Stephanie slowly woke up, pain in her stomach was their but it had eased. She took a few minutes to register where she was. She looked to the side to see Chad's arm draped across her waist, noticing that his missing shirt was also her bandage. She blushed under her mask but pushed Chad's arm and body off, which triggered waking him up.
     "That must've been one hell of a party." Chad said as he opened his eyes, no sign of the blood that was there before, and gripped his head. His head was pounding and he slowly pieced what happened. "Wait..last thing I remember was you were flung against the wall Stephanie and then I'm here. What happened?"
     "I don't know. Last thing I saw was that you were firing at the one creature that was running around, probably heading for me." Stephanie said as she held her stomach, sitting up more. She took off her mask and you could see she was realizing that she had lost Devin back there, as her eyes scanned to find him but didn't. She had been out like a light when it was finished. She looked to the back of the armored vehicle and didn't dare look one of them in face. Chad seemed to check his chest and then noticed his shirt was on Stephanie's wound. He hadn't remembered what happened since the migrane and he was trying to think hard that just made his head pound more. Natasha was fast asleep still after that ordeal. Blake was asleep at the driver seat, it had been parked in some garage. Victor turned back and whispered to them.
     "You're finally awake. How are you two doing?" Victor slowly crawled back from the passenger seat to the back, taking off his mask as well, revealing his face had a few scars on it. He had been through more than one bout with some enemy. Most likely a knife the tool.
     "I'm fine." Stephanie said as she brushed her brunette locks behind her hair. Chad could tell from the tone that she was pained from losing Devin but in this city it was common to lose someone and he really didn't want to dig at a wound so to speak. He turned to Victor and nodded his head, "I'm fine as well but I feel like a train ran over me. What happened back there?"
     "We're not really sure to be honest Chad. We got up to the annoucer box and stands just as that man you called Santo was kicking you in the...southern area. He was about to use his axe on you and Blake shot him with his sniper rifle. You didn't talk to us when we got back down but you carried Stephanie into the armored vehicle and then passed out. You even gave me Natasha to carry. Don't you remember anything?" Victor asked with his eyebrow raised.
     "I don't honestly remember one thing that happened after Stephanie was thrown and this migrane hit me. I must've blacked out. Never use to do that though, I heard of a case coming on once from a friend due to stress. Maybe I'm just overly stressed but when he blacked out he passed out. I was moving around apparently." Chad said as he seemed to be lost in thought, his eyes on Stephanie as she hadn't been looking at them. His gaze was broken when Natasha looked around and shouted in joy.
     "Chad!" Natasha unbuckled and moved passed Victor, hugging Chad tightly. "I won't run away again. Thank you for coming for me."
     "It wasn't just me Natasha," Chad said as he pointed to Stephanie and then back to the others. "Stephanie here helped me with these creatures that that man, Santo, sent after us. While apparently Blake up there saved me from death."
     "Well," She said as she made a huge smile and went over to Stephanie, taking one of her hands and making a bow, "Thank you for saving me as well." She went to Victor, doing the same thing and during all the talking Blake had woken up but hadn't joined in the conversation. He pulled off his mask, tossing it in the seat next to him as she came up, he jumped slightly. As he thought she was still back by the others and she thanked him as well. He just made a small salute back to her and didn't say a word. Blake wasn't one of many words, when he joined the force a few years back the rest of his department didn't think he could even talk for the first few weeks.
     "We should head back to my friend Joe's house, he'll be waiting for me there. He'll have his blast room set up and we'll have food, ammo, and whatever else he keeps there which I'm sure is enough stuff to out last a few weeks at least even with everyone there eating good portions. He was always one to over prepare even if it would never be needed." Chad said as he sat down against the back of the middle seats. He pointed in a direction and told them thats where they should head to get to Joe's house, that it was back the other way. No one spoke up after that as Blake started the engine, driving off in the direction he was told to go.

