Realistic or Modern 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 — at the end of the world

[Safton]

​

Northview​

Xander saw the panic on etched on Haewon's face as she searched the room, calling out for her sister. He tracked her eye line, seeing the same things that he imagined she was amidst the strobing lights: the missing shoes and the fact that one of his jackets was gone from where he normally hung it near the door. Despite it serving as confirmation that Minnie was gone -- an acceptance that hit him like a punch to the gut -- it also gave him a vague sense of hope. It almost certainly meant that Minnie had departed of her own volition. After all, someone sneaking into the room to kidnap her wouldn't have given her a chance to get dressed, nor would they have left Haewon unharmed.

Xander took several deep breaths, forcing himself to regain his composure. He couldn't afford to fall apart or lose focus for Haewon's sake or Minnie's -- to say nothing of everyone else in the school. As Haewon demanded to know what was happening, he took a step toward her -- placing a steadying hand on the girl's shoulder. "Listen, the school's surrounded by walkers... lots of them. I need you to gather as many of your things as you can. Just the essentials. Food, water, your knife, whatever's in this room that you can carry and be ready to move--"

It was at that moment that the intercom cut in, barely audible over the sound of the alarm. He heard Cabrera's voice -- with a sharper edge than ever before -- giving out commands. He looked away from Haewon, glancing up toward the ceiling as if the Samaritan himself resided there. Once the broadcast finished, he nodded to himself before continuing in a breathless tone. "I'm taking you to the gym. You'll stay there with your things no matter what happens, you understand? I'll find Minnie."

Xander heard a rush of movement in the threshold behind him and whirled around, grasping for his own knife resting on the desktop alongside him, ripping it from its scabbard. He paused, lowering the blade upon seeing the kid. He was Minnie's... acquaintance? Friend? He couldn't even wrap his mind around the thought of him being more than that right now.

"Have you guys seen Minnie?! This was supposed to be her room!"

Xander narrowed his eyes at the young man. "You don't know?" the words were half-question, half-accusation.

Miaow Aegis Bullyboy Squad
​

 

[Miaow]

SCENE ONE
Northview High
​

Haewon only stood still as Xander took her by the shoulder, meeting her gaze. She swallowed as he explained the situation. She wanted to panic. They were surrounded by infected, they'd breached the walls, and she didn't know where her little sister was.

"Fuck..." She hissed, running a hand through her hair, "Alright, alright."
She tucked her knife back into her boot, freeing up her hands to pack everything she could grab. She swiped her backpack up from the floor, feverishly filling it with whatever she thought they might need. They didn't exactly keep a whole survival kit in there, but there were a few water bottles and, of course, the bag full of sweets Xander had collected. She grabbed extra clothes, kneeling on the ground to stuff them into the backpack. As she went to zip it up, a glint caught her eye. As the red light flashed on and off, it reflected on the diplomas Minnie had carefully laminated. She swallowed. They weren't necessary for survival, and Haewon was never really sentimental when it came to things like that... but Minnie would want it... and if Minnie was gone, well... she'd need something to remember her by. She slipped them into the flat part at the back of her backpack, trying her best to keep it from bending.

She got to her feet as Cabrera's voice echoed throughout the school, frowning as she listened. She pulled her knife from her boot. She wasn't a kid, nor was she elderly. She wasn't going to hide in the gym. She turned to leave, assuming Xander would follow her on her mission to find her sister, though he spoke up instead.
"No way. I can't just sit around not knowing where she is!"
She threw her backpack onto her back, adjusting her grip on her knife.
"We can cover more ground if it's the two of us."

As she turned to leave once more, her path was blocked by Tanner. She felt rage momentarily bubble in her chest. This kid was acting like he wasn't suspect number one. He'd talked her sister into taking Nate out. As far as she was concerned, he was a bad influence.
"Do you know anything about this?! She wasn't meeting up with you?!"

Safton Aegis Bullyboy Squad
​

 

[Aegis]

Lincoln
Chloe's Room​

Connor's fingers hung loose from tufts of bundled shirt as he sunk his face into a wet spot he had created with his tears on Chloe's shoulder. This had been the second time recently Connor had cried, but the first time he had cried in front of anyone except for his drill sergeant since he was a kid. Yeah-- that was a trying time; However, this made all the pain he had endured in his past life look like the lead-up to this utterly gut churning punchline for the joke it was. The Solider tried to be a man with answers. He had none.

The only thing that kept him grounded in this moment was the feeling of Chloe's nails tracing along his scalp, her fingers in his hair, the pronounced beating of her heart against her chest. Warm. She was warm and nice and everything he needed her to be at that moment.

Connor drew a few shaky breaths as he whimpered in an attempt to stop the fit of crying altogether, but it barely worked to soften the obvious aftereffects of the breakdown.

Finally, Chloe spoke up: she didn't know. Naturally. It was a situation he couldn't wrap his head around well enough to find answers and he had the benefit of time to ponder over her. Yet, the suggestion to look to Wes-- of all people, for help gave him pause. Connor hadn't been too mad at Wes initially for skewing the fight in such a way that he would be inclined to kill his opponent, but after the punishment and his time away from Tanner-- The Soldier had grown bitter, resentful.

Whereas Connor had been sapped prior to this, his muscles seemed to tense as an unknown energy seemed to flood him temporarily, "I DON'T think that's a good idea..."

Then again, his list of people to trust was exceedingly short in this place. That was probably the goal of King and his men, though.

"They did this. I don't know if they're going to fix it, and I can't imagine its worth the resources to them just to make me happy."

The Soldier finally detached himself from Chloe-- his face red from a combination of violent sobbing and pressing his face into her so hard. Yet, he had little option, "If... you think that's best, then... I guess we could try."

Bullyboy Squad NanLia ​

 

[Aegis]

Northview
Xander's Room​

Tanner stood in the doorway for a moment thinking three things: Minnie was certainly not here, he seemed to have interrupted something important, and god they did not like him for some reason. It danced on the edge of dislike toward straight suspicion, even. Granted, he had been one of Minnie's few friends, but the truth was he had no idea what was going on in the slightest.

"Well--"

He froze as two knifes were pointed in his direction and staggered a step back with a wild sense of self-preservation in his eyes-- a white knuckle grip on his improvised weapon. Tanner's heart thumped away at a million miles a minute and his breaths drew more frequent as his body hyped his fight or flight in preparation for whatever it was they were about to do to him. It only made sense-- he guessed, that they would suspect the outsider supposedly from a place that took them over to be at fault for their family member's disappearance.

"I-I don't know. I wouldn't have come here if I did, dumbass."

Tanner didn't know if that last part was good, but he was more than a little nervous so it just snapped out of him in the tension of the situation that they just escalated. Eyes darted to Xander, between their knifes, and then met Haewon's before settling. The Boy raised his improvised club between them in both hands. It was clear he was nervous, but he looked like a beaten dog corner in a cage all of a sudden; the way his pupils contracted said one thing: 'Haewon might be able to get him but he would give her one hell of a fucking headache.'

"Anyway, I'm gonna go look some more, then. If I can't find her, I'm going to leave the school, though."

Tanner made a few sidesteps but continued to turn his body so that Haewon was always in front of him in case she tried something.

"Judging by the side of the horde, it's useless to resist. All those people going to the gym are going to die, and I'm going to do my best to make sure Minnie and I aren't there with them when they do."

Gathering a comfortable enough distance, he was satisfied that she wouldn't be able to suddenly attack him, but pursuit wasn't anywhere near out of the question.

"Oh, I left some kids in the classroom back there, and they don't really seem to know what to do. Maybe one of you adults should handle that."

Maybe-- just maybe, that would throw one of them off his trail. Tanner began to back further and further away. He knew he had to go-- time was running very short for his escape plan.

Miaow Safton Bullyboy Squad​

 

[Safton]

​

Northview​

Xander's eyebrows shot up at the young man's angry retort to his questioning. The boy seemed defensive, but not in a way that suggested guilt... but rather indignation at a perceived slight or injustice. Xander knew it all too well, having taught and coached plenty of boys his age in the years before the outbreak began. Then he dropped a bombshell on them: kids down the hall, in a classroom, alone and unattended. Xander's jaw tightened as their visitor began backing away. It was possible he was lying, of course -- maybe he knew about Minnie. Maybe he was laying about the kids, too. But what could Xander do? Threaten him? Beat it out of him? No.

He tossed his head toward the hallway over the kid's shoulder. "Go. Get to the gym," Xander told him. He turned toward Haewon. "We have to check that classroom he mentioned to make sure the kids inside are okay. Maybe one of them has seen Minnie for all we know. I'll need you to lead them to the gym afterward while I head out." He gave her shoulder a soft squeeze before backing away to strap the knife to his belt, gathering his things. "It's the only way, Haewon."

