As I curled into a tight ball in the pocket beneath the countertop, the tumbling of ice cubes against glass clattered just above my head. Seconds later, my sinuses began to burn as if they were on fire; the source... Cinnamon Bitters... Some of the runoff dripped down through the creases in the countertop directly on to my head.

FUCK I NEED TO SNEEZE!!!

Ahhh~

AAHHHH~

Okay, I’m fine.

Wait!

AHHHH~!!

I’m fine again.

AAAAAHHHH!!!

God damn it.

AAA…!

Please…

AAAAHH!!

STOP!

Someone, make it stop!

“So then, what do you think Command will have us do after we drop off our cargo at the research facility? I mean, I’m fine with guarding a bunch of nerds in an underground Think-Tank. I’m sure it’s much safer than being topside, but I want to go back south where my family is. Do you think in this day and age they listen to transfer requests, LT?”

By the sound of the woman’s voice, I noted that she sat off to the right of the Officer she had been referring to as LT. That meant the third soldier had seated itself to the left, leaving their Superior in the center where the bar taps were readily available.

“(That’s his third drink…)” I tallied mentally as the rush of sparkling gold liquid gurgled through the tubes snaking into the floor just at my feet.

“I could put in a request,” LT started as his glass came to rest with an audible ‘Clink.’ “But I don’t know how much good it will do you when we haven’t finished our assignment. We can’t assess our situation until we’re in the clear. Those ‘nerds’ may be the very ones that go down in history as Heroes if they figure out the caused this undead mess. Not that we should complain; it may be an early retirement for us.”

“I’ve got my bets on Bio-Weapon.” The third Soldier who had been silent up until this point interjected with a bemused lisp. “It only makes sense it’s a genetically modified virus or something man-made. Most Artificial Intelligence fizzle out from emotional distress around the ten-year mark, and our lovely Beasties fall apart at the seams of Genetic Deterioration Syndrome. We already had Zombies, just not 'Human' Zombies, so I'll be damned if those very nerds who created them miserable things don't figure out a cure. There ain't nothin supernatural about this, fuck if I'd start believing in ghosts!"

“I think we all agree, Ergo.” The LT huffed as yet another succession of rolling his throat meant he had downed a fourth glass. “The only ‘Ghosts’ that exist are us, so I’ll be blunt; we need to keep a low profile and do our job until all of this is sorted out. Until we receive our next orders, keep the thinking to a minimal until Command pays us otherwise."

“Yes Sir.” Bask sighed dejectedly as the tap nearest her opened full bore into a tall mug.

“Ergo, head up topside and see if our One-Man-Army hasn’t spotted any of the Lost in the mix. If we can get one of those Robo-Zombies to fight with the others, it will provide an ideal distraction while we recover the Care-Package and our new SAT-ANT. I do not want to fight one of those augmented demons ourselves. We’ve been lucky up until this point that they attack indiscriminately, but if we aggro one while we’re recovering our supplies, we’ll be in for a real firefight.”

“Understood. I’ll see if a few pot-shots won’t funnel em over the side of the bridge like rats to the Piper!”

“Sight your rifle while you’re at it. We may not get another chance.” LT called back as Ergo made his way up the staircase and on to the roof level.

Silence.

Well, other than the incessant beat of the music permeating the background, LT and Bask began to move around the bar without saying a word. As glasses continued to rattle, two armored legs dropped over the countertop headed towards the stockpile of various liquor bottles aligned perfectly on the central island.

I held my breath.

At this angle, I would be easily visible if the woman were to suddenly turn around. And so, I face two choices; to stay put, or to make a break for it. But to where? There weren’t any places other than this small cut-out beneath the bar! Could I even make it to the exit without catching a bullet or two!?

“What will you have, LT?” Bask cheered as she took two large bottles into each hand, inspecting the contents with a keen eye. “I’m sure that piss-water isn’t enough to tide you over for what’s to come. I know you're still competent and will have our backs even if you down a few stiff ones!”

Oh no…

No…!

AAAAHhhh!!