     It was daylight out and there was no sign of the creatures, so there was no resistance on their way back to Joe's house. Chad was spinning his empty desert eagle around, knowing that Joe would have all the ammo he'd need at the house. When they arrived Chad exited the vehicle first, heading first to the house. He knocked on the door but the door immediately creeped open. He turned back to the vehicle where Natasha, Blake, Stephanie and Victor waited. He made old military signs to keep your eyes open, everywhere. He entered the house, slowly creeping around, waving them to come forward as he saw no one was at least near the front door. He continued on out of their sight off into the living room to find it was ranshacked, everything thrown everywhere. If it wasn't for those creatures around, he'd have no doubt that Joe was robbed. Though thats what made him worry a bit more, there was no sign of creatures, no signs of life either. He started to quicken his pace as he checked the other rooms, he could hear the others looking around and passing some comments about uneasy feelings. He headed down into the basement which at the end of the stairs there was a heavy steel door swung wide open. It was obvious thtis was the blast room, he must've built it directly into his basement. Though if this was the safe room, then why was the door why open is all that Chad could think. He shouted down to the room and knocked on the door loudly with his pistol but he had no responce. He was very slowly entering, excepting one of the creatures to jump out at him. He turned to his left, scanning the whole room. There was no signs of anyone but he could see they had been here. Maybe they left because he hadn't returned but that wasn't even a day later. He knew Joe wouldn't have left out with all the food and ammo intact. He went over to the ammo cabinets, scanning for his caliber and pulled out a big box of the ammo, obviously these were Joe's as they were placed specifically in order and in a magazine. Chad hooked some to a gun belt that Joe had there and put the belt on. He turned around just in time to block one of the undead from taking a bite out of his neck. He forced the head back with his arm and took his other hand trying to get ahold of the head, planning to snap the neck of the creature but before he could there was splatter of blood in Chad's face and near the door way was Natasha with a shakey hand. She had shot it in the head, the zombie falling limp.
     "Damn good shot Natasha." Chad said with a laugh and went over to her bending down a bit, "Now I must thank you for helping me."
     "It..." Natasha was shaking slightly from having fired the gun and the impact of killing something but she continued on. "I was aiming for its shoulder."
     "Uh," Chad just laughed some. Not sure of what to say as it was far off but it was perfect kill shot. He ruffled her hair slightly as he went over to the body and noticed it was in the same clothes that, that father was in before. Chad snapped his finger a couple times, trying to think of the name. "This is William." He said as he finally remembered the name. He turned back to Natasha, "This isn't good. If this is William it means one of the ones here were infected. Which means one was already infected or they were attacked. Either way, we need to find the others." Chad heard a shout from upstairs that they found someone. Chad quickly went up with Natasha and he entered the room just as he saw Stephanie bend over, holding her wound while she did so.
     "What's your name sweetie?" Stephanie said as she was eye level now with the little girl. Chad immediately recognized it to be William and Julia's daughter. She replied that her name was Neha in a sheepish way as if she wasn't sure to trust them or not but with another second, she decided they were obviously by her reaction. Neha had leapt against Stephanie, holding her close as Stephanie rose up to stand up. The little girl was terrified but all of them knew she wasn't gonna be able to relay what happened very well if even at all. Though they tried anyways but all she could explain was her father had attacked them. That the gun man, Joe they easily figured out, was no where to be found and her mother stashed her away, since she hasn't heard from her mother or 'the gun man.'
     "Joe wouldn't leave like that," Chad said in a worried tone. "Something had to have happened to him."
     "Well where would he have gone?" Victor spoke up while Stephanie was still near the little girl, Neha. Blake and Natasha were just in the room but remained quiet. Natasha was more on edge knowing that there could be more of those creatures here and Blake was showing he was paranoid of more creatures as well by how he kept checking down the hall and every second he'd look down the stairs as well. You could see his eyes keep checking the stairs while he'd literally poke his head out of the door and check down the hallway.
     "He'd have to been attacked and forced away to leave someone behind. He isn't one to leave a man, or woman, or a child behind. He is a military commander. There is no way he'd leave someone behind." Chad said as he slammed his fist against the wall as he headed out the door and into Joe's room. He dug into some drawers, pulling out a shirt and a jacket. It was a simple white button up shirt with a black vest with at least four big pockets on it. It was one of Joe's specialties, anything to hold ammo in.

     "We've decided that the best course of action is to remain here in the safe room until morning comes again. We wouldn't have much time to get anywhere and theres plenty of resources to hold up the night there. It'd take a literal tank to get through there." Stephanie said as she had her hand on Neha's shoulder in a comforting manner. The little girl seemingly permanantly attached to her leg.
