(this chapter reminds me of As the World Caves In!!)
➳They heard no gunshot; no signal of Cassandra giving herself final mercy. (y/n) dreaded that they might go back and find her undead corpse, trying to eat them alive. It was the only thought that swirled through her mind as the made their way into a lab, rumored to be where they would find Dr. Merch.
Well, shit.
Of course, you couldn't expect much when there was a trail of gore leading you someplace - everybody knew that. However the group seemed to have gained, over, time, a sense of stupid bravery, risking everything for the chance of something better.
In the lab, a creature lay on the table. From afar, it didn't appear to be living. Upon closer inspection, however, revealed another truth. "Oh my god," (y/n) breathed, putting a hand over her mouth when she heard it gurgling.
"It's alive?" Warren asked no one in particular, it was more of a statement, anyway.
"Is that Doctor Merch?" Doc sounded pretty freaked out - (y/n) didn't blame him in the slightest.
Murphy went forwards to pay more attention to the dying thing on that gurnery. It looked like it was trying to type out a message on the nearby computer, but that couldn't be right.
Could it?
"No, someone else," Murphy mumbled distractedly. "the lab tech from the video." (y/n) furrowed her eyes.
"How is he still alive?" She asked, desperate for answers - something to grasp onto in this dark world. And 10k, still, was being distant - both physically and otherwise.
"That ain't living," Doc said wisely, staring on in sadness.
"He wants us to watch something," Murphy told them, and pressed a few buttons to bring up the video. It was of the same man from before - Protocol Guy, (y/n) called him - this time, strapped to a table and being tested.
(y/n) could almost smell his fear, and she felt like she might throw up at the lengths doctors went, justifying the pain of others to keep society safe. It was bullshit.
"The vaccine must have worked," Doc offered, not very happily. "Kept him from turning zombie."
"But won't let him die," Warren interjected, emotion lacing her voice.
"Did Merch do this to you?" Murphy asked the thing, which almost nodded. (y/n) swallowed thickly, keeping one hand on her axe. "he's trying to say something."
"Kill me." the words, so quiet they were almost imperceptible. It was one task that it requested, but it was the principle of why he asked that had (y/n) so upset.
"You've got company!" Citizen Z's boylike face popped up on the computer screen, ready to warn them. "Looks like two soldiers and Doctor Merch are headed your way." So, this is end, huh?
Everyone turned to face the doorway which the man indicated, and (y/n) cleared her face of every emotion.
"Doctor Merch," Murphy spoke loudly and confident "we meet again." Some tiny part of (y/n) was nervous for what he might do to the woman that could save the human race, but there was another part of her, that almost trusted him.
Almost.
The doctor removed her - no, his - helmet and spoke. "Doctor Merch didn't make it, I'm her boss - Doctor Kurtz." Alarm bells went off in (y/n)'s head, and her heart thundered in her chest.
"I'm here to help you save mankind," The doctor told them with authority, but the soldiers made the girl suspicious. Why would a doctor, whose goal was pure-hearted, need soldiers? It was a children's riddle, obviously.
This was not a doctor who had pure intentions. (y/n) didn't like the energy he brought into the room, like a foreboding calm before something exploded.
➳ "What if I don't want to be your guinea pig?" Murphy challenged the man, an idiot move, considering he had two armed soldiers by his side.
"Well, then you'll end up just like him-" the doctor pointed to the creature, just to the right of (y/n)'s body. "-patient zero. Speaking of which, someone should really give the poor creature mercy."
"I'll do it," Murphy barked.
The girl took a step forward, and handed one of her favorite knives to Murphy. He nodded gratefully, and gave the tortured soul a ticket to rest.
"I'm not going." The mission told everyone firmly, and (y/n) could feel the tension thicken the air. Something was going to go down, no question about it.
"Murphy," Warren sighed, "that's why we came this far." (y/n) looked at Tommy, and their eyes met in a mixture of confusion and anxiety. Well, at least she wasn't alone.
"Explain to me again why I should believe anything you say." This side of Murphy was interesting.
"Let's start with: you have no choice," The doctor smiled, almost kindly, but with a feverish insanity lurking behind the façade. (y/n) had read enough books and seen enough movies to see how this would end. He stepped a lot closer, and his soldiers held their guns a little tighter.
The hand on (y/n)'s axe went white, from grasping it so tightly.
"What are you doing?" Warren asked, and (y/n) narrowed her eyes to stare at the doctor.
"Back it up, Frankenstein," she said, squaring her stance to prepare for whatever was next. The doctor laughed, a cruel sound.
"It's just a precaution," was his excuse - not believable in the slightest. This man was desperate, and what lengths would he go to?
The ghost of a touch brushed (y/n)'s other wrist, the one not holding the axe. Someone trying to protect her, when he'd so recently lost someone else he cared for.
"No one's going to harm you, Murphy." (y/n) crept forward again.
"You got that right," she deadpanned, blocking Murphy from the psycho's line of sight. Just then, a sound came from the door. Like, knocking. But, zombies couldn't use doors.
"Just a zombie," Kurtz told them, as if he cared about keeping them calm. This was a powder keg, about to explode.
