ROLEPLAY HQ - sounds-of-a-dying-world

No one knew why the world ended. One day people got up, started to go to work, and at exactly 3:45 in the afternoon, May 17th. The world ended. People who were already sick, felt something changed. That’s when the true horror started. People just turning into monsters, the first wave. No one could control it and only a few survive. It wasn’t your typical zombie or apocalyptic movie either. No one knew how. Surviving is the main priority. Try and not get sick, try and keep a good head on your shoulder. And follow the rules. The same rules that Samual had been following since day one. Look for the signs of sickness, stay away from larger groups, keep yourself covered, and don’t engage. “Hello? Is anyone out there?” Samual spoke into the microphone, their voice was low, glancing around the small recording room they were in. It was mostly clean, untouched by the destruction that laid outside the room in the main building. The recording room was where they stayed, where they ate, slept, recorded. No other place was safe enough but this room. “We are two months into the end of the world now, I don’t know how long this station will last. But if you’re hearing this, congratulations.” It was bitter almost. Two months of survival, two months of seeing the world end. Slowly they were watching their supplies dwindle. How lucky for Samual to have survived this far, but they never said it. Instead they projected their voice out as long as the generators would last. “I’ll have to make this short now, supply run and all of that. But whoever is hearing this. I am alive, and so are you. Dear listener.” They took a deep breath, pushing up their glasses. They weren’t even sure that anyone was listening. Their broadcasts were getting shorter and shorter. “Samual here from the Rosewood Radio Station. Signing out.” Click

10:05 AM

@Blue Hound

“I’ll... pply ru… th… who… is hearing… is… I am alive… so… you… Sam…ual… fr… he… Rose…od… Rad… Sta…on… Sig… ut”

/Bad noise. Stop.\ Nick quickly signed toward his brother, who was currently holding a walkie-talkie they found in an abandoned fire station. Only now just realizing what he was doing, the latter visibly winced and quickly shut the device off with a soft click. “Sorry, I’m sorry!” He whispered, barely even audible. “But didn’t you hear it? Someone is alive! And they said they were in Roseod… rad… staon?” His brow furrowed in thought, trying to decipher what the person was saying through the static they had heard. /Rosewood Radio Station?\ The brunet slowly finger spelled while leaning forward with a question expression, indicating that he was emphasizing a question. Luka’s eyes widened with realization and nodded furiously. “That’s gotta be it!” He exclaimed just as quietly as before. The two were currently hiding in an abandoned house a couple blocks away from their old stronghold that recently been taken over by a group of other survivors. The batch wasn’t too keen on sharing, so they kicked the two out unless they wanted a ‘slow and painful’ death. They would have left with nothing if it weren’t for Luka’s stubbornness. The two had snuck back inside to grab their ‘emergency’ backpacks which consisted of food, water, medical supplies, and clothes. Luka remained still for a moment, lost in thought before glancing toward his brother with a particular glint in his eyes. Catching this, Nick gave him a stern look and mouthed the word ‘no’, and signed ‘Trap’. The younger lad deflated somewhat before shooting him a stubborn look. “What if it’s not?”. Once again, he got a hard ‘no’. .

8:46 PM

“Well… can I at least try and find a way to speak with them? To see if it’s worth it?” Nick paused, tilting his head in thought. The person at the station wouldn’t be able to find their location if they communicated with them… it would let them speak with whoever was there… and if it sounded like a trap, they could just not go. With a defeated sigh, he nodded his head. “Yes!” Without a moment to lose, Luka started messing with the knobs on the walkie-talkie. After a moment of fiddling around, he stopped. “I think I got it…?” “Hello? Rosewood Radio Station? Come in Rosewood?” (edited)

8:46 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Sam: Samual was getting ready to head out. Pulling up the laces to their boots tight, pulling their hair up, and getting their jacket on. Then came the weapons. They knew they needed more ammunition, the hand gun they carried were effective for now, but there wasn’t anything they could do should their bullets run out. A beeping drew Samual out of their head, and in an instinctive moment, they clicked the button that allowed Samual to receive frequencies from others. ”Hello? Rosewood Radio Station? Come in Rosewood?” The speakers crackled to life. A noise that they had missed, the voice of another wafting into the room. Samual’s eyes widened at this, and scramble for their chair as they flipped switches on the main board. “Rosewood here. Samual speaking, you’re on air.” Samual still couldn’t let go of their radio host persona. Even when the world ended they were stuck in a perpetual state of work. But when you watched your coworkers died, and the only thing keeping you sane is continuing your show, Samual found it helped.

4:31 AM

Sam: @Blue Hound

“...wood… re… Sa--” Luka tweaked the knob a bit, hoping to get a clearer signal. “--ual speaking, you… n air.” He gave his brother a smile, eyes twinkling with hope. He was about to speak, but the frantic wave of Nick’s hand stalled him. He gave him a questionable look. /Bathroom, less noise.\ “Oh, right. What about you though?” /Lookout.\ The blond went to protest, but a sharp glare and frantic pointing toward the bathroom made him reluctantly comply. Not wanting to waste any more time than they already have, he scurried into the bathroom and closed the door with a soft click. “Hello Samual. This is Cilo. I caught your previous transmission and would like to know if you’re in need of assistance.” Knowing that this was on air for anyone to hear, Luka chose to keep his name private for now, pitching his voice lower than usual, unsure if the thugs they encountered were listening. He doubted they were given the fact that the radio back at their base had been broken for quite some time, but it never hurt to be cautious. (edited)

10:27 AM

@Sad Boi Micha

Holy Shit That was the only thought in their mind. Samual could laugh for the first time in a while. This was the first time they had heard a voice in weeks. They took a deep breath to keep themselves calm, to keep from sounding too excited. “If you are able to spare some, that would be great Cilo.” Samual started. Before moving away from the mic looking at what they had. “You’re the first person in a while to answer my transmission, you don’t know how good it is to hear someone’s voice.” Another deep breath before looking at the map that they had stuck up on the wall. Samual knew the radius for the broadcast station was about 75 miles out. They had circled the radius with the station in the middle of the red circle. “Supplies are dwindling where I’m located, and there are very few places that I can go to gather up supplies.” Samual had sat back down, adjusting the mic. “As well as a few places left to get fuel for the generator currently running.”

11:20 AM

@Blue Hound

Luka couldn't help but smile at Samual's comment about how they were able to hear someone else's voice. However the more he thought about it, the quicker the smile slipped off his face. What replaced it was one of concern and pity. Typically people wouldn't say stuff like that unless they hadn't spoken to anyone in a long time... how long has it been since they talked to someone? Days? Weeks? Months?* "I might know a place that could have supplies and a bit of shelter." This was good. Now knowing that they had low supplies, it gave the two of them a bit of leverage with bargaining in case they actually *were walking into a trap. Despite the head count possibly rising only by one, he was determined to try and reclaim their safe house. It held enough to feed at most 5 people for a couple of months. There was a large filtered water tank that was connected to a barrel outside that collected rainwater, a large pantry consisting of mostly nonperishable foods, a hefty amount of medical supplies, spare clothes, and tents and hammocks. The power used to run the place was through solar panels. Granted, they weren't the high-end kind, so they had to use any kind of energy sparingly. But all in all, it was a survivor's paradise. "What is the possibility of meeting up?"