Not now! Not another sneezing fit!

AAAAAAHHH!!!

Okay, I’m fine again.

And then the smallest sneeze in the world escaped me along with a burst of pressure through my ears in my attempt to stifle it.

(achew)

*BANG!!!*

Like a Jack-in-the-Box, my legs coiled and sprung just as a pistol hammer struck a bullet’s primer cap and the rest was history, or rather; so imperceptibly fast I hadn’t a clue how I came to holding a broken bottle to the woman’s throat while I stood on the bar’s central island behind my newfound meat-shield.

“EL-TEE?” The woman stammered helplessly as we were both staring down the Officer’s smoldering barrel that had just put a hole through the countertop exactly where my head had been just seconds ago.

Giving the command to ‘Drop it’ in a half-shriek, I struggled to refrain from shitting myself as LT’s deadpan glare remained unwavering.

To make matters worse; not but a minute into our standoff, Ergo returned about halfway down the stairs and then trained his laser sights on me.

“Just give the word, Boss! I got a clear shot!”

“B-Bullshit you do!” I grimaced, ducking further behind the woman.

“Not yet.” LT raised his hand. “I’ve seen a Beastkin like this once before- if she was going to attack, she already would have. Let’s hear the girl out.”

“HAA!?” Ergo and I winced in unison.

“You must have a reason for hiding, no? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be holding a shiv to my Petty Officer’s throat.” The LT waited for a moment in silence, though I was still stumbling over my demands. “Go on now, this isn’t much of a negotiation…”

“LIGER!” I blurted as he was the first and only thing to come to mind.

Between the three of them, the Soldiers exchanged glances before the head Officer redoubled his focus.

“Liger? How does a runt like you know Liger? All his life he’s served in Praetorian Private Militia straight off the manufacturing line.”

“I-I know Liger a-and I can prove it! H-He’s never not serious, a-and-!”

“He’s a Lilim. Of course, he’s never not serious…”

“He rescued me from the s-school, a-and Izumi! My friend, she’s hurt! I came to find him a-and bring him back! The Diketrophine and-!?”

Suddenly, the woman turned her neck slightly almost grazing herself on the jagged glass in the process.

“You know about Diketrophine? LT, it doesn’t seem plausible, but she’s telling the truth. That medicine is only manufactured for the P.P.M. It would have been impossible to get it from anywhere else… unless she somehow managed to swipe the Care-Package we’re after.”

“Like hell she did!” Ergo added hotly. “I’d be hella pissed if luring the damn Zombies away from the Care Package with the music was for nothing! A man can only take the same handful of beats so many times, and we’ve been here waiting for Liger to rendezvous for days!”

Cradling his chin, LT rimmed his finger around the smoldering bullet hole in the countertop.

“Put down the shiv, and I’ll see to it that we settle this business with Liger.”

“N-no!” I stammered, continuing to evade the small red targeting dot chasing after my forehead. “There’s no guarantee you’ll do anything for me! The moment I let this woman go, you’re better off just pulling the trigger! Tell that idiot on the staircase to drop his gun and kick your pistol over to me!”

“Like hell! Boss let me at'ter!” Ergo repeated only for LT to wave his rifle away.

“I can’t really kick the pistol over the countertop, but I can send my ‘Idiot’ to fetch Liger for you. Killing civilians is a bit counter-intuitive when our goal is to preserve human life.”

“Ha! You slipped up, because you already know I’m not human! A life of a Beastkin has never meant anything to you people!!”

After the longest minute passed, Liger’s familiar armored boots stamped down the far end of the stairs. His expression could only be described as ‘besides himself’.

“Else…? What are you…?”

“Liger- Izumi’s hurt! She said she was having a miscarriage or something!” I squeaked, inadvertently dropping the broken bottle which then set off a whirling chain reaction.

A grip on my wrist.

An overhanded throw.

But this wasn’t my first melee.

No, far from it in fact, and with the Diketrophine still coursing through my veins, I hardly felt the bones in my wrist snap under the tension of flipping about mid-air as to wrap my thighs around the woman’s throat.

