By the time he reached the edge, it was not the heights that halted his pace but the smell. Sure, the dumpsters smelled bad, heck sometimes it smelled like three-week old rotten food. What he smelled was not food. Something he could only describe as dead chattering could be heard just over that half wall that kept people from walking off the roof. Half-expecting the dead to climb up and peek at the fresh meat that arrived… but the movement was subtle. Thinking back to the ones who tried to get into the room, he figured if they couldn't open doors, how could they possibly climb a ladder?
Peering back, he saw most of the students were cowering by the window. Some hadn't even gotten out of the classroom. Others were curled up on the roof at the sight they had seen in the other classrooms. Surely it was enough to make just about anyone to puke, to give up.
Rogers, the PE teacher, focused forward with his eyes glaring at the maintenance ladder, "Kiddo, where are we going now?" He too could hear the chattering, groans, and moans of the dead down below waiting for fresh meat to come dropping down to them.
That was when the jock from before scolded, "What're you guys waiting for!?" He rushed to the ladder, but just as he saw the scene, he barely stopped himself from falling over the metal guard rail around the ladder. "Oh—!"
Before anyone could say a thing, a slimy thick and stretchy rope came flying up and grasping the guy by the throat. A gurgling sound left him and that was the only sound he could make. In seconds blood could be seen gushing out of his mouth before he was yanked straight off the roof and pulled down below. There wasn't even a thud but the incessant sound of gnawing and exaggerated swallowing… as if a human was trying to swallow a body whole without chewing — like a frog.
"Oh my god…" Minmin dropped to her knees and heaved, supporting herself with one hand as Tenzen didn't let go of her wrist. "I don't feel so good…"
The goon from before cursed and kicked the rocks that lined the roof, "Shit!"
"Why didn't you say anything!?" Cried one of the girls. "If he didn't rush for it…"
Though the popular group had caught up with them, the rest of the class was far behind. Still at the windows or in the classroom. It was stupefying to see, but his plan wasn't going to work. He figured as much. A light frowned wasn't enough to describe how he felt now. There were multiple ways off the roof, but very few ended with just a few cuts and bruises. If he were to jump from the roof of the second, there was no real way to land without getting hurt unless it was on a vehicle, like a bus. So his other choices included going back inside, or finding another way off the roof.
Tenzen's gaze draped over the room beside the classroom the group had escaped from. From where he stood he couldn't quite see inside. Though from what he remembered there were at least a dozen ghoulish figures inside when he left. Closing his eyes, he listened to his thoughts as the others bickered. He didn't even process what they were saying. At least until he felt someone press their hands against his chest. Opening his eyes, he lowered his head in level with that of one of the short girls from class. Despite being so small, this girl was largely popular with the boys — which if she wasn't such a royal bitch he'd fall in line behind her — but not with him. She sported a layered bob cut.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Unable to control himself as she shoved at him a second time, the back of his hand mysteriously connected with the side of her face with a loud CA-CRACK. In seconds, she was on her backside.
"W-what the fuck did you do that for!?" Her speech was entirely messed up, her cheek was swollen.
Rogers didn't say a word as the girl was on the verge of tears. He couldn't say anything. No one could. The moment she tried to act the way she usually did, entitled and self-important, she was just asking for it. Tenzen wasn't the type to hold back, but no one in her clique really interacted with him except for the sports teams, nomads, and outcasts, which in reality outnumbered the popular kids. There was a time when a bully decided to pick a fight with him and that simply didn't end well. He didn't fight unless he was physically touched first, with witnesses, of course.
She pointed at Minmin, "Would you rather hold onto that transgender freak rather than me!? A girl on an all boys soccer team — are you serious?"
Hearing the girl exclaim his friend in such a way was distasteful. A violent flash emitted from his eyes. Nonetheless, he only rolled his eyes. Strangely enough, Minmin was just a tomboy who often wore boy's clothes which nowadays wasn't abnormal. Though now that he was thinking about it, he found it rather odd she didn't wear shorts today, under her skirt.
"Tch," The girl scurried to her feet, moving back to the popular kids.