12:10 AM

@Sad Boi Micha

There was silence as the question was asked, but the mic was picking up the rustling of papers, stuff being moved, Samual was staring at the map an almost bone dry pen in hand. “There is the Old Rosewood Mall, it’s relatively untouched, no infected in the area.” The map was filled with red X’s. Places and routes that weren’t safe. The mall, and a row of apartments, were the only safe places left to check. “It’s also the closest thing to me, a hour walk away.” There was silence now, Samual knew this was a good thing, they couldn’t stay in the radio station forever. The generator was bound to kick the bucket eventually, and they didn’t want to be stuck here when it did. “As long as you stay off the main road, you shouldn’t run into any trouble.” Samual started to fold up the map, tucking it into the bag they carried. “I’ll have a radio on me, same frequency as you’re using now.”

5:15 AM

@Blue Hound

What’s that? Paper? Luka questioned to himself as he casually waited, trying to figure out as much information as he could through their call. When they told him of the mall, his eyes widened in realization that the shuffling paper must have been a map. Bloody hell, why didn’t I think to grab that before we left! Scolding aside, he mentally noted the location and advice on how to make it there without stumbling upon the infected. “I’m familiar with the area around the mall. It’s about an hour and a half to two hours for me. Thank you for the advice, I’ve got a radio on me as well. I’ll let you know if anything happens, over and out.” He didn’t mean to sound so quick to end the call, but he caught sight of a shadow right in front of the bathroom door a few seconds ago. Based on the swaying pattern, it was Nick. His brow furrowed, figuring that wasn’t a good sign. As quietly as he could, he turned the knob and opened the door. Nick had his pointer finger pressed to his lips. Be quiet.

7:54 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual was about to say something else, but heard the transmission cut short. There was a pause before they sighed, and unhooked the walkie from the charger, quickly making sure it was the frequency that usually ran from the radio station. “Please be careful.” They mumbled as they grabbed their bag, turning off the power for the station. Their footsteps echoed through the walls, ignoring the dried black blood in the lobby as Samual went out the door. The sun wouldn’t be setting soon, having maybe four hours before it would start to sink low, and Samual was glad for that. Their footsteps were silent as they started for the Old Rosewood Mall. Alert for any sounds around them.

8:08 AM

@Blue Hound

Luka’s eyes widened as his body went rigid. /What?\ He signed, not wanting to risk grabbing whatever was out there’s attention with his voice. /Bad people. Outside. Close. Right.\ Nick answered. A thrill of unease shot through him. Was it the same people that made them abandon their base? /Same bad people?\ The grim look was all he needed to know. Yes. Moving as silently as he could, Luka slunk over toward the pre-boarded-up window and peeked through the thin crack between the lumber. It took him a moment to spot anything, but once he did, he inwardly cursed. They were only about two houses away. They all were wielding baseball bats; one was carrying a backpack while the others didn’t. They were currently trying to find a way into one of the houses across the street. Good. It gives us a higher chance of leaving without getting caught. He turned back around, intending to tell Nick that they should get going, but instead of being behind him, he was already at the back door waiting for him with a thumbs up; the coast was clear. With as much stealth as possible, they left the house and began their way toward the rendezvous site.

4:11 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual was correct. As long as they kept away from the main roads. There was barely an infected in sight, and the ones the two did see were easy to sneak around. The city was silent, only footsteps being heard at this point. Finally the mall came into view. The parking lot littered with abandoned cars. But it was clear something had lured the infected away from there. Inside, Samual moved through the stores. There wasn’t much left, and they made sure to stay clear from the marked areas. Every so often their gloved hand would go up to their face making sure the cloth they had stayed on tightly. They cleared out the second floor, the food court. Now they were raiding whatever store could have a medical kit, they had enough antibiotics to last them, not enough gauze and bandages. After being satisfied, they went back to the abandoned lobby. Waiting. The front of the mall door was already broken in, allowing anyone to just step in, careful of the glass. Samual kept their eye on it, curious to see if anyone would come.

1:17 PM

@Blue Hound

Similar to Samual, the trek to the mall for the two brothers went fairly smoothly and quickly. They listened to their advice on staying off the main road and managed to sneak around any infected they came across. When they were about five minutes away, Luka had considered reaching out to Samual to inform them that they were close by, but Nick warned him not to. They weren’t sure if they were in a safe enough location to receive any calls and didn’t want to risk their safety. Five minutes later, they were standing outside the mall’s entrance just out of view from the broken doors. Well… this could either go really good, or really bad… Luka thought with a soft sigh. He glanced over at Nick, who shrugged. The former let out a soft sigh before they headed inside. “Hello?”

4:29 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

The hello echoed though the empty mall, causing Samual to look up from the small notepad on their lap marking off the lists and the makeshift map they had drawn. Slowly they stood up, heading to the broken door. “Cilo?” Samual answered back. Cautious. Luka could see Samual now. They were geared up, and a mask covering their face. One of the lenses to their glasses were cracked. Seeing there was a second person, it caused them to pause, hesitant. After all, you couldn’t just trust anyone. “Any signs of infection?” It was force of habit to ask now. Considering the state of things. “Who is this?” Samual asked eyes trailing to Nick. They kept their hands to the side, messenger bag slung over their shoulder.

4:45 PM

@Blue Hound

Hearing his 'name' call back after his greeting, both of them swerved their head in its direction. Upon seeing Samual, the young lad gave a short wave. The brothers were also wearing suitable clothing considering their predicament. Luka was wearing some kind of semi-thick vest over the dark blue hoodie he wore, a thick tie-dye bandanna acted as his mask, tan cargo pants, and worn out sneakers. The walkie talkie he had was clipped onto his belt on his left hip. On his back was a dark grey backpack that appeared stuffed to the brim. Nick didn't have a vest, but it was obvious that he was wearing three layers of clothing; a shirt, a sweater, and a zip up jacket. He also wore tan cargo pants and worn out sneakers. His equally as thick bandanna had stars on it. Unlike his brother, he wore an over the shoulder sash that contained a multitude of pockets on it. On his back was a maroon colored backpack. "We stumbled across a few infected near the start of our journey, but we passed them undetected. None followed. What about you? See any?" He answered with a tilted head. "Oh, nearly forgot to mention this. I didn't want to say over the radio my real name or of my brother in case... unwanted people were listening in. But my name is Luka. This is my brother, Nick." The older lad nodded his head in greeting, equally eyeing Samual up and down.

