i'm sorry this chapter took so long to put out, i've been feeling really unmotivated lately and i'm trying to get back into it. hope you guys enjoy <3
longest chapter so far!!
•••
Dave
One by one, the group of boys wandered around the city on their own unlocking all of the basement doors as quietly as possible. A few of the zombies figured out that they weren't trapped anymore, either from the noise or the smell of human flesh. Those zombies were killed off quickly. The rest remained underground.
"I got everywhere in the south end of the city," Dave exhales as everyone reunites in the center of the city.
"I finished the east," Zak replies.
"North," Darryl nods.
"We opened everything up in the west, I think," Clay says, gesturing to Vincent and himself. "This is gonna be one huge mob. How come you never told me you kept the zombies alive?"
"It never came up," Dave answers, shrugging. "Besides, you would think it was a crazy and stupid idea, and I didn't feel like starting anything."
"That doesn't matter right now," Zak says, "We need to finalize our plan. Who is doing what?"
Vincent clears his throat, already having thought of a plan. "Dave will be leading the mob back towards Zak's house. Darryl, you and I will cover him and make sure no zombies get close enough to attack him. Clay, you're going to take Zak back to a safe place uptown and start to work on fixing up a new cure that can work for others besides Dave. There's no rush, I just think you two need to be away from all of the fighting, and that's a perfect excuse."
"Away from all the fighting? What's that supposed to mean?" Zak asks.
"How do I put this...? Clay isn't the best at combat, and he needs an assistant if he's going to be working on this cure."
Not that Zak isn't good at combat, I'm sure Vincent means Zak just isn't as good as Vincent, Darryl, and I. It's not his fault, he just wasn't brought up in an army or had a daily job of killing off mobs. Maybe when this is all over I can teach him a lesson or two- like a coach. For now, though, Clay probably really does need an assistant. Or at least someone to keep him focused.
"Understandable," Clay mumbles.
Zak, with a heated-up face, glances over to Darryl, who was standing with Vincent a few paces back from the rest of the group. When he saw the two of them laughing on their own, Zak's expression falls, and him and Clay slowly walk away. Neither of them look back.
"Work on a cure?" Darryl asks once Dave rejoins him and Vincent.
"Yeah, I've actually been thinking a lot about how I'm immune to the zombie virus. If Clay made a cure before, he can surely make one again. He just needs to find the right chemicals. I feel like Zak could help him with that, too."
That works, I guess. So, back to the mob of zombies. They're all free, but how do we attract them to us?" Darryl responds.
"Easy. Just yell!" Vincent shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Hey zombies! Come and get us!"
"We're out here! With fresh human brains!" Dave joins in.
"Aaaaaahhhh!" Darryl screams, his voice cracking.
Dave took his sword out as the first zombies began to appear above ground and approach the trio from the shadows of the skyscrapers, shifting his weight between his two legs to ready himself to run. Darryl took a deep breath while drawing his own sword, and Vincent drew his fully loaded crossbow.
There's no reason for me to be scared. I'm immune to their infection. My main priority is to get them to the Skeleton army, and make sure my friends stay okay in the process. This is going to be a piece of cake, I'm sure of it.
•••
Finn
I can do this. I can do this. Can I do this?
Finn, a relatively new member of the Skeletons, shook his head to himself as he marched with his army. They were all on their way to Zak's house, according to some spies who had returned on Vincent's command. The journey had been long so far, lasting what felt like several weeks of sleeping out in the freezing cold, only eating small rations of food. The Skeleton's objectives were to find and kill A6D, or Vincent, as the spies referred to him as.
Shake it off, Finn. You've got this. One fatal blow to A6D, and you're instantly promoted to leader of the Skeletons. I need this— I deserve it.
I can't believe nearly a quarter of the army bailed on the journey. A chance to be in charge? I could never pass that up. I'm probably making a mistake. Is it too late to run away?
No, I can't be viewed as a coward. I just need to relax. We're almost there, I'm sure of it.
A red house came into view as Finn and his fellow gang members reached the peak of a hill. He instantly knew it was Zak's house, although he had no idea who Zak was. The army flourished and all began to sprint towards the structure, sweeping Finn up in the chaos. He was dragged inside, nearly being squished in the doorway as everyone tried to fit.
"He's not here!" Someone shouts from upstairs, causing everyone to groan.
"There's no way A6D would have known we were coming. He probably went out to do something quick, like get water or food. He'll probably be back before we know it," One of the spies calmly explains to the frustrated group.
