It turned out that ripping out forty-odd chairs without heavy duty power tools was much harder than anyone had expected. Oh, we had some wrenches originally meant to change tires that miraculously fit; but we found to our dismay that the bastards who'd screwed these seats to the floor has used a rattle gun to install them. Which meant they were in tight. Really, really damned tight. It had taken a massive amount of blood, sweat and tears just to remove the first seat.
Thank God for Oyama-sensei who, after seeing the problem, was able to rig us up a breaker bar by welding a piece of rebar to a socket wrench.
Seriously. Thank God for that man. Some of the boys were joking about building him a shrine.
Or at least I think it was a joke.
Anyways, thanks to Oyama-sensei's quick thinking, we were able to extricate the chairs from the busses in a decent amount of time, which would allow for many more students to be squeezed into the individual busses.
Unfortunately, even with the modifications there wasn't nearly enough space to take all the students in a single trip, meaning that we had to decide who would go first and who would need to wait for a return trip.
"Alright, let's go over this list one more time." I muttered to myself, a small notepad in my hand, as I paced around an empty classroom before heading back to the the auditorium where the students who hadn't been assigned to chair ripping duties were told to wait. We sure as hell didn't want anyone wandering off and getting lost, bit, or bringing down a zed swarm on top of us.
"Huscarls... then half the kendo club… should I bring Saeko? Absolutely. She might not stay even if I gave her a direct order." I said in a low tone, flipping through the list of names and groups I'd made with the school. "'Never give an order you know no one's going to follow' and all that."
The simple fact was, I had to prioritize. There was a strong possibility that a return trip would be impossible and if such an event were to occur then I had to make sure the half I saved would be the most vital for our future survival. This was my triage and I was taking the ones I knew were absolutely needed for the survival of the school, whatever the cost might be to my soul and I knew it would be heavy.
I paced that classroom for over an hour, writing down and striking off names, possibly consigning hundreds of young people to horrible deaths. Some were easy to give a spot on the first trek, others less so. I agonized for what felt like an eternity before deciding we could squeeze the rest of the engineering club into the first trek despite knowing several of them were severely asthmatic.
Then the enormity of what I had done struck home. I remembered the spray of blood when Teshima was bitten, the thunk as my ax bit home into his chest, the blood and corpses that were splattered everywhere as my boys and a bunch of teenagers fought for their lives against the undead! It was too much!
For several minutes I just stopped and clutched the crucifix around my neck, praying for some guidance. I was a just a janitor/assistant gaijin English teacher, and before that I was just working as a kind-of sort-of clerk at my dad's five-man engineering firm. Who the hell was I to try and lead hundreds of teenagers and people years older that, men? Sure I had been in the Boy Scouts and had reached Eagle Scout, but did that qualify me? I didn't know.
After what felt like an eternity I remembered why I was the one who had to do this. Who else could? Who else had been given time to prepare? Who else had been given the natural talent to fight? Who else had prepared for doomsday non-stop for almost a year?
Whether it was Yehovah, Odin, Amaterasu, or a bemused R.O.B. I was literally the only one able to save these kids and as God was my witness I would do all that I could.
Finding the resolve to go on, I finished the list after another hour of working, all the while I muttered a prayer to God for strength and forgiveness if I was wrong in my choices.
Finally I finished the list. I looked it over one last time, then I left the room. Under my breath I muttered the "Our Father", the "Hail Mary", and begging every Saint I could remember to pray for Shizuka, my Huscarls, my students, my fellow teachers, their families and the people of the entire world. I was glancing over the list one last time, taking in all who would go.
All of the Huscarls would go, they were the best trained and best equipped fighters I had and I knew I would need them to punch through any blockage we'd come across. As for the martial arts club members I'd armed, I figured the more athletic/skilled half of each club would be ideal for extra muscle. The other half I decided to have stay behind to guard the school until we returned.
As for the rest...well it took some time but I tried to select the more competent ones. The ones who could survive or help others to survive. I wanted to save them all, but I had to make sure to triage. Just in case everything went tits up.
To my eternal shame I'd also tried to lean towards female students among the non-fighters, if things really were going to go tits up then having a glut of unattached males was not conductive to cooperation in the group.
And ironically this also meant that I was bringing every female member of the Track Team. As well the less bothersome male members. Like it or not, terrible in track meets or not they were fast, a trait needed in this world.
Well, most of the less bothersome. That douchebag Tsunoda had managed to save his own life by uttering three valuable words.
I know Parkour.
Seriously, why the fuck hadn't I even tried to learn learn it? Stupid!
As for the others, my Thegns would have simple orders for keeping the peace if we made a return trip. If anyone starts shit, threaten to throw them over the fence. If they don't stop, hit them until they do.
