Morning Coffee And Sweet Surprises (Closed to Poprockz)

[Drobabes]

He laughed again and shook his head a little.

"Just don't bring me any wine or we might have to have words."

His brown eyes looked down at Sabastian then, mostly because Sabastian was staring at him with such intensity. His grin faultered slightly, wishing the little man didn't have such an easy pull on him. He was just starting to open his mouth to say something when he felt that warm little body suddenly against his chest once more.

In his head, Vin planned on being stoic. He planned on simply standing still and letting the little blond have his hug and maybe offer a pat on the back. What he found himself doing however, much to his own annoyance, was wrapping his arms around him fully in a tight embrace as he looked over the bar with a bit of pain. It wasn't exactly the bear hug like he had given him when he brought Vin the beautiful guitar, but it was pretty close, and he doesn't let go until he feels Sabastian begin to loosen his grip.

By the time Sabastian is on his feet, Vin has replaced the look on his face with an easy smile again. At the little mans words, he chuckles and pats him on the head.

"I can't promise I won't be stupid, but I'll try not to do anything too dangerous."

He lets out a little sigh, then stands up himself.

"Alright you guys, go on and get out of here before they change their mind and decide it's best to keep everyone here."

He offered Damien a hearty handshake, and then let Cora give him a small hug as well. Then he watched them all walk out the door and only once they were out of his sight did he sit back down heavily and sigh.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian gave one last look at that easy-going smile before exiting. Vin's hug had been so tight and gentle, filled with warmth. However, it was his smile that made Sabastian relax a bit. Vin would be fine- he was adaptable, strong, and brave. As a nomad, he had traveled a lot even before the zombies and was street-smart. The little blond thought to himself that Vin would probably outlive them all.

They popped by the place that offered clean clothes, each of them taking an outfit. They were pretty plain, but that was fine- at least they had clean underwear now. However, when it came to showering, Damien didn't think that Cora would want for them to split up, so he suggested dressing in the bathroom and leaving. Since everyone seemed amenable to that, that was what they did.

Once that was done, each of them with new clothes, their bodies still fairly clean, they made their way to the entrance of the compound.

"Arms." The officer commanded calmly, obviously wanting to check for marks. His eyes glanced over their arms, not seeing any of the army's black marks. He nodded, satisfied, and then asked, "why do you guys want to go out, and are you coming back?"

Damien thought for a moment before answering, "we talked it over, and we're going to try to see if we can get into contact with some of our families. If we do find them, we'll be coming back with them."

The soldier looked a bit somber for a moment before nodding. "That's admirable. I don't suppose there's any point in me telling you that you'd be better off staying here."

Sabastian shook his head, to which the officer sighed. "Good luck, guys." He signaled to one of the guys on the gate and they opened it, allowing the three of them out. It was a long way, but they eventually ended up about a mile away.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy had been laying in bed for a while. When he had first came in, he was so exhausted that he thought he would be able to fall asleep rather quickly. After what he had done last night, though, it illuded him.

He had talked the medical staff and councillor and they had given him the ok, saying he had actually handled it better than most. His superior had even made him feel good about himself, telling him he was born to be a soldier. But in the back of his mind, there was still something there.

As he rolled over and put his hands under his head, staring at the bunk above him and listening to Kyle's loud snoring, he kept repeating the images of it. Of that man holding his face, then reaching out and lumbering forward.

He had been lumbering. Like an infected, like a zombie. If he hadn't took the shot, it would have attacked Vin or Damien, or both of them, and he might have lost his chance. Still... The blood on Damien's hand had been red, not purple, and while Tommy hadn't been debriefed yet on the anatomy of the infected, the red blood made him uneasy. Not to mention why Damien had been hitting the guy in the first place. Cause that had to have been what he was doing, wasn't it? The way Vin had been holding him back didn't leave much room to question that.

Run Tommy!

His dad's voice suddenly rang out in his mind, the memory of his mother turning, still so fresh. While it brought tears to his eyes to think about it, he let it wash over him.

She had been sick, so sick. For almost two days she had done nothing but throw up, and then when it had finally stopped, she had lumbered into the kitchen. Her eyes had been the first thing he had seen. And the last.

___ ____

Vin had thought about leaving the bar after they made their exit, but he found his legs just refused to budge. He had finished his breakfast a while ago, and while he wasn't staring at anything in particular, his gaze roamed the bar in a sort of bored manner. His mind kept replaying the nights, and that mornings, events. He really should have been planning out his next move, trying to gather some information and figure out how he was going to leave the compound, and how he was going to travel. Instead, he found himself just sipping on a beer way too early in the morning and feeling tired right down to his soul.

When Tommy walked through the door, it finally jostled him out of his moody demeanor. He had thought the boy wouldn't dare step foot in the bar, for fear of Dave chasing him out, yet there he was, striding right up to him with that confidence that soldiers were trained to portray.

Before Tommy got to the seat opposite him and sat down, he took a quick look around the bar. His eyes didn't linger, and when they came back to meet his own, his face looked haunted.

"I was hoping I could talk to you."

Delvin stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out what it was that had the boy so bothered. Maybe last night had been the first time he had killed someone. If that was the case, he kind of wanted to talk to him too. It was fucking with him-the mental picture of brains exploding from a person's skull.

"Alright, what about?"