Having effectively sealed off her airway, I clutched onto the only unarmored position of her body, namely; her short professionally kept hair with talons to rival even the largest birds of prey.

“OU-OUUUU-OUUUU!!! GET HER *AGCK!* OFF ME!!!” Bask shrieked as she fumbled over her own feet.

“LIGERRRRR!!” I howled as Ergo and LT burst into laughter.

Without warning, my human stilt collapsed from beneath me sending the both of us crashing to the floor. Unlike the unfortunate Soldier, I rebounded off the floor and to Liger’s side, waiting to see if the ominous red light of the laser sight had followed me.

“Wow, that little Beast girl just choked out Bask! She’s never going to live this down! Quick- someone snap a pic and bust out the smelling salts!” Ergo hooted, wiping a tear from his eye.

“Else… how did you find me?” Liger asked as he looked to me in bewilderment.

“I don’t know…” I murmured, but before I could tell him any details of my calling, I found myself surrounded by the two armored Soldiers before being torn from his side.

“Alright, you’ve had your fun.” LT scolded as he procured a pair of handcuffs from his utility belt, but I wasn’t having any.

With my wrist broken, I managed to twist into an impossible position and back to the relative safety of Liger’s side.

“What kind of Beastkin feels no pain? I felt those bones in your wrist grinding around, and you got all those strange markings … just, what are you?”

“None ya fuckin business! Liger, c’mon! Izumi needs you- I NEED YOU!”

The lack of Liger’s reaction spoke lengths of everything I feared. The irony of how just a little over an hour ago, he pressed me not to ‘betray’ him stung my heart clear through the powerful embrace of the painkiller.

“You fucking asshole…” I moaned as tears began to well in my eyes. “You fucking prick, you promised…!”

“What’s this now?” LT interjected as he motioned to grab me once more, but not before Liger’s hand had fallen to shield me.

“I made temporary objectives to protect this girl and her friend, but in no way did I make a promise or guarantee.”

“I fucking trusted you, Liger! Izumi’s bleeding out all alone, and I’m the only one who's doing anything about it! Protect and serve!? You’re all a crock of shit only looking out for yourselves!”

“E-Else…” He stammered, but I refused to look him in the eye. This had already settled it for me. If these Soldiers have no interest in saving Izumi, then I’ll just have to do it myself.

And so, with a little sleight of hand, I pilfered the Diketophrine from a canister on Liger’s utility belt and swallowed it whole knowing that whatever lay ahead of me would likely require more than my all.

“Else! Wait!” Liger called after me as I found my soles alight, but it was too late. I had already passed the barred door and into the blanket of fog that had arisen from the road.

“Wait a little while longer, Zoomie, those heartless Idiots don’t know it yet; I’m gonna get what’s inside that Care-Package!”

Clenching my fists, I swore a lengthy spiel beneath my breath as I bobbed and wove my way through the pockets of undead towards the intersecting bridge looming over the massive twenty-lane super-highway.

As I drew near the initial incline, the density of the shambling bodies thickened until it became apparent the bridge itself would be impossible to traverse.

“Fuck!” I yelped as a mangled claw tore into the back of my blouse.

Now having been wholly desensitized to pain, I quickly discerned through rubbing my backside that I had not been cut. A close call none-the-less, but it had given me an idea.

“YOU’RE MAD, YA KNOW!?” A voice called from the rooftop of the Nightclub, swaying the Undead’s attention just enough for me to press through to the bridge’s pedestrian walkway.

Over my shoulder, I caught the glint of a rifle scope piercing the mist. A part of me slowed as if it wanted to freeze on the spot, but another part of me, probably my ass, felt that a fire had been lit beneath it and the blaze’s thirst had been quenched with gasoline.

“This is something I not just need, but want to do.”

This concept wasn’t entirely new to me, but having never felt in control all my life. It didn’t matter if Izumi is, isn’t or will never be a real friend. Saving her came down to the weight on my shoulders, and it is a weight I for once can actually relieve.