Leaving the last room of the first year hall I headed back towards the auditorium, the students had been told to relocate to the second floor and barricaded all but one of the stairwells with as many desks as they could dump down. The idea was that if the zombies came back then they could block the last stairwell and enter the busses through their emergency exits via the second floor windows.
Walking through the various classrooms I quickly stuck my head in and called the students to return to the auditorium, deciding to prevent any undead from being drawn to the PA as the bait horn was starting to audibly weaken. As the Huscarls walked by I handed Hayato sheet of paper and told him to show it to the others. I mentioned that these people were their responsibility to get onto the busses. Once they were loaded on they'd join me at the front of the caravan. He nodded and called out Kohta who quickly read through the list once he was told what it was for.
When he noticed the names of the Track Club members he glanced up at me with a questioning look in his eyes. I grimaced for a moment as I remembered that before he had become a Huscarl he'd been the favourite punching-bag for the track goons who were only egged on by Shido. He wouldn't have shed a tear if each and everyone of them were dead and tossed down a sewer… oh wait…
Seeing him about to protest I said: "They're fast on their feet. It's a useful skill these days. Besides, would you rather them causing shit here? Or on the bus where we can smack them for being idiots?"
Kohta thought on that for a second before sighing. "I get that, but Tsunoda? Really?"
"He knows Parkour."
Kohta paused for a moment and blinked. "Really?"
"He claims he does," I replied with a shrug.
"And you believe him?" he asked, incredulously.
I smiled and patted him on the back. "Look at it this way. If he's lying, well, you can help me show him how dangerous it can be to lie."
Kohta's smile made me wonder if simply throwing him out of the bus wouldn't have been the kinder fate.
When I opened to door to the last classroom, my eyes bugged and I quickly slammed the door, hearing the feminine shriek and the rustling of clothes as two certain someones began throwing their clothes on as quickly as possible.
I simply stared at the hallway wall opposite from said room until the door creaked open slowly and out walked big Kenji and a third year named Yuuki. All four foot eight inches of her. Seriously, she was a pixie.
With the adage about opposites attracting resounded in my mind I gave them both a look.
"Sorry about that, Sensei," Kenji said with some reluctance. "but I just couldn't not spend some time with my girl. I mean, what if..."
"Shut it both of you and get your asses on the bus. We don't have time for this shit."
His face lit up. "Sensei, you really mean it?"
"Sure," I said with a well meaning smile. "She's tiny. I mean, all else fails she can lounge in the overhead compartment or something."
The girl flushed a brilliant red. The kind that comes from fury, not embarrassment. And it made her look something like a christmas decoration considering her shockingly green shade of anime hair.
It honestly made me worry for my balls. She was at perfect punching height.
"Babe, you really wanna piss off our ride?" Kenji said weakly.
She glared for a moment then huffed and started towards the bus.
"Thanks, Sensei. I mean it..." Kenji muttered under his breath as he followed his pint-sized sweet-heart.
I shook my head in mild amusement and followed them into the auditorium.
As I entered the doors, I steeled my features and made my way to the podium, a list in my hand of the various club members and non-combatant students I wanted for the first trip.
When I reached the microphone, I cleared my throat and said: "Alright, we should be finishing up with the busses, I must warn you, there is not going to be much space so please no one fly off the handle for inappropriate touching, there's no helping it. However, if I find out that someone is taking advantage of the situation...
I leaned in. "Let me put it this way. Eventually we will have latrines to muck. Let that stew in your hormone-addled adolescent minds for a while because anyone who gets handsy will be getting every shit job I can think of for... well... pretty much for fucking ever."
There was some laughter from the back.
I glared at the peanut gallery who didn't seem to get the picture, time to pull out the big guns. "Okay. Plan B. Girls, anyone who gets touchy feely you have my permission to dispense justice. Saeko-san will be master of ceremonies."
The smile that came to her face was positively chilling. "I shall do my best, Brody-sensei."
I paused and made sure to add a caveat. "No permanent injury or broken bones."
"As you wish..."
Holy shit. Did she just pout?
And did she just quote Star Wars at me?
Either way, the idiots seemed to have the lightbulbs go off because the laughter died right then and there.
-----------------
I took a deep breath as I looked over the ad hoc convoy lined up in front of the school gates.
Two busses carrying almost a hundred and fifty students combined, with almost two score divided amongst the personal vehicles of the teaching staff, along with every pieceof valuable equipment and supplies we could find.
Everything that wasn't bolted down had been loaded up. And everything that was was in the process of having the bolts cut. If we were lucky, we'd even be able to find a cargo truck on the way back for the really heavy shit. Maybe raid the Japanese equivalent of U-haul or something.