Tenzen really, really, wanted to leave these guys behind. Their arrogance was annoying him. Particularly those who believed they were still relevant over the rest. "Get the other guys out of the classroom, and stay away from the edges… Whatever took Jim can take any of you if you're not careful." There was no denying the words he had given them, nor were they just going to leave the others back in the classroom after it was pointed out they hadn't left themselves. All the same, a couple kids didn't even bother to move while the others ventured back.
"Are you able to stand?" He finally knelt down beside Minmin, gently running a hand down her back.
Almost instinctively she straightened out her back, as if tensing from the touch, her dark eyes darting over to him, shaking. "Y-yeah…" She tried to throw off the feeling but again gave several more dry heaves even after the gnawing stopped. Though the heavy footsteps, no matter how subtle, could be heard from the thing that had eaten a man whole. "J-just don't let go…"
That was when the footsteps stopped and silence took over. Not even the chattering of undead could be heard. Peering toward the ladder he frowned. There was no possible way they had just up and vanished. Unless… They were following routine like the others.
Without warning he felt a strange stinging sensation, followed by pins and needles, before his entire side went numb. Hesitantly with his heart beating out of his chest and cranium, he glanced to his hip and raised both brows. A crystal shard could be seen lodged into his hip and what's worse he couldn't fall onto his side, he could barely move his neck. Without moving his head his gaze flickered to the roof of the third story of the health wing. Up there was a figure with an enlarged arm standing there before hopping off of the other side, he didn't see any other identifying features.
[Evolution Bloodline Detected]! A squeaky voice erupted in the back of his mind, [Activating with hidden genetic markers]. Searing pain ripped through his entire body. Looking at his exposed arm, he watched as a green glow ran up each one of his veins, it wasn't like the infected because they weren't turning black. [Symbiosis activation complete, repairing broken tissue…] Like ice the crystal melted into his side, sealing the wound and covering the punctured area. [...Complete]!
"What the hell was that…?" The Goon from before was staring at him with wide eyes.
Even Rogers was staring at him with eyes as large as saucers. No one knew what to do. If he were them, it was best to think he was infected and do away with him. But he wasn't going to let them just off him like that. No way.
And as he assumed, the Goon flashed a grin after glancing to Minmin then back to him. "He's probably infected. That wasn't any normal kind of projectile!" He pointed to his exposed side, a large puncture point in his blazer and hem of his pants. "See it's… Already healed? Are you some sort of freak…?"
A drum was beating in his ears. No, not just one drum, but over three dozen. Looking to where all of it was coming from, he raised a brow. The other students were making their way over, pulling each other along. Though still three or four of them refused to leave the classroom. And… strangely enough he could sense them in the distance even though he couldn't see them. He was hearing their heartbeats, all going at different paces. As he took a slow inhale, he could also smell them. The very scents and odors he was picking up was almost overwhelming, but it was as if something was taking the stress.
[Hello Master], That voice from before returned, [I am the Blood Evolution Symbiote, One of two. You can call me Bes for short… Try to talk to me with your thoughts. People might think you're insane if you talk to me outloud], it said all at once without a single breath. Simply because it didn't need to breathe like a normal human being. [My purpose is to help you survive, along with those you wish to spare or use to reproduce].
He furrowed a brow at the information, this was becoming a bit too unreal. 'Spare…?'
[In order to evolve and create more kin, you must eat the hearts of others and procreate. Your partners will also evolve to match you each time. By devouring mutated undead, you'll gain their attributes such as strength, intelligence, and even command. It is the same with human beings and animals.]
'So that tongue thing, if I ate it…' there was a brief pause in his thoughts as there was initially no response, until he finished his thought, 'I'd gain a tongue that can yeet someone off a roof?'
[That is known as a Blood Sucker. It wraps around the neck and punctures the throat and artery, and then like a toad swallows the body whole all the while draining it of blood plasma for its second stomach… I didn't expect for you to run into one of them so soon. But for the most part, you'd gain the ability to crawl up walls]. That last piece of information caused him to narrow his eyes forward. Crawling up walls was one of the abilities that creature had? His eyes darted along the edges of the flat stone covered rooftop before he noticed shadows looming over him.
