Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Warnings don’t come obviously. To the untrained eye, warnings might scurry past without any hurrah or chaos, like a rat amongst the grass. A tick under fur. A snake hiding beneath a rock. They say that those on the bottom of the chain will always be the first to feel the water begin to boil while the rest remain ignorant until it’s far too late. If one believes in omens, that day would have been alarming. Randy didn’t know what to make of it at first. He had been fighting off a swan when the trees suddenly rattled and burst, all of the birds taking off at once in a panic. The sky filled with hundreds of them, their wings blocking out the sun as they fled. The swans did the same, taking off with panicked, urgent honks as they fled away from the pond’s edge. A few even tried to get Randy to go, beating their wings against his legs to force him to step back before taking off. The park went silent. The chirping of insects, of birds, of nature and life all held their breath. Silent. A warning. Randy looked around, a cold feeling growing in his chest as he caught the signs that nature was giving. Something was wrong, very, very wrong. The water of the pond began to shift, rippling and splashing as something moved under its waves. Randy turned as he heard it, freezing as he saw just what the warning had been for. The pond's surface broke, revealing its longest held secret to the first to bear silent, terrified witness. Randy was good at that, being a silent witness. And silent he was, too afraid to make a single sound, his breath catching in his chest as someone else finally noticed and let out a scream. The air shattered. 

-

Oliver couldn’t help but let out a sigh. The day had been exceptionally boring. Even the ghosts seemed to feel it. The TV in the lobby had stopped working no matter how hard Oliver smacked it, the one time it caught a signal it just made a loud shrieking noise before turning off again. It left Oliver with absolutely nothing to do, it wasn’t like anything was going on that day. The street outside had been a bit noisier than usual but he wasn’t too concerned about it. Maybe there was a really good sale at the grocery store or something, he didn’t care. His fingers drummed against the cold glass counter as he idly drew spirals in his notebook, trying to think of some way to entertain himself. He could go put on a movie under the excuse of ‘testing the film reel’. Mr. Dickens probably wouldn’t mind. Oliver turned to the popcorn machine, grabbing a bag of kernels and dumping them into the bucket in the center to begin to cook before flicking it on. He grabbed the soda he brought from home out from under the counter, taking a sip as he watched a car speed by outside through the dirty glass door. Maybe he’d stick his head out and see what was going on in a bit. Could there be a parade? He didn’t remember seeing anything about Mingus doing a campaign stunt today. Not that she ever gave fair warning for ANYTHING she did, really. He flinched at the sound of a loud car horn. He thought he heard a bang, but he couldn’t be sure. Maybe it was better if he stayed inside, it wasn’t like a street fight would spill into the cinema. He grabbed his notebook and soda and headed for the projector room. He flicked the light on and knelt down to where the boxes of reels were sitting, shuffling through them as he hummed. What were his options? There were a few classics; Killer Jocks Eat the Cheerleading Team, Zombie Shark Tidal Wave, Alien Invasions for Dummies, Lucifer’s Toybox, none of which seemed to appeal at the moment. Maybe something cheesier? He opened another box, furrowing his brow. Guns, Guns and Nuns? Nah. Invasion of the Mole Men? No. Maybe a romantic comedy? He pushed some of the reels aside. A generic Highschool Movie? 10 Things I Mildly Dislike About You? Noooo. Repo; the Dialup Opera?  Maybe ? As he went to pull out another box, the front door suddenly burst open. His head snapped up and he scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking over his soda as he hurried into the lobby.

“Hey! Welcome to the Dialtown Cinema-”
He stopped dead as he saw what was happening. Randy had entered and was currently struggling to push one of the ATMs in front of the door. He was absolutely COVERED in blood, a hammer gripped tightly in his hand. He looked over at Oliver, grunting as he gave the heavy machine another push.

“ Help me with this!! ”
Oliver snapped out of his shock and hurried over, the two working together to shove the machine in front of the door. Randy backed up, panting harshly as he turned and ran for the supply closet, a backpack flung over his shoulder. As Oliver watched he began to throw things out into the hall, searching for any supplies that could be useful.

