After a leg chafing ascent up fifty-flights of stairs onto the rooftop of an old office building lying somewhere on the outskirts of Scarlett City, I found Izumi curled up in a heap of foil blankets, shivering from the bitter cold of night.

Out of the reach of the inner-city lights dipping far into the clouds, the confines of the large tent-like structure ‘PEDSS’ was unreasonably dark. The only way I noticed Izumi was by the crinkling and brief reflections of the foil blanket amid the shadows.

“Izumi?” I whispered, but she had already been asleep for quite some time. I couldn’t sleep, or rather; didn’t want to sleep. Not after I had killed, again- and no, I’m not counting the Savagers back at my School. Those dumbasses did it to themselves, and I'm not in the mood for Story Time.

“No lights.” Liger muttered as focused on a strange device in his lap as he dangled his legs over the roof’s imposing gable.

Down below, the fifty-odd stories made the cars appear as if they were die-cast toys, and the few street-lamps that were still functioning revealed the swarming hordes of Undead shambling through the streets in their vast numbers.

“Lights?” I repeated curiously.

“Hand me your X-Bracelet.”

For one reason or another, I spun my small computerized bracelet off my wrist and into Liger’s possession without question.

“I apologize for being preemptive, but I cannot have you jeopardize our location. Light sources may give us away, and with no way down other than the two stairwells, we-.”

“Alright-alright. I wasn’t going to ask anyway. Without an MacroSD, it’s kinda useless since my model has very little internal memory.”

That, and I can always loot another, perhaps even a newer generation that I 'might' have already taken note of back at that Electronics Outlet sitting in its jewel display. But that would be an adventure for another day, right now; I needed to alleviate the boredom.

With my arms apart, I began to balance along the narrow ledge, but soon after I caught Liger staring down at the bracelet, completely disinterested in his previous task with the strange device with a pistol grip.

“Will you mind if I hold onto it then?" He asked after a short while. "It will put my mind at ease knowing that you will not jeopardize-.”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever. You said it twice now... Do you really expect me to get us all killed?”

“Perhaps not intentionally, but in all likeliness if I may be blunt; based on your previous actions, probability favors you will be to blame.”

“Such a fair assessment when you're wearing quarter inch steel-plate and Izumi is curled up sleeping! Of course I'd have to be the one to get us killed if we were to see some more action!” And then, curiosity got the better of me. "You mean you're going to stick around? There IS going to be more action?"

“Until I can establish contact with the main body of the Convoy, I will set my secondary objectives to keep you and your friend safe.”

Pivoting on my heel, I fanned my skirt and my arms about like the blades of a helicopter before coming to a rest on the ledge directly in front of the brooding Soldier.

“So, what happens to us when you meet up with your buddies? Every man for themselves?”

“I suppose we will have to face that reality when we get there. For now, rest assured; I will do everything in my ability to keep you safe. That is my sworn duty as an Officer.”

“Abilities? What kind are we talk’n bout? Super Jump, Rocket Fists, Laser Eyes?”

“You misheard me. That information is Classified.”

As I rolled my eyes, I leaned back to the fullest extent over the roofs edge.

“Guess you better have ‘No Fall Damage’ enabled, because you have officially bored me to death.”

For the first time, Liger’s eyes went wide.

Of course, by now you've probably caught on to my antics; I had taken into account that there was a fire-escape not but a meter below the small overhang. What I hadn’t planned for was to fall through the rusty metal flooring, or for Liger to actually catch me despite what I could not predict. But once I was back up to the general safety of the rooftop, I found my boredom satiated for the time being as I was too preoccupied with licking my wounds; namely my pride.

“Do you require medical attention? If not, I need to prioritize tomorrow’s sortie. I do not have sufficient food, water or medical supplies for three people.”

A couple of cuts and scrapes wouldn’t bother me when I've already accumulated enough scars to play connect-the-dots. Still, I couldn’t pretend to be nonchalant when I have a mysterious soldier fiddling away on something likely to be classified technology within earshot.

I'll blame my determination to make Liger spill those secret beans from the endorphins released from my near death experience. My heart pounded so hotly in my head that it made for good social lubricant, and well, if I'm honest; a bit horny.

“If you could fix my tailbone maybeeee~ I’d be able to sit still or even maybeeee~ I'll go to sleep!”

Completely taken by surprise, Liger arose from his position with such force that he had launched the device from his lap only to catch it before going over the edge.

“If I am able to reduce your pain, will you betray me?” He looked down to me with a peculiar glint in his eyes .