Then, it opened. And Cassandra, not her living corpse - but her - stood on the other side.
"Don't shoot," she panted "I'm not dead." On her cheek, a fresh bite mark. (y/n)'s heart fell into the soles of her boots, because the only way she'd still be alive was if -
"Kill him." Murphy spoke, apparently to their very-alive friend. Something was wrong, though. Cassandra felt like Autumn leaves on the pavement, and hot chocolate. (y/n) couldn't feel anything now. Like a brick wall.
And, the woman listened. She grabbed the arm of the nearby soldier, using his gun to shoot the other soldier. All of them jumped behind the metal coffins, hiding from the bullets. (y/n) slid in front of Doc, throwing knives in her hands.
Chaos was everywhere, gunshots ringing out.
"Murphy, wait!" Warren yelled over the noise, and that's when Doc chose to stand up and watch the man retreat.
"Doc!" (y/n) screamed, running to knock him off his feet and throw a knife in the doctor's direction. She heard him scream in pain, but her moment of victory was short-lived.
The sound was deafening, but the pain was worse. The doctor had sprayed bullets from his gun in anger, and then limped away with his wounded leg to chase after Murphy.
The girl stood for a moment, watching the colors of the area fade and swirl, like someone was changing the filter on a camera. Color one minute, darkness the next. It was like someone had grabbed her throat, squeezing until every memory she had played too fast.
The next thing she knew, she was on the ground, struggling for breath as they knelt around her. Dimly, she felt something soft behind her head - a pillow maybe. No, not a pillow. 10k's face loomed over her, calling her name.
"(y/n)!" Doc cried, examining the wound on her left shoulder.
"Don't die," someone else whispered, but everything faded out very quickly. A face wet splashes on her face, and then it was over.
➳ She opened her eyes, blinking to adjust herself to the sunlight. She'd fallen asleep in the hammock, again. The novel was still open on her chest, it's cover faded thanks to hours spent devoured in the sunshine.
"(y/n)!" her mother's voice called from inside the house. The trees overhead the girl swayed gently in the summer breeze. "Come in please, darling, dinner's ready."
"Coming Mom!" The girl yelled, jumping up and running, barefoot of course, across the lawn to greet her mother. Everything seemed too bright, though.
The tiles of the kitchen, the sun outside.
Like it wasn't real.
Her mother turned around, holding out a plate to her daughter. It was empty.
"Eat," her voice cooed, but the girl noticed it wasn't her mother's voice at all.
"I want to go back!" The girl yelped, spinning to avoid her mother.
"Stay," the voice reverberated around the girl's brain. "stay with me, please!" There was another cold splash on her cheek, and the roof poured open. Salty water was everywhere, like the roof was crying.
A gasp of breath, and her eyes flew open again in panic. Tommy was still leaning over her, weeping. Warren was giving her CPR, the pressure from her compressions hurting the girl's ribcage.
"Mom," she mumbled, taking in a few breaths. That's when she felt it again - the feeling of a white-hot poker stabbing her through the shoulder, hard and without mercy.
Oh, how nice it would be to have mercy.
"Stay with me," Doc cried, brushing her hair from her face.
Ten Thousand moved, and her pillow was gone. Was she laying on him, then?
Her arm was around his neck in seconds, and then they were moving. (y/n) cursed her legs which weren't obeying what her mind screamed at them to do.
"You're okay," the boy murmured, again and again, as they ran through the halls.
"It hurts, Tommy," she coughed, feeling blood trickle from the corner of her mouth. He simply shushed the girl, like she was a fussy child.
For some reason, she found this absolutely hilarious. Without meaning to, she burst out into laughter - and her pain only grew until she was grimacing.
➳When they reached the elevator and he leaned her against the wall, she could have cried in relief. It was like no pain (y/n) had ever felt. To be fair, though, she hadn't been shot before today.
And, prayed it wouldn't happen again. Of course, in this world - such wishes don't often come true.
"How bad?" she struggled to form words, her head was still so foggy. 10k moved her hair off her neck, his fingers brushing her skin ever-so-lightly. It was distracting enough that her wound didn't seem so terrible.
"Went right through," he said quietly, looking up from the carnage to stare at her face. "it's gonna be fine." (y/n) believed him, until she saw Warren and Doc staring at her wound, grimacing.
So, it wasn't fine.
"Liar," she coughed, head lolling onto his shoulder.
"Now, stay awake," Doc told the girl, who grumbled and bat his hands away when they tried shaking her awake.
"I'm so tired, Tommy," she spoke quietly, but not quiet enough that their two companions didn't hear his name. Internally, the girl cursed. "oh, I'm dumb, my brain won't listen to me." she rambled, blaming blood loss.
Instead of getting mad at her for that, however, he got mad at her for almost dying.
"You are dumb," the boy muttered angrily "you stood there! And he shot you!" (y/n) would have recoiled, if her limbs were listening to her brain. Goddamn it. Instead, she ignored him.
Stupid boy, with his annoying smile and every butterfly he stirred.