When the various students had been told who would and wouldn't be going there had been a small uproar at the choices. Sweet-hearts and friends wouldn't want to be separated, rivals didn't want to be mashed next to each other. It took me bellowing at the top of my lungs and quite a bit of juggling to get things ready to go. We didn't have all fucking day for this shit.
Still, it had taken much longer than I'd hoped but we were standing in front of the busses ready to leave.
"Alright," I stated stiffly. "Here's the plan. One bus up front, another in back. Teacher vehicles in between. We all have radios, so if you see something that looks advantageous you either radio for a stop or contact one of the busses so we can mark it on GPS. Understood?"
There was a deafening "Hai!" from the teachers.
"Very good..."
"Excuse me, Brody-san..."
I paused and looked to the speaker. "Yes, Takayama-san?"
The man took a deep breath. "Once we have delivered the first group of students, I wish to fetch my family. My wife and child are at home and..."
I raised a hand. "It's alright. Do what you have to, just don't abandon the students and get back to the location as quickly as you can. And most importantly, don't die. You can take whatever equipment you need from the sports locker to protect yourself. That goes for the rest of you as well, just do not do this recklessly. You save no one if you die foolishly."
"I understand, Brody-san."
I nodded. "Good. Anything else?"
"No, I believe not," Principal Yamada cut in. "We must get going. I will see to the school. You ensure that our precious students will be seen to safety."
He smiled and nodded to the assembled teachers before turning back to me. "You carry with you the pride and honor of Fujimi High School! I trust that you will carry through."
"I'll do it or die trying!" I replied….with a little more force than I'd intended….maybe the animu effect is getting to me….
He grinned. "That's the spirit! Now off with you all!"
The teachers and students started moving to their assigned vehicles, but before I left I had one piece of unfinished business.
Taking a deep breath, I moved to Shizuka. She was standing by her little car with three girls. On the roof of her vehicle were several crates loaded with all the medical supplies that we could find. With the help of the three members of the nursing club who'd be cramming themselves into the single passenger seat, they were doing one last check to make sure nothing fell off.
And yes, there was actually a nursing club.
Straightening my shoulders, I walked over to her, my helmet under one arm, my shield on my back and my axe in my belt. I must have looked like a warrior going off on campaign, which wasn't all that far from the truth.
The clinking of my mail caught her attention and she turned away from the girls to look at me. Her eyes brightened in that way that made my heart flip every time and I smiled. "Shizuka."
"Tom." She replied, that same smile she always had on her face though I could see the strain creeping in at the edge.
That hurt, I hadn't expected to fall in love, hell I never expected the woman to even notice me...but she had, and I had thanked God everyday for that.
"You knew this would happen, didn't you?" she stated calmly.
Every warm feeling I had vanished like the morning dew and black dread form in the pit of my stomach.
"I-...I..bu.." I couldn't speak, my throat tightened up and my stomach dropped to my feet.
"Why didn't you try to stop it?" she asked calmly.
"I...I didn't know... how it would begin. Or where… just that it would happen."
"So instead you just saved the people you could..."
"It's all that I could do."
"No," she replied moving in close. "You could have simply fled and saved yourself. But instead you're here...."
"You think I would have left you behind? Or them?"
She smiled. "Of course not... because you're a hero, Tom."
She gently pressed her lips against mine.
"My hero."
I grinned and pulled her close, "You're mine too, Shizuka. I've known about this for too long, I'd have gone mad a long time ago. But I didn't because every time I looked at you, every time you smiled at me, spoke to me, every thing you did... relit my fire and kept me going. And..."
"Don't give me that, Tom. I'm just along for the ride... now..." She gave me a quick swat on the ass and a bedroom smile. "Now get out there and save the world."
"Y-yes ma'am!" I said with a giant grin on my face.
-----------------
It was maybe a good 5 minutes later that I began to realize the one kink in my plan. I wasn't the one driving. With the bulk of the teaching staff alive, they were able to actually have the regular drivers do the driving. This meant that I was simply a passenger.
A passenger, in the back, pressing the flesh with a large group of exactly 73 terrified teenagers inside a space rated to fit 25. Needless to say, there was a rather interesting set of sensations going around.
The first and foremost was the heat. It seemed that even with the AC blasting and the fact that this was early spring, fitting three times the rated capacity of the bus would lead to some thermal regulation issues.
Good fucking God, why hadn't I taken off my armor?
To make matters worse was the smell.
Deodorant, motherfuckers, ever heard of it?