Maybe Liger and the rest of them see it as wasted effort, I mean; this is the apocalypse after all, why should they risk their lives let alone trust a creature such as me? I can rationalize my actions in many ways; but what it boils down to is that I had finally found a purpose, although brief, it is something I can call my own.

In surveying my surroundings, I found myself cornered on the rooftop of a large double-wide freight-liner that had been overturned. From the raised elevation, I spotted a display panel locking the refrigerator-sized Care-Package shut while the large orange parachute billowed in the breeze.

“That sniper better be one hell of a shot to hit me at this distance given the wind, and that parachute… oh boy do I have an idea!”

Okay, well maybe it’s the drugs talking, but if I’m able to scale the truss support beams with a broken wrist, then I’ll take any advice they give me. Now that I am out of the reach of the Zombies who did their best to perform a tuck into a nosedive off the bridge, I balanced precariously until I made it to the halfway point.

With the incline leveling out, I teetered quickly and carefully over the heavy rivets threatening to snap my ankle with every step until I reached the 3/4th mark where the Undead were at their thickest.

“Oh, what's this? Me eyes spy a bit o’ commotion!”

Directly below the narrow girder and cabling, the Undead piled on one another, throwing their fists in an all-out brawl with something squirming beneath the center.

“Is that…?” I gasped as a grey reflection tore through the pack. “Ah! Shit, is it one of the Lost!?”

Sure enough; at the middle of the mosh-pit, a cybernetically sewn together corpse gnashed, tore and roared against the horde.

Beneath the shell of flesh sloppily sloshing off its metal frame, the remnants of a large man whipped about tearing five Zombies in two as it screamed.

“I… S-SEE-SEE! I C-CAN! S-SEE-SEE!!”

It's voice modulator had been damaged, probably due to the exposure from the elements as it wore the tiny metal box that at one time had been seated inside its throat like a necklace.

***BAMShhhhhhhheeewwww!!!***

The Soldier on the rooftop!? He fired!?

*DINK!*

Seconds later, the bullet plinked off the Lost’s metallic skull case barely fazing it.

“Run, girly! We’re rooting for you!” Ergo hollered, though his voice didn’t travel well. What I heard spurred me all the more than the breakage of bones below me. ‘Run, Bitch! We’re coming for ya!’. Either way, it’s the thought that counts.

With the pilot light re-ignited under my ass, I skidded down the inclined support column, arriving on the other side of the bridge, and with my goal in sight, I pressed my feet for enough speed to buy some time while I fiddle with the locking mechanism radiating light from the Care-Package.

“Biometric Security Suite AsteRose Corp. 6T6B… That’s the same company that made my Digi-Diary.” I hummed to myself as a shiver began to roll up my spine.

Turning over my shoulder, the face of the Grim Reaper was sure to greet me, the Lost from a few minutes ago…

Oh...

I’m the…

Distraction…

Wincing into a roll, I closed my eyes waiting the inevitable.

.

..

...

That’s odd...?

I coulda swore I was about to have my intestines turned inside out and my ribcage made into a fashionable hat by the lumbering hulk looming over me…?

“S-SEE… SEEE-SO-CLEARLY! FALSE-IDOL-FAKE-REGIME-HEART-OF-ICE-SOULESS-QUEEN!!!”

The breath of the Lost rolled past my cheek as a portion of its face-plate fell limp exposing the bone and wiring beneath.

I froze. Not even the medicine could spur me into action for I had stared down the epitome of pure and unbridled terror. From the tips of my fingers to my feet, everything enveloped in a tingling static as I awaited the inevitable as the Lost drew near.

“SHHH! SHHH!” It hissed as it raised its mangled claw overhead. “THEY’RE ALL QUIET NOW!!”

“W-Who...?” I cringed as I fell against the Care-Package.

“HUMANS!! Hu-mans…mans… YOU’RE NOT!?” Its face scrounged partially almost as if it were squinting to identify my features. “Human?”