 

[Poprockz]

Dave came over to Vin's table with a beer and set it down in front of him, though he already had one going. The bartender got the feeling that he would be finished with the first one soon and would really need another. For Tommy, he set down a mocha with a large swirl of whipped cream on the top. With that, he gave each of them a pat on the shoulder at the same time and walked away.

It was an unspoken understanding that he noticed the pained way Vin had looked over at the bar when Sabastian hugged him, and he knew things were tough for Vin right now. Tommy definitely looked like something was bothering him also, but he decided to let the two comfort each other.

----------------------------------------------

"I'll be right out, Dad." Jesse said, kissing him on the cheek before grinning and popping into the bathroom.

"Uh-huh. Sure, Puffs." He shook his head and leaned against the outer wall of the bathroom. If she was going to be taking off and reapplying her make-up for that Tommy boy, then she would be about fifteen minutes or more.

Bernard chuckled and grinned, "oh man. Your little girl might catch herself a military man soon. What do you think of Tommy anyway? He was giving her looks all the way through the concert, so maybe he got some sense into him."

Randy shrugged, "seems a bit naïve, but I'd take that over arrogance any day. He honestly seems like a good man, but I just don't know if she's ready for anything like that." He shifted on his feet.

The other man gave him a knowing half-smile. "She's your little girl. I think she could be forty and you'd still think she wasn't old enough to date. Anyway, I'm going to head to the bar ahead of you guys. I'll see you when she's done." He walked off, Jesse's dad nodding and sighing.

In the bathroom, Jesse couldn't stop smiling, thinking about the way Tommy had looked at her last night. He had said she was beautiful like he thought she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. He also seemed to think her performance was great. She thought his own performance was dope, loving that he could scream like that. Jesse looked into the mirror, her cheeks pink as she started removing her make-up.

 

[Drobabes]

They both looked at Dave and gave him a little smile as he pat them on the shoulder. Neither of them touched their drinks for a moment, just sitting in uncomfortable silence, but Delvin finally reached over and finished off the beer he had already started. Tommy watched him finish, and when he was done, he looked around the bar one more time.

"Vin...that guy I shot. You had a better look at his face. Could you see if his eyes were different? We're they white and purple?"

Delvin didn't want to answer that. He didn't want Tommy to have doubts in the path he had chosen, or believe he hadn't done anything but protect the people he had sworn to protect. But the fact that he was asking meant that he already was having doubts, and Damien had rubbed off on him a bit last night. He didn't want to be dishonest with the boy.

"No. They were normal. And the guy was still talking just fine."

 

[Poprockz]

Bernard entered the bar and gave them a nod of his shaggy head before going to the bar, asking Dave for a beat of his own. They started a friendly chat, both of them talking about the concert last night.

————

Randy sighed, looking at his watch. It had barely been any time at all and yet it felt like eternity. He simply watched the people pass, but one of them in particular caught his attention. It was an older army man, bolting as fast as he could toward the entrance, and he seemed to be limping a bit. Randy frowned, wondering whether the army was working him too hard until he saw the man’s face as he looked over his shoulder. It was one of true terror, and Randy started to get a bad feeling.

Jesse has now completely taken off her make-up, and she looked at her face for a moment. Underneath her puffy ponytails and make-up, she looked rather plain, like someone who would just blend into the crowd. She hated it, hated that she simply looked unremarkable. When she got the nerve to ask Tommy out, she had sworn to herself that she would never let him see her without it even if she had to make eyeliner from charcoal.

Her father had always attested that she was beautiful without make-us, but she knew that was what fathers were supposed to say. It’s not like he would ever say something like, “yeah, you’re pretty dull. Keep the make-up on, Puffs.”

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy had looked when Bernard came in, but his attention quickly went back to Vin. The look in his eyes was troubled and he leans back in his chair for a moment as he simply stares at the big man. He opens his mouth, about to speak, when his words are suddenly cut off by the sound of a man screaming outside.

He jumps out of his chair and grabs the high powered pistol off his belt. He makes it about two steps to the door when he hears the first of the gunfire outside, and then his radio clicks on.

"All soldiers, we have an infected in the compound! All soldiers, infected in the com-AAH!"

The radio went dead, but even before it did, Tommy was already looking around at the entrances to the bar, his gun raised.

Delvin was standing as well, the handle of his guitar in his hands, and he was wielding it like a bat. He didn't have a gun like the little soldier, nor did he have any other weapons. He didn't know which way they would be coming from, so he took a similar stance to Tommy, watching both entrances, his heart feeling as if it was going to kick out of his chest. There was a lot of people in the compound and he didn't know if one soldiers bullets and a single metal guitar was enough to hold off a horde.

 

[Poprockz]

Bernard and Dave looked up in alarm; there were only about two more patons in there considering what time of day it was and the mad party that had been the previous night, so it wasn't like a massive panic broke out in the bar at least.

Dave quickly ran to the backroom and came back with something that was all wrapped up. Once he got the fabric off of it, it was clear he had a shotgun in his hands, a belt of rounds across his chest in an X. He cocked it and aimed it at the door as well, his hands shaking. It was obvious he knew how load it, aim it, and fire it, but he had probably never actually fired it before. The soldiers likely gave it to him since shotguns typically required less precise aiming.

----------------------

Outside the bathroom, Jesse's dad's eyes widened as he saw the chaos start to unfold. There were people running and screaming, zombies lumbering after them. One of them saw him and started to approach. He quickly went inside the bathroom, trying to think of what to do.