Now everyone was standing around him in a semicircle. Afraid. The goon while he was distracted by this new presence in his body had been talking up a storm. He said Tenzen was infected. Now they were all in the right mind to throw him off the roof, he was using a crowd mentality.
"If he goes… I go!" Snapped Minmin, trading her wrist for her hand within Tenzen's grasp as she forced herself to stand and he followed suit. "I've seen how fast they turn… If he was infected, he would've turned by now!"
"You've only seen what happened once!" Growled the Goon, "Get away from him!"
"Fuck off!" Minmin snapped, putting up the middle finger after wiping her mouth with her forearm. "I already saw the text messages you sent to Cass, Garry... you're not getting' in my pants, ever!"
That was when the crowd snapped, "Get off the roof!" It began to turn into a chant. Both he and Rogers took several steps back, pulling Minmin along with them. Soon, he was standing by the ladder.
When he turned his head, Tenzen was surprised to see nothing waiting down there for them. The zombies had fled or gone somewhere else. That explained quite a bit. "Alright… Minmin, I'll go down first, follow me?"
She nodded, her boyishly short layered her bouncing as she did.
"You coming, Mr.Rogers?" The question was met with a sideways glance and a sheepish nod. What he had said earlier about taking care of a bunch of kids probably got to him. Soon enough, he slid down the ladder and soon those two did the same.
Once on the ground, there was a sudden panic above.
"What the fuck is that!? A human frog!? Gaaaaah—!" A loud thump could be heard followed by a fleshy crunch sound. Someone was just crushed by a supersized toad, at least that is what it sounded like. And from the sounds of it, that had been one of the popular girls from the classroom. But not the small one, at least not…
Suddenly a shadow flew over them and there was a sudden thud in a dumpster right behind him. "What the…?" Peering over his shoulder, Tenzen snorted seeing the fun-sized witch herself popping her head out of the trash. "Heh, isn't it a bit soon to be taking a bath?"
"Shut up…" She murmured before crawling over the side and falling onto her back. "I'm… I'm sorry okay, please. Don't leave me with the others. Th-that guy Garry touched my shoulder a few seconds ago… It didn't feel right, I rather be around you freaks!"
By now Minmin wasn't trembling but that girl who felt her dignity threatened was shaking like a leaf.
Rogers frowned and effectively bopped her upside the head with the side of his palm, moreso messing up her hair than hurting her. "Lesson one, if you want someone to protect you, don't insult them."
"Eeep—!"
He did it again, this time with the back of his hand, "Lesson two, no fighting in the apocalypse."
The girl rubbed her forehead from the second strike, "Ow… Fine… fine… I get it!" She muttered only for Minmin to take her by the wrist. From there the four of them made their way toward the lot.
Just as they got far enough away, he peered over his shoulder. There on the roof the toad had blocked off the route to the ladder. The students were all spread out. A number of them had been squashed like bugs. And what's more, the zombies had broken the windows in the neighboring rooms on the third floor. Someone then had already gotten onto the roof.
[You can't help them]. The Symbiote didn't bother to read his mind. All it wanted to do was make a statement. And he simply agreed to it. Not only had they sent him to his death but he had already wanted to leave them behind since the beginning.
Making it to the Blue Bus previously as planned, he pulled open the electronic padlock and pressed a button under the panel before closing it. In an instant the door sprung open and folded to the side. "Ladies first," Though sarcastic he still gestured for Minmin and the girl to get on. He didn't quite remember her name.
As the two climbed on, he got into the driver's seat before peering over to Rogers watching the roof.
"Time to go," He warned, his finger resting on the button to close the door. As if he had said the magic words the teacher took a step back and climbed up the steps before sitting behind the driver's seat.
His eyes, the entire time, never left the rooftop. As if he was burning the scene into his mind.
"M-My name's Mave, by the way…" Said the short girl, huddled a few seats away.
For the first time he was able to note her features. Wide pretty blue eyes, black hair and a pale freckled face. If he remembered correctly, from that name, she used to be in the Goth clique until she had some sort of falling out with them over a guy. "Now that I think about it… Weren't you known as Snow before?"
"Ahem…" Rogers cleared his throat, causing Tenzen to close the door of the bus and begin his work on the ignition. Now he got to show them something none of them expected, as he began to hotwire the bus.