“What’s going on!? Are you okay!? ”
Oliver asked, panic lacing his voice as he heard a loud BANG from outside. Randy didn’t respond immediately, too focused on grabbing anything he deemed useful. He found the first aid kit and stuffed it into his bag, along with some water bottles that had been stuffed in the back. He shut the closet and grabbed Oliver’s hand tightly, bolting for the backdoor as something began to bash itself against the barricaded front. Oliver yelped as he was suddenly yanked along, but he didn’t protest as he ran with Randy.
“Randy- what’s going on!? ”

“I-I’ll explain when we’re safe- we need to get to the bank!!”
Oliver gripped Randy’s hand a bit tighter.

“ The bank!? ”
Randy nodded, shoulder checking the back door as the sound of the front door shattering broke over the sound of the chaos that was steadily rising outside. The two stumbled into the alley, Randy not stopping as he began to pull Oliver away from the direction of the street. The sound of screams, gunshots, car horns and violence got steadily louder and more visceral as the two ran. Oliver was already starting to feel dizzy, his heart hammering in his chest wildly as he kept a grip on Randy’s hand, worried if he let go he would faint. The world began to pop different colors in his vision, the taste of blood rising in his throat as his feet pounded against the pavement. Randy was leading the two of them through the back alleys to avoid the public roads, keeping even his breathing silent as he ran, something he clearly had practice in. 

The two finally slowed down as the bank’s back door came into view. Randy caught Oliver as he stumbled. Oliver looked up, panting hard as he tried to catch his breath while it did everything it could to elude him.
“ Randy- whats- what's- going on-?? ”
He wheezed, keeping his voice as quiet as he could. Randy just shook his head, squeezing Oliver’s hand. He began to walk towards the back door, keeping the hammer tightly in his grip as he held onto Oliver’s hand like he would vanish into thin air if he didnt. Oliver clung to him the same way, finally able to breathe again as his heart beat uncomfortably against his ribs. The two made it to the door, Randy holding up the hammer to signal Oliver to stop. He cautiously pushed it open, listening for any signs of movement. When he heard none he pushed it all the way, motioning with his head for Oliver to follow him. Oliver nodded, keeping quiet as the two made their way inside. He pushed the door shut as silently as he could. Now inside the bank, Randy began to creep down the hallway, keeping as quiet as possible. As they passed by the offices and consult desks, the sound of something steadily dripping caught Oliver’s attention. The wall-phone looked around before his eyes finally landed on where the noise was coming from…and he really wished he hadn’t. 

An employee was laid over their desk, their body horribly mauled as their head seemed to be clawed open, the wires and internals spilled over the chestnut wood as blood steadily dripped onto the tile floor under them. Ragged wounds went up their back, and Oliver was pretty sure he could see their exposed spine. He looked away, the scent of blood staining the air as he tried hard not to throw up. Randy refused to even look in that direction, knowing that if he did he would start screaming and wouldn’t stop. His hand was the only thing Oliver could feel, their fingers laced together as tightly as possible as they kept walking down the hallway. Randy finally stopped in front of an employees only door, pausing as he heard something move inside. Keeping Oliver behind him, he slowly twisted the knob, holding his breath as he pushed it open. 

There was a flash of movement, and then Randy had a makeshift spear pointed directly at his throat, his own arm raised to strike the hammer down at a moment's notice. The air went still as the attacker saw who it was, a relieved sob rising in her chest as she lowered her weapon.

“Holy shit- oh thank phone god it’s you!! ”
Karen rushed out of the room, dragging the two into a tight, terrified hug. Oliver immediately hugged her back while Randy stood stiff, his hand still gripping the hammer.

“Karen!! You’re okay!! ”
Oliver let out a small laugh of relief. They pulled away, Karen holding the spear over her shoulder. She had cobbled it together out of several pairs of scissors and a broom handle, and what looked like a lot of tape.

“I was about to come get you!”
She whispered, her voice warbling slightly. Oliver glanced at Randy, noticing that tears were steadily streaming down his face as he remained dead silent.

“Randy did- what’s going on!? Is there a riot or something??”
Oliver whispered, squeezing Randy’s hand. Karen shook her head, her expression shifting to something grim.