2:03 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

“Hm, smart.” Samual nodded. If they were angry at the fact that they had been lied to, it was definitely hidden. Samual shifted their weight slightly leaning against the nearest table that seemed scattered about. “Samual as I’ve said, my base is just a little bit away.” They took a quick side sweeping glance around the mall. “It’s nice meeting you, Luka, Nick.” It was clear they were careful. Samual knew the mall shouldn’t have any of those things around. But clearly they were paranoid. “Yeah, came across a few. There will be more once sun sets.” Adjusting their glasses, they seemed to have been finished with studying the two. Finding that, for now, it was okay to come closer. “Didn’t think that someone would hear my transmission, surprised that someone would come no less.” It was risky, stupid even to be on air. But when they ended up alone, it was at least something familiar, something normal.

4:27 PM

@Blue Hound

"Nice meeting you too." Luka said while Nick signed 'same'. It wasn't a surprise hearing how the infected would be more active during dusk and throughout the night. They heard snippets from the news when the plague first started. "We stumbled upon a fire station that had it when we first got kicked out of our base. We weren't able to get to a safe enough location to switch through the stations until earlier." Luka explained. "We... we were kinda worried it was a trap, your message... But, we decided to... risk it...?" The last part was voiced in a questionably awkward tone, as if he was unsure if he should be saying that in the first place. Nick waved his hand, catching his brother's attention. He started to sign. It was obvious he wasn't fluent in the language, but he knew enough to get whatever he wanted to say out. Luka's eyes widened in realization before turning back toward Samual. "We were also thinking of getting our base back from some thugs that took it and was wondering if you'd want to help...?"

5:05 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

There was a nod from Samual as they were stuck in thought. The fact was plain to see. The radio station probably only had a few more days in it before it becomes completely useless. The supplies here were dipping low. Samual was going to be back in a corner. And people who are backed in a corner die. “Alright.” Samual spoke once more shrugging. Their hands clasping the back of their neck. “I’ll help you. My place is close by, we can crash there. It has a lock, so we don’t have to worry about infected.” Samual shifted the weight of their messenger bag. “There we can plan and do what we need.” Plus, they had to go back and grab the rest of their supplies. Samual’s mind was already listing what they would need. They pulled the sleeve of their thick leather jacket more. “We should start heading back.” They offered, before staring to walk out of the mall.

8:44 AM

@Blue Hound

A look of surprise flashed across both their faces. They honestly weren’t expecting them to agree to such a task. Granted, desperate times come to desperate measures and they did say that their supplies were running low. “Awesome.” “Good idea.” Luka added after hearing their suggestion about returning to their place. Beside him, Nick nodded in agreement. With the sun setting soon, that’d be the best course of action. Without another word, they followed after Samual with their eyes and ears peeled once they left the building. Even though this place didn’t seem to have any infected nearby, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

1:09 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

It was slowly getting darker as Samual walked on the pavement. The two was by no means small, but the radio station was outside of it, and yet Samual knew the path well. Without stopping they rummaged through their backpack, pulling out a heavy flashlight, turning it on. It was dim but provided enough light to guide the three. Samual seemed to be more alert now, only taking a few glances back to make sure the brothers were okay. It wasn’t until they fully stopped in their tracks that something was wrong. Samual looked at the both of them with a finger to their lips, their eyes darting around them. In Samual’s experience, you could always smell the infection before you could see them. An almost sulfur like smell, a low guttural growl. “Don’t move.” Samual hissed, trying not to lose their nerve. Their hand slowly reaching for the hand gun they kept.

9:25 AM

@Blue Hound

As they followed, the two remained quiet and did their best to keep their footing amidst the diminishing light. They didn’t say it outright, but once they switched on the flashlight, they were quite grateful. Despite facing away from the two, the brothers were able to see Samual’s body tense up and take note of their surroundings more frequently. Seeing this, the two tried to become more valiant as well. When they abruptly stopped to turn around with their finger pressed against their lips, they immediately knew something was up and they both shifted into a more maneuverable stance. The scent of sulfur that Samual had smelled was slightly delayed for them, but the low growl that came from the darkness told them enough. There were infected closing in. They remained stone still, trusting their judgment, though both of them had shifted their weight to the balls of their feet, prepared to move at a moment’s notice.

4:13 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

How long had they been stalked? Samual hadn’t noticed the putrid stench until now, and by the sound of the growl it was close. Then, the infected stepped forward. It wasn’t human, though when were they, but a wolf. The infection that ravaged its body made it bigger, the claws clicking as it came onto the pavement. Its teeth sharper, curving inward. Black blood dripping from its jowls. Its fur bristled. As its longer legs went low. The eyes were glowing white as it sniffed the air. It was blind. Samual backed away staring at it. They would have to try and get away, “Steady..” Samual spoke softly. Taking a deep breath in. The wolf growled before lunging forward. “Run!” The gun went off with a loud bag as the wolf had opened its maw. Out wide to try and clamp down on Samual. The bullet hit its target. Causing it to skid to a stop with a yelp, it going through the throat. It staggered, and Samual started to run. They knew one singular bullet wouldn’t kill that thing. At least not until the body ran out of energy. Samual continued to run. The building of the radio tower connected to the station coming in view. The small building being right there.

10:16 AM

@Blue Hound

The brothers’ eyes widened in alarm upon seeing the infected. They’ve caught snippets here and there of animals getting plagued, but they never actually seen any of them till now. Granted, they were sheltered within their base till two days ago, so their knowledge on things weren't as sharp as other survivors who had more exposure to the outside world. When they noticed Samual slowly retreating, both followed suit and backed away. As if they were in a race, the deafening bang of their gun opened the floodgates of adrenaline within their bodies. Both of them spun around on the ball of their foot and took off like a rocket. Despite both of them being ahead of Samual, they made sure to keep track of them and one another as they fled. It took them a split second to realize where they were going, but once they caught sight of the radio tower, they pushed onward. The second infected came out of nowhere. It launched out from behind the remains of a collapsed building about halfway to the tower, nearly taking Luka down with it. This infected was mainly hairless and its eyes were bright yellow, though its pupils were clouded; as if it had cataracts. Luka cursed, nearly losing his footing as he felt its jaws brush against his pants as it tried biting his heels. He didn’t dare look back, knowing that one mishap would be his demise.

7:26 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Seeing the second infected Samual couldn’t help but to curse. Yet the plan formed perfectly in their mind. They forced themselves to stop and aim at the second infected. Bang. The gun went off. The bullet landing through the eye. Spilling its blood. One thing Samual had learned. The infected were attracted to the blood. And their blood was a putrid coppery smell. The wolf stopped, sniffing the air. Before turning its sights to the infected now laying on the ground. Samual ignored the two screeching sounds of them fighting. Throwing open the doors. “Come on!” Samual made sure the two got in first before slamming them shut. Barring it once again. Samual was breathing hard. Trying to suck in enough air to get them to stop feeling dizzy. They leaned against the wall for support closing their eyes as they put their hand on their chest. The two could see the station now. Reception desk, a glass window looking into an office, broken, shards of glass swept to the corner. But more importantly. There was traces of dried blood, one that clearly had tried to be cleaned. There was no bodies, more than likely moved to the outside, and no light other than the faint glow of the “ON AIR” sign above one closed door illuminated the space. “I’m sorry about the mess.” Samual finally spoke as they stood up a little straight. They tried to not look at the mess, starting for the door. “When it all hit. Um, well.” They didn’t have to say much else. It had been like everywhere else. Things had broken down.

