In memory of Daisuke Sato the Author of the original story. For inspring me to write the longest story I've ever made.
A few hours later I found the line of busses rolling to a stop in front of the storage lot, and to my mild surprise I didn't see any of the undead wandering around. Working my way up to the front I glanced through the windshield and noticed that groups of people were all busy at some task or another on the other side of the chainlink fence instead of just milling around, or worse, panicking. Good. Nodding in satisfaction I opened the door and shouted out to the sentries by the gates. "Oi! Get the gates open, we got some panicky folks here with some very full bladders!"
Not normally my style of humor but frankly I didn't give a shit, I was drained, physically as well as emotionally. Today had been one of the longest and most horrifying days of my life and I had a strong feeling that things would get worse LONG before they ever got any better. Once I saw the gate being pushed open I leaned back into the bus and shut the door, allowing it to enter the parking lot part of the storage lot.
To my satisfaction, I saw that the boys who stayed behind had started forming a barricade around the entrance, using furniture, office cabinets and other things too big to be brought along. I hadn't told them to do that, so either one of them had a spark of inspiration or someone else among the school body. Either way I would make sure to commend them.
But first I wanted off this damn bus and out of this damn armor. I wanted a hot shower and make sweet, sweet love to Shizuka, if for nothing else than to remind myself that I was still alive.
Unlike Yamada, I forced my eyes shut as the image of his last moments falling from the school roof forced themselves into my mind's eye again. I knew I'd have nightmares about that one. I'd never seen someone die violently like that.
Well, except for Shido, but honestly, he didn't really count as people. Given a good night's sleep, a zombie apocalypse, and three rounds of Rosary Beads later and all was right in the eyes of God. I was sure I'd get the occasional nightmare, but considering the fact that I was in the middle of a zombie fucking apocalypse, that much was a given.
Anyways, I'd lost relatives in my life and even while they'd hurt it had never been a lingering pain, most likely because most of them had been old and very ill when their time came so it was more of a relief that their pain had ended and they were on the other side waiting for the rest of us. This... this was more visceral, more abrupt, and much more preventable.
I clenched my fist as I remembered that tub of lard somehow managing to stumble his way along the entire bus and down to the ground making a godawful racket the entire way. If only that kid hadn't fallen, everyone including the poor bastard would have gotten out alive. Yamada wouldn't have had to sacrifice himself. And I wouldn't have had to watch a good man throw himself off a building to escape being eaten by shambling corpses.
The busses rolled in and the gate quickly shut behind us. I turned back to the students and said: "Alright kiddos, we've arrived at the safe point. Please step off the bus in a calm and collected manner, we should have food and water set up by now and there's some showers and bathrooms in the main office. Finally, please don't leave the perimeter, everything looks alright here so far but looks can be deceiving and if you wander off, you're likely to end up dead. Understand?"
A few nods and muttered yesses floated back up to me. "Alright then, now head on out." The door slid open again and the students filed out of the busses, the first group had already gathered around the bus and when they spotted their classmates, friends, and a few sweet-hearts, they all shouted and ran towards each other in a moshpit of crying and hugging adolescents. Watching them, a warm feeling filled me and despite my exhaustion a grin spread across my face. Today had been an utter nightmare, but all things considered it could have been much, much worse. The number of students I had managed to save was frankly a miracle and I made a quiet prayer of gratitude for getting through that mess alive.
Speaking of which… Looking around I spotted the younger (and possibly last) member of the Yamada family. Outside the possible claims of nepotism, his successful membership in the Japanese Boy Scouts and the substantial number of survival skills he possessed as a result had netted him a place on the first bus. On the bright side, it meant he'd been spared the horror of watching his uncle's heroic last stand. His sacrifice. Something I'd never dishonor by ever calling it a suicide.
On the other hand, it meant that someone would have to break the news, and as much as it pained me, that duty now fell on my shoulders. Or at least it should. I needed to find him before some dumbass walked up to him and said something stupid like 'Wow! Dude! I just saw your uncle jump off a building! Hurk! Hurk!"
What? Just because they were my students didn't mean there wasn't a fair share of tactless morons...
Squaring my shoulders I looked over my shoulder to where Shizuka was sitting and waiting for the others to finish filling out. "I'll go talk with Yusuke over there, he needs to know about his uncle."