“I…I can’t believe I’m saying this…but there’s zombies outside! ”
Oliver just stared at her, processing that information. There was another loud explosion outside as a car collided with a building, snapping all of them out of their reunion. Karen flipped her weapon in her hand, motioning with her head towards the back door.
“We can talk later- we need to get somewhere safe!”
Oliver nodded, his mind racing for a possible solution.

“T-The town hall! Mingus has to have that place locked down, right !?”
Karen nodded.

“Good thinking, we should be able to get there through the backstreets. We need to avoid the main road at all costs.”
She pushed open the back door, the three of them stepping back out into the open. Karen looked around, silent as she motioned that it was safe to go. Oliver felt Randy squeeze his hand and he immediately squeezed back, looking over his shoulder at his friend. Randy hadn’t stopped crying, his screen flickering slightly as he stood. He was visibly trembling now, trying so hard to keep it together. He had blood smeared across his buttons and screen, his tears carving paths through the crimson. Oliver wanted to comfort him, but they had to keep moving. He swallowed his breath and turned back to Karen.

“What happened in there…?”
He asked, pointing his thumb at the bank. Karen glanced over her shoulder slightly, huffing.

“...I was getting some stuff from the supply closet when everyone started screaming. I looked out and…one of my coworkers was getting shredded. I shut the door and made this as fast as I could and stood my ground.”
She held up the spear.
“I am NOT dying at work, not now, not ever. ”
Randy let out a very tiny laugh at that, keeping his gaze on the ground. Oliver snickered as well, gently patting Karen’s shoulder.

“Yeah, well…it’d be a gnarly way to die.”
Karen paused.

“...good gnarly or bad gnarly?”
Oliver shrugged.

“Take your pick?”
Another small sound from Randy that was probably a laugh. He still hadn’t said a word. Oliver knew that as soon as they were safe he needed to pull Randy as close as possible and not let go. He wanted to hold all of them right now, his heart was pounding hard and painful in his chest. He flinched as a wave of light-headedness washed over him, stumbling a bit as he tried to keep his head on. Randy caught him again, keeping him on his feet as they walked.
A loud sound caught their attention. Karen immediately ducked behind a building with the other two in tow, watching as something shambled along the alleyway. The person’s head had been a rotary phone, but it was clear they had bashed it open against something until it split open, forming what looked like wide, open jaws with jagged teeth. The zombie moved along, making an awful staticy noise as its handset hung from its mangled head. Karen gripped her spear, watching as it moved. Randy shuffled forward a bit, peeking around the corner at it. The zombie was slowly moving out of their way as it shambled further down the alley. Randy gripped Oliver’s hand, waiting. As soon as the ghoul was far enough down the alley Randy booked it, tugging Oliver and Karen along with him. Oliver followed behind as fast as he could, trying to keep his breathing steady as his other hand gripped Karen’s. They both kept him in the middle so that he wouldn’t fall behind, Karen whispering encouragement to him as his breathing started to sound ragged.

“ Almost there- almost there- keep it up-! ”
A loud gurgling sound rang out behind them. They all turned to see that the zombie from the alley was following, going rather fast as it limped along with an awful gagging, staticy sound choking out of its receiver. Before Karen or Oliver could react, Randy darted in front of them, brandishing the hammer. The zombie lunged with a screech, but Randy was ready. He flipped the hammer in his hand and slammed the claw end into the dial of the corpse, yanking it to the side with his momentum. The mechanism ripped out, bloody wires and organics spilling out of the hole as the zombie collapsed. It tried to crawl forward, but Randy’s hammer slamming down on its adapter put an end to it. Randy straightened, panting as he stared at the corpse on the ground. His mind had gone past panic and chaos and was now just…uncomfortably blank. He couldn’t let these things hurt his friends. He couldn’t let anything hurt the people he cared about. He didn’t care about himself but he couldn’t let them hurt his friends- he couldn’t let them- he couldn’t -
A soft hand wrapped around his own and he whipped around, his wrist twitching as he got ready to swing again. Instead he was met with Oliver’s concerned gaze. His screen lit up for a moment before he turned it off entirely.