     "Well have you seen some of those creatures?" Chad said as he took a long stretch. "We should search the house a bit more thoroughly. Split up in groups. Though first we should make a thorough search of the safe room and make sure the kids are safely in there."
     "Hey!" Natasha shouted and stomped her one foot. "I am not a kid!"
     "You must be this tall," Chad put his hand up to his neck. "To be called an adult."
     "I am!" She went over to him and got up on her tip toes to try reach the mark he gave her. Although she was only just under it without being on her tip toes, it was the main reason he did that mark to say she still was.
     "Nice try," Chad said as he nodded his head as an old army signal to follow. He headed past Blake and down the stairs to head to the safe room. Natasha's sound of disgust, more of a joke then a meaningful thing though. When he got into the safe room he quickly lifted the dead body of William off the floor and over his shoulder. He was gonna first get rid of the only sign of the plague that had hit their world from this room. Victor, Blake and Stephanie all worked together to clear the safe room fast, lifting up everything that may hide something under it. They opened every door, cabinet, or chest. Chad had seen most of their work as he walked up the stairs, he first checked out the window before he exited and tossed the body outside. He looked around, sunlight still blared out on the horizon, it was going down though. It'd be soon that the creatures rose from where ever hell hole they were from and plague the streets. It looked like a ghost town during the morning, only a few creatures would come out. Never the big ones. They seemed to be hurt or fear light, at least sun light. Though it didn't always stop them. You could never know with the creatures and Chad shook his head, as he turned around he had a hand touch his shoulder. He jumped slightly before he saw it was Blake. Blake made the same gesture to Chad before and headed down the safe room steps.
     "The room is cleared completely. No signs of anyone else. Neha and Natasha shall stay here while we go in groups together to clear the house. Since there is at least two MIAs." Stephanie said, every once in awhile her voice would break slightly from a cringe or she'd hold her side but overall she seemed to recover fast enough from the wound. At least physically. Blake and Victor took up the steps before she said anymore. They were more like brothers and honestly always worked side by side. Stephanie seemed to show some pain in her eyes still but Chad didn't want to pry so he headed up the steps as well. Stephanie was the last one out of the safe room, Natasha closing it behind them.
     "In pairs will result the best since we can't really go in groups any other way. One group should check downstairs, while the other check upstairs." Chad said as he pulled his pistol out and cocked it. He wasn't gonna be caught unarmed incase there was an attack somewhere. He feared that the mother of Neha and Joe were dead, knowing Joe he'd still be kicking and if he was a creature though. They'd have one hell of a fight if he had any of his former self left.
     "Blake and me will take downstairs." Victor said as he nudged Blake to move out of his way, they both took off into the living room and you could hear more banging around then if it was a herd of buffalos going through. Chad shouted to them to shut up as the sun was going down. Stephanie took up the steps, Chad had just finished shouting when he noticed. He quickly caught up and followed her, she was obviously a leader in the fact she didn't seem to follow much. Though he could've guessed another reason to that too. Chad nodded his head to go to the left and Stephanie took the right bedrooms. Chad lifted up the matress to see there was nothing under the bed below the frame. As well as checking all the cabinets and the closet. He threw everything out on the bed, only clothes and nothing that was worth salvaging. He then heard a faint noise coming from across the way. He was able to easily guess what it was and for that reason he didn't rush over. Chad left out of the one bedroom and slipped silently to the doorway. Stephanie was on the bed with her face in her hands, elbows on her knees. She was obviously crying over the loss.
     "You know," Chad said softly and almost immediately she wiped her eyes and picked up her gun. "Not paying attention can get you killed."
     Chad walked over to her, after scanning the room with his eyes, spotting what he was looking for. The room seemed to be clear so he sat down next to her and lowered her gun. He holstered his pistol.
