. Didn't understand much of it, meaning I had to ask Henry about a lot of it, but I liked this one song Addict he had downloaded on the phone.
"What'cha listening to, Tank?" I heard Henry ask me.
"Addict."
"That's a good one," He replied, "Hazbin Hotel was really good."
"Are you gonna want this back?" I asked him.
"Nah, that's my spare phone. Me and Ed thought you should have it," He held up another, "Because I have my own."
I smiled. Every day, I loved that German more and more. He always gave me shit I didn't need but knew I'd love anyways. He was too cute.
It was still night, so I assumed Edward would be in bed. I found him exactly where I thought I would, reading a book called Captain Underpants.
"What the heck is that, Eddie?" I asked, laughing a bit.
"I have no idea, Dempshey. Zhis seems to be a child's book, but it is not zhe kind I vould have zhought vould be around during any timeline."
"Well, I came to ask if ya wanted to have a bit of.. fun."
He looked at me with a light coat of blush across his face. I crawled into the bed with him, and we took our shirts off. I was about to take his pants off when-
"Fuck, she got out of the restraints!!" Henry shouted, "Someone catch her!!"
The zombie girl Henry had caught was limping towards us with an inhuman speed. I quickly grabbed a pillow and hit her in the face, pushing her back enough so I had time to grab the Captain Underpants book and knock her out with it.
"That was.. something," I said, turning to Richtofen, "We oughta get her back down there."
He nodded, and we re-bound her, making sure to close the basement door this time, and locked it just in case. I sighed as I sat down beside Eddie in our bed. He smiled at me and kissed me gently.
Aaron's POV
(First chapter with this character actually writing)
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I sat down with Henry's old dog, Bear. The little guy was fairly old, being fourteen now. He was such sweet dog. He really enjoyed playing around.
Bear is my favourite kind of dog. He was brought along to the library by Jenn, Matt and the others.
The whole crew was on the first floor, preparing for the plan when suddenly, I heard something.
"Fuck, she got out of the restraints!"
I rushed over to see Henry chasing Talia while yelling, "Someone catch her!" as she full sprinted towards Dempsey and Richtofen.
By the time I arrived, the zombified Talia was already out cold on the ground.
"Well that was fucking close.." I muttered to myself.
I then pulled Henry to the side as Dempsey and Richtofen went to recontain the once human Talia.
"Is everybody ready to roll?" I asked him.
"Should be. We'll move along with the plan in the morning. We could all use some rest."
"Do we have someone for nightwatch yet?" I said.
"Both Micro and Misty insisted on nightwatch tonight," He answered, "They told me they want to talk to each other about their... issues."
"Shall we call the night here babe?" I asked.
"Since when do you talk like some kind of fucking gentleman?" He said laughing, and began to drag me upstairs.
At this same time, Richtofen dragged Dempsey to their room.
"Ve vill not be interrupted zhis time, Dempshey," Richtofen said to his blushing marine, "I vill give jou ein good time..~"
"Ooh, sounds kinky!" I heard Henry jokingly say as I let out a chuckle.
Dempsey tried to shoot him a dirty look, but couldn't fight the smile forming on his face. Blushing, he let the smiling German drag him to their makeshift bed.
3rd POV
Out they stepped from the red coloured portal. The four men stood there, confused as to where they were. Buildings of the town surrounded them, all falling apart from time and neglect.
"Where are we?" One asked in a thick accent, taking a swig of his drink.
"Wherever it is, it can't be good.." Another replied, voice deep and gruff.
The group started off in a direction, but were suddenly attacked from the side.
A large horde of zombies had rushed at them from beside a building. Wielding only meager pistols, the group swiftly fell to the undead.
As the reanimated bodies rose from their victims, they left a sight that the survivors of the town would never have forseen coming...