I couldn’t help but to snicker at this sudden burst of emotion. Finally, after all that poking and prodding, that ‘Humanity Dial’ setting is starting to show, and I'm beside myself with how well he sold that earnesty!

“Betray is a strong word, Heheh. Whatcha’ got for me? A massage~?”

“Diketrophine in oral form. It is a composite opiate developed to treat injuries in the heat of a Firefight. It is very powerful… Now that I think of it; perhaps too powerful… I have seen half a tablet allow treatment of a partial amputation on a Soldier while they were completely lucid…”

“Wha-!? You can’t dangle the carrot! Ugh! It’s not like it would be my first rodeo with recreationals!”

“Was that an admission to the illegal use of narcotics?”

“G-Gah!? You're impossible, you know that!? J-Just! Argh! You want me quiet, right!? So then; do you want me to drop my pants or are you going to give me the freaking pill!? Or both… preferably both… I really could use a massage~~.”

Sighing, Liger retrieved a knife from a small scabbard on his boot sending me into a stammering panic only to find a white sliver of a white substance find its way into my palm.

“That is 1/8th of a tablet. Knock yourself out, please.”

I have been here before.

Sometimes it’s the bottom of a bottle, other times its a little orange speckled pill, rarely a needle. You know what’s funny? Okay, maybe not so much humorous, rather an appreciation for the irony of how judgmental I used to be, that is; until I took the advice of a Hobo I met when I managed to run away from my Owner for the very first time.

That night, I wanted nothing more than to die. Really, just to jump off a Pier or anything; so long as it was painless. (In hindsight, I realized drowning is anything but.) Then, a grubby old man appeared out of nowhere, stopped me, and smiled.

“You’re not allowed to do this.” He laughed. His breath smelled like the embodiment of a ‘shit eating grin’. Hell, I wouldn't doubt that's all he ever ate.

“You’re not allowed to throw in the towel. Not until you’ve experienced everything.”

Then it was my turn to laugh, although in silent sarcasm.

A person- no, a Creature like me has known only persecution, and like many of the other Beastkins; ‘legal’ slavery. Yeah, I have a rain-check for never experiencing anything by default, not when my Master pulls my strings. Even Nature seeks to destroy us; without life-extending D.N.A Stabs; medicine to stabilize the deterioration of our D.N.A, our bodies and minds decay rapidly.

And you wanna know what the icing on the cake is?

Too bad, I'm going to tell you anyways!

This human standing here before me is more capable of experiencing ANYTHING! Even he could be my Master! Only humans, Pures or Pure- Bloods, are not bound by the regulations barring me from purchasing the DNA Stabs myself, yet he is alone, a Master of Nothing- other than filth and stench!

But for some reason, my anger and envy did not bubble to the surface, rather, it was my curiosity that decided my next choice of words.

“I don’t understand. There isn’t enough time in the world for anyone to experience everything.”

“Then experience anything! You may as well stick a needle in your arm and delay the inevitable. People can recover from all sorts of things. But never from death. Death is final, death is defeat, death is absolute. But pain is temporary, even if it is of the heart- the worst pain of all! Who knows? Maybe you’ll buy yourself enough time to find something worth living for. Heaven knows I’ve been waiting. Impatience is but a single regret.”

And well… you can guess, I followed that advice to some extent because here I am. But it was my Owner who had already been forcing illicit substances down my throat, I just learned to accept them. Hell, at times even steal and sell them so that I could make myself a nest egg for my next attempt at escaping the bastion of glass in the hopes that I could walk amid the glittering lights below.

The old man spouted some other things; like finding a purpose and all those typical self-help platitudes that didn’t, and still don't mean a damn thing. He even told me that I probably wouldn’t remember half of what he said anyways, that part he was right about. But I do remember what he said as we parted. Surely, looking back on it he must have meant it to make the entire thing so memorable.

“I like my women like fried-chicken. Don’t matter if it’s white are dark meat, it’s all about the breast and thighs.”

Crazy old fuck. Replaying that in my mind always lightens my mood, and in a way, the anticipation for life's next curve ball has me craving to go and find it myself. A Master of ‘Nothing’ is still a Master of 'Something'. That’s how I filed away the memory, and now; as I roll the bitter pill over my tongue, I realized in all likeliness he had died some time ago, whether it be old age or these damn Zombies. This one is for him.

Now that my ears are attentive and I’m used to carrying around this heavy heart, I longed for the old man’s company, and to hear those tales with eyes wide open. Perhaps there were other things that may have changed my outlook on this miserable world, but alas I digress.

The Sky?

Since when was it red?

Ah, of course; a flare…

It’s light, dim but far reaching, I lost myself to the warm glow as I finally laid my head down.

