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Michael
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"At some point we're going to have to bust through Nexus when it counts." I said.
"No shit. It's almost night fall and they're probably on our ass for that explosion you guys caused."
"We did not do it on purpose!" Natsuki screamed.
"Just drop it already!!" I yell as the bus goes silent almost immediately.
"If anything we can just avoid them by hauling through places they'd least expect it."
"So? What? You're saying I should run this shit mobile through a minefield of zombies?" Scorpio said with a mocking tone as if he thought I was just saying things.
"Yup, I don't see the issue here. You and Monika upgraded this thing to the point it's fit for war." I say looking back and waving my hand at the gold mine of weapons stashed in the back.
"How the hell did you even get your hands on all of this?" Natsuki asked as she played around with her knife.
Scorpio stayed silent for a moment as his grip on the steering tightened.
"Like I said I wasn't exactly an Angel of the lord back before the outbreak...call me a mobster if you wanna. But back then I used to work under some guy named Carlos who had a great history of selling weapons and documentations...as you could have guessed..not legal."
I pressed my head against the window of my seat as I listen while staring out into the streets.
"One day I get the news from the man himself that he's under threat from some woman named the Green Eyed Mistress and that my boys and I have to get out of the city with everything we owned...The weapons came with me and the money stayed with him. The last thing I ever heard from him was calling someone a bitch over the radio before being shot."
He sighed and continued as we roll up onto the open road once again and at this point I knew it was just smooth sailing from here...or- driving.
"I really didn't care for the guy himself...the man was an asshole. But he was still dangerous and it still shocked me how easily him and his entire gang got taken down by a guy and two girls..."
"Well that's a shamble of a story." Monika huffed.
"Hey I'm trying my best! I ain't some old gramps telling old 'Nam tales." Scorpio yelled in return.
"But- anyway. Me and my boys fled to this city with enough equipment to make WW2 sound like a nursery rhyme and became the last known remnants of our gang....until everything went to shit on a whole nother level...and now it's just me.."
The sadness in his tone was barely readable but I caught onto it. My eyes stayed glued to the outside until my sight was blurred by a droplet hitting the window.
It began to rain...
I stretched a bit and then turned to the girls, "Alright, since we're taking the longer route home I think it's best you three get some shut eye in the mean time."
"What? No I'm fine we're-" I stop Natsuki by reaching over and ruffling her hair.
"Stop with the tough nut act shorty. Seriously, all of you need the rest. Trust me, I'll be up and alert... especially when this ass hat is behind the wheel." I chuckle and point towards Scorpio.
He silently responded with a middle finger sprung out which got a little giggle out of the girls.
Natsuki pouted but soon curled up in her seat and lied down followed by Yuri who gave me a sweet smile.
"You need rest too Mike..." Monika said softly as I stood up from my own seat.
"I'll get to it...I promise." Leaving a reassuring smile on my face I watch Monika walk to the back end of the bus and claim the larger seat as her bed.
I watch over the three for a little while before heading back to the front and sit next to Scorpio.
"Got any smokes?" I ask.
"Heh, I always do...but it's my last one." I says as he pulls out a cigarette and a lighter from his inner pocket.
I snatch the two from his hand.
"Yeah I'm not having you drive with clouds in your face." I say as I light it.
"The hell do you think is gonna happen to me once we get back to your base?" He asked in a whisper.
"If you're worried about getting shot then don't sweat it. We try to save our ammo for more important things..." I take a heavy puff before continuing.
"If you want to you can just drop us off and be on your merry way with all this stuff. You'll be fine....or you can just stay there and help us out, your weapons and skills won't seem to be a disadvantage."
"Hah! And what? Play hero with a bunch of neanderthals who are trying to fight a war against an army for a land that's long gone?"
"We fight to keep the people safe. I don't care about this city or what they want to do with it but they're after innocent people and they plan to use them as experiments. Plus, if we're neanderthals then you're a rat in this world. You can either stay out here and always be fighting or hide to survive a night or be protected by people who don't charge shit from you."
He didn't say much after that. The two of us stared at the darkened road ahead as the headlights of the bus scattered with the rain...