Miaow Aegis​

 

[Bullyboy Squad]

NORTHVIEW

Collab with: Namazu
​

He clutched his palm over the device. The wind picked up, tugging on his hair.

"Honeycomb, we require immediate reinforcements. Hundreds of undead are getting here. Our defences are compromised and we're already fighting around the compound! We're getting surrounded! Do you copy?!"

The voice through the radio came distorted, words patchy.

"Wha-e fuck, -peat that? How many? Do you- any injur-?"

Cabrera gritted his teeth, looking at the ocean of rotten flesh and down over the ledge at the dead guard surrounded by a bunch of those freakshows. But most of the enforcers were outside by then, trying to clear the yard as more and more approached the busted gate.

"Injured? I don't know how many! The posted guards are dead or missing. The horde didn't breach the building but we won't hold for long! Send a convoy! Everybody you can spare!"

His mind was working on overdrive but it glitched when he heard the voice again, clearer this time, and put a face to it.

"I'll -nd up and send as many as I poss- can. We're leaving ASAP. Just hang in there. And, -acio? Don't fucking die on me. No heroics."

"Weston?! Man, listen to me! I need to tell you something!" Another blow of strong wind smacked against his side, making him squint.

"There's a guy in prison. Hughes. I repeat, Hughes! If I die-" There was no time for sentiments but his chest squeezed at the idea. Of abandoning this world and his mission. "If I die you take care of him, ya hear me?!"

He released the button but the white noise hummed without disturbance. Seconds dragged, he could hear them passing with each thud of his heart in his ears.

"Weston?!"

Nothing.

"Fuck!"

He pivoted towards Denise. "Shoot only when someone is in trouble! Save those bullets!" Then he ran. First the armory, then the outside. The vehicles by the exit were getting surrounded by the undead but he had to at least try and snatch one.

MokaChan Togy Safton

BeyondDandy NanLia Miaow SlaughterMelon Crono Aegis ​

 

[Namazu]

The Prison
​

“Honeycomb, we req- im-diate reinforcem-. Hundreds of und- here - defenses are compri- and we- fighting around the comp- we’re getting surrounded! Do you c-”

That was plenty to have Weston launching out of bed and scrambling to get dressed. Setting the radio on his nightstand, Weston was hopping back and forth between yanking on jeans and grabbing the radio to respond. The signal was shit for whatever reason - had it always been this bad? - and Ignacio was cutting in and out. Weston could hardly believe what he was hearing.

“What the fuck, repeat that? How many? Do you have any injuries?” Weston paused for only a moment, one leg in his jeans. After he let go of the button, he got the other leg in. This felt like a lesson on why one should never sleep in their underwear.

“Injur- I don’t - many! The -sted guards are dead or m-. The horde - breach - building - we won’t hold- long! Send a c- Everybody you can spare!”

“Fuck.” Weston muttered as he pulled on socks and shoved his feet into his boots, lacing them up quickly. He reached for a shirt to pull on, as well as the radio again.

“I’ll round up and send as many as I possibly can. We’re leaving ASAP. Just hang in there. And, Ignacio? Don’t fucking die on me. No heroics.”

Weston slid on his belt and holster, then pulled his emergency go bag out from under his bed, dog tags clinking together as he moved. It was one of two backpacks, actually - the generic emergency one to be pulled out for if people needed to be mobilized to fight. The other bag was for far worse emergencies. That was for if he was leaving the prison without intent to return.

“Weston?! Man, listen to- I need to tell you s-”

Those words made Weston slow for a moment, and he stared back up at the radio, as if it would give some indication what was coming. It wasn’t quite a ‘we need to talk’ statement, but he felt his heart sinking a little. Invariably, people who thought they were going to die always had some last words to get out. Was this Cabrera’s? He reached under the bed and pulled out a long-range rifle as well, complete with a scope. He might need this, in addition to the handgun at his hip and the machete tucked inside the backpack.

“There’s a guy in pr- Hughes. I re- Hughes! If I - die, you take care of - hear me?”

Weston yanked on his leather jacket and slung on the backpack as he pushed open his door. Rifle in one hand, radio in the other, he was already outside his quarters when he responded. At this point he didn’t give a shit who heard.

“Whatever you want, Ignacio, I’ll do it. I’m coming. I promise.” The name rang a bell, somewhere in his mind, but for right now he had to focus on getting out there. Not just to save Cabrera’s ass, but the kids too. Hell, everyone. As fucked up as this place was, none of them could afford the massive loss of having all the kids and a good portion of their enforcers die to a horde. The riots would be uncontrollable. People wouldn’t just have King’s head, they’d have his too.

Weston sprinted down the hall and over to King’s door. He needed to get enforcers mobilized - hell, he’ll take even the able-bodied unprivileged at this point too as long as someone gives them something to swing - but first he needed a way to get to the high school. Sure, they had trucks, those would be rolled out, but they needed an advance team to get there faster.

Not caring how late or early it was, Weston skidded to a stop in front of King’s quarters and banged on the door, shoving aside any enforcer that might be standing guard.

“KING! Emergency! A horde’s surrounding the high school!”

Weston took a breath, then shouted through the door.

“I need the goddamn helicopter!”

BeyondDandy Bullyboy Squad Safton Aegis NanLia Miaow Togy ​

 

[Miaow]

SCENE ONE
Northview High
​

Haewon's lip twitched as the boy spoke up. Dumbass? What did Minnie see in this kid? She adjusted her grip on her knife. She was gonna let his past transgressions slide, but dumbass? He wasn't getting away with that one.

She and Xander shared a look as he admitted his abandonment of the other kids so casually. Out of the kids the Samaritans had brought, he was the most capable, the others didn't stand a chance.
"Listen, asshole!" She spat as she approached, brandishing her knife. She only stopped her encroachment when she felt Xander's hand on her shoulder.
"I'll fucking kill him--" She muttered as Xander outlined his plan, "What if they haven't seen her and we're wasting our time? What if she dies and we're too late because we were busy saving some random kids?!"

She grabbed her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. Whatever their plan was, wasting time trying to figure it out wouldn't help anyone. She kept her knife at the ready, heading out the door.
"The only way I'm going to that gym is if Minnie's there with me."

Safton Aegis Bullyboy Squad
​

 

[Miaow]

SCENE ONE
Northview​

It was still dark out, though the stars were hidden by thick, black clouds. Despite the foreboding sky above them suggesting rain, it continued to be warm, the air thick with moisture. It made it hard to sleep, especially in rooms with little ventilation.

Minnie couldn't imagine how Arthur felt, trapped in a room in the basement. She laid on her side, her knees tucked up close to her chest as she stared at the wall. Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, though she could still only make out vague shapes in her bedroom. As she heard movement, she shut her eyes. She had gotten used to Xander's patrols by now. At first, each time he got up and got dressed, the noise would wake her up, her sleep not deep enough to stay unaffected by it. However, her brain had begun to learn his schedule and it no longer disturbed her. She waited for him to leave, then waited a little longer, until she was sure he was gone. She carefully slipped out of bed, making sure not to move too quickly and disturb her sister. She grabbed a pair of socks, her trainers, and one of Xander's jackets, and snuck from the bedroom.

She stepped out of the building, Xander's jacket hanging loosely from her shoulders as she carefully shut the door behind her. It felt cooler outside, the heat was less suffocating now there was a breeze accompanying it. Still in her pyjamas, she headed past the batting cages, her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket as the rabbit pen came into view. It had only been a day, but she felt at peace being able to see them again. She hopped the short fence surrounding their pen, avoiding having to break off the padlock to get in, and took a seat in the straw. She folded her legs, creating the perfect nook for a rabbit to sleep in.

It wasn't long before Momo noticed her presence. Minnie liked to believe she didn't have a favourite child rabbit, but she had definitely formed a bond with Momo. Being used for breeding rather than meat, he'd be around for most of his bunny life, so she felt safe getting attached to him. He hopped up into her lap, getting himself comfortable and flattening out like a fluffy pancake, resuming his sleep.

---

Minnie felt her eyelids drooping, her head lulling forward as her hand rested on Momo's back. Even in Xander's room, even surrounded by her family, her chest still felt tight. She knew her old room was just across the hall. Nothing had hurt her in the rabbit pens.

She wasn't sure how long she had dozed off for, her head hanging limply from her shoulders. As the rabbits surrounding her scattered, she flinched, instinctively reaching for Momo. He was still there, snuggled in her lap, though his ears now stood on end, his body tense. She adjusted her position, sitting up straighter and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Something had them spooked, but rabbits were flighty animals, it could be anything, a stray leaf, a bird--

Minnie froze as she heard a distant gargle, the same gargle she had been subjected to every day from the batting cages. She ushered Momo from her lap, getting to her feet. What the hell was she doing? She wasn't armed, she'd be useless against an infected if she did find one. She hesitated, patting the pockets of Xander's jacket for anything she could use. She scanned the rabbit pen, her eyes eventually landing on a pair of scissors left by the bales of alfalfa.