"Get up on top of the stalls Jesse." Randy called to her, leaning against the bathroom door to try to keep it shut. It was one of the ones where you can simply push it open without any kind of latch, so it was his bodyweight that held it shut.

Jesse looked frightened, having heard the gunfire. "What's going on dad? What are you go-"

"I SAID GET ON THE FUCKING STALLS, JESSE! NOW!" He barked, jolting her out of her hesitancy. She was still wearing her doll get-up, but the skirt was short enough not to limit her movement too much. The girl started climbing up onto the toilet, then the back of the toilet to see if she could reach the thin walls at the top. It would be a precarious position to be perched in, to be sure, but it was really the only place she could hope to escape.

There was groaning outside of the door, and suddenly it started pushing against Randy. He gritted his teeth and leaned hard against the door, trying to put all of his weight into it as the undead soldier on the other side of the door started pushing and pounding on it. His eyes glanced at Jesse, resolute but with a hint of panic in them. He didn't want to die, but he would gladly do so if it meant he could save her. If they got through though, his sacrifice would probably be for nothing as they would tear her down eventually.

 

[Drobabes]

"We can't hold this building if we run out of bullets" Tommy said loudly.

"We need to get out of here and regroup with the squad, head towards the gunfire."

His mind was completely focused on protecting the people behind him at that moment, and as he could still hear the gunfire outside, he was sure that his team was holding them back.

He strode over to the window, gun aimed at the ready, and took a look around outside. It was mandatory to have at least two snipers on duty, but when he had traded off to go catch up on sleep, there had been three.

His eyes took in the amount of infected outside, and he watched as a guy went running through the compound away from two zombies lumbering toward him. The guy was much faster, but Tommy still watched, waiting for them to drop like flies as the snipers took them out. He was kept waiting, however, as nothing happened, and the infection kept chasing after him.

"Fuck!"

He put his pistol away, pulled his riffle off his shoulder, and just barely cracked the window open so he could shoot them himself. He didn't know what was going on, why there was no radio chatter, and why there seemed to be no snipers, but he wasn't about to let that guy get cornered. With two well placed rounds, he dispatched them both, then slammed the window shut and turned to everyone behind him.

"Let's move. Bernard, is anyone in the band room?"

He then looked to Dave, Vin, and the two others in the bar.

"Does anyone not know where anyone in their party is? Is everyone accounted for?"

He was terrified for Jesse and the rest of the band, but he had people directly under his protection, right now, so they had to be his top priority until he could get everyone to safety.

 

[Poprockz]

The two other patrons shook their heads as though saying they didn't have anyone to look for out there.

Dave's face was pained. He got to know almost everyone who came through the base, so the list of people he cared for was a long one. He couldn't do anything about that right now and shook his head also.

Bernard stared blankly at him for a moment before shaking his head. "I... There's no one in the band room- it's locked." He gulped and suddenly looked terrified, his face going whiter than a sheet.. "The bathroom! Jesse and Randy are in the bathroom. Fuck..." He started shaking, his hand going to his mouth to rub his chin, clearly just trying to hold it together.

Dave grew more concerned, having to take a deep, shuddering breath before his hands became more steady. "Tommy. We need to get people to the evacuation tunnels. I'm one of the only civilians who has thumb-print access to them. The nearest one is near the bathrooms, so we can swing by there on the way."

------------------------------

Grunting and sweating, Randy desperately tried to hold the door shut, but soon there were two zombies pressing insistently against it, and he was starting to be pushed back. With a sudden impact, the door came off its hinges as a third zombie slammed into it. Randy was pushed down to the floor, the door on top of him. The zombies also fell over on top of him, preventing him from standing back up, but they couldn't get to him with the door blocking their movements.

Jesse watched in horror, starting to cry in terror. She didn't want to watch her dad die, and she didn't want to die either. Tears ran down her face as she saw him struggling under the door, held down by the bodies. Over the top of the bodies, another zombie lurched into the bathroom. Aurora's dead eyes looked up at Jesse and she slowly made her way over to the stall she was perched over. It was closed and locked, so she started banging on it, shaking the stall walls.

"Jesse!" He grunted, helpless to do anything for her. He had failed her, her own father. The man wished to God he had a gun, anything to protect them.

The girl sobbed as she tried not to lose her balance, her heart pounding out of her chest. Each slam of Aurora's fist would jar her and make her afraid she might lose her grip.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy's eyes widened ass Bernard told them where they were. Of all the places, the bathrooms were the least safe. They would have been better off out in the open where they could at least run, but inside the stalls was like backing yourself into a cage with no lock.

"Ok, move! Everyone move!"

His voice was booming now, his training completely taking over. He went to the door and got ready quickly, swinging his riffle over his shoulder in favor for his pistol. He pointed at Dave then, before gripping the door handle.

"I'm taking the front, you get the back. Single file! Vin, get in the middle! We're going to walk out this door and march straight by the bathrooms, once we're close, I'm going to go inside and retrieve them. Dave, you lead them to the tunnels. Everyone ready?"

He didn't count to three, they didn't have enough time. With a quick nod to them all, he pulled the door open and stepped out, immediately firing off a few rounds into the closest infected. He then began to march them forward quickly, but not full out running, as they might lose someone or someone trip up if he were to force them.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian froze in his tracks and he slowly turned his head back toward the compound. "Vin!" was all he said before he bolted back toward the base. He ran like the very devil was on his heals, panting hard and pumping his arms as he went. He could feel them- more than one, and the number was starting to go up quickly.