Shizkuka nodded in understanding, a small sympathetic smile on her face. I returned her smile then turned back and made my way through the crowd, pausing to respond to the students who thanked me for saving them at the school... this might have been a mistake trying to go directly through the crowd…
Eventually, though, I finally made my way to Yusuke Yamada, the kid was speaking with several of his troop members as they cleared out, when I cleared my throat to get his attention.
"Brody-sensei!" he called out with a smile. "We found a unit filled with camping gear!"
I paused for a moment, looking at said unit with a slack jaw. He wasn't kidding. He was also understanding. It wasn't a unit with camping gear. It was a unit that was only camping gear. And I don't mean it had some camping gear and an empty unit, no. What I mean is that it was stuffed to the proverbial gills with camping gear. I was seriously considering active divine intervention at this point with the luck we were having.
Turning my attention back to the task at hand I turned back to the young man. "Yusuke, could we speak over there for a moment? I need to tell you something and you might want to be away from the others when you hear it." I gestured to one of the small alleys formed by the storage buildings that had no one else in it.
He nodded. "Okay, sensei. What do you need?"
I lead him away from the others. "It's about your uncle Yusuke, I'm sorry to say it but, he's not coming." I placed my hand on his shoulder. "For what it's worth, he died a hero and saved everyone's life, mine included."
He froze, going completely pale for a moment then took a deep breath. "W-what happened?"
I took a deep breath and continued; "We were getting everyone out pretty smoothly when someone tripped and fell off the roof of a bus, brought in swarms of the undead with his screams. Needless to say we were going to get overrun unless we left immediately. I was... fully prepared to sell my life to clear a path for the others. Then your uncle drew the attention of the zeds away from us with an airhorn, managed to lead the entire horde to the opposite end of the school. He ended up trapped on the roof, swarms of zed were coming and we were wide open, so he… jumped, taking several undead with him."
I rubbed my eyes, fighting back the tears, then I looked Yusuke dead in the eye. "Your uncle was a hero and he sacrificed himself to save all of us. The last thing he said to me was to look out for you. And I intend to keep that promise, no matter what our final situation is you've got a home with me for as long as you need, whether it's a cabin in the mountains or a cardboard box in the city."
By the time I was done, he was crying, but eerily enough, he had a smile on his face. A wide smile. "I see."
I looked at him funny. "Yusuke, you lost your uncle, if you need to cry, then cry, no one's going to think less of you for it."
"It's not that," he stated with a slight tremor to his voice. "I'm sad that my uncle is dead. He might have been the only one I have left, and he's gone now... but if he had to die. I'm glad it was like this. And... and I know that in the end, it's how he would have wanted to die."
I was now a bit surprised. "Really?"
He nodded. "M-my uncle always loved Samurai dramas," he stated with a sniff. "He... he always thought that the ones where the hero sacrificed himself in the end were the most heroic because they were the most selfless. The ones who put their honor before all else. He used... he used to say that there really weren't men like that anymore. I'm happy that if he had to die, then my uncle died like a hero in one of his samurai dramas... That... That he was able to die with honor."
"Yes, he did," I said in an introspective voice. I hadn't known the man very well. I'd respected him for sure, but now I wished I had known him better. Taking a moment to breath I nodded at the boy. "I'm glad you're holding up, just remember if you need it, I'm here for you, whether an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on."
I then surprised the kid by pulling him into a quick but firm hug. I patted him on the back twice then let him go. "Alright, it's been a long day and it isn't over yet, so let's get back to the others before they wonder where we are."
He nodded and took a deep breath and then turned to his friends who'd paused in their labors to watch. "A-alright guys! Who said to stop! Everyone's depending on us! Let's go!"
Nodding in satisfaction, I turned back to the others and looked for anyone who wasn't pulling their weight. I also needed to organize a party to strip the trucks Father Oshiro and his party had brought him of their electronics so we could lug all this crap once the EMP went off… that meant finding a suitable Faraday cage.... My tired brain unfortunately couldn't recall what exactly I had decided to use for such a purpose.
What I would give for a fleet of Trabants right now. Sure, they were commie shit cars made from cotton and powered by lawnmower engines that made Yugos look like Lamborghinis, but they also had all of five moving parts in the engine and given five minutes of modification, they could probably be started with a hand-crank.
I sighed.