She approached the noise, scissors clutched tightly in her fingers as she took each step slowly and carefully. This was stupid. She should just go back to bed, or go tell Xander about the noises before he found them himself on his rounds--

As she rounded the corner, she saw it. She had expected maybe one infected. She could handle that, she'd killed one infected before. Instead, she was faced with a horde. She wasn't sure she could even estimate how many of them were there, shuffling into the school grounds. For a moment, she froze. Her legs felt weak. Her stomach turned. The school was being invaded and, instead of being in her nice, comfy bed, she was in the middle of it.

She was jolted into action as the fire alarm sounded, flinching and instinctively clapping her hands to her ears. She had to find Xander. She had to find Haewon. As her eyes met with the milky ones belonging to an infected, she turned on her heel, sprinting back towards the rabbit pens.

As she headed for the door, she hesitated. Those rabbits were practically served on a silver platter. The fence wasn't exactly tall, an infected could easily fall over it and eat all the rabbit it could ever want. She glanced at the door. Surely she had enough time to grab just one...

As she hopped the fence, her lace caught on a sharp edge, ripping the shoe from her foot. She fell to the ground, catching herself before she could do any real damage. She scrambled to her feet, snatching up Momo. He writhed in her arms as she tucked him into Xander's jacket, holding him tightly to her chest. He'd thank her later... She unlocked the gate as she left. Rabbits were much faster than the shambling infected. They had a better chance free-roaming the school than the rabbit buffet that would become of their pen.

She ran to the door, turning the handle and shoving her shoulder into it. It didn't budge. She tried again. And again. The Samaritans had never fixed that dodgy door. She glanced over her shoulder. The wailing of the alarm had attracted the horde. She wasn't getting back in that way, and the infected were getting closer. She scanned the area. The main building wasn't an option anymore. She had to find a plan B - the farm storage building.

She ran past the rabbit pens to the small outbuilding, clutching Momo to her chest through Xander's jacket as she headed through the door, firmly shutting it behind her. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, her hands shaking with adrenaline. Okay, she was inside... She unzipped the jacket, letting Momo down on the floor. She had to secure this place, make it her base camp. The storage was mostly used for produce with bales of alfalfa stacked up against the walls. She'd been here before, helping Gene organize their crops and clean out the place. The shelving units were too heavy, it had taken at least 3 of them to move it before, there was no way she was blocking the door with it. She was left with crates and boxes of vegetables, shoving them up against the door and stacking them as best she could.

She took a shaky breath, pacing the small storage room. She could see the shadows of the horde through the dirty windows, surrounding the outhouse and the rabbit pen. Every exit led to certain death. Every window and door was surrounded by the dead. There was no way out, she had cornered herself. She watched Momo, his ears pinned as he nestled behind the crate in an attempt to hide. All she could do was wait.

Safton Aegis Bullyboy Squad
​

 

[Bullyboy Squad]

NORTHVIEW
​

Toni staggered outside of the building, clutched by fear, the primal urge to run. But run where. Fuck. Fuck!!! His heart pounded in his ribcage and head as he watched the tides of undead entering the Northview grounds. White-knuckled hands clenched around the rifle that he snatched from the armory. Next to him a Samaritan with an LMG cut through the decaying ranks of biters to give them some clearing towards the vehicles. Bullets dug and ripped the rotten flesh, splashing dark blood, some richichetting from the fence and armored cars. The noise was deafening.

"The fuck you're doing?!" Toni recoiled from the spit splattering against his ear with the holler of a fellow enforcer. "Fucking shoot, man!"

Some of them used blades and spikes instead of guns. How many bullets did they have left? How much energy to swing and jerk the weapons in and out of the porcelain-weak skulls would they waste? Before they'd get overrun. Overtaken. Devoured.

Toni's arms tensed, weak as he raised them. His finger curled against the trigger and he felt every tremble of the firing rifle. Watched his rounds tear through the undead flesh. But he couldn't hear the sound of his gunshots. Drowned out by the chaos and madness around him. That's what it was, pure fucking madness.

Flicker of a familiar figure caught his attention. "COVER ME!" Cabrera shouted, leaping over fallen corpses. Toni's expression drew in with confusion, until realization smacked against his face. Cabrera was running for the closest truck. He was. That motherfucker was trying to escape!

In a heartbeat Toni shifted his sights to the running man. His heart hammered in his chest as he zeroed in on Ignacio's back.

MokaChan Togy Safton

BeyondDandy NanLia Miaow SlaughterMelon Crono Aegis ​

 

[Aegis]

Northview
The Hallways​

Their reaction was to be expected, yet Haewon's immediate insistence upon his death was something Tanner hadn't factored at all. The Boy flinched as she called him an asshole and then Minnie's sister came at him with the aforementioned knife in hand. Suddenly, she seemed much bigger, dominating than Minnie had ever implied. The Haewon that he had been told about was gentle, loving-- this was another side entirely.

Tanner broke away from the two as Xander stopped her advance. It was the first few unsteady steps of a frantic sprint as his knees straightened out against the force of adrenaline fueling his actions. Yet, as he turned to run, Haewon said something that struck pretty close to his mindset on the situation, "Someone is finally using their head. Those kids don't know anything, and how am I supposed to save myself or Minnie if I'm busy looking after a bunch of sniveling, sheltered brats. They wouldn't do it for me-- or her, for that matter. Besides, they're safer up here than down on the first floor-- for now."

His boots came to a thundering halt at the corner just before the stairwell leading downward before he spoke once more, "Go ahead-- go be a hero. I'm gonna save your sister."

It was easier to be cocky from a distance-- at least, that's what he was feeling right now. Tanner didn't think that a fight between the two would end well for him, and it certainly would probably prevent Haewon from being able to effectively search the school. He pulled his attention from the two and broke into a sprint heading downstairs. Tanner's feet echoed through the empty stairwell-- the harsh stomps quickly accompanied by the roar of gunfire from outside. A battle had begun, and shooting was only going to make things worse for them here if they weren't going to leave. That one mistake-- however good for the defense now, was going to cost them when the ammo ran out. That would likely be sooner than the end of the horde was.

Tanner threw himself from the bottom steps into the center of the hallway before skirting to the side and continuing his run in a near-trip as he tried to carry forward the mad momentum.

The place was crawling with Samaritan guards as they rushed outside to meet the horde head-on-- which, was stupid; They should've stayed inside-- shot from the windows since they were already shooting. It was the panic. They couldn't plan, or at least Tanner thought that. Equally present in the hallway were the people trying to flood into the gym. The place was packed shoulder to shoulder with terrified faces as they tried to push and shuffle into their supposed safe haven.

Damn. They were in the way.

The Boy started to scan around for any other path when he spotted a classroom door ajar, and through it he could see the pale of moonlight coming through a window. Good enough...

Tanner diverted his run away from the crowd at the last second and ran into the now-emptied classroom facing the back of the school. It was ramshackle with people's belongings scattered in an obvious disruption of their nighttime routines, but he couldn't let that distract him. The Boy approached a window and unlatched the lock before popping it open enough for someone to fit through, yet he could see that a few stragglers from the horde were starting to come around behind them. Soon, the defenders would be surrounded. He had to make sure he wasn't one of them!

Miaow Safton Bullyboy Squad Crono SlaughterMelon NanLia BeyondDandy MokaChan Togy ​

 

[BeyondDandy]

LINCOLN

Over the last few weeks, King had found himself with an even ratio of wins to losses at Lincoln. The riot had stirred the pot and gave the nameless fragments of hope. They became more courageous so King’s efforts to maintain power increased. There were more public hangings and daily routine checks than ever before. No one was doing anything King didn’t hear about and that forced him to become more vigilant in his attempts of control. He was no longer cleanly pulling the strings from his office but walking the halls of Lincoln and dirtying his own two hands. It reminded him of the old days, how he became King in the first place.

Yet, he slept like a child in his Stearns & Foster mattress and cooling sheets set. That is until the yelling and banging at the door woke him from his slumber. He shifted to the side of his bed and slid into his studded Medusa Versace slippers, turning on the light on his night table. The room came into view as he stood and wiped the sleep off his face. Fixing the sleeves of his Barocco print pajama shirt, he started towards the door, dragging his steps as he yawned and fixed his relaxed demeanor. He opened the door, displeased to find Wess screaming on the other side of the frame. “What?”

