Chereads / ZO2014: Extinction / Chapter 42 - Black Widow (1st Cour Finale)

Chapter 42 - Black Widow (1st Cour Finale)

Andy lowered the fireworks box, coughing blood as he wiped his mouth. Gazing up, he saw the horde getting closer. "I don't think I have much time," he winced, stumbling toward the window Bob climbed out of.

 

Surveying the chaos around the cabins, he sighed. "This is a mess." Climbing out of the window, he fell onto the grass, using the wall to balance as biters closed in.

 

Glancing at the cabins and then the approaching horde, he took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay." With the loudest scream he'd ever produced, nearby biters turned toward him, limping. Sprinting towards the cabins, he yelled, "FOLLOW ME, ASSHOLES!" banging on windows as he entered the final cabin.

 

Debris fell as the fire worsened. Andy eyed a baseball bat left behind.

 

Quickly picking it up, he turned to face entering biters. "You will die with me." Grinning, he swung at a biter, black blood splattering on a nearby window.

 

Coughing from the smoke, he dodged a falling log, wincing as he stood up. A biter reached for him, and he swung. "COME ONNN!" he screamed, windows shattering, biters crawling through.

 

A biter smashed a window, grabbing Andy's arm. Pulling him over, it bit into his arm. Screaming, he swung the bat, hitting the biter repeatedly, blood splattering.

 

Pulling away, arm bleeding, he turned to the limping biters. Breathing in, he swung the bat, colliding with a biter's head.

 

Cody's eyes widened at the horde stretching from the road to the camp. The bus lights illuminated the approaching biters. "Rose," he looked at the group in the bus, all jumbled up.

 

"We have to help!" Cody hissed. Ed backed up. "Don't even try. We are getting out of here!" Cody sprinted towards Ed, crowbar in hand, opening the doors.

 

Aya followed him. Mr. Peterson tried to chase, but Guts blocked him. "I'll chase after 'em," Guts spoke, running out to follow the two.

 

Spike and Bandy looked at Mr. Peterson. "What are we doing?" Spike walked toward the front. "We have to leave. Guts will make sure the two are okay," Ed said.

 

Spike shook his head. "There could still be others alive in there." Ed continued to back up as biters followed the bus.

 

Cody dashed through the woods, eyeing the horde on the road. "I wonder how many there really are," he whispered to Aya, glancing at her as she analyzed the horde.

 

"We cannot handle that size. Not even with the people we have," Aya spoke as Guts patted them from behind. "You're right, Aya. I have an idea. But please, do not freak out." He pointed at a straggler, a lone biter.

 

"We need that beauty," Guts snickered before emitting a sharp whistle, alerting the lone biter. Cody scanned the surroundings, the horde's attention briefly on them but then continued onward.

 

The biter limped over as Guts raised his fists and swung. The biter stumbled back, growling. Guts swung once more, finishing it.

 

Kneeling down, Guts was asked, "What are we doing?" Cody inquired. Guts pulled out his knife. "I've seen people do this tactic before." Cody raised an eyebrow, quickly answered by Guts' swift swing, the knife plunging into the biter's stomach.

 

Cody let out a disgusting groan; Aya looked away. "Don't worry. Just don't get any on cuts, wounds, eyes, or mouth. The usual," Guts informed before dragging the blade along.

 

"And don't worry. I'll do it for you guys." Guts reassured them with a smile.

 

Mars limped towards an exit, vision blurring. "Shit," he mumbled to himself. Gripping the assault rifle, he observed biters limping out of the exit, slowly disappearing from view.

 

Leaning against metal walls, Mars inched closer to the exit, grunting. "Come on." Finally, his body caved in, falling to the ground as he groaned. "Come on, body," he spoke to himself, struggling to get up.

 

Using all his strength, Mars slowly stood up as a group of biters approached. Swinging the butt of the rifle, he knocked a biter to the ground.

 

Stumbling, he aimed the rifle and shot the biter, then turned the rifle toward another group, pulling the trigger only to hear a disappointing click. "Shit." He backed up slowly.

 

A black-bloodied hand gripped the gate entrance, Guts peeked, his dark armor covered in the remnants of blood and guts.

 

"It's fine," Guts whispered before strolling into the camp, Cody and Aya trailing behind, their clothes stained with biter blood and innards.

 

A biter turned to face Cody as he breathed in slowly; the biter growled before limping away. Aya rested a hand on his shoulder. "Stay close." Aya smiled and began walking; Cody followed without hesitation.

 

Cody's eyes widened when he saw the cabins on fire, the biters entering the cafeteria. Suddenly, a shatter echoed from nearby the cabins.

 

Guts turned to the noise. "This way." Guts pointed at the three cabins. Cody nodded as they walked toward the cabins, biters limping past them, some right next to them.