And an occasional zombie or two being bashed aside or crushed under the bus as we went.
A while later he spoke up again but this time changing the subject.
"Now what the hell did you people do for Nexus to be on your ass this deep?"
"Stuck our noses in places they didn't want and that's exactly what we plan on doing again."
"Why though? You do realize this is only gonna threaten the people you're trying to save more right?"
"I would have left it alone if I had a choice....but their boss as a bone to pick with me specifically so we were doomed from the start. This leader of there's...she wants to build an army of super soldiers with these monsters and she's basically responsible for the outbreak...with all the power she has currently I think it's more of a terrorist corporation than a national threat."
"Wait it's a chick who runs the place?!"
"Keep.it.down." I grunt.
"Y-yeah..." He'd slip his hat down to half cover his eyes.
"But yeah, I don't think I wanna say why she's after us but let's just say I got two ways to end this. Keep on fighting her and somehow win or die trying...OR do as she says and give her what she wants and just hope she doesn't kill us all anyway..-"
"I'd say kill em." Scorpio said without hesitation.
"Wh- Just like that?" I say dumbfounded.
"Yeah, if that bitch is responsible for bringing this city to shit and kill or capture people like they're toys then how the hell are you gonna trust anything with her? Fuck what she wants and put a bullet in her head."
"But at the risk of all that I'm trying to protect...?"
"You rather going to have them suffer worse fates? They'd at least know you tried doing the right thing...I may not be up in on this good guy bad guy shit but when it comes to my own guys, my own people. They come first."
I stayed frozen in my seat as I stared at the steering wheel he held, lost in thought as I let his words settle in my mind.
The wasn't much said after that...
A few hours later...
"So where too now?" Scorpio asked as I rubbed the sleep off my eyes.
"Go down there."
"Down where? That's a forest." He said.
"Yeah."
Scorpio stared at me for a few seconds before reluctantly driving off the road and through the wide cluster of trees.
"Keep going straight." As I say this I suddenly hear static in my ear piece and quickly tap it.
"Yo, I.Q"
"PFFFT- What the- Mike?!" He spat out his drink on the other end and yelled.
"Yeah yeah, get the gates open. I don't want my own guys shooting me down again."
We reached an opening as I ended the transmission and in the clearing the base was visible all over.
By the time we got to the gates the guards up in the watch towers yelled to open up as the bus slowly heads in.
"Holy mother of God....you people are actually loaded."
This small portion of greenery divided two halves of the city well enough for us to keep a boundary and a distance from the main heart of town and Nexus.
As the bus rolled in, I got up and went back to wake up the girls. Starting from Yuri then Natsuki and Monika.
Yuri and Monika had woken up but Natsuki was still out cold.
"I'll get here. I don't trust any of our own guys carrying her out." I said as Monika and I stare at the sleeping beauty hugging Yuri's sword in it's sheath.
"And what about all this?" Monika asked as she motioned towards all the weapons and equipment lying around.
"That's up to him to decide. If he wants to stay we can take these in too but if he wants to go let em." I say looking back at Scorpio who got up and stepped off the bus while I picked up Natsuki.
Once all of us step outside into the base, we were greeted with at least 10 soldiers of ours aiming their weapons at us. All lasers pointed towards my head.
Scorpio, Yuri and Monika immediately react and grab their weapons while I sigh.
"This is one hell of a welcome home for ya..." Scorpio would whisper.
"Lower your weapons guys..." I say looking back at the two girls and Scorpio.
They were very slowly to do so but with their minds on the defensive.
A few seconds later the men started splitting up as the entirety of alpha team stepped up excluding prowler.
All of them had a look of disappointment or distrust in their eyes while Rose simply looked off to the side.
"How nice of you to return in one piece Goliath..." Azazel said with an aggressive undertone.
"Yup, not the welcome party I expected though." I say with a light chuckle as I adjust Natsuki in my arms.
"You got alot of nerve to be acting this snarky Michael...you lied to us." Claw would grunt.
"Did I? I thought I said I'll tell you the gist of it when we left."