The overnight guard shoved Weston aside. “Sorry, Mr. King! He ran past me!” The guard pleaded loudly which only irritated King even more. With a simple look and the loaded pistol that suddenly appeared in King’s left hand, the guard gulped and took a step back in silence. King’s gaze fixed back on Weston who looked agitated. “I don’t like when you sweat,” King insulted with a repulsive tone but instructed Weston to bring him up to speed regardless.

After hearing everything that was going on, King chuckled in frustration. It was becoming apparent that the universe was testing him yet again. Everything he was building was getting destroyed and he didn’t seem to have the power in his hands to stop it. “No helicopter,” he said in refusal, not wanting to put his machine in any danger - it was the key to his expansion and saving grace. He looked over at the guard. “Wake Gunderson up. Bring him up to speed and have him assemble a team. GO NOW YOU FAT FUCK!” He yelled angrily, shoving the fat guard into a run. He then shouted unexpectedly from the top of his lungs in frustration. The loss of control was completely out of character. Though in as quickly as one could blink, King was back. He stood up straight, cracked his neck by shifting the weights of his head to his left and fixed the collar of his eccentric pajama shirt before giving his attention back to Weston.

“You go with them. Gunderson is in charge of this operation. Take as many men as you need, but Weston…if Gunderson doesn’t come back it’s your head,” King instructed, knowing he would put his pilot in danger. King however needed Gunderson to become the new face of Lincoln more. By saving Northview from damnation he would soon become it. ​

Togy
Namazu

 

[Safton]

​

Northview​

Xander was worried, briefly, that Haewon might actually make good on her threat to kill their visitor in her current emotional state... not that he was exactly helping his own case with his rhetoric and attitude. He was mildly relieved that she halted in her advance -- and that the boy took off back into the hallway with another pithy remark directed at the two of them. He knew he should be ensuring the kid's safety, too, but Xander was spread too thin and had other priorities at the moment... as much as he hated to admit it. Besides, Minnie's friend was clearly a wild card that he wouldn't be able to control.

...something that was true of more than just him, in fact. Haewon was quickly reminding Xander of this as she turned her indignant anger upon him, stating that she wouldn't go to the gym without Minnie. He watched as she slipped away from his grip, grabbing her backpack and heading for the door. He clenched his jaw, shaking his head. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath before following.

He quickened his pace, drawing up beside Haewon. "You stay right beside me and you do as I say, when I say it. You understand? That's the only way this happens." He didn't wait for a reply, instead already turning to glance down the corridor in either direction, pursing his lips. Xander cocked his head, looking back toward their bedroom before speaking in a low murmur, more to himself than Haewon. "She took my jacket..." he mused. His eyes widened and he looked back at Haewon. "She's outside. C'mon."

Miaow Aegis​

 

[Miaow]

SCENE ONE
Northview High​

Pandora's heart sank as Kurt was ushered over to help her. He, of all people, had to be coincidentally passing by in her time of need.
"No no no, I don't trust him with any of my equipment," She told the Samaritan, leaving the two in the doorway to pack her things. She grabbed a duffel bag, stuffing it with as many bottles of medication and bandages as she could fit. She slung it over her shoulders before quickly scanning her infirmary.

They were somewhat lucky, her infirmary was quiet that evening. There was Harry, a Samaritan scav with a nasty stomach bug, and an older man with a hip injury.
"You take these two, I'm staying with Harry," She told Kurt, helping the older man down from his bed and into a wheelchair. She wheeled the man to the doorway, passing the wheelchair to Kurt.

She took a breath to steady herself before turning to Harry, checking his vitals. He was stable, his heart rate, his blood pressure, his temperature, all normal. She grabbed an oxygen mask with a manual pump on the end.
"The only way he's getting to the gym is with this. I need two people to carry him while I help him breathe. Help me get him on a stretcher."

Bullyboy Squad Crono ​

 

[Namazu]

LINCOLN
​

Weston could scarcely believe the bullshit he was just hearing coming out of King’s mouth. He tried his hardest never to show too much reaction to anything King said or did, but sometimes it was hard. This was one of those times. He narrowed his eyes at the man, still in his cozy pajamas, while the guard ran off to wake Gunderson up.

He wanted to ask why Gunderson was in charge. He also wanted to ask why the helicopter was off-limits.

Realizing the answer to both those questions didn’t actually matter, and he wasn’t going to waste time in a pissing contest with this bastard, he silently pushed himself away from the open doorway to King’s quarters without another word. Irritation crawled through his skin. No, not just irritation - anger. Anger that was seething hot and just under the surface. Words he wanted to shout at King swam in his head - ones he hadn’t used in a long damn time, because he swore he never would again.

Instead, he held his walkie-talkie to his face and pressed the button as he jogged away.

“I need enforcers awake, geared up, and at the front ready to roll in five. Get me Gunderson and Wesley. Someone find me Dutchess too.” He took his thumb off the button for a moment, then pressed it again.

“Just get me fucking everyone we can fit into the vehicles - and someone grab that Connor guy.”

Weston shoved his way through the exit doors, shoulder first, and into the cold night. Already all geared up and ready to go, he needed to get some vehicles lined up, running, and ready to roll. Fear rolled around in the pit of his stomach, along with the anger. He may have taken off with a sprint, but he knew damn well what he was sprinting into. A horde. This may just well be a damn suicide mission, depending on how large the horde was or how out of control things would get. It was also very, very possible that there would be nobody left to save - especially if they couldn’t get there quickly enough.

As much as the blood would be on King’s hands and not his own, nobody would care that he tried. The people who just lost their kids wouldn’t care that he tried. King wouldn’t care either. King would make damn sure to turn him into the scapegoat here. If he failed - or if Gunderson died - Weston knew he wouldn't be coming back to the prison. Not willingly.

He wished he would have brought his second duffle bag, but he'd just have to make it without if it came down to it.

~*~

A few minutes later, Weston was sitting in the driver’s seat of one of the Samaritan’s trucks, parked right in front of the front gates - engine idling and ready to go. He stared at the side-view mirror, watching the front doors of the prison, waiting to see who was coming.

"I just need you to hold out long enough for me to get there." Weston murmured quietly. The walkie-talkie was in his hands yet, but the button wasn't pushed. The only person who needed to hear those words wouldn't have heard them anyway, even if he tried.

Togy NanLia Safton Bullyboy Squad BeyondDandy Aegis ​

 

[Bullyboy Squad]

Collab with: Togy
​

The chill of the night air caressed his inked cheek, a stark contrast to the heat pulsing within him. The weight of the weapon felt grounding in his hands and his fingers tightened against the grip and the handguard as his gaze peeled to the back of the running man. Toni's world narrowed to a singular point. Their leader. The one Weston forbade to touch. Did Second in command fuck Cabrera? Did it matter to Toni?

The enforcer put more pressure on the trigger, flooded by heat and ice, he was about to kill King's right hand man…

...Before Mackenzie shoved his aim to the side just as he fired, wrenching the weapon from the man's hands.

"You fucking idiot," Mack hissed, pulling the firearm back from Toni, "Don't we have bigger concerns!?"

Toni's body jolted as the shot, one of the many, reverberated through the drone of undead. Swears streamed through his train of thoughts after MacKenize knocked his weapon askew. He snapped his gaze to the man, baring teeth when the medic tried to get his gun. "I'm keeping it!"

Mack's hand shot out and clamped hard onto Toni's wrist, his other planted firmly on the gun's barrel. "No," Mack snarled, twisting the weapon out of Toni's grip and driving an elbow into Toni's stomach, "You're not."

Toni doubled over with breath knocked out of him, the pain in his busted ribs flaring from the precise hit. That motherfucker had to know Toni was injured.

Stepping away, Mack turned and broke into a run towards Cabrera, hoping to clean up the gangster's mess in time.

*​

Searing pain ripped through Cabrera's leg. The world momentarily spun, his senses overwhelmed. He was running for the vehicle and now he was down. All the dead eyes surrounding him turned towards the burst of red leaking from his thigh. Their gnarled hands reached down for him, their eyes empty voids that hungered nothing more than his flesh.

Cabrera sat up with a strangled "Fuck..." dying in his throat. His off hand shook against the wound, warm liquid leaking in between his fingers as he yanked out his pistol and aimed.

But he didn't have to pull the trigger. The closest head exploded with grime and skull fragments thrown in all directions.

"Cover the boss!!!" One of the men yelled over the noise and for a moment most muzzles focused in that direction, clearing the area around Cabrera and towards the car. Fuck he had to move. His muscles tense and pulsing with adrenaline, heat and cold coursing through his veins. He flipped to his side with a jagged groan of pain, gun still in hand.