“ Holy shit dude…! C-C’mon, we’re almost there…! ”
Oliver laced his fingers back through Randy’s, who wordlessly followed after as they began to move again. Karen nodded to Randy as he caught back up.

“That was impressive, you have good reaction time.”
Randy nodded in response, it was all he could do. Karen turned to keep her eyes forward, taking the lead now as Randy held up the back. They could see the nearly empty parking lot for town hall now, an overturned car blocking their access to the front entrance. That was fine as they wouldn’t dare be stupid enough to use that entrance, given how it faced the open street where they could hear pandemonium still going on. It was hell let loose, screaming and gunshots still ringing out over the sounds of unspeakable things. Squishy, visceral noises joined the hellish symphony that marked the end of the world as they knew it. Karen was just happy she hadn’t dropped dead at her teller counter like she always assumed she would. They all slowed down as they approached the staff entrance to the massive, cat-shaped building. Karen squinted as she saw what looked like a sign on the inside of the boarded up window. As they got closer she could see it read
“ IF ALIVE, COME INSIDE. KNOCK THREE TIMES ON HALLWAY WALL. IF DEAD, FUCK OFF AND DIE AGAIN. ”
Karen couldn’t help but smile. Glad to see humor hadn’t died along with normalcy. She reached out and carefully opened the door, stepping in while signaling for the other two to wait. She walked inside a few steps, looking around before knocking sharply against the wall. She heard a shuffle come from down the hall, and then a familiar and very welcome voice rang out.

“ Who's there!? Announce yerself!! ”
Karen ushered the other two inside and shut the door, calling out.

“ Norm!! It’s us!! I’ve got Randy and Oliver here! ”
There were heavy bootsteps, and then the sheriff turned the corner. He crossed the hallway in a second, his arms open as he brought the three of them into a tight, close hug.

“ Oh thank god- I’ve been worried sick!! I was ‘boutta come get you all!!”
Oliver hugged back, all of the tension melting away as it settled in that they were safe. Randy was still as stiff as a board, silent as he leaned his head against Norm’s shoulder. Karen wasn’t normally one for hugs but this…was an exception. She held Norm tightly, her breath coming out in a staccato whimper as she tried to bite back tears.

“Thanks Norm…”
As Norm pulled away he frowned.

“Are any of ya injured? Any bites? Any wounds I need t’ look at?”
Randy shook his head, despite being completely soaked in blood. Oliver folded his arms.

“So we gotta worry about bites?? Geez… ”
He huffed. Karen shook her head as well.

“No…Randy did take one down though.”
Norm turned to look at Randy.

“...Randy? Son? You okay?”
Randy didn’t respond, his knuckles white with how hard he was gripping the hammer. He was trembling like a leaf now, his breath hitching in his chest as he tried so hard to keep it all in. Oliver put a hand on his shoulder, using the other to turn Randy’s head towards him as gently as he could.

“Hey…we’re safe. We made it. It’s okay. ”
As soon as the words hit Randy’s brain, his composure shattered. He sank to his knees as a ragged, wailing scream ripped from his chest, the horror of it all finally sinking in as he doubled over, the hammer clattering to the ground as he wailed. His speakers popped and crackled as he cried, barely registering the arms that wrapped around him, shielding him from the world for just that moment.

“ I-I saw it- the first one- from the pond-!! ”
He managed to choke out, his breathing bordering hyperventilation.
“ I-It crawled out and- and attacked someone in the park and I just- I couldn’t- I didn’t stop to help I just ran-!! Like a coward -!! ”
Oliver shook his head.

“Dude- you’re not a coward!! Anyone would’ve run from that!!!”
Randy just shook his head, another wail ripping out of his throat.

“ I-I tried to find Gingi but by the t-time I was able to get a weapon h-his tent was destroyed!! I-I was so scared that- that you- and Karen- a-and- and I had to- I couldn’t - ”
Randy felt like he was about to throw up, acid stinging his throat as he covered his mouth with his hands. Norm gently rubbed his back as he began to hyperventilate, trying to soothe him as much as possible.