8:08 PM

@Blue Hound

When the second fire of the gun went off and the infected at his heels cried out, it was only then that Luka risked glancing behind him. Amidst the fear coursing through him, a flicker of relief bloomed within him as he saw the beast stop and turn around. At first, he was worried that it was going to go after Samual, but when it passed them to go after its brethren, the relief further spread within him. He made sure they were unscathed before turning around to continue the last sprint home. He noticed Nick had stopped a few yards ahead, he wanted to make sure they were alright. Similar to them, once they were inside, the brothers were also gasping for air. It took them a moment to move, but when they did, they took to looking around the station; hands placed atop their heads to continue getting as much air as possible within their lungs. “No need to be sorry,” Luka reassured as he purposefully avoided eye contact with the bloodstained walls. Nick on the other hand noticed and kept his gaze on it for a moment with a look of melancholy. “... How long have you been alone?” The younger brother asked hesitantly. (edited)

1:31 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

“Maybe a month at most? I lost track after well..” Samual glanced at the two before glancing around the room. “There was five of us. We heard what happened, figured it wasn’t safe. Thought maybe by a week it would all blow over. Then Allen left for some supplies, to see what was going on. He came back, and..” They stopped talking. Their voice trailing off. It had hit Samual. The realization of being alone for that long, and that they were talking about what had happened. Samual stood up straight avoiding their gaze. They sighed. “I repurposed the radio room to be my base. It’s small, but it can fit us for tonight. Generator will be dead by morning I believe.” He lead them into the hall, and in the room. It was small, but indeed big enough for the three of them. The mic was turned off. Though there was a faint static coming from the speakers. Nothing coming from the frequency it was set too. There was a map that had many marks on it. Some in blue, purple, but mainly red X’s within the circle. The radio station being directly in the middle. Samual sat their bag down opening it. “There wasn’t many supplies in the mall. Though I managed to grab more medical supplies.” They were putting things in place. Some boxes being labeled and shut. “So, if we are going to take back your base. What’s the plan?”

1:43 PM

@Blue Hound

When they spoke, both of them turned their attention to them respectfully. It wasn’t long before sheer, terrible guilt washed over Luka as he saw their expression shift as they continued talking. He opened his mouth to apologize, but Samual had already started down the hall. He turned to his brother, signing ‘Accident. Feel bad,’ before following after them with Nick taking the rear. Once they entered the room, they also took a look around with interest. Both of them noticed the map and peered at it for a moment. /Wonder what colors mean.\ Luka shrugged, equally curious. They didn’t think about it for long before returning their focus to Samual. “There are a few plans we have. There are about six members in the group that took over our base. One idea was camping around one of the neighboring homes to scope out a time when most were out looking for material and the like. That way when we take it back, there would be fewer people to worry about fighting off. “Another idea was to have one of us as ‘bait’. Lure most of them away from the base. Whoever that would be would keep their attention long enough for us to grab enough supplies and leave. Though, the base should still have plenty of supplies despite them being there.” Luka explained. He knew it was vague and lacked a whole lot of details, but that’s what group discussions were about. Collaborating and sharing new ideas. /Learning. Open.\ “Oh yeah, we’re also open to other ideas too. I know what I said is pretty vague, but I can explain more later.”

3:35 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual hummed as they looked to the map before grabbing a blue marker, tossing it to Luka. “Mark where your base is please, even a general area is fine.” They spoke as they rummaged through some papers, trying to find a blank one. “Depending where it is, it could give me a better understanding of what I can do.” They finally grabbed a clean paper. On one side it seemed to be a set list for songs to be played, flipping it over Samual grabbed a pen. “That bait idea could work. If we dwindle their supplies like that, they would be forced to go out more often. Could give us a chance to take over like you said.” Samual started to write down the ideas, sitting in the chair next to the mic, which they moved away from them. They gestured for the two to also sit. The pen tapped their chin before they started to speak again. “Though, if that’s the case. They know you both, would figure it was a trap.” They mumbled. “We will need to scope it out though. If we wait until a part of their group leaves for supply run, then I could bait the rest to leave and you both could take over the base.” Their eyes wondered over to the radio that was connected to everything. “Do you happen to know if they use radios to communicate as well?” Their free hand was already messing with the dials. Knowing if they could pick up the radio chatter, it could also help.

9:55 AM

@Blue Hound

Luka nearly dropped the marker Samual tossed to him, but after a moment of grappling for it in the air, he managed to grab it with an embarrassed chuckle. He cleared his throat awkwardly, “Let's see…” He turned his attention toward the map, peering at it critically before marking an X where their base was. It appeared to be in a location not too far off from one of the blue X’s. With their base marked, the two took a seat. “That’s a good idea, they shouldn’t be familiar with you unlike us.” /You safe?\ Nick signed toward them with a questionable look. “Would you be alright with being on your own?” Luka translated. “And actually… should we all split up instead? One of us being a scout for the group that goes on a supply run, you becoming bait, and then either Nick or I being the one to take over the base? That way we’d know when the supply group decides to turn back and not catch us by surprise?” The younger brother suggested with a tilted head and raised brow. While Luka spoke, Nick managed to find a slightly crumpled piece of paper with writing on it. After making sure the information wasn’t of anything important, he took the marker his brother had been using and wrote on the paper. The marker was thick enough to cause his writing to show clearly. When he was done, he showed Samual what he had written. -We didn’t see any handheld radios on them last time we encountered them, but we do have a radio in the base.-

5:23 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

“Okay so no radio chatter to listen in to, that’s good to know.” Samual murmured to themselves as they glanced at the new blue X on the map humming. “Okay, that’s a relatively safer place.” The brothers could see Samual’s brain thinking. Their eyes flicking from the plans to the map. Like there was some connections being made. “That could indeed work, I think I have an extra walkie that we can use to make sure we can all stay in touch.” Samual looked over to the map, quickly trying to find a route. Before their finger pointed to a space between the base, and a red X. Samual nodded to themselves with a satisfied hum. “I can lead them through this area. It has no supplies, and there is debris that make it a challenge to navigate if you don’t know it. Last I’ve been there, there was signs of an infected, but I didn’t see it.” Which meant it either died, or had moved on once its prey was gone. Infected always seemed to be on the move. Only staying in one place when hunting.