So much to fucking do and so little time…
----------
It wasn't too long before the gang members began to trickle in. I was helping set up some shelters in the unused containers when I heard a commotion at the gate. Grabbing my ax and spear I made my way to the gate.
Pushing my way through the students, teachers and huscarls who had gathered at the gate, armed with whatever weapons they could get their hands on in the case of the former, I finally reached the gate, and grinned when I saw Onigumo and Daigo standing there with most their gang members behind them... as well as their girlfriends, siblings, and a few of their parents… I hadn't seen that many peroxide blondes with spray-on tans since highschool… even the few women who had to be their mothers were in on the panda act. Blinking in surprise for a moment, I shook off my initial shock then grinned as I called out to the two Thegns.
"What are you punks doing standing out there? Come on in where it's safe!" I greeted with a laugh.
And getting to the point, Tomoko, the mousey looking girl who'd drawn gate duty, pushed the open button with a bored sigh. Almost as soon as there was space available the combined gangs all but ran through the still opening entrance, more than one person collapsing as soon as they were inside the walls of the facility.
"Alright everyone," Tomoko called out. "Everybody line up for bite inspection!" I turned to look where she was sitting in the guard box, but before I could speak, she simply stated: "I've watched too many of this kind of movie."
I gave her a mild glare, but her sleepy green eyes never faltered. Shrugging I let it go and turned back to the newcomers.
As much as I hated to admit it, the girl had a point. Though I'd have to have Shizuka give her a once over at some point. Between the dark rings, and the fact that she was one of the few girls I'd seen in this fan service rendition of Japan who didn't look like she'd tripped and fallen out of a girly mag, something had to be wrong with her.
Turning back to the group, I sighed and said: "She's got a point. From here on, everybody entering gets a quick search, just to make sure."
Daigo blinked. "Hey, what's the big idea? You didn't say we'd be gettin' a pat down!"
Onigumo simply glanced back to him and growled: "You got somethin' to hide?"
"No!" he exclaimed. "Listen, I lost five fucking guys! I had to mercy kill two of 'em myself! You know, so I'm not exactly appreciating this shit!"
Onigumo simply nodded. "I know how it is, but this ain't for us..." he glanced out at the nervous-looking mass of students. "It's for them."
"Ugh. Fuck it. Fine," he growled. "But if any of you try and feel up my kid sister, I'm cuttin' your balls off."
I rolled my eyes. "Like genders, Daigo."
He blinked and then grinned. "Can we have just girls do it instead? Cuz I ain't lettin' no dudes get anywhere near my stuff."
"I'll pat him down if I can give him a rectal cavity search!" one of the girls called out from the crowd. I will admit I put on a face as if I were considering it.
He went pale and smiled back. "Um. Yeah. So. Like genders will be just fine."
With that settled several of the teachers, including Shizuka were called in to pat down the newcomers to check them for bite wounds. To my mild surprise we found none, but one of the last women checked, an older woman whom I later learned was Daigo's mother, winked at me as she walked past. I bit back the groan of frustration that threatened to form in the back of my throat and that headache was coming back. I was too tired to deal with this shit… and the day was far from over because there was a swarm of teachers and students who wanted a meeting to discuss how we were going to track down and bring back their own family members... fuck.
As Ms. Leathery and Leering was getting patted down the sound of engines could be heard coming over the horizon. Looking up the flash of dread faded when I saw it was Father Oshiro and Oga coming back with the trucks I had sent them to get. "One... two… three… four... five, not bad." I muttered as they brought the literal handful of vehicles to the gate. As they were still open letting in the gangers and their families I had the guards wave them on through.
The vehicles came to a stop in the parking lot of the lot. The nearest one rolled down one of its windows and Oga stuck out his head. "Mission accomplished, boss. Could have grabbed some more but we didn't have enough guys who could drive a stick."
"That's alright, looks like that's more than enough for the moment." I replied. Making some rough visual estimations and unless we had a massive influx of new people, we should have enough to carry the stuff and the people at least to the Takagi estate… after that might be a problem when that EMP hit… I'd need to make something to protect the more fragile stuff, but what to use…
When the others members of the party were piling out of the car one of Daigo's crew suddenly shouted. "Hey, why ain't they being checked?"
I turned in the direction of the voice, "Because they weren't fighting a pack of zombies the whole way back, right?" I turned back to the trucks. There was some gore on the undercarriage, and the lead vehicle had a couple interesting dents, but considering the situation that much was a given.