     "Stephanie," Chad said softly again but more of a concern or caring tone then just to a calm one. "I know how you feel in the one way. My wife left me because I was so busy with the military and police work. Took my child with her. It is a pain you'll always have. I don't know where she even lives so I can't see if she survived or my daughter did either. I'll probably never know if they are alright unless they come to see if I am alright. Even then, they'll just end up getting into more danger. She'd probably be about Natasha's age now. I was with her since we were both real young. Before we even should've been considered a couple. We were unseperatable but when I went into the military, she was pregnant, but I didn't know until I was already out of the state. She left after the long nights of police work that followed after the military. It has been years since I've seen either. I get unaddressed packages now and then but I think she already has her own family even, at least before all hell broke loose." Chad stopped only to get up and pull out a red tool box, opening it to reveal a first aid kit was actually set up inside the tool box. "It'll hurt but you'll learn to cope. Lemme check your wound, can you lay back?"
     Stephanie had been listening the whole time but she hadn't said a word, just listening. She laid back when he said he was going to check her wound. He unwrapped the makeshift bandage to find that the wound seemed to be infected. He took some gauze and dabbed at the wound which just made Stephanie cringe but she didn't pull away. He continued to try to clean it best he could. There wasn't actually any medical supplies here just some gauze, tylenol, and other things to clean a wound but not actual medicine to clean the wound. He shook out a couple tylenols and handed them to Stephanie. She held them and waited to take them until he was finished, bandaging the wound up tight. Which immediately she sat up and took them, without anything to drink.
     "Your wound is infected. We need to find something to clean it or you could be in trouble." Chad said as he shook his head. "I'm surprised that..." His voice trailed off as he heard some male voice shouting outside of Joe's house. The sun had gone down just now and he wasn't sure if it was a hostile voice or a friendly one. Stephanie immediately stood up, same time as Chad had. They both headed to the window in the bedroom to look out and what they saw was shocking to them. It was Joe on his knees, looking as if he was dying. Chad didn't take but a second to rush out of the bedroom and down the stairs, out the front door. He lifted Joe up and he stood up, shakily on his feet.
     "Joe!" Chad shouted with a smile, making sure to watch if he was steady enough to walk. "What the hell happened here?"
     "We were attacked by some spiked creature. It took Julia so I went after it. I didn't know where Neha was and William was already dead. I lost track of it though. Last thing I honestly remember was being slammed in the face by something hard while I was giving chase to it." Joe literally lost balance after speaking and fell against Chad. Stephanie and the two men were at the door way, watching to see what had happened as well. Blake stopped Chad as he started to bring Joe inside.
     "He might be infected." Blake said his first four words since he got to the house. He pointed his gun at Joe and seemed to want them to make sure he wasn't infected.
     "It is his house and safe room you're using, let us the fuck in." Chad said as he pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Blake, Blake placing his gun at Chad now. Victor had just stepped back inside and started to head to the safe room, deciding to let them handle it. Stephanie held her stomach wound and was about to say something when Joe slumped down, sitting against the side of the house.
     "I wasn't bitten as far as I remember." Joe said as he looked up to Blake. "Though I was stabbed by the creature that attacked us. See." He said as he showed a huge wound in his side that seemed to go straight through. "So I probably am infected but I haven't changed yet. It's best I don't go inside Chad. I may change and if I do, I'll endanger you all."
     Blake cocked his gun and pointed it back at Joe, Chad taking the opening he grabbed the rifle's barrel. Blake was jerked back and started to fire the gun randomly as Chad tried to wrestle it out of Blake's hands, he got control over the rifle and swung it back into Blake's stomach with the stock but not before at least seven shots were let off. Almost as soon as the last shot was left off an undead person popped around the corner of some house, slowly heading for the house and where there was one. There was two. Where there was two, there was ten. Where there was ten...
     "We need to get inside. We don't have much time." Chad said as he pointed the rifle at the undead fiends and started firing, hitting them with percise. The whole time Joe was leaning against the house. Stephanie was waved to go back in with Blake. Chad had said he would get Joe as they continued to seem to come out of an endless portal. He said somethings to Joe but they all seemed to fall on deaf ears. When he turned to look at Joe the wound had healed up, Joe's eyes were red as blood. He seemed to leapt up straight to his feet as if he hadn't been hurt ever.