9:36 PM

@Blue Hound

The two remained silent aside from the subtle hum of understanding from Luka. When they glanced at them and saw their calculating gaze scouring the map, they too shifted their attention downward, looking for their own ideas. Despite knowing the general area around their base, they weren’t completely familiar with the ins and outs of it. Due to having plenty of supplies within their shelter, they never needed to venture out in search of food. They weren’t too concerned with the thugs taking their extra supplies because it was locked off and hidden in a secondary room; their grandfather was… outgoing to say the least. Granted, they might have figured a way into that storage room, but considering they found them wandering the streets earlier, they doubted it. When Samual pointed toward the area where they were thinking of luring them out, both brothers nodded in approval. Nick pointed a finger at a location not too terribly far from a blue X and their base. It was on the opposite side of the place Samual was pointing. “Good, cause this was where we saw them earlier, when we contacted you. If we’d have chosen this place, they might not follow because they already scouted here.” The older brother retracted his hand to write on the paper, which he then showed to the two afterwards, -Combat-wise, we should remain as far away as possible, right? In case they are infected?-

9:09 AM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual nodded at this taking in all the information. They had only been there a few times but they remembered the path well. As long as they could get through the plan should work. “Okay. Thats where we will start then.” Samual started to speak. They looked to the blue X that Luka was pointing out nodding. “Then that’s where we can stay and meet if things go south.” Then they noticed what Nick had done wrote, and nodded slightly. “Yeah. It’s best not to get close as a just in case. Some won’t even show signs of infection.” The last part was said quietly. Samual let it linger in the air, the information sinking in. Because they didn’t know if the brothers would believe them or not. Because Samual wouldn’t believe themselves if they hadn’t experienced it.

10:18 AM

@Blue Hound

Both of them nodded in agreement to the starting and rendezvous sight. “Depending if there are any complications, it should take around two-ish hours to reach our destination by foot.” Luka added, glancing at what Nick wrote before returning his attention to Samual. “What would be the best way to defend ourselves in case that happens? I know that the infection is passed via blood, but do you know if the blood has to be wet or dry to get passed on?” When they encountered the thugs the first time, some did have bloodstained knuckles and the like, but it all appeared dry. Now, if they remembered touching them… that was something they were uncertain about.

10:25 AM

@Sad Boi Micha

They paused and sigh. “I don’t fully know. It might just be better to assume so than not.” Samual thought back to when it all started, glancing to the door that lead out to the bloodied halls, eyebrow furrowed in thought. “I don’t think dry blood can transfer this. I think it had to be wet, but any blood on anyone is a sign for concern. Especially these people.” They got up, and pulled two blankets from a storage box. “So the way we defend ourselves is staying alert. While one won’t show physical signs of infection, not until they become. Well what you know now.” There was another pause as they thought about what they would say next. Handing the blankets to them. “The only thing you can look for with that, is how they act before they transform. Whether they are more aggressive or paranoid. And just try not to get close if you think they are infected.” Samual shrugged slightly. “If it’ll take two hours to get there. We might as well get some sleep. We’ll be safe here for tonight.”

4:57 PM

@Blue Hound

The two nodded in agreement to their statement about the blood. Dried blood had to be wet in order to stain and that blood could have very much been infected. The only question was how long ago the blood had been there. Both had a contemplative look on their face before Luka spoke, “So far, we didn’t see any signs of excess aggression or paranoia when we encountered them. But we’ll keep an eye out if any of them act differently than before.” They each took a blanket with a nod of thanks and were about to try and situate themselves to sleep before realization struck Nick. He grabbed the marker he had been writing with and wrote in the remaining free spot the paper had. -If we all split up and something came up on my end, how would I tell you guys…?-

8:42 AM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual paused at this. Eyebrows furrowed in thought. In truth, they hadn’t even thought about it, their eyes glanced around the room, looking for something. They grabbed a clicker, thin but long with two sets of buttons that audibly clicked when pressed, it was clearly meant for something like a presentation for when the world was still alive. They were silent testing it out before looking at the two. “We make a system then. It’s not ideal, but for this it should work.” Samual hummed. “If you hold it to the receiver it’ll pick up, and we can here it. My co-host and I use to use this to communicate when to change topics while live on air, or when one of us was annoyed at the other.” Samual gave a light chuckle from that. “A click for yes, two for no, three for danger, and four for clear.” They waited to see if they would have any ideas to that. Because Samual knew it wasn’t perfect. Or ideal.

9:00 AM

@Blue Hound

The two tilted their heads as they came back with a thin device with buttons on it. Having never had seen something like that before. Luka was about to ask Samual what it was, but then he heard the clicking sound when they pressed one of the buttons. “That’s… that’s actually a pretty good idea.” Luka shot his brother a sly grin, “As long as Nick doesn’t lose it that is.” The latter shot him a half hearted glare before promptly giving him the bird. Despite the tease, both of them seemed fairly pleased with the on the fly idea. “My only concern was if something happened that required more than a few simple coded clicks… If the secondary button makes a clicking sound that’s different from the other button, I guess learning morse code could also be an option…?” The blond suggested with a shrug. Nick wrinkled his nose and shook his head, ‘Too long to learn.’ He mouthed. Luka grumbled, but he did have a point. Trying to learn an entire alphabet consisting of only long and short tones in the matter of two hours was impossible unless they all had a photographic memory and a key laying around somewhere.

4:04 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual couldn’t help but to smile at the two, watching their interaction with each other. Then the question came up, causing Samual to hum in thought, and shake their head. “No it would be to long. Nick’s right.” Samual sighed with a frown. They took off their glasses to clean them as they thought. “If something happens that you can’t use with the clicker. Then I would keep the walkie on where we can hear anything. So if you get into any trouble, we would be able to hear it first and get to you already knowing the situation.” They put their glasses on the desk, and shut down the station, leaving the radio on allowing faint static to be heard, and a small light. It was something they did so they could keep watch, listen to any radio chatter the frequency might pick up. “It might not be a solid plan, but for what we have. I say we have a good survival rate.” They sighed.

6:09 PM

@Blue Hound

The two tilted their heads in thought before nodding at their suggestion. Nick gave a thumbs up, understanding the logic of their idea. “That’s another good idea. I wouldn’t have thought of that.” Luka piped up. Watching them start to shut everything down, the two slipped off their backpacks in order to get situated for sleep. “Knock on wood~” The younger brother warned with an air of amusement and he folded his arms against the table, planning to rest where he sat. Nick dutifully knocked on the wooden table before hunkering down on a cleared part of the floor.

7:27 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual hid a little smile at this as they got comfortable in the chair, a blanket covering them as they watched the door, a habit for them. Always on alert, always waiting for the sounds of something trying to break down the door. But it never came, wouldn’t come. If it hadn’t happened in those days before, it shouldn’t happen again, so soon their eyes were closed and they were asleep. Sleep that was fitful, a turn of nightmares and something darker underneath the surface. Many images flashing through the mind, many new and many old, but it still woke Samual with a start. Their breaths were unsteady, quiet as sweat slicked their brow. The static of the radio was what brought them back, remembering where they were, and their eyes searched for the two boys. Before getting up to step out of the recording station, careful where they stepped.

