BANG!
The sound of Don's shotgun rang throughout the store. This followed up with a Chic-Chic sound since he cocked the shotgun. The empty slug flew out and bounced on the ground beside him. He raced out the door after killing the first Yellow Jacket. The door behind him would slam shut as he moved into the store. There was rapid buzzing, and Don saw a wasp flying towards him. Don steadied his aim and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Another wasp went down since it was riddled with holes. Don cocked the shotgun once again and released the empty slug. Another wasp came in from his flank. Don jump back to avoid being pierced by the stinger. The wasps ended up getting stuck on a shelf. It would try to pry its stinger from the shelf, though this did not matter since Don had set his sights on the wasp and pulled the trigger of his shotgun.
BANG!
Another one was down.
Don cocked the shotgun to release the empty shell. His eyes scanned the room. He could hear more buzzing, but it seemed the insects were not coming at him as aggressively as before. Since they were not coming towards him, he decided to go after them.
Don slowly made his way through the store. When they took shelter in that office room, his eyes had already adjusted to the dark. So he didn't have that hard of a time seeing objects. His ears were working just fine as well. The closer the buzzing seemed to get would show how close he was to a wasp. Just as he passed a shelf, a wasp honed in on him. He ducked down to avoid being pierced by the stinger. As the wasp flew past him, he adjusted his aim, steadied himself, and fired the shotgun.
BANG!
Another wasp down. Don cocked his shotgun once more to release the empty shell. From his flank, he heard another buzzing sound that seemed highly close. Don turned away from the dead wasp just in time to see another had flown in to try and sting him. Don brought the butt of the shotgun around and upward to defend against the stinger. Using pure force to deflect the stinger away from him just in time to avoid being pierced; however, the stinger did graze his thigh. Don winched in pain but kept calm and collected. Since he had the barrel already aimed at the wasp's head, he would pull the trigger and blow the bug's head clean off.
BANG!
"Bastard..." Don groaned.
Even if the stinger did not pierce him completely, it still hurt like hell. Don cocked the shotgun once more, which emptied another slug. "One more round. I should have put some slugs in my pockets or something." Don muttered with pain in his voice. It felt like his leg was on fire, and he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs. He bit back the scream and continued to scan the area.
There was no more buzzing, but Don wasn't ready to let his guard down. He slowly made his way through the shop. He forced himself to walk even if his body told him not to. Everything seemed to be in the clear until he noticed several people making their way into the shop. They were groaning and growling like beasts. "You have to be fucking kidding me..." Don groaned.
He leaned against a shelf and set the shotgun beside him before pulling out his two S&Ws to take aim.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The resounding gunshots echoed throughout the walls of the shop. Each time the muzzle flashed, a bullet pierced through the head of the undead and fell to the ground. Don did not waste a single bullet. He used all eighteen rounds, but it still seemed more coming into the shop. "Where the hell did they come from? Why now of all times?" Don complained.
Oddly enough, it seemed that power or Seed wasn't being activated. He didn't have time to run back and alert the others; even if he did call out to them, he did not want them to die. Even if Don was annoyed, he still appeared calm and relaxed. The entire time he complained, he was reloading his guns.
He tossed one of the guns into the air and used his free hand to pull a magazine from his vest pouch. With the mag held in Ice-Pick grip, he ejected the empty magazine into the same hand he had the other mag. Tilting his wrist back, he pushed the new clip into the magazine and used the empty magazine to cock his gun to finish the reloading process before putting away the empty magazine.
The gun he tossed into the air fell right into his now free hand. He tossed the other gun into the air to repeat the same reloading process. With both guns loaded and ready to be used, he aimed and began firing once again.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
After another eighteen rounds, another eighteen undead once again dead. Sadly, it seemed there was another wave. "What the hell is this, zombie survival simulator?" Don grumbled. It wasn't as many as before, but they were closing in on Don's location. Don holstered both S&Ws since he didn't have time to reload.
Instead, he pulled out his 1911 Ruger Commander and aimed at the undead. He killed eight of them before they got too close for comfort. Thankfully there were only two more. Don pulled his shotgun to him and aimed both the shotgun and the 1911 Ruger. One for one undead and the other for another. Don steadied himself to brace for the recoil, then pulled both triggers. Both of the undead were killed.... again.
Don was now empty on everything. His eyes scanned the area to ensure nothing else would come out of hiding. If he had to, he was prepared to use his shotgun as a blunt weapon. If there was anything, it might have been too frightened even to enter the shop. After all, a single man massacred several bugs and eliminated three waves of undead. So if there was anything, it pretty much decided to NOPE THE FUCK OUTTA there. Don holstered his 1911 Ruger and picked his shotgun up. The leg the wasp gazed at was now feeling numb, but he needed to tell everyone the coast was clear. So he used the shotgun as a walking stick, and when he approached the door, he banged on it a few times. "All clear!" Don shouted.