“Everything is alright.” Even if it’s just the pill speaking in my stead, I meant it. “If I were to be eaten by Zombies or violated by Savagers, I would still be alright. Perhaps even too alright... I'm already restless...”

From my head, down to my toes and fingertips; a warm buzz lifted my spirit to its feet, caressing it more personally than anything physically possible. Then, a faint thumping traversed the ground and into my body. It was Liger’s heavy footfalls making towards the stairwell.

“Where are you going?” I asked, stewing in my blissful stupor. “I’m cold, come warm me up! Where’s that massage? Hehe~.”

His footsteps… they stopped, just above my head, but I couldn’t see. Not with my bangs shielding my eyes from the flare’s intense light tendrilling through the edifices of the West Mining Colony's forest of chimneys blanketing the horizon.

“That flare is near the vicinity of the Convoy I am charged with protecting.”

“Yeah, or it could be a trap. It is most often always a trap, ya know? That could be anyone’s flare.”

“That is logical, even so; I must take the chance and assist my allies.”

“At least tuck me in first before you leave. You can’t just leave me out here in the cold.”

In closing my eyes, I felt the edges of a blanket tuck beneath me moments before the access door to the rooftop swung closed with a resounding thump.

“Uhm… Else…?”

Torn from the brink of slumber, I leaped to my feet. There I found Izumi leaning cautiously out of the PEDSS Tent, calling out to me from the shadows. Her eyes were swollen, likely from that strange gel-spray Liger used against me. Even so, she still managed to recognize me.

“Izumi!” I cheered, teetering over to her side. But it seemed that my energy frightened her, so instead of giving her a big squeeze, I settled for falling flat on my face.

“E-Else? A-Are you okay?!”

To be honest, I couldn’t feel a damn thing. Well, other than being a little more than a 'bit' horny, but that’s entirely another matter.

“I’m peachy!!”

“Why are you… naked… and what was that Soldier doing here?!”

Little did I know that the ‘Blanket’ Liger had tucked beneath me was my own shirt I must have taken off around the time I laid down. Izumi’s eyes weren’t quivering with embarrassment anyway. Those ocean blues were quaking with fear. The last time she was conscious she had a gun aimed at Liger, so I'm rather surprised by her tenacity. I half-expected Izumi to outright faint.

“Don’t worry about him, he’s harmless.”

“B-But why are you shirtless!?"

“Oh, so that’s what it looks like to you! I see- I see-. Guess that means when Soldier Boy gets back, he’s gonna have his way with you next! Haha~!”

Not only did Izumi turn to stone, I found that her eyes lost their discernible spark. For an athlete, it seems that beyond her fit exterior there was a soft, malleable nougat inside that I couldn’t resist.

“I’m jus mess’n with you Zoomie! No need to go all stiff on me! -Lemme fondle you!”

“S-Seriously Else! Where are we? What happened!?”

“I dunno, on some rooftop it looks like. You need to relax~. I’m sure Soldier Boy will be back before sunrise so c’mon! Let’s get warm together beneath the blankets!”

Frowning, Izumi pulled a crinkly foil sheet around herself in defense.

“But~I’m~freezing~!” I whined, making a grabby-hand motion towards Izumi’s foil-wrapped outline of her breasts.

“What has gotten into you, Else?! Are you-… Are you on something!?”

In a prowling motion, I crawled forward with a snicker. “Wanna find out~? Hehe~!”

Drip.

Drip.

Blood.

I could barely see it, but it had accumulated at Izumi’s heel. My senses that had once been fleeting now, for the most part, came back to me, and just in time too; for in the next moment I witnessed Izumi’s consciousness fade and her knees buckle.

“Izumi!”

She was shaking, and then I happened to notice that her pupils had not dilated in the low-light.

“H-Hey, I’m the one who should be acting all black-out drunk!?! Zoomie, can you hear me?”

In taking my hand, Izumi motioned towards her abdomen.

“I think… I’m… having a miscarriage.”

Near hyperventilating, Izumi cleared her throat for the hundredth time as she continued to avoid looking me directly in the eyes.

“A-Are you pulling my leg? How can you be pregnant?”

The moment she averted her gaze, it was instinct that told me what she says is true. But how? With whom? I can’t even remember how long the world has been like this and she was the sole survivor I discovered on School grounds.

“I shouldn’t be more than… hrrmmm-six-six weeks! My Boyfriend and I-err…”

I could recall the time when I found her hidden away in the janitorial closet. There had been a Zombie pawing at the door, its fingers ripped to the bone from having torn at the same spot for so long.