"YOU said that Nexus wanted the cure and that you had it. But you didn't feel the need to mention the fact that you WERE the cure!"
Azazel would yell so loud it was perfectly clear even in the rain.
"That was something none of you were ready for. We were going to war...I was going to tell you, there was no doubt in that."
"And you expect us to believe that...? You are a literal walking holy grail! The one thing we needed that could have saved us all from the beginning and yet you kept it from us! You only cared about your own w-"
"Looking me in the fucking eyes and say those last few words..." I'd say as softly as possible.
The rest of alpha team just stood there and began fidgeting in place as if they already knew the answer.
"Even before all this hell- I never cared for myself...and I never will, my priorities are the people who I care about and right now...they need rest and medical attention.." I'd say again this time lifting Natsuki in my arms who was sound asleep.
Even though all of us were all well and walking we still had taken while the damage from the battle at the factory and surviving a day out there.
"And they also deserve the full truth..." I say looking back Azazel without even blinking once.
"But please, right now we can't do or say much. Just let me help settle the rest down...I'll tell you everything later."
They all looked at me for quite a while until Azazel stepped aside and gave us passage.
The rest did so as well as Yuri, Monika and Scorpio follow me cautiously towards the hospital.
"No one touch my shit! Ya hear me?!" He yelled as we walked away.
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N/A
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The night was still young and once the four were settled in the hospital by Hara, they could finally take a breather after a while run through hell.
The injuries Yuri and Natsuki sustained were minor but as for Monika and Michael it was a different case.
"Cracked forearm, internal bleeding, dislocated shoulder and a concussion. Jesus Christ Mike..."
One of the nurses scolded Michael as she read his report while the man laid there in bed with his shirt off and covered in red stained bandages or stitches, lost in thought as he stared at the ceiling.
"Mhm...and the rest?" He asked.
"Just a few scratches. Although that Monika girl took quite the hits herself that seem worse than the others."
Michael recalled his encounter with Libitina where Monika had taken a harsh beating from one of the soldiers.
In his heart he blamed himself for such a fate and now that Libitina's is aware of Michael's relations with the girls she will definitely attempt to use it against him one way or another.
Especially now with the burden of a decision he has to make.
Suddenly the nurse and Michael heard quite the commotion outside the room which made him sit up.
Busting through the door was Sayori who ran right into Mike's arms in a fit of tears.
"Michael!!...Thank God you're okay.."
"Mmgghh I won't be if you squeeze any tighter-" He groaned through the hug as he attempted to return it.
"Oh my gosh! ...Sorry!" She squealed before pulling herself away.
"Ma'am you can't be in here-!" Two more nurses came running through the door who were chasing Sayori down.
They were stopped by Michael who raised his hand at ease.
"It's alright. Let her stay..." He said softly as the two left followed by the nurse tending to Michael.
Now alone together Sayori sat down next to him on the bed.
"Are you okay...?" She asked.
"Still kicking." He responded with a smile as he rubbed his shoulder.
Sayori took notice to his wound and frowned.
"Is that it...?"
"That's what?" He questioned.
"The bite mark...I talked to Yuri before I came here and she said you were bitten."
"Oh...well- yeah it is but I'm-"
"You're going to be alright....yeah, I know." She interrupted him with words he didn't expect.
"Huh, so Rose told you about it then..."
"She filled in the gaps but I found out through the audio we received during your mission. The entire control room heard your talk with that...woman."
Sayori said in a saddened tone as she reached over and slid her hand across his arm up to his shoulder.
"But...I know the truth so I'm not mad at you..." She said again.
"You sure? I really wouldn't blame you if you were, something this big isn't meant to be kept a secret... it was almost impossible to-"
"Impossible to hide it...? Worried that if you told others it would seem like you betrayed them...made them worry about you or consider you a bad guy...?"
Sayori's words sliced through Michael's heart as he gathered the pieces and realized what she's actually talk about...
"Sayori..." He raised his hand and gently placed his hand on her cheek.
"I understand how it is to keep things from people Mikey...the only difference between us was that..."
Her hand dropped from his shoulder as she sank her cheek into his hand.