5:54 AM

@Blue Hound

Unlike their host, the brothers slept fairly peacefully. Luka had a habit of muttering in his sleep and moving, but his subconscious seemed to realize that he wasn’t in an appropriate enough position to do so, so he slept quite still in the chair. Nick was positioned in the fetal position while he slept on the floor. Luka wasn’t a super heavy sleeper, but he was heavy enough that it took him quite a bit of shaking to wake him. When Samual woke up and began their quiet trek out of the room, he didn’t even stir. Nick on the other hand slept on the lighter side. He didn’t typically wake if someone with light feet snuck past him, but if the flooring creaked, he was up in an instant. The only exception to that was if white noise was present when he went to bed, such as the static of the radio. It was just pure coincidence that Nick woke up right as Samual left the room. The larger part of him was tempted to nestle back into the blanket and sleep, but the more cautious side told him to see what they were doing. If they found something questionable, he wanted to be there to help if needed. Trying to remain quiet, he rose from the floor and snuck after them.

6:48 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual walked silently through the hall leading out to the lobby area. They checked around as though to make sure nothing had broken in, and then came to stop at the door leading outside, after moving the piece of sturdy metal that prevented it from opening, they cracked open the door slightly. It was early enough were the morning dew still coated the outside, the sun barely up in the sky, making the hues red and orange. Their eyes scanned the area to make sure it was clear, no infected roaming around. Once satisfied, Samual stepped out. Their boots getting off the concrete and onto a dirt path that lead around the building where the main tower was, and the hum of a generator being heard. They didn’t stop there either, only giving a concerned glance to the large power source, but they knew it didn’t matter. No their sights set to a small empty lot of dirt. But Nick could see four stone piles seperated by a few inches. This is where they stopped, a sigh escaping from Samual. They had never been religious, that had been Allen, but when Samual would have those dreams they would find themselves here. It didn’t seem right to just leave the bodies of their coworkers alone, so Samual had helped burry them, all until they were the last one left. “I’ll be leaving soon.” They stated softly, kneeling down to straighten out one of the stones. “I’ll make sure that I’ll keep on surviving. I have so far.”

4:48 AM

@Blue Hound

While he followed them, Nick’s wariness gradually faded to one of confused curiosity. At first, he merely thought they were going to check the perimeter of the building and go back inside, but that assumption was dashed away when they passed the generator and toward a small dirt clearing. It took him a moment to notice the four stone piles, but when he did, the realization of what they were came crashing down upon him. They were gravestones. Abashed for watching them at the graves of their colleagues, Nick shuffled backward, unaware of the tree root at his heel until it was too late. He fell with a thud and silent moan.

7:21 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual flinched, whirling around quickly to see what was behind them. For a moment Samual could feel their heart stop, ready for an infected to be there. But it was just Nick, who was on the ground. “Shit.” Samual muttered under their breath as they went by his side, outstretching a hand. “Are you okay?” They didn’t seem surprised to find Nick out here. While Samual had thought both brothers were asleep, they knew if one of them woke up it was a possibility that they would look for them. But Samual still glanced back, a small pit falling in their stomach.

6:18 PM

@Blue Hound

As Samual came over, they’d be able to see an expression of sheepish guilt clearly on his face. He ignored their question, mouthing ‘sorry’ and signing the word profusely as he took their hand to help haul him to his feet. Catching them look behind themself, fear suddenly shot through him like a bolt of lightning. If the infected were around, would they come to investigate? Did he just put their lives in even more danger all because of a stupid tree root? He glanced around with strained ears, trying to catch any out-of-place sound. After a moment of hearing and smelling nothing, he shifted his attention back toward Samual. He glanced back at the gravestones for moment before shifting his gaze away. He pointed back toward the building they came from and tilted his head at them.

4:07 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual was silent as well. Listening. Their hand instinctively was at their pocket, and while they didn’t have their gun with them, they had a knife. A last resort. But just gave a weary, almost tired, smile at Nick after the moment had passed. They were about to explain, what they were doing out here, how the graves came to be, but Samual realized how pointless that would be. Everybody lost something at the end. “Let’s go back inside.” Samual nodded, “I’m done with my goodbyes, we don’t want to worry your brother either.” They spoke in a soft tone. And as they started walking again, they made sure Nick was right beside them. Samual kept their eyes peeled for any movements, but seemed to have been relaxed with Nick there.

10:03 PM

@Blue Hound

Noticing that it seemed like they were going to speak, Nick gave them a look that said nothing but patience and open curiosity. It was an expression that was rare to see on any face nowadays given the circumstances. Despite being unable to read their mind, he sensed that what they said wasn't what they were first thinking about, but he didn't try asking them and merely nodded. When the two returned to the room, Luka was already up and staring at the map again. He turned toward them upon hearing them enter and smiled at them. "Good morning! I was wondering where you two went."

1:32 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

“Checking the perimeter and had one last thing to do.” Samual said, also glancing at the map to take a look at it. “We all know what the plan is right?” There was a nervousness that weighed on them. For once they were leaving their small little haven, and knew they weren’t coming back. Sure, the dark memories of the infection had tainted all they felt about this place, but Samual also couldn’t help but to feel guilty for just abandoning it. So instead, they just reached into their bag, and pulled out a handful of granola bars offering it to the two brothers, before opening their own. “I’ll lead them as far from the base as I can.” Samual took a bite of the food, thinking as they chewed. They had found a possible route on the map to lead them through, and hopefully would not have any complications. Then a thought occurred. “Do you guys have weapons?”

6:49 AM

@Blue Hound

"You'll be bait for one part of the group of thugs, one of us will keep an eye out on the scouting party, the other will be infiltrating the base, and if the plan goes bad, we meet back at the neighborhood where we first contacted you." Luka recited before taking a granola bar with a thank you. Nick signed thanks as well before grabbing one himself. Both brothers opened their bars and began to eat as they continued to look down at the map lost in thought. After a moment, Nick leaned over and pointed a finger at the base they were trying to retrieve. 'I'll infiltrate. This will...' He started to mouth before trailing off, appearing lost in thought. He remained like that for a moment before starting over, but he trailed off again. With an exasperated sigh, he threw up his hands in defeat before signing, /Hear better for you guys.\ Luka furrowed his brow for a moment, trying to decipher what his brother meant before recognition dawned on him. "Good idea. Being inside would allow the walkie-talkie to pick up any commotion easier compared to being outside. I'll follow the scouts once they leave then."

2:23 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

“We better start moving.” Samual got up unpinning the map and folding it where they could put it in their bag. Most things on the base was already packed up where they could easily grab and go, the rest would have to be left behind. After sorting out the items needed, giving everyone their own walkie talkie, and Nick the clicker. Samual was ready to go. The sun was climbing the sky as they walked. There were few infected, and the ones that the group came across moved on easily, shambling aimlessly. “We are almost there.” Samual whispered after a smaller infected wondered off, recognizing the area as they continued on. “We’ll need to split up soon.”