How was this possible? When they left everything had been fine. There hadn't been any infected and it had been completely peaceful. They were about a mile and a half away, so it would take a little bit to get back, but he kept going full throttle. His legs were burning painfully, but he wouldn't stop.

Damien had no idea what was going on, but he took one look at Cora and took off after the blonde since he had recognized something in the tone of his voice with that one word. He wasn't just experiencing some kind of regret, or just wanting to try to convince the man to come with them. No, he was absolutely terrified for the man, and that told Damien that something very wrong was happening. Sabastian hadn't told him about sensing zombies, so that didn't occur to him, but he got the sense it might be zombie-related.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Dave nodded and pocketed one of his mini blow-torches. The other patrons filed into a little huddle near Vin and shook, but looked ready as well. Bernard looked grateful that they were going to try to save them, but he still looked worried.

They followed Tommy out, matching his pace as they made their way through the chaos. A couple infected tried to go for the middle people, but Dave fired off his shotguns, knocking the zombies over.

--------------------------------------------------------------

As a zombie, Aurora was just as persistent in getting what she wanted. In this case, it was Jesse's human flesh. With a few more impatient bangs on the door, the latch broke and the door swung open with a terrified squeal from Jesse. The zombie moved into the stall, looking up and stretching her arms up toward the girl. She was just tall enough for her to almost grab her if she used both hands.

The girl looked down into those cobwebbed eyes and sobbed uncontrollably. When Aurora reached up toward one of her hands, she had to lift it, putting her weight on her other hand and legs. The zombie seemed to realize she couldn't get that one, so she went for her ankle. Jesse lifted that one while putting down her hand again. She could play this game all day with Aurora, but once another zombie came in, she would be done for. There was no way she could dodge more than one pair of hands.

She wished she could save herself and her father, she wished she had kissed Tommy and told him she had feelings for him, she wished she could say goodbye to Bernard, but most of all she wished things weren't like this. "I love you so much, Daddy..." she sobbed, not wanting to regret not having told him.

One of the zombies outside saw the movement and slowly started making its way to the entrance.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora had been so tense and paranoid on the walk back, though she had been hiding it, as far as she knew, pretty well. However, when that one word left Sabastians mouth with so much fear, so much terror, every single one of her own emotions melted away and left nothing to feel but what Sabastian was feeling.

She shared the same look with Damien, and then she took off after him as well. She managed to outpace him quickly, but perhaps because the adrenaline coursing through his body, or perhaps his enhanced strength, Cora had no chance of catching up with the little blond. All she could do was push her body forward as hard as it would allow her to push.

___ ____

They were almost at the bathrooms now, and Tommy had to fight down the overwhelming fear that wanted to take over and make him sprint head first to his goal. Instead he kept his pace steady, dispatching the infected as he went, and once they were close enough-then, and only then, did he give Dave the order.

"Go! Get them to the tunnels, we'll catch up!"

He marched forward then, his feet picking him up into a jog. Vin went around to the back of the line to trade places with Dave, beginning to move forward with them. However, when he heard Tommy's voice start to yell from inside the building, he looked over his shoulder. Fear and loyalty twisted his gut and made him indecisive. The fear told him that he needed to stay at the back of the line and protect them, but the loyalty to Tommy told him he needed to get in there and back him up. Of the two, loyalty won out.

"Keep going!" he yelled at Dave, then he turned and sprinted to the bathrooms.

___ ___

Tommy was shooting as he came through the door, only pausing once he was inside and he wasn't sure if his bullets would hit Jesse or Randy. His eyes took in the scene quickly: Randy under the stall door, Jesse up top, and a zombie, no, shit it was Aurora.

He didn't know her well, but what he did know of the women he had liked and it sent a nasty feeling up his spine to have to lift his gun to her. Lift it he did, however, and as he took a step over to make sure he wouldn't shoot anyone that might be standing behind the stall, he pulled the trigger.

He flinched as her purple blood splattered his face and chest, some of it getting in his eye before he could turn away, and then he turned his attention back to the other zombies.

"Hey! Hey hey! Over here! Come on, look, free meal!"

He shouted and pounded his foot on the ground, trying to get their attention. Trying to get them to back off of their prey so that he could get a clear shot in without the bullet going through them and into Randy. For some reason, however, it wasn't working and panic began to set in.

"Hey! Come on you stupid fucks, get off hi-"

"Move Tommy!"

A rough hand grabbed his shoulder and shoved him aside, and then there was the sickening sound of flesh being beat as Vin laid into the two zombies, the metal dragon crunching and squelching into their skulls before coming back for another swing. Blood splattered in every which direction, and the guitar sang out a devil's tune.

 

[Poprockz]

God, why did the base have to be so fucking far?! Sabastian thought to himself in frustration. He needed to be there to protect Vin, and yet his legs were only taking him so fast. The little man wished he had some kind of zombie power to run faster, but he was out of luck on that front. While he was very strong, he had no way of running any differently than normal.

In the distance, he started to hear gunfire and screaming, his heart beating more quickly as the dread set in. He didn't want to think about Vin laying in a pool of his own blood while zombies tore at his flesh. Sure he was strong enough to punch a single zombie, but if they outnumbered him, then one wrong move and they could take him down. Vin felt like the most important thing in the world to him right now, and he was so scared of losing him. Halfway there...