"Alright," Warren opened the elevator doors. (y/n) squinted at the sunlight flooding her face. "let's go find Murphy." The group set off, 10k keeping the girl on her feet. They approached a black vehicle, and (y/n) was partially aware of someone shoving her in with urgency, causing her to yelp.
Her shoulder really did hurt.
She felt like she was flying, but the part of her brain not driven to delirium by her wound realized that they were driving. Very fast, it seemed. She didn't have a seatbelt on, but with Tommy's arm around her waist, she wasn't going anywhere.
Suddenly, the car swerved, and (y/n) was nearly crushed by the boy's long limbs as he slid closer towards her.
"Hang on, kid!" Doc yelled.
And then the car flipped.
➳ The dust was settling, and a steady drip could be heard. (y/n) had to nearly pry her eyes open, to survey the damage. The painful throb returned to her arm, and blood was all over her left arm, thanks to the bullet that Kurtz had shot her with so kindly.
She groaned, and saw 10k's lifeless form on the ground - no, the car's hood - bloodied and unmoving.
"C'mon, number boy," she gasped, coughing from the dust as she tried to rouse him. "Ten Thousand?" She crawled towards him, just a little, and she could see the blood running from his nose, the dust in his beautiful raven-feather hair.
"(y/n)?" coughed Warren's voice from the front of the vehicle.
"Alive," the girl grunted, using her good arm to try and wake her friend. Finally, he opened his blue-green eyes, and she sobbed with relief. "oh, thank God," He began crawling out of the vehicle, before reaching down to help her though.
"Everyone okay?" Doc groaned, massaging a sore spot on his leg. The two of them - Warren and Doc - had seatbelts to keep them from flying around. The two young sharpshooters, however, weren't granted that luxury.
"I'm okay," 10k sighed, gingerly holding onto her wrists to help the girl out. She winced.
"Watch out for my shoulder," she whimpered, feeling a fresh flow of blood trickle down her arm.
"Now what?" Doc asked Warren, who stood brooding, staring into the distance.
"We find that little bitch," she said "and we drag his ass to wherever he needs to go."
"I like the sounds of that," Doc whistled, and they began walking along - more like hobbling - towards their new mission.
Find Murphy, beat his ass, and then drag him to California, to the real Dr. Merch.
If such a lady was still living, that is. But something told (y/n) the universe was guiding them along, teaching them along the way.
They walked for some time, before coming across somewhere to rest. They were headed north, since apparently there was too much nuclear fallout everywhere else.
10k rummaged around the building, before making his way over to her. "Found these," he said, gesturing to some clean fabric that he would probably use to dress her arm.
"Oh, no," Doc tittered, walking over "you gotta clean it first." Warren raised her eyebrow at him, before jutting her chin out to signal that he should come with her.
Roberta Warren, what are you up to?
Soon, the pair was left alone.
"This is going to hurt," 10k said, paying very close attention to his task at hand. He had siphoned about a cup's worth of gasoline from a nearby car, and it looked like he was going to use it to clean her wound.
"No, please don't," the girl pleaded, but he did it anyway. Fire shot up her veins, and agony ripped its way through her throat. But, it came to an end. He expertly tied a swath of fabric to staunch the bleeding. (y/n) would have preferred yarrow, but her basket was lost in the underground lab.
"Sorry," he mumbled, finishing off the knots. The girl wiped at a stray tear.
"That's okay," she mumbled, going to stand and walk, to get some more blood flowing. "are you still mad at me?" her voice was embarrassingly quiet, even in her ears. Meek, even.
And (y/n) was anything but meek.
"I'm never mad at you," the boy mumbled, preoccupying himself with a knife. So, they had the same awkward traits after all.
"Sure sounded like it," (y/n) said, and walked back over to him.
"I was scared," he cringed at his own words, but (y/n) blinked.
"Too bad, you're stuck with me!" she said cheerfully, then winced at the shock of pain.
"I don't like seeing people die, especially my friends," he admitted, but he looked at her openly now. It made her nervous.
"Sorry about your name," she apologized, nervousness finally sneaking its way into her tone.
"That doesn't matter anymore," he told her, and he took a step forward again, rubbing a piece of her hair.
"You're being weirder than usual," (y/n) chuckled, but his face brought her back to seriousness. The boy smiled - damn him - and began laughing. "Are you laughing at me?"
"I am," he joked. And god, she could have kissed him right then. Instead, she reached and grabbed his hand, taking her time to interlace their fingers. They didn't say anything for a long time, and the entire time, he was gazing at their hands.
"Can we go stargazing again?" The boy finally asked, and the girl smiled.
"I'd really like that," (y/n) told him, and when Warren and Doc came back - immediately looking at their hands - 10k pulled away, blushing furiously.
"Everything all good?" Doc asked, nudging 10k in the ribs
"Yeah," the boy said, gazing at the girl "everything's good."
NOTES;
I am NEVER changing this. I feel like it is very true to both of their characters, and this is really going to open the door from here on out within this story.
Also the stargazing is just so sweet.
I didn't want something too big and flashy, because that's just not how I imagined them to be.
Anyways, what are your thoughts???? Please let me know<3