2:24 PM

@Blue Hound

Likewise, the brothers retrieved their bags, the walkie-talkie, and the clicker before following Samual out the door. The trek to where the group agreed to split up was a quiet one, the tension and anticipation of what they were going to do was enough to occupy their thoughts. If either of them were to get caught by the thugs, it could lead to their doom. Once they reached the split point, Luka repeated the plan and the location to retreat in case anything went wrong before they parted ways. Despite the sun casting the land in the early morning light, when the trio made their way to their positions, there was no sign of recent activity around the base; which looked like a large, white sideways storage tank with a door in the middle of it. Compared to the surrounding houses, it looked vastly out of place. There were no signs of the thugs. They were still inside. Taking advantage of the dormancy, Nick managed to hide behind an overgrown hedge right across the road. He was lying down watching the door through a minute gap that separated the bottom of the hedge and the ground. Luka stationed himself about a block or two away from the base but made sure he was still able to clearly see it and the surrounding area from where he hid behind an abandoned truck. He didn't want to get too close and miss a route that the scouting group could take. It took around an hour or two of waiting around before the iron door creaked open and six thugs came out. All of them held metal bats in their hands while two of them wore backpacks. Two of them looked fairly muscular, two were average, one was on the lanky side, and the last one was fairly hefty. They all wore the stereotypical 'gang' look; leather jackets, white tank tops or graphic shirts, jeans, and boots.

2:38 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual stationed themselves to watch across the street in an abandoned house, laying low watching through the front windows. They had pulled their messy hair fully up instead of its usual half-bun style. Samual would glance around every once in a while to make sure nothing was going to sneak up at them. Then the doors to the base opened, their eyes narrowing on the figures studying them. They knew that the odds of them being caught would be slim, if the thugs didn’t know the area well, but that didn’t mean that these people would be fast. Slowly, Samual reached for an empty glass bottle and took a deep breath. “It’s just like trying to distract those things.” They tried to tell themselves. Before taking a deep breath. Samual pulled up the mask that they wore when going out, and made their way out the house through the side exit. Over their shoulder they had a small bag, one that carried some basic stuff, nothing important to lose. It was all apart of the act after all. Samual dropped the bottle, letting it shatter against the rough concrete, and proceeded to stumble out of hide. Acting as though they had just came across a dangerous group staring at them. “Hey!” One of the more average thugs called out. Samual didn’t even give him time to finish his sentence before they simply started running, not without flipping the group off. Knowing for sure that would cause them to start chasing Samual through the ruined city.

5:49 AM

@Blue Hound

Nick and Luka both watched the exchange between Samual and the thugs with baffled expressions, not at all expecting them to flip them off before running for the hills. That bafflement quickly turned to mild panic as the whole group began to go after them. They weren't sure how experienced Samual was with combat, but they doubted even they could win against six men all at once by themself. Luckily the other average-sized thug called out to the group after a moment and two of them slowed to a stop while the other three continued onward. One of the muscular ones and the hefty one came back. Luka shifted in place, watching that group like a hawk as they began to make their way down the road. That was the group he was going to be keeping an eye on. Not wanting to lose them, he began to follow at an unnoticeable distance. He hoped that Samual was able to get their batch of thugs far enough away that if they were alerted back to base, it'd give Nick enough time to hopefully get out of there.

Unlike the other two, Nick waited a few moments before he approached the door to the base, wanting to make sure he was out of hearing range when he opened the door. At first, the base didn't seem like much. There was a couch, a stove, cabinets, a fridge, and a chair that all fit pretty snugly together. But tucked away in the top left corner beside the couch was a hatch in the ground. Nick went to the hatch and lifted the door open to reveal a short descent. He climbed down the ladder to enter another storage tank. This one functioned more like a hallway with it having two doors in the center of the walls on both sides with a third at the very end. With a pounding heart, Nick approached the left door and opened it slowly before peaking inside. A sigh left him as he saw nobody inside. He entered his room and kept the door cracked open enough to still be able to hear outside the hall. The room was a complete mess compared to when he was last here, garbage was scattered about, drawers were wide open, clothes were scattered about, and empty food packets were everywhere. Nick grimaced at the sight as he began hunting around his room. It didn't take long for him to find what he was looking for, a handheld whiteboard and dry-erase marker. He slipped it into his pocket and headed toward the door, but froze as something caught his attention. Footsteps.

2:34 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual had taken off, knowing they pretty much fucked up. Bella would’ve berated Samual for always being impulsive, yet they couldn’t help it. They risk a glance back, seeing how only three were currently on their trails. Which was good it gave them a little more wiggle room to work with. The rubble ruins of the city was all around them, Samual used this to the best of their abilities but some areas were more difficult than others. When Samual thought that they ran far enough from the base, they risked another glance, wanting to avoid a fight if they could, and saw that they were close faster than they looked. “Dammit.” They muttered before speeding up. Out of the corner of their eye, they saw an abandoned hotel, a broken window leading into the main area. “Okay, let’s see if we can do this.” They took a sharp left turn, and sprinted for the window by now. Taking a deep breath, Samual grabbed onto the ledge using the momentum to push their legs in the space between their arms ultimately vaulting through the window. Samual’s foot hit the broken glass with a crunch as they disappeared into the building, ducking down and behind the reception desk. Adrenaline still rushed into their veins as they waited with bated breath to see what they would do.

4:21 PM

@Blue Hound

It wasn't long before Samual could hear the pounding footsteps of the three thugs. Two of them seemed to have run right past the building and continued forward, but one set skidded to a stop right in front of the hotel. The heavy breathing coming from the thug was the only indication that they were still there. After a moment, the shuffling of boots on the pavement rang out. It seemed like they had found something based on the constant shuffling of walking back and forth and in circles. "Oi, Isaac! Abby. Take a look at this." The thug's voice rang out they called the other two lackeys. "Look at the debris on the ground. Does that look off to ya?" They questioned as the two jogged back over. "Pidge, 'ave ye been snortin' shi' again? I see nothin'" A female, Abby's, voice grouched out. "Fuck off ya blind numpty. See that overgrown patch of weeds n' stuff? Look how it's flattened to the right. That ain't natural." "So?" "So, the lil prick could have taken a hard turn to try and give us the sniff." The crunch and shifting debris underfoot drew gradually closer to where Samual hid. It appeared as if Pidge was looking for something on the ground to help give them a better idea of where they could have gone.

Nick's heart leaped into his throat as he heard the footsteps get louder. His body tensed and he held his breath as a shadow stopped right in front of the door. Thinking quickly, he forced himself out of the frozen state he was in and tensed his legs. His eyes were locked on the door, waiting. Nothing moved for a long, suffering moment before the door suddenly tried to fly open with a loud bang. The brunet saw this coming though and hurled his body into the door, slamming it shut onto the thug who ended up getting shoved backward. While staining against the door, Nick's gaze flew around his room in panic, looking for anything durable enough to defend himself against the brute at the door. He eventually spotted a baseball bat resting underneath this bed, but it wasn't close enough for him to reach from where he stood. He'd have to leave the door and risk the thug getting in. Unable to find any other option, he counted to three before launching himself forward. The door busted in right as he got his hands on the bat. The thug ran at him right as he turned to swing at the man's head with a silent scream. He missed.