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Dave could see the conflict going on in Vin's head and he pointed to the bathrooms. "Go! Just be sure to come back!" He took position at the front and kept going, tossing Bernard the little blowtorch. It wasn't large, but at least it was something. They continued on, Dave getting to the tunnel entrance (that looked like the outside entrance to a cellar) and thumb-printed. The few of them rushed inside, Dave staying outside to wait and direct more people to the exit.

Jesse saw the other zombie approaching the bathroom and it almost felt like her heart would stop. Her father was still pinned by two zombies who had no idea how to get to him, and she was about to be attacked by a second zombie. She looked around at the ceiling and walls. There was nowhere to go, no vents or skylights she could try to crawl into. The girl was cornered and knew that eventually she would fall, eventually she would slip or be grabbed and they would rip her apart.

She was so scared that she thought she might have hallucinated Tommy at first, but when he shot Aurora and Vin crushed the two zombies on top of Randy, she didn't care whether it was a hallucination or not. If it was, then at least she was being given a more gentle way of going.

With the zombies now taken care of, Randy was able to wiggle out from under the door, panting hard and scrambling to his feet

Jesse stepped onto the back of the toilet then down, running over to them and checking to see if her dad was okay. Once she knew he was, she went over to Tommy and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest for a moment. "Thank you..." She only allowed herself a second or two before pulling back though, looking him in the eye and saying, "we need to get the fuck out of-"
A massive explosion sounded, the bar exploding in a way that everyone on the base probably heard. A big plume of fire and smoke came up, all of the alcohol lending to it. Surprisingly, a lot of the zombies seemed to fall backwards and run in the opposite direction of the building, even if there were unconscious civilians near the burning building.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy didn't put his gun away just yet, but he let his arms wrap around Jesse tightly as his eyes looked over Randy to make sure he was unharmed. Vin did the same thing, though he had to wipe some of the blood off his face before he could do so. Once they all had a brief second to breathe, Tommy turned his attention to the door. He was just about to speak when the explosion rocked through the compound.

They all seemed to share a look, and then Tommy immediately headed for the exit, indicating that they needed to follow him. Once there, he looked around and took in the scene.

The zombies were running from the fire, and in front of what used to be the bar, there were a few unconscious people. Tommy immediately started making his way over to them, and then he spotted someone crouched over another man on the ground.

"General Kuznet!" Tommy called out, although the man didn't answer right away or even turn around.

"Private! Come over here and help me stop this wound from bleeding!"

The man's voice was very deep, but somehow soft for the dire situation they all seemed to find themselves in. Tommy did as he was told, immediately running over and placing his hands down hard on the man's chest where the blood seemed to be pouring from. It looked as if he had been shot, perhaps friendly fire amongst the chaos. He waited until the General had patched him up, as best he could given the circumstances, before standing and looking around once more. They needed to go, but there were other people.

Vin had followed him over, recognizing the hulking mountain of flesh from the night prior, his broad shoulders and dirty brown hair quite distinct from most people in the compound. When the general finally did stand up, Vin found himself having to look up to meet the man's sky blue eyes.

His form was massive, standing almost six foot eight inches, and his body closely resembling that of a very toned bear. Even with his army clothes on, Delvin could tell the man was pure muscle and seemed almost Russian in heritage if his name and features were anything to go by. He stared down at Vin for a brief few seconds before his eyes travelled across the rest of the party.

"You three," he said pointing at Tommy, Vin, and Randy, again in the strange soft tone.

"Grab a civilian and follow me to the tunnels."

He then turned around and picked up the man on the ground with ease, slinging him over his shoulders carefully, then walking over to another unconscious person and picking them up as well. By the time Vin and Tommy both had someone slung over their backs, the huge Russian man was carrying three fully grown men and marching them towards the tunnels without even a single faulter in his sure steps.

 

[Poprockz]

Sabastian had almost tripped when the explosion went off, his face now screwed up in panic as he continued on. His legs felt numb, the burning having stopped a little while ago. All he could think about was getting back there and getting to Vin. What if he was trapped under rubble? Or what if he had been cornered by the undead? Why had he insisted on staying?!

Damien was in good shape and could keep up, but sprinting for a mile and a half was still draining for him. He looked over to Cora to make sure she was still keeping up, but he thought to himself that she might have said earlier that she had pretty good endurance.

----------------------------------------------------

Randy didn't argue with the man, picking up someone and slinging them over his shoulder. He kept his eye on Jesse, but none of the zombies were approaching, seemingly wanting desperately to get away from the fire.

The big, hulking man made Jesse pause for a second, the way his voice was so soft and calm gave her the willies a bit. However, He seemed like a man Tommy looked up to, so she assumed she was simply out of sorts right now from what she just experienced.

Jesse looked around. She wasn't strong enough to pick up a full-grown man, but she wished she could help in one way or another. The girl went over to Tommy and touched his arm. "Tommy, can I have your pistol? I know how to shoot, and I'm a good shot. My dad used to take me shooting back in the day. I want to help." She gave him a determined look, adamant that she could help protect them on their way over.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora's lungs were burning. She might have had the endurance to hike all day long, but running was a whole other matter. While she had been rocket fast in the beginning, she had quickly tired out and fell behind. She kept pushing herself, however, her own adrenaline keeping her from stopping.