Still, I was amazed that things had gone as well as they had. People were scared shitless and worried about their families, but they were all still alive and unbitten. The only casualty we had so far was Teshima.
I grimaced at that. Teshima had been a P.E. teacher and while we weren't friends we respected each other and he'd been quite impressed with what I had done for the nerds I had made into Huscarls.
I knew I'd be having nightmares about his dying and what I had to do to put him down. But the simple reality was I couldn't afford to hesitate. If I did, people would die. Simple that.
I also took comfort in the fact that aside from Teshima and Tetsuo no one had died so far. My boys and the martial arts club members had fought like heroes. I needed to make sure to commend them somehow. I'd make sure to do so once we got to the storage lot, it'd help earn the respect of the Thegns with the martial arts folks.
Speaking of the Thegns, I needed to contact the guys on the other side of the river and get them to head to the Takagi manor. I'd lose a few fighters but I was sure that old man Takagi could make use of them and it'd be easier logistically on us when we tried to cross the river later.
Checking my phone for the charge I quickly began typing up the message for the pertinent gangs, let's see, Iron Cobras, Shield-Breakers, Ragnar's Raiders, who else…?
It was then that I felt something rub up against my arm. Something very very... soft. And squishy.
Slowly, as my hackles began to rise, I turned my head and looked to the side to find myself locking with a pair of amber eyes.
Yuuki Miku. Say what you will about the star of the female half of the Fujimi High School track team as a person, she really was a knockout. And she was currently pressing her tits up against my arm.
"Brody-sensei?" she asked, looking at me with shimmering eyes.
Is this really happening…
"Ye-yes Miku-san?" My voice cracked a bit, this can't be happening!
She moved her hand to grasp my arm. "You're going to keep us safe, right?"
"Yes."
"You're going to keep me safe, right?"
"Yes, I am."
She smiled and learned in, all but pressing her body against mine.
"Keep me safe and I'll do anything you ask."
"All that I ask is that you give it your all."
"Don't worry. I'll give it my all no matter what you ask of me..." she then leaned in and in a husky voice, she whispered: "And I do mean anything."
I froze in place.
I need an adult.
Oh crap.
I am the adult.
"Hey!" Saya cut in. "Cut that bitch in heat shit out, Miku. This isn't the time. This isn't the place. And nobody wants to smell your damned hormones."
Yuuki's lovely face twisted into a mask of hate as she glared at Saya through hooded eyes before pulling away and vanishing into the press of students.
Saya huffed. ���The nerve of that..."
"STOP THE BUS!"
We were all lurched forward with several people nearly being crushed as the bus came shrieking to a halt. I had to brace myself from slamming into Saya .
"What the hell, Takashi!" I growled, looking at the newest of my huscarls. "I assume you have a good reason for stopping the bus."
He nodded. "Yeah, sensei. There's a bike on the side of the road. Looks intact."
I pressed through the mass of students and moved to the other window. Glancing in the direction he indicated, I saw the aforementioned bike laying on its side next to the side rail of the highway.
"And I assume there's a point to all this?" I growled, feeling not a little bit annoyed by all this.
"Yeah, having someone with a bike might be useful for... you know... scouting missions and stuff."
I was about to snarl at him when I remembered that he had actually been a pretty skilled rider in the original manga… and after thinking about it he did have a point. On the other hand, there were some downsides.
"You do realize that on that thing you're going to have absolutely no protection if we should run into a horde, right?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I know, but I think it'll be worth it. Besides, if it gets bad you can throw a rope down from the roof of the bus and pull me up, right?"
I paused. That wasn't a terrible plan, actually. A questionable one, maybe, but not terrible.
"Alright," I replied after a moment's thought. "But you either ride in full armor or not at all, and watch out for the rider. He's probably still shambling around somewhere."
He nodded and grabbed his axe and helmet from the overhead compartment. "This isn't my first time killing Zombies, sensei."
"No, that was an hour ago," Rei cut in. "Stop acting like a macho idiot and be careful."
"Yes, mom!"
Her squeal of rage was almost but not quite covered over by the laughter of the students.
Moments later he was walking out the door axe in hand, moving towards the bike.
Suddenly there was a blur of movement, and more than one girl screamed as the former rider attempted to devour the sweet flesh of the living. Thankfully, it was stopped by two factors. First, it was in a full coverage helmet. Second, it never made it into range as Takashi's axe buried itself to the haft in its skull, splitting both head and helmet like an overripe melon.
Takashi pulled his weapon free with a grotesque sucking sound before wiping it clean on the pants of the corpse. Then he righted the bike, mounted it, and turned the key.
The engine started without issue and he shot me a quick thumbs up.
"Okay," I called up to the driver. "Lets get moving."