 

Then, a biter crawled out of the back window of the third cabin, just as it collapsed downward, crashing and killing dozens of biters.

 

The biter looked up at the sky; Cody stared at the biter, his eyes slowly widening. Aya stopped walking, a frown growing on her face.

 

Guts stared at the biter, turning to the two. "You two knew him more than I did." Guts slowly faced the biter.

 

The biter looked at Cody and Aya, growling before looking around even more. Cody approached it, making out more of his features. It was Andy, he had just turned, brand new.

 

Cody looked at Andy, a sad frown on his face as he knelt down. Andy looked up at him, they made brief eye contact, Andy's milky white eyes staring back at him.

 

"I-I'm," Cody stopped, Andy began to growl, now recognizing Cody as food. He teared up. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't have left so soon." He spoke in a low tone.

 

"I'm sure you did your best to save the others." He breathed in, gripping the crowbar. "I will remember you."

 

Cody finally jabbed the sharp end of his crowbar into Andy's head, putting him out of his misery. A single tear rolled down Cody's cheek as he tried to pull the crowbar out, but it was stuck.

 

Cody wiped his tears away, Aya grabbed the crowbar and helped him pull it out. Aya, her eyes filled with tears, gave him a hug.

 

Guts looked at Andy's body, then he looked back at the two. "Let's go." He sighed; Cody nodded as Guts began walking. Cody stood up and followed.

 

Aya followed Cody as she gave Andy's body one final glance.

Mars shoved a biter back, falling against a tree; he let out a groan. "Guess this is it," he mumbled, staring at the biters heading towards him.

 

He chuckled and looked up at the night sky. "Since the world ended, we can now see the stars," he noted.

 

He then looked at the biters, slowly closing his eyes, ready for his fate. Suddenly, a fist collided with a biter's head, sending it falling down.

 

There stood Guts as he grabbed another biter and swung twice, black blood splattering; he dropped the body and swung again.

 

Cody jabbed the crowbar in the back of a biter's head before Aya jabbed her knife at the top of a biter's skull, hearing the crack, it ceased to exist.

 

Cody then swung at the final biter, looking at Mars. Guts reached out for Mars. "Need help, partner?" Guts grinned.

 

Mars grabbed his hand. "So glad you are here. It's Doro; he attacked us by Hora's orders. He knew it's us. This was personal. I don't know where the others are. I saw some of the others escape."

 

"Where did Rose go?" Cody asked. "She left with Emmy, Dr. Newton, and possibly a few others." Mars responded; Guts looked down at Mars' leg.

 

"We need to get that cleaned up." Mars looked at the camp. "Let's get the hell out of here." Guts nodded. "Yeah, let's go." Guts patted his back as the four of them began to retreat into the woods, the night fading away.

 

As daytime approached, back at a heavily gated outpost, soldiers stood on the guard towers, looking off into the ruined city. They weren't too far from the city.

 

"Operation Eclipse was a success," Doro spoke through the walkie-talkie. On the balcony of a fancy complex, sat a figure on a chair, a glass of whiskey in hand.

 

A walkie-talkie on the glass table. The figure wore black boots, a white commander's cloak, which swayed in the wind. Suddenly, the figure's finger pressed on the transmission button.

 

Then, a deep familiar voice spoke out. "Good. Any report on casualties?" Doro answered back. "About the whole camp. The others are currently in progress."

 

"Hora." Doro spoke out. His brown hair swaying, he had blue eyes. He pressed the button again. "Yes?"

 

"When are they coming back?" Hora twirled his shot glass around before taking a sip. "Soon." He looked over at a green helicopter coming from the distance.

 

In the helicopter sat the two pilots. "Not much of a talker, eh?" The pilot spoke, looking back from behind.

 

There sat a guy, in a black soldier's uniform. His black short hair swayed from the movements of the helicopter. He looked over at the pilot, his blue eyes sinking into their souls. "So… Riot." The pilot spoke.

 

"You're the only black widow that remains?" Riot, his gaze fixated on the pilot, bandages on his cheeks and knuckles. Riot stayed silent.

 

"Well. It was a hell hole there. Being in the center of it. I didn't know them much. But they were your lads." The pilot continued.

 

Riot, an emotionless look on his face. "Hora's been wanting to chat to you about… traitors…" He pressed on.

 

Riot tilted his head, finally saying something. "Who?" The pilot, however, stayed silent. Riot, weirded out by the silence, looked away, looking out the windows, seeing the outpost from afar.

 

"Are you glad to be back?" The pilot finally broke the silence; Riot, looking at the pilot. "Yes. Yes, I am." Riot spoke, a sort of robotic tone to his voice.