MokaChan Togy Safton

BeyondDandy NanLia Miaow SlaughterMelon Crono Aegis Namazu ​

 

[Aegis]

NORTHVIEW
Outside the school...​

Tanner fell to the cold grass on the other side of the window with a slight grunt at having to squeeze himself through a small enough gap that none of the dead would be able to crawl back through after he left. The night was ablaze with the flash of muzzles and the screams of people being ripped to shreds, and somehow that filled him with a comfort. This was the world as it really was-- as he was used to. Everything that had been these last few months was but a lie designed to try and force him to conform to life as it was when things were "normal". Tanner didn't remember normal; he remembered blood. He remembered dead parents. HE REMEMBERED THE FEELING OF HUNGER EATING AT HIS STOMACH, THE PAIN OF FALLING, THE FEELING OF A SKULL CAVING BENEATH HIS BAT.

Yes, this was the world that he had grown into. These last few months had just acknowledged that for him!

The Boy came to his feet and cast a glance toward the barn nearby-- perhaps he could jump the fence by getting to the roof, but that train of thought was ended as quickly as it had started. A handful of Samaritan defenders staggered around the corner chased by a couple dozen of the dead. They fired wildly into the crowd blowing off fingers, punching through torsos, but rarely scoring that all-important headshot. For the half-dozen people, they felled only one or two of the Zoms every few shots. Panic numbed their thoughts and made their moves jumpy and imprecise.

Tanner turned on heel on ran the other way. It was clear to him that those people were about to die, and soon the backside of the school would be overwhelmed by the Zoms. After all, nobody was exactly back there except for those few who had been pushed away from the main fight. The Boys only hope was that the Defenders were doing a good enough job at thinning the crowd to afford him a moment of escape.

Tanner turned the corner into hell. Arms recoiled with the shock of firing into a sea of walking corpses, bodies painted the ground alight with moonlight like an azure-white carpet, the moans, the screams. Blood. Crimson washed the yard of the school. A woman with a rifle turned to look at Tanner as her face washed in surprise at seeing a young boy in the midst of all of this, "Hey kid, get insid--"

Her lapse in attention to the fight allowed a Zom to sneak up on her and dead hands reached out to snatch her hair. The woman wretched an ungodly scream-- her pistol dropping to the floor, as she was ripped into a group of two or three that began to snatch at her limbs as she flailed and resisted, "HELP ME!"

Her eyes fell to the kid's weapon and it was clear all her hope was vested in him to save her. There wasn't anyone else paying enough attention to see, and it could just turn the tide in her favor if he got involved. Then again, she was a good distraction for all the dead around them if she were to go down. Nothing drew their attention like a feeding frenzy. Tanner leaned over and grabbed the still smoking firearm from the ground looking her straight into the eyes; the woman's alight with relief as she threw one of the Zom's head away from what would've been a fatal bite to the neck. Then, Tanner ran deeper into the fray-- crimson washing his back as the woman was ripped apart by the encroaching dead.

Was that supposed to stir something in him? The Kid didn't know; he didn't feel guilty, he guessed. It was just how things were. She should've just been watching out for herself in the fight, but maybe it's an adult things to worry about kids. Again, Tanner didn't know. Judging by how Minnie's family reacted to him leaving the kids, maybe that response wasn't normal. Was he normal? Tanner thought so. Connor did too...

Did he? They hadn't really talked all that much since they had been captured. Even when they did, things were just how they've always been. Tanner loved Connor, and devoted all his time to being with him. Chloe was nice. She was someone to belong with while waiting for Connor, but she had never seen how he could be, either. In truth, even Tanner didn't know. He had never pondered that deeply about himself until being stuck out here alone. Minnie. Then he found Minnie. Why did he started talking to her? Did he need...

Suddenly, Tanner snapped back to the fight and saw the some of the lines were collapsing as people reloaded and gave ground. A defender was suddenly being overcome by the dead from all sides and the frantic shooting he responded with sent a stray round striking the back of another person who crumbled to the ground only to be torn into by other nearby dead. People cracked and swung at Zoms with the butts of their rifles and grabbed whatever they could nearby to put up a fight. Good, yes.

Tanner felt the heat of adrenaline flooding his veins-- nerves alight with excitement. This was how it was! This was who he was supposed to be! People were too complicated. He just needed to live! A Zom reached out to him but retreated its hands with a snarl and broken fingers as Tanner swiped out with his club. The Boy's face was alight with a twisted, enthusiastic smile as he smashed his way through the Zom and into the middle of brawl. Tanner smashed in the head of someone who looked like he used to be a lawyer before being bumped into by a man from behind, a Samaritan. The Boy shrugged back against the man forcing him back toward the Zoms he was retreating from and rendering him at their mercy as a bite sunk into his forearm. Tanner could not care less.

He was swept up at once into the intoxicating blur of combat. Blood covered every inch of his body as he swung and swung until his arms went numb! This was so simple, easy. People were hard. All he wanted was Connor, and then to leave. Tanner NEEDED to go back into the simple world of survival. He didn't belong in a place like this with people like this. They were too different.

Tanner had went beyond feral as he whipped around and fired the pistol he stole from the woman with reckless abandon into the crowd. Frankly, he wasn't sure who he was hitting, but as he fought ahead it seemed that there was only him and the dead. His brain rushed with the dopamine thrill of danger sending his legs springing along as he broke the table leg over his next foe sending the undead policeman crumbling to the ground. Tanner launched the pistol out and fired two rounds into the back of the policeman's skull, but the slide of the handgun caught back after the last trigger pull. His weapons were spent.

At last, Tanner came to a moment of clarity. Bodies littered the courtyard like discarded trash and he had added to the pile. His fingers were bouncing with adrenaline-- his mind flooded with sparks of dopamine, heart pounding for more. Then, Tanner spotted the truck. He had passed by plenty, but it seemed in much better condition than any he had seen before. Heck, it might even drive! Great. The Boy took off in a dead sprint past a few Zoms before reaching the door of the vehicle. Without a look back, The Boy tore open the door and clambered inside just fast enough to avoid a group of the dead that slammed into the door just behind him.

The vehicle shook and bobbed as Tanner sat calmly in the driver's seat looking around in order to make sense of everything. He had an impromptu lesson from Connor once in a car that didn't work, but this was different. So, the keys, right? They were in the ignition already. The Boy grabbed hold and turned them to no avail; they didn't even budge! Wait. Wrong way. Tanner cranked them the other way and suddenly the engine screamed to life into a shriek as Tanner held down the ignition for as long as his ears could bear the engine's squeal. Well, he supposed it was on now. Okay, now you put it in 'D' for 'Drive'. Cool. At once, the truck began to roll forward at a slow speed as if some chains had been released as he moved it from 'P'. What did 'P' stand for? Oh well.

Now, the important part was foot on the gas. It makes everything go forward... he thought. Tanner slammed his foot into the pedal beneath him but suddenly the vehicle jolted to a stop that whipped him forward in the seat. Wait, the gas was supposed to make the car go not stop! The Boy growled in frustration as he stamped his foot on and off of the pedal in the darkness-- the period between each stamp allowing the truck to roll forward slightly.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

Tanner screamed out in protest at the vehicle. He could get out and walk faster than this! Finally, Tanner slammed his foot down again, but the force caused it to slip and bump into a different pedal. It was so dark he couldn't see, but Tanner guessed that meant there were two pedals. Okay! Well, this one clearly wasn't the gas, so how about the other one? The Boy slammed his foot into the other pedal pressing it back against the floorboard and at once the vehicle roared forward smashing down three or four Zoms that had gotten in its way. Tanner yanked the wheel to turn the truck toward the gate-- nearly tipping the whole vehicle over from the sharpness of his turn, and began careening toward the exit.

Then, Tanner's heart suddenly began to grow heavy. Minnie...

He had talked a big game about saving her, but when it came down to it he was about to escape by himself. The gate drew closer and closer as the truck bumped over the bodies in his way. Tanner had only a moment to decide, but that was all he needed. Fine, he would do this for her-- even if he didn't understand why. The Boy swerved the truck at the last moment and roaring, metal machine smashed sideways into the open gate causing the metal doors to collapse on either side of the vehicle and created a blockade of sorts.

For Tanner though, he didn't see things that way. His vision flashed black as the sound of safety glass exploded into his ears and rattled his brain. Tanner whipped forward into the steering wheel with no seatbelt to hold him back-- the impact gashing his forehead open as the airbag launched him back against the seat with a concussive blow. Tanner sat in the driver's seat with his face bleeding into some kind of pillow that had erupted from the steering wheel; his vision was a black haze which spun in recognition of the pale limbs trying to reach in through the shattered windows, but he could not bring himself to move any longer...