A young boy, about the same age as she… We had only just graduated our third-term when the infection became widely known…

“Momma wanted an arranged marriage… Papa said we hadn’t any money… I was going to be sold overseas… to someplace I never heard of to a person I had never seen- but I met this boy right before we moved into our fourth term… we fell in love… and I was stupid… so very stupid… things move so fast, I just wanted to be the one to make a decision for once, you know?”

“Hey-hey-hey!” I tutted. “You’re going to be fine. I’ll get Soldier Boy back here on the double, alright? He’ll know what to do, so save your energy. You can tell me all about it when I get back, okay?”

“You’re gonna leave me, again…?” Izumi’s eyes quivered as I brought a satchel from the PEDSS tent to rest behind her head.

“I promise I won’t leave you like this ever again. Let’s get you wrapped up tight. No more shivering, okay? We don’t know anything yet so it’s best not to assume. Deep breaths!”

As I ran a thumb over her forehead, I noted that she had been sweating against the cold of the night, but all I could do to continue to reassure Izumi was to offer platitudes that were both empty and filled with uncertainties.

“I’ll be right back!” I reiterated. “Just hold it together a little longer!”

By now, the guiding light of the flare receded beneath the roof's gable as if it were a star falling below the horizon. Without it, my chances of finding Liger amid the undead hordes and undergrowth of the concrete jungle were next to none. Still, I had to try.

****BOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!****

The solid concrete roof beneath my feet shook as reverberations rattled the remaining windowpanes from their joists causing a terrible clamor. The source, although distant, was just off to the right of where the flare had fallen, away from the derelict highway and intersection where a bulk of the undead horde reside.

“D-Don’t leave…” Izumi whimpered, though I should not have been able to perceive except for my hearing had become heightened, a product of my Oni-Nature when my adrenaline soars.

One last time I turned to her and smiled with excessive care to ensure that my uncertainty would not be discovered. – And there it was! Although nearly hidden out of sight behind her arms cradling her knees, Izumi returned a faded smile.

That’s it.

That’s all I needed to slam my shirt back on and make for the fire escape, and within seconds; I had my fingers wrapped around the fire-escape’s flimsy ladder braced for an immediate descent.

With a kick of the release pin, the collapsible ladder unhinged from its doubled over position, sliding down in length until the legs struck the lower platform where I then repeated the action of riding the lower ladder to the very bottom.

In dusting off the tattered remains of my sleeves, I noticed my hands had been blistered, worn from the combat of the previous day.

“I need a weapon…” I said to myself as I kept to the shadows beneath the storefront overhangs, steering clear of the loosely scattered pockets of undead fumbling in the low light.

As an Oni, my night perception easily rivaled that of a cat, making it easy to see in the dark only once I’ve been given ample time to adjust. Were it not for Zombies being completely disinterested in the light shining off my retinas, my advantage would be a dead giveaway to my location, and in the past it often caused me more trouble than it had ever been worth.

“Tapetum Lucidum… I hate that I can remember what that reflective layer behind the retina is called… I hate hearing; ‘Those eyes, what spark! They’re like stars! And all that cringe inducing mush that spilled out of my Owner's putrid mouth.

Just when my foreboding thoughts were becoming too intoxicating to stomach, the sound of metal on metal echoing out from the street stole my attention. Not but ten meters in front of me, the remnants of burned out vehicles lay twisted and smoldering.

*Clang-Clang!*

At the main point of impact where the pile of vehicles became an indiscernible mass, I found a body burned beyond recognition, seizing and hissing in an attempt to break free from the seatbelt that had been seared into its body. Beyond the large, overturned 18-Wheeler and its crumpled cargo tank at the center of the wreckage, the low hanging Flare loomed, nearly indistinguishable from the tree line of a Digital-Park where pollutants in the air where once removed through synthetic trees.

From the cacophony caused by the Zombie I have dubbed 'Bacon Crisp', the others were drawn to the commotion providing me a chance to clamber on top the roof of a refrigerated truck to gain a better vantage point so that I may survey my surroundings.

Of course; the moment I use a dash of logic the world comes to an end. Namely; my foot went through the protective covering of the refrigeration unit striking the fan which had been so incredibly rusted that it dissolved creating a racket all of its own as the bits and pieces fell throughout the insides of the machine.

“Damnit!” I seethed, pulling myself up to a large fuse box ingrained in a nearby building just as the Zombies took notice and began to encircle the overturned truck.

**PSHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEWWWW!!!**

“M-MY-EYES!?!” I squinted, nearly losing my grip on the metal ledge.

Another Flare!?

It was close! Very close! And… it had been shot at an angle, as if the user is... on the move?