“Beastkin…” I choked… “I’m an Oni.”

And then the Lost said something entirely unexpected.

“FREE.”

IT KNEW.

Despite everything… It remembered… The outbreak, the Beastkin’s imprisonment to the tune of the medical industry and our planned obsolescence… and that Lilim were no different. Their Code bound them to servitude… and this lone Unit continues to serve, protecting its Human Masters in the face of annihilation, despite losing its humanity and sight of it all.

“L-Look out!” I stammered as the distinct whistle of a bullet traveled along the horizon.

And then another round joined in.

And another.

And another.

And another, until the air began to bristle with the noise of firecrackers, but it wasn’t in the direction of the Night-Club and the armed Soldiers. I had been too fixated on the face of Death standing over me to notice the hum of a large diesel engine tearing through the horde clogging the bridge’s bypass.

“H-Hu-mans… Hu-hu… PREDICTABLE!” The Lost croaked as it raised the remains of its arm in the path of the incoming bullets streaming from the Humvee’s mounted machine gun.

Tires screeching and bodies thumping against the beige chassis, the Humvee had made its way through the thick of the highway and on to the bridge headed straight for the Care-Package. Without any markings other than the bloodstains and viscera clinging to the severely damaged cattle-guard, I knew that the contents of the Truck had nothing to do with the Soldiers staking out on the rooftop.

“SHIT!” I sneered, scrambling behind the large steel crate just in time for the ground to burst into hundreds of small dirt-geysers in the Lost’s wake.

Chest heaving, I couldn’t catch my breath and my eyes would not break from the sight of the Lost facing down with the Truck barreling through the narrow passage. No matter how many times the large caliber gun struck its target, the Lost continued forward, only yielding momentarily to the sheer savageness of the assault.

Once the two closed the distance, the Lost reared up into the air with a massive punch, only to meet an inevitable end across the windscreen. Split in two, the Lost’s body fell over either side of the bridge, and at the same time; the Truck’s brakes locked up as the entire front half of the vehicle had been caved inwards.

“*ACGK!* Everyone! *COUGH* SOUND OFF!!!” A man’s voice commanded as the driver’s door kicked open under the force of a combat boot.

Then, the remaining three doors opened, revealing the occupants to be a woman in her late twenties, and two Beastkin around my age.

“I’m a little shaken, but I think I’m fine.” The woman clutched at her head, now seeping with matted blood. “Windscreen cut me pretty good.”

“Why the hell did you barrel right into it!?” The dog-eared Beastkin grumbled, nearly losing his lunch in the process. “Couldn’t you see that freak was a Lost?! Now we have no vehicle to tow back that supply crate!”

*TAT-TAT-TAT!* *TAT-TAT-TAT!* *TAT-TAT-TAT!* *TAT-TAT-TAT!* *TAT-TAT-TAT!* *TAT-TAT-TAT!* *TAT-TAT-TAT!*

Three-round burst. The Driver concealed in warpaint began to systematically mow down the Undead funneling onto the bridge between their objective without so much as another word.

From this distance, I could barely make out the party’s features let alone the exact classification of the machete toting pair of Beastkin, but one thing was for sure; these people were not Savagers.

Like me, they were Survivors, although that did not guarantee they wouldn’t hesitate to kill me to stake their claim. All rules are off in the apocalypse. Money and gold are nearly worthless, not that we had paper currency since the early 2100’s; still, Credits, Bits and Bytes won't buy you a damn thing in this day and age.

Trade goods, medical supplies and bullets- especially bullets were worth their weight in gold, if not platinum and I’m willing to bet everything that sparkles are hidden within the secure Care-Package. It makes even more sense when I consider the cautious planning of the Soldiers, and now the recklessness of these new contenders.

“ERROR/POWER BANK – FAILURE, SURGE PROTECTION OFFLINE – FAIL-SAFES: ENGAGED!”

“HAA!?” I winced as the sound of locking mechanisms ratcheted inside the Care-Package finalizing its death by a cough of soot and sparks. “You’ve got to be kidding me!? Now how am I supposed to get the supplies for Izumi!?”