Finn rolls his eyes, pushing his way out of the building. He made his way into the backyard, leaning against the wall of the house. He wasn't big on crowds to begin with, but large crowds in small spaces was almost too much for him to handle. The air was brisk, and Finn's breath clouded around his face as he waited.
Knowing A6D— Or, what I've heard about him— He knew we were coming and abandoned ship.
He takes note of a bunch of pots and cups lined up underneath his feet. Grabbing one, Finn inspects it before taking a sip.
Why would he leave fresh water just sitting out? Unless he left in a hurry— that means he can't be far.
I could get in serious trouble with the rest of the Skeletons if I go searching for him on my own. On the other hand, I could kill A6D and get my promotion with no questions asked about my courage.
Shrugging to himself, Finn sneaks away from the group into the woods behind Zak's house. He knew no one would notice if he left, because he's so unknown to the group.
Finn marveled at the sight of the stream coursing through the woods.
A source of fresh water! It's been a long time since I've been anywhere near something so valuable. I'll keep it to myself.
He walked along the edge, enjoying the peacefulness in the sound of the rushing water. He's always been too afraid to part from the Skeletons, so alone time wasn't exactly an option. In fact, not much was an option when he was surrounded by the army. The thought of being promoted was the only thing anyone ever talked about, next to killing monsters or robbing innocent people.
It's quite awful, isn't it?
The sound of screaming was suddenly picked up by Finn's ears, scaring him senseless. He ducked behind a tree instinctively, pulling a dagger he always carried with him out of his pocket. A man that looked around his own age darted past him, yelling with a hoarse voice. Two more men lagged behind him a bit, both wielding weapons. They were also screaming, but they weren't running as fast.
Then, Finn saw the zombies.
There was more than he could possibly count, all groaning and following the sound of the men's screaming. They were some distance away, but they were in range of sight, which was terrifying enough.
They're leading them towards the house. One of the men must be A6D! I have to stop him before the zombies get to the Skeletons, there's no way they can fight this mob off.
Finn races through the trees to catch up to the two men with the weapons, throwing himself on the back of one with a sword. He quickly disarmed him and tossed the blade to the side, pinning the stranger on his back. The man struggled hard, and it took nearly all of Finn's strength just to hold him down.
"Get off of me!" The man yelled.
"Are you A6D?!" Finn yelled back, his nails digging into the stranger's wrists.
"What?! No! Get off, you're gonna get us both killed!"
"Where is he?!"
"Get off!" He screamed again, pain radiating in his voice. "Dave, help!"
The man who was in the front of the group suddenly reappears, and next thing Finn knew, he had hit the ground hard, his eye pulsing with pain.
He hit me.
"You're A6D?" Finn asks, squinting at the leader of the mob.
"No! I suggest you get out of here before you're eaten alive. The zombies are coming, and they're hungry. Are you alright, Darryl?"
Darryl stands up, straightening his glasses. "I'm fine, thanks Dave."
Finn was nearly paralyzed with fear as the zombies came into view again, before he felt himself being dragged by the arm.
"What are you doing?" He asks Darryl, who he was instinctively running with.
"I'm saving your life, you idiot. You're a Skeleton, right?" Darryl responds between breaths.
"Yeah, so?"
"I used to be a Skeleton, too. I hated every minute of it. I wanted to find a way out of it too."
"Who said I wanted a way out? I just want my promotion!"
"I can see it on your face, your mouth twitches every time I say the word 'Skeleton.' See, it just did it again!"
"Would you two stop chatting and keep moving? There's literally a mob of zombies behind us!" Dave calls out, making his way to the man at the front of the party.
The man at the front— He must be A6D. Dave, however, was leading the mob before. I remember seeing his face as he ran by. A6D must have took over when Dave fell back to help Darryl. I have to make my way up there, somehow. I can't be afraid anymore, I'm not a coward. If I do this, I'll be a legend.
Darryl's grip on my arm is tight, but I can take him. I wonder what he was recruited into the Skeletons for. I'm sure it wasn't hand-to-hand combat, like me.
"Let go of my arm, you traitor!" Finn snapped at Darryl, tripping him as he ran.
He turned his head over his shoulder as he ran to see Darryl struggling to stand, the wind knocked out of him.
Finn felt his own legs start to run faster as the zombies closed in on the area he had just passed. He ran up the hill towards the former leader of the Skeletons, Darryl eventually disappearing from his sight.