Bullyboy Squad Miaow Togy Safton Namazu Crono MokaChan SlaughterMelon BeyondDandy NanLia​

 

[Namazu]

PRE-TIME-SKIP COLLAB PART 2
NanLia Bullyboy Squad​

The room was alive with the sounds of fists hitting bags, feet pounding on mats and Derek's voice booming off the walls.

The man paced around the gym, eyes scanning the fighters as they went through their motions. His tone was commanding and firm as he corrected their stances and demonstrated techniques. His focus locked onto the task.

"Stop slacking around!" He hollered at one of his boys and pointed his finger at the words painted over the concrete wall.

We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.

Derek caught something out of the corner of his eye. His wife's silent presence instantly stole his attention, the sight filling his chest with warmth. He always admired the way she carried herself but especially in the bleak reality of the apocalyptic life she was the brightest star. And he enjoyed seeing how other men stripped her with their gawking eyes, knowing they can never touch her.

But there was something in Temma's expression that alerted him.

The man gestured to one of his fighters, indicating that he should take over the training and strode to his wife. His body taut and steps hasty. "What is it?" He asked, outstretching his arm to put it around the woman's back.

Temma smiled, relaxing under her husband's proximity and touch and she leaned into it, despite the sweat (or perhaps because of it) that gave a sheen to his muscles under the fluorescent lights. Her smile faded as she quickly recalled the reason for her interrupting his training and she glanced around briefly to see if anyone were near enough to hear her speaking. “I need your help, love.”

She suddenly hated herself for bringing him in, for making him complicit in what happened but she lacked any depth in skill to make this go away. She leaned in, bringing her painted red lips to brush along his ear, as though she were speaking in soft murmurs to a lover. “Val's dead.” She whispered. “An accident, but gone all the same. I …” She paused, leaning back to look her husband in the eyes. “I don’t know what to do ...”

Derek's arm remained secured around his wife's waist but his body stiffened at the news. His mind racing with the implications. He knew Val was King's favorite.

He pulled Temma closer and spoke to her ear in a low tone soaked with steadfast reassurance. "Consider it taken care of." He met her eyes, adding. "Show me."

Temma was both relieved and heartbroken to hear her husband's words. She cursed herself inwardly once more for involving him but now knew it had been the correct decision. She led Derek back the way she came, through the blessedly quiet halls towards the privileged rooms, her hand occasionally brushing his at her side. She desperately wanted to hold it, to be comforted.

She took a cursory glanced down the halls to ensure no one was watching then headed for Wes's door, not bothering to knock as she opened the door just wide enough for first her, the Derek to enter, swiftly closing it behind him.

Weston stood in his room, blocking immediate visual of the body by standing between and the door, leaning with one hand on the dresser. He seemed lost in thought and tensed when Temma opened the door, but relaxed a little. Of course it was only Temma - nobody else would dare just walk in, unannounced.

Weston waited until the door was shut again before moving aside, motioning down to Val's body as he looked to Derek.

"Got a place we can put this?"

Derek silently took the scene in, studying the lifeless body and surroundings. "Temma." His voice was calm, laced with reassurance. "You should leave." But there was no room for argument judging by his tone.

Only once she was gone the man continued - the less she knew the better.

He turned his gaze and attention to Weston and his demeanor shifted. Voice taking on a stern note. "Crematory."

There was in fact one in the prison but Samaritans didn't use it. They used the field behind it instead to collect and burn the zombie bodies. "You two fucked and when you woke up after a nap she attacked you. You don't know why she turned. You two struggled, she hit her head and stopped moving." He stated, watching expectantly to see if the man was satisfied with the plan.

Weston breathed a little bit more easily once Temma was out of the room. The fewer people that knew what was going on, the better. He nodded his head at Derek's plan, glancing down at Val.

"As long as you think you can do it quick. Sure." He didn't dare ask how many bodies had been disposed of this way: secretly.

Grabbing his knife off the nearby dresser, he slid it out of its leather sheathe and knelt over Val. One final check just to make sure she was really, really, very dead - and she was - he aimed the knife at her head, right in the same place as the head wound. An entry wound to the temple would be easier, but too obvious.

"Just making sure." He commented, hesitating a moment before driving the knife into her skull. He was still pissed at her. This wasn't as satisfying as he had hoped.

"You want my help getting her there, or should I fuck off and make myself scarce?"

Derek watched the Second in command finish the job. Smart. Weston wasn't stupid. He wasn't a snake either. But that didn't change the fact he saw Temma kill the woman. Accident or not.

"If you ever mention this event and my wife's name, you and I will have a problem." He glared, making sure the other man understood the weight of those words.

But he pulled the walkie talkie off his belt and pressed it to his lips. "I need a cleaning team to the Second In Command's quarters. There was an incident but it is contained."

Weston nodded, understanding exactly what Derek meant. He lowered himself onto his bed, made sure the sheets looked rumpled, and pulled off his shirt - doing his best to make it look like he really had just woken up, been attacked, and was found like this. The only other thing to make it more convincing was to have someone punch him, but he sure as shit wasn't going to ask Derek to do that. He'd want a bruise, not broken bones and missing teeth. He'd just have to do without.

Cracking his knuckles, Weston did his best to put on a steely but 'what-the-fuck' expression. By the time the enforcers answered Derek's call and stepped in to see Val on the floor, none would be the wiser as to what actually happened.

​

 

[NanLia]

Lincoln
​

Dutchess nodded stiffly at Wesley's question about later, just the slightest tilt of her head in answer to him, her eyes focused on the paint-chipped concrete wall ahead of her. This was routine now, for both of them. A fucked up foreplay for the pair - no one knew about their relations and outwardly they appeared to truly dislike one another but they both knew the truth of it. She enjoyed this deception; men, and women, in the prison often left her alone on a day to day and even fewer attempted to hit on her - certainly if they heard the rumor - truth - of what had happened to the inmate during the early riots.

She was dismissed, and Dutchess stood, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder, and turned to leave the intake area but paused as the radios of the enforcers around her went off, the noise and static making it nearly impossible for her to hear or understand what was being said. She worried, at first, that there was another riot taking place. This being something she very much wanted to avoid, she was getting ready to sit her ass down in intake and simply wait it out.

"I need enforcers awake and geared up, and at the front ready to roll in five. Get me Gunderson and Wesley. Someone find me Dutchess too."

Dutchess whipped around to frown at Wesley, Why in the fuck was she being included in this group?

"Just get me fucking everyone we can fit into the vehicles - and someone grab that Connor guy."

She swiftly understood. "The high school." She hissed, It was the only thing that made sense - why else would she be going except that she was the only surviving infiltrator from their newest acquisition, She knew those people likely better than anyone else, and if Weston needed her, it was something to do with them.

Dutchess turned and headed for the doorway, the one she'd just returned through and headed back out to see vehicles already being readied to leave. Within minutes Weston was arriving and climbing into a truck, she hesitated, wanting to wait for another truck to be prepped just to avoid sitting with him but forced herself to move

She opened the passenger's door, pointedly not looking at Wes as she climbed in and stuff her pack beneath the seat, out of the way.

Safton Namazu Aegis ​

 

[Crono]

Northview
​

Kurt just throws his hands up when Pandora starts going off about not letting him touch the equipment, he waits there a moment as she prepared the others and puts them in Kurt's care. The man keeps his hammer in his hand as he takes hold of the wheelchair's handle with his left hand, and puts an arm around the Samaritan's midsection to keep the man upright, then waits to see what she does with Harry. At the request to move Harry over however, the Northview guard looks at the comatose man then to Pandora in momentary confusion, eyes glancing to Kurt with the two wounded then looks back at the large man on the bed. "We can't take everyone at once, stay here with him if you want, try to get someone's attention to help you get him to the gym. We'll run back after we drop these two off." Then, to Kurt's surprise, the guard walks over and takes the Samaritan's weight against him and starts leading the way for Kurt and the wheelchair. Briefly he glanced over his shoulder at Pandora still hovering by Harry's side, the guard calling out from the doorway. "We won't be long." Though Kurt doubted that.

They moved at moderate speeds down the hall towards the gymnasium. The Samaritan needing help to walk was the weak link so to speak, keeping the Northview guard at a slower speed. The guy had been direct in that he'd take the lead, one arm around the Samaritan, the other with a gun in his hand. Kurt wheeled the wheelchair with the hammer still in his hand, falling in nearby. A few people were still scurrying about through the alarm, and Kurt was on edge as they went. He could hear the sound of gunfire above the fire alarm. After walking nearly halfway across the school they reached the Gymnasium where people were gathered, few guards were still inside of the building Kurt noted as he wheeled the old man inside passing him off to someone. The Northview guard did the same and turned to Kurt, "I need to stay, these people need more protection than what they've got." The man pokes a finger to Kurt's chest but his eyes aren't as demanding, more pleading. You go back and get Harry and Pandora." Kurt stared at him for a moment, "If we're not back in ten minutes you'd better send someone, or come your damn self." Then just turned on his heel and left. There really was no time to argue, and Kurt had just gotten used to doing what was asked of him. Though he didn't believe Harry was worth all of this damn trouble.