One of Oga's crew had heard my comment and, with a cocky grin, replied: "Not a one, can't get bit if the closest they get is kissing your bumper."
"Please remember to take the vehicles outside the wall and clean off the mess with bleach," Shizuka called over. "We don't want to risk infection."
Oda nodded. "Right. You heard the lady..."
I turned back to the peanut gallery and, with a satisfied smile, said: "Well, there's your answer."
I didn't get a reply other than a few mutters and considered the matter closed. Though back to how to protect the sensitive bits of the vehicles….
I was interrupted when Ms. Saya Takagi walked toward our small motor pool, looked the vehicles over and turned to me with her hands on her hips... as well as a pair of glasses she hadn't had before. "I assume you're going to have the sensitive parts kept in a Faraday cage if this EMP blast you think might happen goes off."
I grinned a bit, girl was smart, not many people would even know what a Faraday cage was, let alone know what they were used for. "Yes I was, only problem is I'm drawing a blank on what to use for the cage."
She nodded. "Any entirely closed metal container will do as long as the entire surface is conductive and you properly insulate the contents," she stated matter of factly. "And for the smallest items probably the easiest way to protect them would be to find as many microwave ovens as possible. Microwave ovens use electromagnetic radiation to cook food, as such they're designed to protect against high energy electromagnetic fields."
Looking around at the storage buildings I nodded. "Good idea, should be a few somewhere in this mess, there should be at least one in the office for the staff if nowhere else. And if worst comes to worst I guess we could loot a department store if we have to."
I turned back to her. "Unless you have something vital you were already doing why don't you gather a group to search for some microwaves or anything we could use to build a couple of Faraday cages. Pick as many as you need and if anyone gives you any lip tell them I said so. If that doesn't convince them tell Ms. Busujima that I asked her to help you convince them otherwise."
"Mr. Brody, a word with you?" A deep voice called out. Recognizing the voice I turned and saw Father Oshiro standing there, surprising me with the sheepish look on his face.
Oh God, now what?
"Yes, Father?" I tried to keep the strain from my voice but from the look on his face I wasn't entirely successful.
"Could we speak in private?" The father said, the big man looking like a kid who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly and under control I agreed to his request and we headed towards the former office for the storage lot. Closing the door behind us and pulling up the chair the manager used to use, I sat down with a thunk and gestured to the other seat across from me. "Take a seat, Father."
He slowly lowered himself into the chair, his bulk making the plastic and metal groan audibly under pressure.
"I have something I must confess." he admitted after a moment. The both of us paused for a moment, taking in the pun he'd just unintentionally made. Both of us snorted at the poor joke and I gestured for him to continue.
Recovering himself he continued: "While you were away taking care of the rest of the students from your school, I made a few calls to people I know. The Church is not particularly large in Japan, but everyone knows everyone here and we always keep in touch. I saw what you were doing here and I contacted a colleague of mine who ministers to the local Boy and Girl Catholic Academies here in the city. The faculty and the students trust him and when I told him I had been shown a safe place had begged him to get as many of the students as he could here he agreed almost instantly. I pray he and his flock will be alright."
I was silent as the grave for several minutes, just taking in the new bomb he'd dropped on me. "So, let me get this straight, you went behind my back, contacted someone I didn't know and never could have vetted. Gave away what could be the difference between life and death for all of us. And now we could have several hundred more terrified and hormonal teenagers barreling their way here… or eaten alive during the trip over if the worst happened… is that right?"
The man was thirty years my senior, an ordained priest, and whom I was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt had been a former Sumo champion, and here he was he was trying his best not to look like a small boy who'd been caught stealing the cookies. "Well, when you put it like that…" he muttered.
Sighing, I simply rubbed the bridge of my nose and gave him a level glance. "You know I wouldn't have turned them away. But it would have been nice to have some forewarning so I could... you know... make arrangements?"
"Sometimes, my son, it is better to ask for forgiveness than it is permission," he smiled. "You should know this fact better than most."
I gave him a flat stare. He just had to bring up Shido. "No. No. You're so not going there."
"Yes," he replied with a smile. "I am so going there."
There was a long silence between us before we began to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. And it was while laughing that I outright told him: "You do realize this means you're going to have to go out and find us more trucks. Right?"
He stopped laughing.
I didn't.