     "Joe?" Chad said as he pointed the rifle at Joe, he couldn't see any sign of human in his eyes and honestly he was about to shoot Joe when Joe grabbed the rifle, pushed it back some and fired it at a zombie behind Chad that nearly bit him. Joe threw Chad back in the house and started to head towards the biggest group of zombies, soon as Chad had gotten up to his feet and pointed the rifle at more of the zombies. Joe swung around and gave Chad a look that made Chad's spine shiver, he slipped out of sight as if he was gonna go in further. He could hear Stephanie at the end of the steps to the safe room and he just shouted to lock it. He peeked out of the window. He refused to leave Joe out there but he wasn't sure if Joe was human or not. Joe had helped him but he sure didn't act him. Joe walked straight up to one of the zombies and snapped its neck. He seemed to be brawling with the zombies, some would get in too close and bite him hard. It seemed the more they came at him the harder he hit back. Chad finally took a point at the door again and started firing with the rifle at zombies. He had guessed at least if Joe had changed that he was going down with a fight before he lost all humanity. For every one zombie down there was another two that came out of the wood work. If the zombies weren't bad enough, there was a loud thud near Joe. Chad used the scope on the rifle to spot a huge creature that was moving as if it was some kind of monkey. It wasn't quite a humanoid but it stood up on both legs. Its body was very muscular looking but it looked as if its body was covered in bones, a solid white complex covered from head to toe and it was obviously very strong as it broke a hole clean through a building wall. He took aim towards the forehead of the creature but soon as he fired it and it hit, the bullet just seemed to crack the bone at worst. Joe had stopped a second as the new creature was introduced and that made the zombie's craving easier as they bit down on his arms and neck hard, seeming to try to devour him right there but the one on its back, biting his neck. Was impaled by some kind of spikes. More spikes had impaled the ones on Joe's arms into their heads. Joe pushed the zombies off him and you could see the back of his arms were covered in spikes going back towards his body, as well as spikes on his back going down towards the ground. They looked like they were bursting straight out of his spine for the back spikes. Joe swung its spiked arms out at more zombies that proceeded to try to attack him. He'd cut their throats and impale them with his spikes until the bone armored creature slammed its fist straight into Joe, sending him flying into a nearby building. His arms and back pinned itself against the wall on impact and he struggled to escape the more he fought the more he seemed to become more feral. His body started to distort and his bones seemed to expand, his muscles growing in size as well as his body, his back cracked down as he ripped himself off the wall and was dropped to all fours. His hands turning to claws and his feet as well. His back spikes increasing in numbers, two more rows next to the spine spikes. Joe was no longer even looking human as he leapt towards the creature slashing it with his claws and the whole time his body mutated further and further. His ankles growing spikes pointing upward. The newly formed creature, formerly Joe, rushed towards the bone covered one.

     Chad pounded on the safe room door and shouted to let him in. It didn't take long for Natasha to swing the door open, Chad rushed in and shut it behind him. He knew he had lost Joe, at least he wasn't completely lost. He hoped.
     "Joe mutated." Chad said as he punched the safe room door but not full force to break his hand. "His eyes went all fucked up and he attacked the zombies but the more he fought the more he mutated. I think their bites caused the virus to increase faster. When I rushed down here last I saw was that he was fighting another creature, one of the dark ones."
     "How can he be fighting against what he is?" Victor said as he was more vocally making a question they all thought, then really excepting an anwser.
     "I think he is still remaining somewhat of his mind but his body is mutating. He'll probably end up breaking down into those creatures eventually but at least he maybe was enough of a distraction so that we.." Chad went quiet as he heard a noise, placing his finger to his mouth as a sign for everyone to be quiet. It was then that everyone else heard the noise as well, Neha went over to Stephanie's side. Natasha, Victor and Blake seemed to all slink back to the other side of the safe room. Blake having taken another rifle off the shelves so he had a weapon, had been aiming it at the door. Chad got closer to the door and placed his ear against the door when he heard a slam as if something hit the steps, coming down fast or just very heavy. Then another SLAM. He pulled his body back from the door and pulled out his desert eagle all at once. He knew something was on the other side of the door and it only confirmed his assumption when the solid door was rammed against so hard he swore it was gonna give away. Everyone who had a weapon got it ready. Though the noise passed but there was no noise of it rising up the steps. So they were sure it was waiting. Chad went over to each of them and whispered that they should all get sleep. That he'd keep watch. They were stuck down here and there was no way they were going out until sunlight was outside again.