Kurt set himself into the pace of a soft jog down the school hallways. He wanted to be on the move but also wanted to not round the corner into trouble, as well as save energy for the upcoming lifting and stretcher pushing. As he move Kurt glanced down one of the halls on his left towards one of the chained off exit doors that led towards the back of the school as he moved. The man pausing in place a moment, his breathing heavy as his eyes stared at the movement between him and what was supposed to be a chained door. The dead were inside. Ahead of him Kurt could see at least three shambling corpses, behind them the door was ajar, the chains swinging loosely. It didn't make sense, until he realized the chain was in two links now, it'd been cut.

"Fuck." Kurt whispered softly, realizing that this was bad, really bad. Either the swarm at the front had managed to wrap around the school to the back end, or they had more than one breach. Kurt's hand trembled around the hammer, a moment of sensory overload. The dead in front of him, the fire alarm sounding, the gunfire. For a moment Kurt wasn't at the school, he was reliving the flashback at the hospital in nearly the exact same situation. Even as the dead slowly worked their way towards the main hallway, and a fourth moved through the gap in the door to join them, Kurt remained frozen. The temptation to run, to find a way out of the school, then out of the fence...just like the hospital. He could do it, he could survive. Kurt physically flinched as he heard the echoes of the dying from the hospital group as he'd escaped with his life. The turmoil within him churning. A drop of sweat dripped from Kurt's brow onto his cheek, it was the slightest of physical sensation but it was enough to break him free. His hand tightened around the hammer, and with a yell that was drowned out by the sound of the alarm, Kurt moved towards the dead. If that door stayed open, the people in the gymnasium likely stood no chance.

The first of the dead was ahead of the rest, Kurt took the hammer to the side of it's head hard. The vibrations of the tool slamming into it's softened bones causing small uncomfortable vibrations in his arm. It dropped, but Kurt didn't have time to find out if it was dead. The next two were already lurching on their prey. Kurt was quick to forcefully shove the first off to the side, so he could gain a moment to deal with the second. He swung the hammer with force, the claw of the hammer lodging itself into the side undead woman's skull. The body dropped, the hammer was lodged in well enough that it pulled the tool free from his grip. Before Kurt could even crouch to try and retrieve it however, the corpse he'd shoved descended on him, forcing Kurt to immediately use his arms to keep the beasts jaws at bay, one arm against it's chest and the other against it's head, as it pushed his already off balanced body into the nearby lockers.

The man grunted, effectively pinned with his eyes glancing down at the body with the hammer in it as well as the fourth undead that was headed his way followed by who knew how many from beyond the door. In all of his time at Northview, he'd never wished he'd had a gun more than now.
​

Miaow Bullyboy Squad Safton​

​

 

[NanLia]

LINCOLN
​

Chloe's brow wrinkled together as Connor leaned away, she didn't let him go, not yet, as he finally agreed to let her try and help, really the only way she thought she could. She doubted she could make a difference, that her voice or protest could change what had happened but maybe it would. She had to have that sort of hope, right? She was part of the establishment here after all. She'd been running their bar since the Samaritans had taken control of the prison and, of course, it was mutually beneficial for both parties, why wouldn't they want to keep her happy?

Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but it broke her heart to see Connor like this after she'd seen him so happy. The three of them were building something together, something she'd thought there had been a future in and now it was shattered.

She smiled sadly and nodded, leaning down to kiss his lips gently. "Let me go see what I can find out. Stay here, get some rest."

* * *​

It did not take long for Chloe to find an enforcer and relay the message that she wanted to speak with Weston, that it was important. The enforcer didn't seem to care, or really need to request until she asked if she should speak to King instead. He hustled then, from the security desk he was seated behind to speak to another enforcer but before anyone could really relay her message their radios were going off and he was returning to her.

"Boss is headed out, we'll let him know you want to see him when he's back later." He offered, then called to another enforcer gearing up. "Head over to the quarter and find that fighter, Connor, he's rolling out with us."

She felt ice form in the bottom of her stomach as they mentioned Connor, though she shouldn't have been surprised; eventually, everyone paid their debts and clearly, it was his time. "Connor isn't there, he's at the bar." She corrected, the enforcers pausing.

"Send him down to intake, he needs to gear up, now."

* * *​

Returning to the bar and her hidey-hold Chloe found Connor in a restful sleep on her cot. Really surprised anyone could look so comfortable on the makeshift bed. She regretted having to wake him but she didn't want him to pay for her delinquencies. She sat on the edge of the bed, gently resting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing. "Connor? Connor, I'm sorry but you need to get up. They need you at intake, at the cars. They're loading up to go somewhere."

Aegis​

 

[Safton]

​

Northview​

Xander led the way through the school, one hand resting idly on the handle of his knife as they walked -- as much for his own comfort and reassurance as anything. He could hear distant sounds of gunfire and shouting... and walked away from that direction and the front of the school. Instead, he was intent on potentially heading out and around the back of the building, at which point he and Haewon would be free to move around and check the school's exterior for Minnie. He wasn't crazy about the idea of potentially opening up one of the school's entrances in order to get outside -- especially with all the guards currently focused up front -- but he didn't see much of an alternative. Besides, if they were quick and careful then it would be fine.

That was what he told himself, anyway.

Constantly Xander was pausing to look over his shoulder, ensuring that Haewon was still behind him. She could be physically tied to him with a rope and it wouldn't be close enough for him in this moment. After losing Nari... and now Minnie... he wasn't taking any chances. They were nearing the intersection leading to the back door of the school when Xander heard something that made his blood run cold. He froze in his tracks, lifting one hand to signal for Haewon to halt behind him. Moans... and sounds of a struggle in the direction they were headed. He glanced back at her again, "Stay close," he murmured, quite unnecessarily before setting off again, approaching the corner and peeking around to see just what awaited them.

A breach. He hadn't accounted for this possibility, not even for a second. He knew it was possible that they would arrive only to find that there were plenty of the ghouls beyond the door, barring a safe exit for them. But the idea that they would have made their way inside? Unthinkable. Xander had physically checked that lock himself this morning, same as always. Which meant that either the door had somehow been compromised by enough weight-of-numbers from the outside, or...

He couldn't bring his mind to bear on that possibility right now, mostly because of the scene still playing out in front of him: a very much still-alive human pinned against a row of lockers, grappling with one of the undead that was snapping at him like a rabid animal. "Stay here!" Xander barked at Nari before rushing forward without a second thought, drawing his knife. As he got closer, he realized that the person he was approaching was none other than Kurt, but his eyes were focused on his target. He skidded to a halt, reversing the knife into an "icepick" grip before placing his support hand behind the pommel for extra power. It was a dicey target given the position of Kurt's hand and the fact that the creature was constantly thrashing its jaws, but Xander's former "guest" was doing an admirable job of holding it in place.

With a grunt of effort, he drove off his back foot for momentum and thrust the knife forward, pressing the tip of the blade through the flesh and bone of the temple. The ghoul stilled, like a marionette with its strings cut, slumping against the lockers against which it was pinned. Xander withdrew the blade with a tug, turning toward Kurt. "You good?" he asked quickly, his eyes scanning down the hall as more shambling forms sought to fill it.

Miaow Crono​

 

[Safton]

​

Current Day​

Emmett's eyes widened as he heard his radio squawk with the sound of Weston's voice, ordering any and all available enforcers to the motor pool in full kit. What the hell was going on? It couldn't be a local problem or else the vehicles wouldn't be necessary. The inclusion of Dutchess -- one that had a strange pit forming in Wes's stomach -- was also peculiar. Then it hit him: the high school. The one she had just come back from not so long ago. Something had gone wrong, probably those assholes rebelling over there.

Wesley snatched the radio off his belt, lifting it to his lips to acknowledge the command before lowering it and giving Dutchess a small nod. With that, he walked away; he had to coordinate his "troops".

*​

Minutes later the enforcers were piling into their trucks, bearing weapons, ammunition, and supplies from the armory. Terse commands were being shouted over the growl of diesel engines as the vehicles idled impatiently. Wesley climbed into the back of one of them, his knees crowded against the seat back in front of him. He glanced out of the passenger side mirror, seeing Dutchess's form as she visibly hesitated. He hated how much that view filled him with apprehension: one part wanting nothing more than for her to hurry up and climb into the truck with him, the other wanting her to walk away... and both of them hating the way she stood there, indecisive, doing neither. Dutchess was never indecisive about anything.