Jake opened the door to see Don was covered in bug bits and fluids. Not necessarily from head to toe, but it was enough to leave an impression. "How many bugs were out there?" Jake asked as he fully opened the door. Don was leaning against the wall outside. "About four..." Don replied. Jake gave him a confused look since he heard several gunshots. "But then, what else did you shoot at?" Jake asked, and Don shook his head. "I don't want to talk about it. Can we get moving?" Don brushed off his question. "Yeah. Let's go, everyone. The coast is clear." Jake alerted the others, and everyone seemed relieved and happy.
Once everyone was out of the office room, they made their way to the front of the shop. Don was still using the shotgun as a walking stick which caused April to ask what had happened. "Just a graze," Don replied. "I'll help you," April said as she took the side Don was limping on. "Same." Rebecca added and took Don's other side. This helped stabilize his movement.
"What the hell is this!?" Jake shouted as he saw the many undead bodies lying on the ground. The other group was just as astonished. Rebecca and April looked in the direction Jake was in. He was a bit further ahead of everyone. When they approached Jake, they saw the undead bodies that littered the floor. "Holy shit..." Rebecca muttered. "Don, did you?" April looked at Don. "Fuck zombie simulator..." Don grumbled. If the scene before them wasn't so dumbfounding, they might have had a laugh or two at Don's remark.
"They won't get back up, will they?" One of the women in the other group asked. "Once you destroy the brain, they stay down for good. All of the shots I took were headshots. So they will remain down for good. Just keep moving. Jake, make sure there isn't anything else outside." Don explained before giving Jake an order.
"Sure... just remind me never to piss you off." Jake swallowed heavily before making his comment which caused Don to smirk. They all made their way outside of the store. Jake saw nothing around them. Hell, it looked like even more of a ghost town before than when they entered the shop.
Once they were outside, the day shifted to afternoon, maybe even dusk. Were they in the store for that long? Probably. April and Rebecca let Don rest against the shop building, and the other group seemed more than happy to be outside.
"Don!" April exclaimed when she saw his leg. It was swollen and looked mildly infected. "April, can you clean out the wound? Rebecca, go through my bag and pull out some medication and bandages. Jake, can you keep watch?" Jake had rushed over towards him. He saw just how badly Don was sweating now. April squatted down to feel his forward.
"Don's burning up! Rebecca, hurry!" April exclaimed as Rebecca went through Don's traveling bag beside him. She pulled out a few water bottles, medical tape, bandages, peroxide, and gauze. Jake nodded to Don to show confirmation before keeping an eye on the surrounding area. The other group was standing there with worry and concern. After all, the only reason they were alive was because of Don. Sure they did not know the man, but he was someone who saved them. They did not want him to die.
April pulled out her hunting knife and tore through the fabric around Don's leg to remove it and allow room for blood to flow. She would then take the bottle of peroxide and begin pouring the liquid on Don's wound, which sizzled loudly and foamed up. Don winched in pain and grasped his other leg tightly. "Son of a bitch!" Don cursed out loud.
"I know, I know... just hang in there." April began dapping the wound with clean gauze, then poured some water onto the wound before pouring more peroxide. Rebecca offered Don some fever reducers, painkillers, and a bottle of water that he gluttonously consumed. Once April cleaned the wound, she would bandage it and wrap it in medical tape.
"That is the best we can do for now. The swelling should go down naturally, and we already cleaned the wound out. So just remain hydrated and give it time." April commented before looking up at Don. "Thanks a bunch." Don gave her a weak smile. April wasn't too happy with what was going on. "Don... you promised." April muttered. "Am I dead?" Don retorted. April's lips curved into a deep frown since Don was probably just blowing this off. "Well, no, but..." Don took her hand in his hand.
"Then there is nothing to worry about. We'll probably have to rest here for a moment. I need to regain some feeling in my leg before we can move. Afterward, we are heading back to base." Don commented. After which, he closed his eyes and let his body relax.
"Is he going to be okay?" Rebecca asked with a worried expression. "For now, yes. He just needs to rest for a moment. It would be best to head back once he wakes up. Staying out here isn't the best option for us." April replied while holding Don's hand. "I see. Since you seem to know what you are doing, I will trust your word. I'll have talked with the other group. Remain here, okay?" Rebecca would state. However, she did not have to tell April to remain by Don's side since the girl planned on doing it regardless if someone told her to or not.
