Nightshift 42: Germaine Street

[giftofstars]

[from here]

The streets hardly seemed to be a better alternative to the pet shop. In fact, it seemed like there were more zombies on the street than where they were originally. Sakura glanced around the town in a frenzy. Zombies were everywhere! Where were they supposed to find somewhere safe

Comments

[not_rly_fai]

Things weren't getting better and he was starting to question his plan to find the others first. Outside, it seemed as though there was an endless number of the undead town people. They couldn't possibly be alive, but... maybe it was best not to think about it.

He kept Sakura close, kicking out every few moments to keep the creatures back. He didn't know what they planned to do, but it couldn't be good. Yue had to be near, he could swear he'd felt the guardian's magic, but so far he hadn't caught sight of him.

"This way, I think there's some of the other patients ahead," he said, lying even in their dire circumstances. It would be tough, but they could get through it, he told himself.

Letting go of her hand for a moment, he had to shoulder one back, grunting with the effort before he served another kick to its head. Too close. There were too many of them. And without a single wall to put behind them, it made it pretty difficult to keep the creatures away.

[guardiancomplex]

( From here.)

"Sakura!!" Touya called, spotting her immediately next to... to... Fai. That was his name. The young man ran a bit to catch up to Yue's pace, stopping in front of the pair. He turned to Fai and Yue, looking around frantically.

"What's going on?" he asked. "I never heard anything about anything like this!"

[winged_moon]

It was fortunate that they didn't have to go too far, not in these conditions. As they approached the edge of the park Yue had sensed Sakura's magic and hurried all the faster for it, but only when he reached the street did he realize who else was with her - Fai?

There were certainly worse people she could have ended up with when night fell; if nothing else he'd likely watch over the girl on behalf of his Sakura. But still, seeing the pair of them surrounded by the undead creatures sent an icy rush of concern flooding through him.

"Talk later," he snapped, sparing a quick glance to make sure Fai and Sakura seemed all right before turning his back on them to watch the rest of the street. "Need to get somewhere defensible."

Here they were too open, too exposed. There had to be a place that would provide shelter, or at least a wall at their backs.

[giftofstars]

"O-Onii-chan! Yue-san!" It seemed like the two were okay, but all of them were going to be in trouble if they didn't move soon. As a group of four people, it seemed like they were a pretty easy target for the masses of zombies, and many of the zombies had already redirected themselves and were headed for them.

Sakura glanced around the street as the other three were fighting. Where should they go? Where was the safest place? Their choice could mean the difference between life and death, yet they had little time to discuss or think about their options.

A brick building labeled "Black Rock Inn" across the street quickly caught her eye. "How about that inn?" she asked, pointing.

[scalyfishman]

[From here]

Ploughing through the thrumming mass in the park, survival was just about the only thing he could think about. It was only when he reached the gates and stopped to wipe the head of the screwdriver on his shirt that Depth Charge even remembered that he wasn't alone in this. Oh, slag.

His pulse suddenly seemed to leap up by a few hundred beats per second and he turned sharply on his heel again. "All here?" If anything had happened to Astor or Javert while his back had been turned...

[buteo_sapiens]

Tobias was powering his way above the heads of the zombies, wings already beginning to ache, barely keeping out of reach of their grasping arms. Ocassionally he dipped down, screaming out his hawk cry and raking at a hand that got too close before beating achingly higher, using any breath of moving air he could catch.

< Here, > he replied, and passed over Depth Charge's head before stooping what few feet he could spare, raking his claws forward and gouging the rotting eyes out of the next zombie's face. Oozing rotting flesh clung to his talons in gruesome ribbons. < Someone out there has a vile sense of humor. > Slowly, he beat his way back upwards, regaining the altitude he'd lost.

[unmocked_lawr]

Javert was hard on Depth Charge's heels, the lower halves of both his arms already covered in some dark, sickeningly thick substance, the origins of which he'd rather not think about. Not for the first time that day, he wished he'd at least had the opportunity to change into his old clothes; the multiple layers would have afforded considerably more protection.

"Here," he said bluntly as he shook the worst of the viscera off the awl. "Let's go."