Finally she was stepping into the truck and Wes had to resist the urge to breathe a sigh of relief or even to acknowledge her beyond the most casual, almost dismissive of sideways glances. After all, there were others sitting all around them and he couldn't afford to give up the game.

Focus, you asshole. For all you know you're driving into a war zone.

He gripped the armrest hard, waiting for the lead vehicle in the convoy to get rolling at Weston's hand.

All the more reason I wish she wasn't coming.

NanLia​

 

[Miaow]

SCENE ONE
Northview​

It wasn't long before Minnie had done her rounds of the whole outbuilding, taking stock of her options. She'd triple-checked every window was locked, every door leading to the outside was barricaded... the only remaining exit was a vent. It was a tight squeeze, Gene had had her clean it out once. It had been a hiding place for contraband back when the school had students. It was full of cigarette boxes, empty bottles and cans... Setting up the storage room meant clearing it out, and Minnie was the only gardener able to fit.

After her fourth round of checks, she reluctantly took a seat beside Momo. It felt wrong to sit down. It was deafening outside, the sound slightly muffled by the walls. She buried her face in her hands for a moment. She covered her ears with her hands, her leg bouncing as she watched the shadows pass the windows. What was she meant to do... Nobody knew she was here. She hadn't told anyone that she was leaving or where she was going. She hadn't encountered anyone on her way there. Her only witnesses were a colony of rabbits.

Her body jolted to its feet as something slammed against the window inset in the door, her grip tightening on the pair of scissors.
"LET ME IN!!" A masculine voice screeched, their open palm slamming against the murky glass. Minnie swallowed. The horde was close, she could see them, opening that door could get her killed... ESPECIALLY if that man was bit. Momo scrambled further behind the crate, the monotonous banging causing his small body to tense.

"LET ME IN, PLEASE!" They begged, Minnie's chest heaving as she took a hesitant step forward. He was going to die out there, and she was the one person who could stop it... but her feet froze firmly in place. She watched his silhouette pound against the glass... For a moment, he sounded like Nate. She knew it wasn't, she'd made sure he was never coming back. That didn't ease her anxiety. He was stood at the door, screaming at her, begging her for mercy... She took a shaky breath, her cheeks wet with tears. Her arms hurt, her old scars stinging like they were opening back up again.
"NO! GO AWAY!" She screamed, clutching at her scissors.

For a moment, he drew back... Minnie's shoulders slowly lowered, her eyes flicking back and forth as she tried to find him. Then, he slammed his elbow through the window, showering the ground in shattered glass. The noise of the horde was suddenly much louder now her fortress had been breached. The familiar colours of a Samaritan uniform tore through the glass as he clawed his torso through the gap.

"No no no no no..." Minnie whimpered, her eyes frantically scanning the room. The weight of multiple infected leaned against the door, clawing at the Samaritan as he screamed in agony. Teeth sank into his clothing at first, protecting his precious flesh, but as his shirt came untucked, his delicious skin was on show. She couldn't tear her eyes away as they gauged at his back, taking chunks out of him to snack on.

She took a shakey step back, regaining control of her limbs.
"Momo! Momo, come here--" She called out, running back to the crate and grabbing him. In his panic, he scratched at her arms, struggling against her grip as she held him against her chest. The man's screams filled her ears as she frantically scanned the room. The door creaked, bowing under the weight of the infected swarming toward it. She had to get out of this room.

She dropped to her knees in front of the vent, pressing Momo's squirming body to her chest with one hand as the other grappled with the cover. She opened the scissors, sticking the end of one of the blades into the screws. She fumbled with them, the cover clattering to the ground as she got it off. She spun around, preparing to clamber in feet first.

Her eyes locked onto the door as the hinges finally gave in, crashing through the barricade she had made. They stumbled over each other and into the room, their muscles so decayed they struggled to stand again. Some simply gave up, resorting to crawling. Minnie pushed Momo into the vent ahead of her, dropping onto her stomach and scrambling in after him.

As she reached a corner, she felt a cold hand on her bare ankle, yanking at her leg and dragging her an inch or so backwards. She clawed at the ground for something to grip onto, flailing her legs as she clung to the corner. She looked down, her eyes meeting with a bloated infected, mouth coated in dark blood and chunks of flesh. They bared their teeth, yanking her foot closer to their gaping maw. Her breathing quickened, her eyes wide as she kicked out, slamming their fingers into the side of the vent. Their grip slipped and Minnie tucked her legs up against her chest, pressing her back against the corner of the vent and out of their reach.

She panted, trying her best to catch her breath as she stared at the monster approaching her. Their black fingers scraped against the bottom of the vent as they squeezed their shoulders into the gap... then, they stopped. The edges of the vent creaked as they began to panic. They writhed, groping at Minnie with their one outstretched arm. She swallowed. They were stuck, and that meant she was stuck, too.

Safton Aegis Bullyboy Squad
​

 

[Aegis]

LINCOLN
Chloe's Room​

The connection of their lips sent electricity down his jaw and rumbling across his spine. Connor's fingers latched onto her sheet as his widened eyes were subdued in the moment and finally closed; his face scarlet with an uncharacteristic embarrassment. His heart thrummed against the bones in his chest threatening to break through, and his ears were alight like torches as his mind swirled.

Eyes squeezed shut, all Connor could manage to respond with was a shocked 'Mm-Hmm' before he collapsed back against the cot and threw his forearm over his eyes. The sounds of the door opening and shutting was all the signal he needed for his hand to venture from beside his face and search his chin until his index and pointer rested on the still-burning sensation of her lips against his. Then...

Connor sank into a darkness that only came from complete exhaustion. A rare night was the night where he didn't dream of the cracks of bullets, the scream of battle, and the moan of the dead. Yet, this was one of the those night. In a more romantic world, perhaps it would've been the comfort Chloe had provided him that eased his nerves enough to lull him into this slumber, but that wasn't the case here. This was exhaustion pure and simple.

It was a world of twisting shadow-- a pulsing headache. The all consuming sleep.

Suddenly, something gripped out at him from black, and as his eyes cracked open to the touch of something against his shoulder he started with a jump. Connor's eyes must have had weights tied to them as he struggled to keep his weary lids from closing once more. Nausea churned at his guts and his limbs felt week from overuse in the gym and the numbing bite of sleep deprivation, but Chloe's voice yanked him back to reality.

Apparently, it was time for him to get to work again.

The Soldier sat for a few seconds blinking as if to ground himself back in the here and now. Finally, a focus returned to his fogged eyes, "Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks, Chloe..."

Connor felt the energy of his words trail awkwardly as he made eye contact with her before staring for a pregnant moment. He-- had a lot of questions for her. Now that he had rested some, he processed a bit more of the kiss in a rush of clarity. Was he just a situationship? I mean, it's not like they had sex. Chloe didn't seem like she was the type, but he didn't know...

Well, he did. He definitely did, but he couldn't bring himself to have that confidence in his own circumstances. Years of survival outside the walls led him to always expect the worst. It would be so simple to ask, 'What did you mean by that kiss?' yet he felt a knot form in his throat and a sweat began to form on his brow. Instead, they shared another moment of awkward glances.

Connor was a soldier who had faced a lot of battles, but a crush-- love even, was something that he was a bit of a stranger to in his experiences. Sex was common at the end of the world; this was something that involved an emotional investment he wasn't sure he could provide, yet he couldn't help but want to try... if that's what she wanted. Yet, these were all questions and discussions for another time.

The Soldier clambered to his feet, "I'm off, then."

Connor went to step past her, but found himself froze just as he was about to overtake her. He shot her a sideways smile and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before storming out of the room in a flustered hurry.

*
​

Connor wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he was swiftly rushed down to intake once he got out into the hallways beyond the bar by a group of guards heading downstairs. It was a blur of bars, concrete, and eventually the cool blast of night air. Some enforcer shoved him toward a car and told him to hop inside.

The Soldier Begrudgingly complied as he popped open the door to the truck and climbed into the back behind the passenger's seat-- utterly unarmed. It was an awkward sight to be sure. Weston, some blonde lady, and Wes. Fate has a funny sense of humor, he supposed. Connor felt his jaw tighten at the thought of sitting next to Wes, but he kept his cool. Cabrera had taught him what it was like to throw yourself at someone unprepared. Besides, everyone here was armed to teeth-- save him.

Why, though? Connor shut the truck door behind them sealing them all in for this awkward car ride, but it slowly dawned up him that there were only two possibilities for why they were out here in such force. They were either going to go take another community, or something was happening at the school. The Soldier's face darkened with the reality of what both options meant.

Namazu Safton NanLia ​