When she saw Damien look back over his shoulder, so much farther ahead than herself, she shook her head fiercely and pointing at Sabastian.

"G-get him!"

She was terrified, not just of the boom and the smoke now rising into the sky, but that their friend might lose himself to panic and reveal something about his less than human features and be shot dead for it.

___ ___

Tommy didn't question her reasoning, simply handing her his gun and some extra bullets. He would much rather her be protected than unarmed, especially if he was going to be holding someone. Besides, he still had his riffle and could put the person down if he had to.

"You know how to load it, right?"

Vin was also a tad unnerved by the big man, but for his own reasoning, he boiled it down to the man being a general and needing to stay calm and in command of any situation. He slung his guitar over his shoulder and carried someone in his arms, finding the position easier. Whatever weird conspiracy shit had been going on last night took a backseat to what was happening right now, as he was sure no one would have harmed themselves on purpose in such a way and lost so many captives that they had so carefully collected.

He noticed that he was dripping zombie blood onto the soldier in his arms, having gotten absolutely covered in it when he was finishing those freaks off, so he quickly looked over the man to make sure he didn't have any open wounds. It didn't appear so, and he seemed to have only been knocked out, either from shock or the blast. Still, Vin tried not to hold the guy too close to his body, and he definitely tried the ignore the awful sensation of wet blood dripping down his long hair and soaking through his shirt.

The general led the party over to the tunnels and let the rest of them go through first before entering himself and bringing up the rear.

 

[Poprockz]

He had picked up Vin's scent again, it was faint, but he could make it out. Maybe it was because he was hyper-focused on the man, but it was like his smell was the only one in his nose. Sabastian was almost there, panting raggedly as he finally reached the gate. It was wide open, the occasional person running out, but no one at their post to guard it.

The little blonde ran in, still ahead of Damien. However, he soon saw the huge, burning building that used to be the bar. A strong, primal fear gripped him and he stopped, taking a couple steps back. It was frustrating that he physically couldn't move forward. He wanted to so badly run forward. but his legs wouldn't move.

Sniffing, he noticed that Vin's scent was fading. He frantically looked around, his eye starting to search. It wasn't enough. He ripped off his eyepatch and looked hard, his violet eye giving him much better eyesight now that he had better vision and depth perception. He couldn't find him anywhere, and he started to breath more quickly. Then it happened: his smell was completely gone.

"No... No. No. No. No Vin. No." He started shaking, his legs losing all strength as he crumpled to the ground.

Damien caught up, panting hard as he saw Sabastian fall down. He hadn't heard a gunshot, so he wasn't sure what was happening. He did see that the eyepatch had been tossed aside though, so he quickly scrambled to grab it and put it back on him. Sabastian didn't struggle, didn't even resist. He noticed that the man was shaking, so he crouched down next to him. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

It was like Sabastian didn't even hear him. He simply stared wide-eyed into the chaos, the fire reflecting in his eyes. All of a sudden he started sobbing, clutching at his head, his body wracking with the intensity of his sadness. Why didn't he do more? Why didn't he try to convince Vin to come with them? He had simply let the man go, not even being honest with him about his feelings or who he was. Now he would never get the chance.

"Vin..." he choked out. "Vin no... Please. Please no. Not you." His face was screwed up in pain, the man looking utterly defeated. The gaze of Vin's deep brown eyes, the sound of his voice, the feeling of his strong arms around him- he would never have any of those things again and couldn't even comfort himself with the thought of the man being safe at an army base.

--------------------------------

"Yeah, I can handle it." Jesse put the bullets in her pocket and turned off the safety on the pistol, holding it down and ready to fire it at any zombies to approach. She stuck by the side of the procession as they made their way to the tunnel, Dave waving them in and nodding at the general before getting inside himself. Jesse felt a bit relieved that she didn't have to kill any zombies yet, but she kept the pistol at the ready just in case.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora was so close to the gates now but everything in her body was screaming at her to stop running. Tears were already pouring down her face, seeing the carnage that had ensued after they had left. If Sabastian had been running back for Vin then he must have either smelled or felt the outbreak.

She couldn't do it any longer, and just as she finally came up on the gates, her chest absolutely raw with her panting and her legs shaking under her, she finally gave in and slowed to a fast walk. She saw Damien crouched by him and instantly knew. There would be no other reason he was sitting on the ground like that.

She didn't stop walking, but on the way through the gates, she bent down and picked up a rifle that a soldier had dropped. She wasn't familiar with it, but it didn't matter. It had a trigger and bullets, and that's all she needed to know about it. She reached them both soon enough, and as soon as she could breathe evenly enough to speak, so called out to Damien.

"Pick him up, we have to go."

She knew she didn't have the upper body strength to carry him, and with his hands full, she would have to watch their back. Already she could see a few stray zombies seemingly trying to run away from the fire. However, they had a long way to go back to the car on tired legs.

___ ____

Once they were a little ways into the tunnel, the general spoke up.

"Is anyone injured? We're safe now, for the moment. I also need to inspect everyone for fresh bites. Private, you'll assist so we can get it done quickly and efficiently."

Tommy looked over his shoulder and gave a small nod, still coming down from the adrenaline high.

"Yes sir."