[scalyfishman]

Teamwork. No 'I'. If you can spell it you can have it, Depth Charge chided himself silently once he was sure the two were with him. Primus, I'm starting to sound like Primal. If they could keep up it wasn't a problem, but the last thing he wanted was another loss.

The Maximal glanced at Astor, wearing a smile so miserable it would have killed even Silverbolt's passion. "You're telling-" A woman- or so he assumed, it was difficult to say with half of the flesh missing- lurched towards him, deflected only at the last second by a thrust from the screwdriver. "-me."

Making sure to keep a slightly closer eye on the pair of them this time, Depth Charge moved down the street as quickly as he could.

[To here]

[madeinthehrl]

[from here]

It had gotten crowded near the gates, to the point where it was impossible for even someone of Soma's stature to avoid all of the gathering undead. By the time she had escaped the confines of the park, her jacket was spattered and the branch she was holding was drenched in gore. She tried not to think about it as she ran down Germaine Street. It was one thing to kill someone in a mobile suit, but this was different--for one thing, it could hardly be called killing.

She and the girls had only gone as far as the pet store today before turning back to the park. Soma berated herself silently for the mistake. She had done little this afternoon; she should have taken the opportunity to familiarize herself with the town.

But there was no time to dwell on that. Main Street - that looked promising. There would probably be stores there; perhaps she could find something worth taking. Soma turned and headed down it without hesitation.

[madeinthehrl]

[to here]

[windstwilight]

[from here]

She paused for breath again on the street, eyes glancing around rapidly. "Zombies," she muttered in disbelief. "Fucking zombies." The larger street close-by was full of them, and people all over in chaos. Something ached in Senna to act here, but she fucking needed something! Anything! Before she could do anything. Weapons, then.

"We'll stick to the small streets," she said, glancing to the left. "Hopefully, there's not as many there. Man, I wish we had explored the town more, now!" Senna's agitation was clear. It wasn't the situation that was getting to her--zombies were seriously too close to Blanks to shake her that much, the main difference being Blanks wanted to crush her to death until all her nice shiny memories floated free while zombies just wanted to chew on her a bit--but the fact that she was fucking powerless in it.

She shook her head once. No time for that now. "Maybe we'll find a 7-Eleven or something that has hunting knives. There's always something like that in those old movies."

[sheisthecause]

They just kept coming! Meche felt fingers grabbing for her hair and lashed out instinctively with a punch. It connected with the zombie's face--no, there wasn't much left of the face, she realized with a sudden flip of her stomach. It connected with the zombie's skull.

She covered her mouth with her other hand to stifle another scream. Four years, no, ten if this was 2008. How long did it take the human body to decompose? Is this what my body looks like now? she thought wildly

[windstwilight]

Senna blinked as if coming out of something. "...Right," the girl answered solemnly, eyes checking for a path. Maybe.... "C'mon, this way!" Hopefully, it'd stay clear for the moment it took for them to run.

[to here]

[roger_hug]

(FLEE!!! from here.)

Bridget, running with Kagura's hand in his, slammed his shoulder hard into a rotted body, trying to ignore the way the skin felt, all rotted and gross. He paused for a moment to look around, shying back from the zombie that was now struggling back up to it's feet.

"Was it this way Miss Sohma?" He was still trying to be brave, though there was a thread of fear in his voice, making it sound even more feminine than usual.

[kagurazuki]

Kagura did her best not to scream, half afraid it would draw even more zombies in their direction. But it certainly wasn't easy, not when they were almost surrounded and she heard the nasty squish as Bridget shouldered one to the ground.

"I... I think so," Kagura replied, hardly noticing the change in Bridget's voice. She just wanted to get somewhere safe. "W-we have to hurry. We can't stay!"

[roger_hug]

Bridget nodded, looking around for a clear path through the creatures. They were everywhere and he felt tears prick at his eyes. Now was not the time to cry! He had to keep Kagura safe. He could do this. He was a bounty hunter.

One of the shambling creatures came at them and Bridget pulled Kagura out of the way and ran with her in the only direction he could go...

(Fleeing to here.)