Lieutenant Bucky entered the central square with caution. Silence welcomed him and the troops. The smokescreen is coming off, turning thinner as they all picked their guns back again. Anything could happen.
"Sir, should we make an announcement to assure the civilians in their quarters?" One soldier to the right.
"No we can't. We risk exposing ourselves if we did that. And... We can't give them false hopes. We've already let them down once and they probably have less faith in us now. What we need right now is a goddamn solution so we gain of foot back again."
The whole squad behind Bucky were walking along his ideals. They would give their hearts to his cause if it means something. That's how much he imspired them to fight for him. His eyes said more than his words. An untold understanding between soldiers.
The stillness, tension in the air was so thick, one could cut it with a knife.
One of the soldiers examined the body of ex-mayor, Trojan laying in central square.
"It's a clear cut murder, sir. Without question, Only an awakened can do this..."
The scene was brutal. But it spoke volumes on what an awakened can do to a regular man. Scaling them on equal grounds is unthinkable; it would be the same as putting a heavyweight champion on a street fighter.
However, even with unfair odds pushed into them, they didn't cower in fear of what they're facing.
"What should we do now, sir? Now that plan B seems to do no good to us either."
Bucky looked around. Sighting no enemies nearby, he could work out a direction. He can't waste time on there hunting for them. The time was running out and he had people to think about.
"First things first, we should get to the infirmary here."
There was a reason for this move of his. It was quite personal. All the infirmaries on the base were interconnected to each other. Which means it was second path that connects all the six levels underground. This path was only known to few high personnel along with the military doctors from level two to four.
Now that the level two and three is practically destroyed, it stood to reason that all the patients there could be moved here, including his sister. along with all the captains that escaped the onslaught of wanderers.
"We might have injured men there, its time to regroup with them and execute what we initially planned. There's no time to waste." He said with a serious face.
What he actually meant was, they should first confirm the safety of his sister and then get the hell Outta here.
The initial plan was to get everyone out through the bunkers since he knew the codes to open it.
'please be okay... I promise to get us out of here,' Bucky thought as he led them right.
***
William was unsure. He saw Sara talking to the girl he brought, the Kaine girl. Stuck inside their home, there wasn't much they could do but be on their toes until something happened. There was a fight and there was slaughter, both of them had so less time. And he couldn't wait until much longer to see the results.
The fight with the wanderers meant nothing when the monsters come knocking their door. All of them were caught between the devil and deep blue sea. If none of them decided to let go, the ocean will only get that much harder to cross.
Once the whole place gets invested, it will be too late to do anything. and even if by some miracle they made it out, where will they go? the next base was hundreds of miles away, not to mention if they even take people in. they wont last two days in apocalypse.
William just kept worrying about this. Sara could see the turmoil her husband was in. she went to him calm him down. just then, Valer spoke up.
"you don't have to worry."
everyone was caught off guard. "what do you mean?" William asked.
"I mean, I know a place that's safe. This place is done for, you and I both know that," her voice spoke volumes, her demeanor neutral. "If you can get me out of here, I can send you to a safer place."
"What? Where?" William was surprised.
"I know people outside," Valeria didn't change her demeanor.
"Wh- wait, we'll talk about this after getting out," William said. "no point talking when there's nothing we can do about our situation."
Valer looked around the house before she spoke again, "actually, I might have a something that will help us, but it needs people to work."
"Really? What is it?"
In the edge of desperation, William might have saw a hope at that moment.
***
Somewhere in the level three of the base. In a room where,everything lies in near darkness, shadows clinging to all the corners. A faint, rhythmic flickering, like an old fluorescent bulb, casts light to the surroundings. In this silence, a bearst was dragging Kai.
"Hey! Kai! are you there!?"
Daksha screamed as he lay his master down. He brought him to the infirmary on the same level so he could find something to help him. his regenerative abilities have always been exceptional but he didn't know if that was enough last him in his current state. every time he been to so close to death.
'is all this really worth it, Kai? for a family you haven't seen in years?' Daksha wondered. He was never born to family like Kai or any other humans for that matter, so the concept of someone risking so much, didn't sit right with him. then again, he hardy knew anything about humans beside Kai, so he didn't care much.
For Kai, every time he was switched with Zeff, it was like a rebirth to him. Taking the 'seat' from his alter-ego was a walk-though from darkness to light. his consciousness, just a flicker that turned everything upside down.
Now all he could see when he opened his eyes, was that same ceiling when he came here first. like everything coming back to square one. except, it's not this time.
"Kai!!!"
"Where am i right now?" he didn't waste any time as he rationalized the situation. just like last time. the 'switch' has happened so many times in these following years now, he overcame all the initial feelings of fright and lost, like they are second nature.
He was trained to be mentally strong and ruthless. especially more than others candidates under Spade, since he is a special case.
The condition of his body didn't surprise him. what else was there he could expect, considering the situation he left him with, he should be glad that Kain was even alive, giving the reigns to that egocentric maniac is a reasonable bet he would take anywhere. Survival is what he does best and why Kai need him.
Currently, Surrounding him was a room like before, the infirmary. Only, this was larger.
"Thank God! You're okay!!" The beast got him. "I was so scared."
The bodies of zombie laying around him was a sight, he didn't expect.
"What's the situation?" He asked.
Daksha explained him everything that happened until now when he was out. There was much to tell and less to process, because the truth remained the same for all of them.
Time was running out. And they all are shut away from the only way out. The plaguebeast has infested the gate and everyone inside is locked in, with no way out, awaiting death.
"Okay then, let's go." Kai said as he bagan to move.
"Go where?"
"Where else? Our only realistic choice, area four. They have the most people now. We should be figure something out once we're there."
"But I thought, you said-" the fox replied.
"Dakh, i know what I said," Kai turned back to face it, his eyes clear and focused, "we have no other choice. But I can't leave these people here to die either. So we'll stick with what I say."
Both of them were unsure of what will happen from here on, however, the world will end before they decided to give up without a fight.
Moment's later as wander inside the infirmary where they saw most of the tracks of footprint left by heavy boots. The sort left by the soldiers. The floor was still warm from all the chaos it endured in these short hours, which meant they were people here not too long ago.
Following these tracks along with daksha's sense of smell, they got the place they needed to be.
The fall down tunnel. A long dark well with metal ladder strapped at the end, like a smaller version of 'gate' well. According to the blueprints memorized by him, it should be the closest path to area four.
"How deep do you think it is?" Daksha expressed concern.
"Doesn't matter," Kai replied. "We'll jump-"
"NO! That, you will not do." Daksha interrupted him.
"- ... I meant, we'll jump with that rope." Kai pointed to the line of rope at the edge of tunnel.
"Oh, okay."
===