 

[Poprockz]

Damien looked up as Cora told him to pick up the sobbing blonde. He nodded and reached over, picking him up and putting him on his shoulder. Sabastian simply hung loosely like a sack of potatoes, unable to summon up the energy to do anything but think about Vin. Part of him wanted to be able to bury his body, but he knew that was unrealistic.

He watched the compound as Damien started walking back toward Cora, heading for the car with her. Damien's arms were warm, but they didn't compare to Vin's. The little blonde continued to cry, swinging back and forth slightly as he was carried.

----------------------------------------------------

Everyone looked at each other Most of them attested to not being injured, only the few saved near the burning bar coming out to say that they were bleeding or deaf from the explosion.

Dave stepped forward and looked at the commander. "How are you going to check bites? Do you want us to form a line or something? Do we have to remove our clothes?"

Jesse looked up at this, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the suggestion. Most of the people there were men, and she didn't like the idea of the commander looking at her without clothes on. She didn't want Tommy to see her like that either, but part of her also kind of did a little bit. All in all, she wanted Tommy to check if that was the way they were going to go about things.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora chose to walk right beside him as they trekked back to the car, tears still leaking down her face for most of the way. She wasn't sniffling or bawling like Sabastian was though, just being aware of her surroundings while only letting a small amount of her emotions through. Once they got back to the car, maybe then she would let herself feel more.

She looked over to Damien a few times as she couldn't bring herself to meet Sabastians gaze yet, or even try to say anything for him.

___ ___

The general sat the three he had been carrying down on the ground and inspected them as he spoke to the others.

"Form a line, yes. Removing clothes is unnecessary I believe. No one has had the time to try and hide a bite, and if it has not taken over the body instantly, then symptoms will begin to show themselves and we will have time to deal with it then.

"I and the private will check superficially, merely looking for fresh blood, obvious wounds, or torn clothes. If anyone has been bitten, I will have them stand directly in front of me, at the back of the line as we walk and where I can keep an eye on them. If they begin to show signs of the disease progressing-erratic, violent, or confused behavior, I will dispatch them quickly and painlessly."

One of the three people he was checking was another soldier, one whom Tommy recognized as the generals second in command. He was not like the man towering over him at all, standing only about five foot eight and generally much less muscled. However, Tommy had heard talk amongst his peers that the man was a force to be reckoned with if you got on his bad side, and it was best to just avoid him all together.

General Kuznet pulled out a small medical wipe from his vest pocket and ripped the packet open, then wiped the man's dark skin just under his nose. Within a few moments the man was conscious.

"Welcome back from the grave" the general said, taking his hand and helping him to sit up.

"Damn. I thought my service was finally over."

"Not yet soldier, and hopefully not for a long time to come."

Once the man was up, the general had everyone line up, and then he and Tommy started on opposite ends of the line and gave everyone a very light pat down, sometimes asking them to lift their shirts if they could. Unfortunately for Jesse, Tommy was still working on Dave so the general got to her first.

He was very stoic and calm as he started with her ankles and then moved up, only seemingly touching as much as was necessary, then asking her to turn around. He followed the same routine, bottom of the legs and up, avoiding any intimate area's, and then up towards her arms and shoulders. Once at her shoulders, he placed both hands on either one, and though his face remained professional to anyone who might have been looking at him, his hands lingered for just the briefest of seconds. Then, just like that, he was done and moving down the line.

 

[Poprockz]

Damien continued on, giving Cora a reassuring look as they continued. For all that had happened, he was still standing tall and composed as he walked. For him, he was a bit sad that the band and Dave may not have gotten out, but other than Vin he didn't have enough connection to anyone to be more broken up about what had happened. Before Cora, he didn't give a shit about anyone, so he had a bit of a difficult time letting people he just met into his circle of people he cared about.

Once they reached the car, he walked over to the back seat and opened it, gently setting Sabastian into the backseat and buckling him in. He settled the little man in and shut the door before walking back around to Cora. "How are you holding up? It was all so sudden... " The man reached out and pulled her into a hug, sighing and closing his eyes. The suggestion that Vin might be dead filled him with a strange sadness he wasn't used to.

----------------------------------------

Dave nodded, getting into the line as well as everyone else including Jesse. When it was her turn, she was disappointed to find that it would be the general doing her pat-down. He was very intimidating with his size and his calmness, and now that she was in the safety of the cave, she still found herself feeling a bit uncomfortable from him in her gut.

She pushed that feeling down, thinking to herself that it was ridiculous. He was a commanding officer in the military; he was supposed to be big, scary, and able to lead in stressful situations. In any case, she didn't see herself spending a lot of time near him anyway, so she just had to get through it like a big girl.

When she stepped up, she tried not to look at him in order to prevent it from getting too awkward. God, why were his hands so big? Jesse tried to maintain a neutral expression, turning around when requested and waiting for him to be done touching her. His hands on her shoulders lingered for a little longer than necessary, and she wondered if he was trying to reassure her or something. She didn't like it though, and couldn't wait to get back to the band. When he released her, she jogged back over to them, her dress fluttering as her pigtails bounced a bit.

 

[Drobabes]

Cora had sat the gun down the trunk as she waited for Damien to get him in the car, her heart breaking both for Vin and Sabastian. She didn't know what had happened, but the thought of him actually being gone hurt so badly, almost worse than with Daphne. Perhaps it was just because they had had a little more time to get to know him, but whatever the case was, she didn't feel very steady on her feet.