The other group looked at Rebecca as she approached them. "Is he going to be okay?" The man asked, and Rebecca nodded. "He is a tough bastard. Something like that won't kill him." Rebecca answered with a smile on her face, although, on the inside, she was worried. Sure, Don was tough.
She knew he was probably used to these things, but this wasn't their world. That sting wasn't from an ordinary wasp. Who knew what would have happened to Don if April had not cleaned and dressed the wound? "Well, that is good. If you do not mind me asking... why were you all here?" The man asked another question. "We were searching for food and water." Rebecca replied. "Ah. That man on the roof took everything to the rooftop with him. If there is anything left, it would be with him." The man explained. "Oh? Do you know how to get to the roof?" Rebecca asked, and the man nodded and pointed at the shop. "Behind the building, there is a ladder you can use. Before you go, can I ask you for a favor?" The man had this hopeful look in his eyes.
"If it is within my power, I will do my best to help you." Rebecca replied. She wasn't heartless. If anything, she felt it best to help other friendly survivors. The man nodded graciously, "Thank you. Can you ask your Leader if we can accompany you? If not us, then can you at least take my wife and child?" The man asked.
"What!?" Catalina, the man's wife, exclaimed. "Are you being serious!?" The woman exclaimed. The man turned towards her, "I am. These people seem nice and reasonable. If I can make sure you two are safe, then I do not care what happens to me." The man remarked.
In contrast to the shivering mess he was when Don found them, he did remain at the front of the group as a line of defense instead of hiding behind them. "Papa?" The child asked since she overheard the conversation. "Are you going away?" The man smiled softly.
"It is only for a little while. You will be safe with these nice people, and your mother will be with you." The man spoke gently to his daughter. The child shook her head and rushed to her father. She hugged him tightly. "No! Don't go!" The child exclaimed in protest. Rebecca watched the scene play out. She did not find it right to separate a child from their family, but the real question was if Don would care.
"No need to worry. I will convince Don to allow all of you to come along." Rebecca stated. Was she capable of doing that?
The man turned from his daughter towards Rebecca in awe but smiled. "Thank you! Thank you so very much!" The man was overjoyed. He didn't have to leave his daughter's side. Rebecca smiled lightly before turning on her heel to head toward the back of the shop. When she arrived, she saw the ladder the man spoke of.
She climbed the ladder, and when she reached the rooftop, she saw the corpse. She also saw a large duffle bag. She made her way over to the bag and unzipped it. She looked through it and found several canned goods and bottles of water. She saw a box of rounds and magazine clips meant for the rifle the man had been using.
She zipped up the bag and hoisted it over her shoulder. She scanned the rooftop for the rifle, and when she found it, she decided to bring it with them. It was a decent rifle. Well, in her eyes. She wasn't a gun enthusiast. It was pretty weighty and had an excellent scope and decent hand grip. The stock was also pretty comfortable. Regardless, she decided to bring it along. Thankfully it had a strap so she could wrap it over her shoulder and carry it against her back along with the bag.
Rebecca carefully descended the ladder. She did not want to slip and fall with all the weight she was carrying. A breath of relief escaped her lips when her feet touched solid ground. She made her way back around to the front of the shop.
Everything seemed to be relatively peaceful and quiet. "I found the supplies." Rebecca stated when she regrouped with everyone. Jake, April, and the other group looked in her direction. "And that?" Jake asked, pointing at the rifle. "It was the gun that man was shooting at us with." Rebecca answered. "I figured it would come in handy. Although, I am pretty sure the only one who can use this is Don." Rebecca added.
Jake shifted his attention from the rifle towards Don, who was still resting. April had looked down at Don. She would wipe away sweat with some of the gauze she decided to keep on hand. "When do you think he will wake up?" Jake asked openly.
"Not sure." Rebecca remarked.
"It should be soon." April replied.
Everyone decided to rest easy and keep a lookout while waiting for Don to wake up. It was all they could do. Even if one of them wanted to scout around, it seemed like a terrible idea. Don was the only one who seemed combat capable. Not even to mention, he could of deal with multiple targets at a time. Sure, April knew how to use a bow, and she was pretty damn good at it, but that was it.
If anything, April was like their sniper. Rebecca practiced with firearms and took a few martial classes, but she had never been in a street fight or shot at a living target. As for Jake, his background was mysterious, but he didn't seem like someone who could take on a group of thugs alone. Then there was the other group; they were clearly not combat-orientated. So if anyone got into some deep shit, no one could bail them out as quickly as Don could. It was sad, but it was the truth.