6:37 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual pressed their back completely against the desk, closing their eyes tightly for a moment. Their heart was pounding in their chest, taking a few deep breathes. Yet, something in the back of their mind told them that something was wrong, a faint scent in the air, ringing in their ears. Samual could feel something was wrong, very wrong, but couldn’t put their finger on it. Then, the crunch of glass as Pidge came through the window, followed by the other two. Their mind ran through what would happen should they just look around the desk, Samual knew they were very much screwed. “If they’d gotten in, there’s no where to run.” Another male voice spoke, Samual took a deep breath, their hand brushing against the gun they had. This wasn’t a situation where they wanted to use it. But maybe, Samual could scare them, they just needed more time. A small glance from behind the desk, the three had gathered to try and search the room. Bickering with each other. It seemed that their luck was going to be turning around. And yet, Lady Luck wasn’t on their side. Not when their radio picked up on Nick slamming himself into a door. Samual bristled, quickly ducking back into hiding, scrambling to grab the radio. To silence it. They paused, not daring to move a muscle, not even daring to breathe. “Found ya’.” A voice spoke as Samual felt hands grab onto them. Dragging them out of the hiding spot. “Look what we have here guys.” Samual didn’t think, just acted, landing a square punch in the jaw of Issac making the man stumble back. Blood trickling from his lips.

3:42 PM

@Blue Hound

Luka practically had a heart attack when his radio squealed to life when Nick flung himself into the door. He frantically grabbed the nob to turn the volume off before shifting his attention back toward the group of thugs he was stalking with a bated breath. A sigh of relief left him as he noticed that they hadn't noticed the sound. They were too invested in trying to break into a miraculous non-broken-down home. When they entered the building, he waited outside behind a neighboring house with strained ears and eyes. He didn't want to miss them if they chose to leave through an unseen back door or if something snuck up on him from behind.

Samual's punch caused Issac to lose his grip on them and reel backward, momentarily stunned. He swiped the back of his hand across his lips, blinking in alarm as he saw the crimson streak. He spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground as his head whipped upward to glare at them. His face twisted into a snarl before he launched at them with a roar. While Issac was trying to obliterate Samual; Pidge and Abby quickly circled the two with their bats at the ready. They were trying to prevent them from finding an easy way to escape. All the while, if they were aware enough, they might have been able to catch the faintest whiff of sulfur in the air. The noise and scent of blood had attracted a lone infected somewhere.

Due to the momentum of the swing, Nick's balance faltered slightly, giving the thug the chance to tackle him to the ground. The lad barely had any time to block the sudden onslaught of punches aimed at his face. Half of the blows he managed to shield with his arms and jerk out of the way but the other hits were hard enough that made him see stars. The fear of dying to this man shot through him like a bolt of lightning. With a desperate thought, he shot up his knee into the thug's groin with as much power as he could right as a particularly harsh blow struck him in the head. Both of them faltered as white-hot pain shot through them. Despite the nauseating agony, Nick was able to grab the bat he dropped and swung a powerful blow to the man's head while he was withering in pain beside him. He wasn't sure how long it took him to bind the thug's feet and legs with duck tape, but the pain, nausea, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating were enough to make it take much longer than necessary. Once he finished, he staggered out of his room and into the security room. He fumbled a few times, but he managed to switch on the security cameras and remote traps around the outside of the base that the group of brutes failed to do. With that finished, the battered young man slumped against the single chair in the room to try and ease the effects of the concussion he had while he waited for the other two to come back.

1:17 PM

@Sad Boi Micha

Samual was trying to get back, to get away. Despite landing the first punch, they clearly weren’t use to fighting close up, as they were struggling. Issac had managed to wrap a hand at the collar of their shirt, forcing them still. Both were bleeding. When trying to get away from Isaac, the other two would force them back into Isaac. There was almost no escape. Samual almost couldn’t breathe, panic filling their mind as they clawed at their attackers wrist. Samual threw up their arms as a way to try and protect their face, glancing up past Issac instinctively, eyes wide at what they saw. A head had popped out from one of the crumbling doorways, with wide unblinking eyes, taut skin, and teeth jagged like an angler fish, and it was staring at them. Samual’s defense faltered. And a hard punch made their jaw crack, sending them tumbling to the ground, their glasses falling off their face. They didn’t have time to recover as a kick to their chest knocked the breath out of them. They wheezed, curling up instinctively. Issac laughed. “Not tough at all huh guys. And to think this little runt almost gave us the slip.” They’re going to actually kill me That was the thought that ran through Samual’s mind. Their vision was blurred as they curled up tighter on themselves waiting for the final blow. But it didn’t come, instead everything seemed to almost stop as Issac froze. “Do you guys hear that?” Issac whispered the his two companions. “That singing?” “Oi, what ya’ talking about?” Pidge asked confused. Straining to hear. “I don’ hear nothing.” But Issac was already wondering towards the doorway that lead further into the apartment building. Not answering. Samual could now smell the stench of sulfur. It was almost overpowering to them, making their head spin as bile filled the back of their throat. It made them question why exactly no one else was reacting to it. .

3:44 PM

“I’m telling ya’. There is sing—” Issac started to say as he stepped into the doorway, looking back at the two. Thats when a sickening crunch filled the room, Issac not even being able to finish as the creature dropped down on him, killing him in one bite to the head. Claws digging into the body as it looked up at the three. Samual made eye contact, and while they should’ve been scared, while they should’ve had the urge to run, something in them wouldn’t allow it, time just seemed frozen. It was broken when Abby tried to run. The creatures head snapping towards the sudden movement. Samual took the chance to grab their glasses forcing themselves up, going for the nearest way out to escape.

3:45 PM

@Blue Hound

Running on primal instincts, the peculiar infected immediately scrabbled to find purchase on the floor before lunging after Abby. Luckily for Samual, she had tried bolting in the opposite direction of where they had decided to flee, giving them a greater time to escape. Abby's sudden ear-piercing scream and the sound of her body tumbling onto the floor rang out. Following that was the tearing of clothes, flesh, and splattering of blood as the beast raked its ragged fingernails across her body. She cried for help with a voice that was shattered with agony, begging for someone to wretch the awful thing off her. It was of no use though for Pidge had also scampered off to the first exit he saw. He was heading straight toward the exit Samual was taking. Even though they had a head start, the brute managed to catch up to them that he was within arm's length right behind them. Desperate to save his life and scared out of his mind, Pidge threw out his hand in an attempt to grab them in order to pull them backward and out of his way.

6:16 AM

@Sad Boi Micha