“Form on me! Weapons forward!” The Leader of the Survivors called as the chest-pounding bursts of gunfire drew near until I could hear the squelching of the machetes tearing through fleshy bodies.

I made myself small, lying flat against the ground while the group’s onslaught continued until they were within a few meters in front of me. At this range, I could make out the class of the two machete-wielding Beastkin; a Vulpes and a Leporidae, a Fox and a Rabbit. The genetic bottom of the barrel, as common as grains of sand.

“Hey, Al!?” The Fox-eared boy jeered. “The crate’s full of holes! How the heck are we supposed to wench it open without the truck?! I ain’t carrying this thing back if that’s whatcher thinkin, and May-o here's got spindly arms! It ain't happen'n!”

“Stop calling me 'Mayo', Revi...” The Rabbit-eared girl pouted as her hand came to rest on the broken display terminal. “I’ll get this thing open, but it will take some time. AsteRose makes a tough nut to crack.”

Between the Leader and the Woman whose eyes never left the horizon, there was a sense of uncertainty in the form of a stifled grimace though they never actually exchanged words. Instead; the Woman removed her rucksack from her shoulders without ever looking away from the Undead on the perimeter.

Shortly after, the Rabbit Beastkin procured a set of pliers and a small prybar before setting to work on the small grooves channeled throughout the sturdy supply box I had been cowering behind.

Do I make myself known?

What will they do to me?

They have two Beastkin in their party already, so they must have D.N.A Stabs.

Would they be inclined to share?

Ugh, this isn’t about me!

Izumi can’t wait any longer!!

“Don’t… fucking… move…”

The cold steel of a flash-hider pressed against the back of my skull. For only the briefest moments I had taken my eyes off the sentinel woman, and in that second of absentmindedness, I lost the initiative.

“Turn around and keep your head in the dirt. Make any sudden movements and I’ll fill you full of holes!”

Thoughtlessly, I raised my hands. Given the range, neither fight or flight were viable options. There was little left to do other than give into demands… well… if I were a rational thinking person who wasn’t doped up and unable to feel pain. My simple one-track mind decided it would be best to ignore logic and listen to instinct; namely flailing about wildly in the hope that I would not catch a bullet while I struggle to disarm the woman.

To initiate the brawl, I grazed my hand over the handle of the machete the Rabbit set aside and with a quick fling, the sharp blade bit into the polymer barrel shroud of the rifle aimed directly at my face. From there, I launched from the ground continuing to push the lethal end of the boom-stick away from my being only for it to erupt only inches to my side.

“AL!?” The woman shrieked as we tumbled to the ground.

By now it would be only a matter of time before I find a machete or a bullet lodged in my backside, but fate would have me otherwise. During out flurry of blows, I felt an opening present itself to me though I hadn’t exactly intended for the rifle to exchange hands.

Now balled on my backside, I aimed the gun at the Fox who had only just raised the machete into the air for a decisive blow.

“Drop it!” I shouted, but it would seem whatever primordial ghost possessing me thought otherwise.

*BANGthwwwaaaang!*

In a split-second reaction, I had shot the blade from the boy’s hand leaving the Rabbit to drop her small prybar and ball herself in fear.

Which just leaves…

*CRACK!*

My senses jeered as I found myself on the receiving end of a rifle-butt.

*CRACK!*

As if one wasn’t enough; I felt my teeth knock against one another as the following strike grazed above the length of my pilfered rifle. Now that I had their Leader’s attention, there was little other I could do apart from swing the long rifle around like a club in the hopes that it would connect.

But I needn’t struggle for long. In the following seconds a handful of pock-marked canisters tumbled from the sky as a familiar voice let out a battle cry.

The Soldiers!? Those canisters, they’re…!?

Stun Grenades!?

The whole world went white and the subsequent explosions hushed into faint ripples.

.

..

...

Damn it…

Izumi…

I’m sorry…

But I don’t think I’m going to be able to keep our promise…