"I...was never going to tell you. I never wanted to tell you because I knew....I knew you were a good guy and that you'd start worrying about me and become sad...I- I couldn't-"
She began tearing up through her words, Michael pulled her into a hug when she did but she continued none the less.
"But you wanted to tell your secret... because you trusted your friends...even if it didn't happen the way you wanted- you knew they wouldn't cast you out...that's why you're better-"
"Shut up!" He yelled as his grip around Sayori tightened.
"Please stop....I'm not- I'm not better than you and I'll never be Sayori. You weren't being selfish that day like you told me...that day I saw you as the strongest person I know for having to deal with something like that for so long with a smile...until it got too much. But you still stayed as yourself, even when you were sad you still tried to fight it...you did as you promised and stopped listening to the voices for this long and I'm so proud of you for it."
Sayori began sobbing into his shoulder while Michael let out tears in silence.
It took them a while but Sayori's voice toned down to a whisper through her hiccups.
"I didn't stop listening to them...the voices stopped talking."
She pulled away to look at Michael in the eyes as the two shared an identical state of sore red eyes.
"Ever since the festival...I never had a chance to think to myself...or about myself. All I knew was that I had to protect my friends and that I lost you in the process....even when that day broke me the hardest I ever have been...I never wanted to...leave. Because I knew my friends wouldn't be happy if I was gone."
She returned the action and placed both her hands on his cheeks and forced a smile...
"But a few days ago the voices came back because I was worried I couldn't protect you and I'd lose you again... I'm-"
"You're fine bun. You won't ever lose me again...I promise I'll always be by your side from now on. Even out there..."
Sayori's eyes showed a hint of confusion until they suddenly widened at the realization.
"Wait you mean...-"
"Uh huh, your training with Alpha team will start after we sort stuff out."
Sayori smiled again but this time her face showed genuine happiness.
"Ay this room service sucks!"
The door to the room would open again this time to reveal Scorpio who seemingly wandered in.
Sayori gasped as she jumped off the bed.
"Huh- Mr. Scorpio?!"
"Ayyyyy! What's up little missy!"
The two excitedly greeted each other as Micheal laid back down on the bed and spoke.
"Why are you so happy to see him? Didn't he ditch you at the museum?"
"Well I never hated him for it... plus he's really nice if you're not insulting him every 5 seconds like Monika."
"Heh! See?! This is why she's my favorite! No wonder those girls were out risking their lives to save ya!"
Michael rolled his eyes and quickly shut them to actually get some rest as he heard the two chatting it up in his left ear.
The next morning...
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Michael
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My talk with Sayori last night still lingered in my mind. I was so lost and worried that I completely lost track of where I'm supposed to be.
Jumping out of the hospital bed I quickly retrieved a new and clean Uniform that I requested last night and put it on.
I knew I was going off with a more edgy look but that's exactly what I'm going for...
Black biker gloves with a retractable knife strapped with it I slipped them on over my mummified hands.
My signature mask now with extra armor plating and a dark bandana attached to the head. Almost looks like a Halloween costume...
Red tank top and a black cloak jacket that reached down to my knees followed by gray camo jeans.
New blood new me if that's what you want to call it. This change might be a bit over the top but from this moment on....
The minute I walk out this room...
Things will change....and it's about to get alot more hellish.
And if the world wants to go that way then we have to play by it's rules.
I head to the door and tap my ear piece calling Rose and tell her to gather the team in the meeting room and have the girls be there too.
I finally turn the knob and sigh before stepping outside.
"Let's play...Libitina."
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????
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"Let's play Michael...~"
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Author's Note:
Wow this one was a bit shorter again but I for some reason had alot of fun with this one.
I actually took a step back and looked at my work for a while and realized that my writing style has deteriorated over time and I had to switch it up again.
This chapter was (sort of) inspired by SpadesWatermelonV2 work, mainly the style, I do not intend on copying them in any shape or form but to rather experiment with how I do mine.
As a thanks to all the amazing stories they had posted in the past which were my main motivation to start writing in general, I left a little Easter egg or reference if you will in this chapter.
(If that isn't allowed I'll remove it xd)
But thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did.
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