When he came over and asked her how she was, she hadn't been able to respond. She had crossed her arms and shook her head, as if she could childishly deny what had just happened. All thoughts of being kidnapped had all but vanished from her mind, and as he wrapped his arms around her in that sweet embrace, she finally let go and held him tightly, sobbing against his chest.

___ ____

The second and his general watched the little doll bounce away to the illusion of safety, and once Tommy had reported that no one had been bitten, they let the group form back together however they wished. The second went up to the front of the line, the general took the back, and Tommy came to stand next to Randy and Jesse. He looked at them both with a certain sadness, seemed as if he wanted to say something, stopped, then looked ahead. After a beat or two, he finally asked it.

"Are you guys alright?"

Vin walked along with them, carrying one of the unconscious people in his arms and walking next to Dave. He didn't have much of an urge to speak either, though he looked quite disturbed.

___ ___

After a few more minutes of clinging onto him desperately, she finally let her grip loosen and she looked to the back seat.

"Should I sit with him?"

So much had happened, and she had barely been holding it together as it were. She wanted to be there for her friend, but she needed some direction. She didn't know what to do anymore; it seemed as if every corner they walked around there was a disaster waiting to strike, waiting to strip those precious threads of hope right out of their hands.

 

[Poprockz]

Jesse looked over at Tommy and shook her head, "I... I'm just happy that some of us made it out alive right now. When I was in the bathroom, I thought I was going to die. And-and I was so scared." She reached over and took his hand in hers, holding it as she walked. Jesse gave him a little sad smile and squeezed his hand. "Thank you again, Tommy. No one else would have come for us." The girl swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat. She tried not to cry; her whole aesthetic was one of a punk girl, so she didn't want to seem weak in front of him.

Dave sighed and looked over at Vin, "I'm glad they got out in time." He left it at that, knowing that Vin would know what he meant. He didn't think it was necessarily a secret, but he knew there was no way they could have gotten out if he didn't say something about the marks, and that might get him into trouble.

-------------------------------------------

Holding her tightly, he rested his head against hers for a moment as he rocked her back and forth. She was so kind and empathetic, mourning for all those people. It was a shame that the very things he admired in her brought her so much pain.

He looked up when she asked about Sabastian, looking at the blonde in the back seat. The guy looked pretty broken, probably in need of a comforting touch. Damien was still a bit new at this, so he made a judgement call and nodded, "yeah. I think he could use some comfort. Some close contact and a friend to talk to is probably the best thing for him right now."

Damien kissed her forehead and opened the side car door. He moved a couple of things from the backseat to the passenger seat, making more room for Cora back there. Once things were moved around, she was at least able to put on the middle seatbelt with him.

"Let's go," he said softly.

 

[Drobabes]

Tommy felt a little emotional himself, though he tried to swallow it down. He keeps his gaze locked forward, his stance steady and strong as he walked. That is, until that warm little hand reached out and gripped onto his. He seems to melt, just a little, as he looked back down at her. God was she beautiful though, even with her flushed cheeks and puffy eyes. She really was gorgeous.

"You know my dad told me something once, when I was really scared."

He let his eyes go back to the path ahead of them, but he kept her hand in his. In that moment, he needed that comfort as much as she did.

"He said, 'I can't promise I'll always be able to stop bad things from happening, but as long as you're with me, I can promise to always keep you safe'. I'm going to do that, Jesse."

His light blue eyes met hers for a moment, and then he looked over her to her father and met his gaze as well.

"I'm going to keep you both safe."

Delvin had been watching Tommy, not really knowing where else to look but just needing something to think about. He wished they had had a bit more time to talk at the bar, but that chance was over and gone now. Maybe before left he could try to give the boy, no, that wasn't right. He was a man. A young man, but a man nonetheless. Yea, so he owed him at least a warning, something to keep him sleeping with one eye open.

"I'm glad they got out in time."

He looked down and nodded. He didn't really know what to say to that, but he was relieved as well. The thought of any of them being hurt, even Damien, would have broke him.

He realized then that he actually had more respect for the man than he originally thought, and that realization put a small smile on his face. After having spent time with them all in the car, and then in the compound, his little display in the woods almost felt like a childish outburst rather than possessiveness like he originally believed. He treated Cora like a porcelain doll, afraid to let just anyone hold her for fear they might drop her, and she seemed to take it all in stride. The way he had acted with Sabastian, as well, had been better than most would have handled the situation. He had used a firm but gentle hand with the persistent little blond, and it had been the right move. He had no doubt in his mind that they would all likely be just fine and he would no doubt see them again someday.

___ ___

Cora had wiped her face and walked over to the trunk to grab the gun, propping it on the piled of stuff in the front seat. When she climbed in the back seat and buckled up, she was surprised to see Bowie curled up in a ball on Sabastians lap. Had he let the snake out, or had he got out himself? She supposed it didn't matter, and she was grateful to the animal for giving him comfort if he could.

She wiped her eyes again and then she looked into that big blue eye. He looked so crushed, so defeated, and it brought a fresh wave of tears springing forth from her own eyes. Her hands reach out for him, and she opens her arms to offer her embrace, but she doesn't try to scoop him up. She wasn't sure what he wanted or needed at the moment, and much in the same way that he had tried to comfort her when she was running for the bathroom last night, she didn't want to push it on him.