Without any warning to avert my gaze, the afterimage of the initial burst had been seared into my retinas making it impossible to see the path ahead, let alone my own hand when waft in front of me. But after a good minute of rubbing my eyelids, I managed to blink my surroundings into a half-perceptive blur.

Just when gnarled hands of the undead were pawing at my ankles, I leapt then clambered onto the narrow ledge of a large box-sign of a store overhang that only just took my weight. After teetering to the opposite end of the signage, a large gable covering a valet entrance allowed me to build up enough speed to put some distance between me and the zombies as I hit the ground running.

“Where are you Liger!? Izumi needs ya!?” I grumbled as I kicked off the face of a Zombie that had been devouring one of its own just as it turned towards me.

*popop-popopop!*

*tatatatata-tat-tat!!*

My heart skipped a beat as automatic gunfire erupted in the distance. But with Zombies bearing down on my ass, there wasn’t a moment in time that I could work out the direction or where I could find viable cover from potential ricochets.

Clearing my throat, I pressed myself for an all-out sprint, ducking and weaving between the thick of the undead who were still sluggish and inattentive from the cold. Thankfully for the effects of the pill Liger had so graciously bestowed upon me, my body felt permanently warm and loose, but most importantly; pain free and brimming with courage as I evaded the fetid claws of the undead.

As I came to a roadway bridge spanning over a massive highway, I stopped short of where the smoldering remains of the first flare had fallen.

“A Nightclub?” I scoffed as I crunched the ashen flare canister into the asphalt underfoot.

Now, it wasn’t that my curiosity had gotten the better of me. I could have sworn I saw the small tracer lights of Liger’s armor move behind the smoky glass exterior of the storefront, and as if to beckon me inside; music began to play. Upon setting one foot in the door, I was met with an overpowering smell of musk and cigarettes. Something I was all too familiar with. Something that cued a terrible, faceless memory that shoved me through the door with a white hot poker.

“L-Liger? Are you in here?” I called out as the music continued to thump in an infectious rhythm. It was like every atom of my being demanded that I continued further inside, but as I made my way around the narrow hallway just wide enough to support a Bouncer and one other patron, I noticed something was off.

There weren’t any Zombies to be found anywhere in the smoky expanse painted with fanning lasers. Only the illicit glow of bodily fluids littered about the floor under the ultraviolet light.

Ultraviolet…

There were mirrors at every corner, hell, even some walls were entirely made of the reflective material. I don’t know how I managed to get as far as the central island bar without noticing that my Naku-Chi and the rest of my bodily markings were incandescing beneath the glow of the blacklights.

“Humans are afraid of the unknown. If anyone finds me here, they’ll shoot first ask questions later.”

*CRUNCH*

The sound of broken glass being crushed under a heavy foot echoed towards a staircase leading to the upper level where dance cages had been strung up from the ceiling. This place reeked of a familiar malice, like a memory intentionally discarded, the taste of the air, the pungent odor of broken bottles left to humidify the room, have I been here before?

*CRUNCH*

Over the sound of the chest-thumping music, the footfalls drew near until it approached the balcony overlooking the central stage where the holographic dancers faded in and out of existence along the catwalk. By now, I should have been able to see Liger’s large armored frame, instead, I found someone else clad in a similar more streamline militarized suit.

“Overwatch, what’s your status? Over.” A gruff man spoke into his earpiece as he surveyed the lower level.

From beneath the bar, I could only make out a general outline of his aged and weathered appearance. A scar, an eye-patch. Your typical ‘Try-Hard’ Commander who means nothing but business. A part of me wanted to make my presence known, but I knew without confirmation of Liger’s whereabouts, the man would sooner double-tap me with the massive auto-pistol bolted into his hip.

Then, the radio ingrained in the man's suit click on harshly.

“I can confirm the music has drawn off a bulk of the horde from the Care-Package. Give it another ten-minutes and we should have ourselves a path over the access road. Dumb bastards are just falling off the bridge onto the lower level of the highway. Makes me wish I packed an extra belt of grenades for a little fun. Over n’ out.”

For a moment, I felt the Commander’s gaze fixate on my location, but it seemed that he did not have any equipment that allowed him to see through walls for in the next minute, two smaller Soldiers sporting distinctly specialized, although similar armor appeared from the shadows.

“Hiya Lt.! Guardian One and Two have come to report that our precious cargo is up on the rooftop safe and sound!”

“Good.” The man sighed heavily. “I could use me a fuck'n drink.”

Holding my breath, I closed my eyes and curled up tightly beneath the bar as the barrage of footsteps halted just before the very corner of the Island Bar where I lay in retreat.