“Hey, hey…easy…easy son… you did good . You did great , even…”
He whispered, keeping his voice low. Oliver nodded.

“You came and got me! I would’ve been screwed if you didn’t!! And you went and got Karen too!”
Randy leaned into their embrace, his breathing slowly calming down as his head buzzed. Karen knelt next to them, wrapping a large, soft winter coat she had found on a coat hanger around Randy’s shoulders. The weight helped ground him even just a little, his cries slowly lowering into whimpers and hitched breaths as he settled into the softness of the coat. Norm looked up as another set of footsteps approached, bristling for a moment before he settled. Mingus came into view, her expression stoic as she looked down at all of them. There was an obvious sense of relief in her eyes, but she wasn’t going to be forthcoming about it.

“Oh good, more survivors. Any injuries?”
Norm shook his head.

“No ma’am, just… alotta stress. ”
Mingus let out a deep sigh.

“As to be expected, yes.”
She turned to the three dateables, gesturing up a set of stairs with her hand.
“Upstairs there’s a large bedroom with a bathroom attached. You can stay there for now. I have my own room in place already. You’ll have to share the bed but it should be more than big enough for the three of you.”
Karen nodded, gently squeezing Randy’s shoulder.

“Thank you, ma’am. It’s appreciated more than you know.”
Mingus hummed.

“I’m sure.”
Norm stood, helping Randy to his feet.

“You three go get settled, I’ll get started on somethin’ t’ eat. Don’t worry about the noise, this entire buildin’ is soundproof.”

“For entirely legal and above board reasons, yes.”
Mingus cut in. Oliver gave a thumbs up while Karen wondered why she would specify that.

“Groovy! C’mon, let’s get-”
He stood and immediately crumpled back to the ground as his vision whited out for a moment. Karen quickly helped him up, looping his arm around her shoulder as she huffed.

“Hey- easy!! ”
She scolded. Oliver waved it off, but he accepted the help as his legs still felt too weak to support him fully.

“Heh…my bad.”
The three of them headed upstairs, Randy following behind as Karen helped Oliver up. As they got upstairs they were met with a large hallway with many doors, none of which were labeled of course. Randy paused, looking around.

“...Did she mention w-which door it is…?”
He asked quietly. Karen huffed and shook her head.

“No, of course she didn’t.”
She pushed one open, revealing a rather large office.
“Nope, not that one.”
Oliver pulled away from her and tried another one to an extremely luxurious meeting room.

“Nada.”
Randy tried the door at the end of the hallway, a small gasp alerting the other two.

“ Wowie…! ”
Randy slowly stepped over the threshold of the largest, prettiest bedroom he had ever seen. He knew in an instant that everything in here was worth more than he would ever make in his entire life, and he suddenly became acutely aware of the fact that he was covered in blood and pond water. He shuffled his coat off as he hurried to the door he assumed was the bathroom, hoping to at least wash his face off. As he pushed it open he was met with a nauseatingly decadent bathroom, including a clawfoot bathtub. He froze, his eyes widening.

“I-I’m gonna take a shower really fast!”
He called out over his shoulder. Oliver and Karen both nodded.

“Sounds good!”
Oliver gave him a thumbs up. Randy shut the door behind him, leaving the two to talk. Oliver flopped onto the bed with a loud giggle, bouncing slightly as he sat up.

“Dude this is gnarly as fuck !! This bed is an ocean!!”
Karen sat down next to him.

“No kidding…man I thought my futon was big.”
Oliver let out a small laugh, his voice slowly trailing off as he began to think. Karen tilted her head slightly, putting a hand over his.

“...hey…you okay?”
Oliver looked at her, nodding quickly.

“Yeah- yeah I’m fine. I-I’m just worried about dad- M-Mr. Dickens, I mean. I hope he's okay…I tried to call him while we were running, but…”
Karen sighed.

“If everyone's smart they’ll all put their ringers on silent. That’s probably what he did. Mr. Dickens is one of the smarter men I know…”
Oliver smiled, relief washing over him at the thought.

“You’re right…I’m sure he’s okay…why aren’t you more freaked out? I mean, you seem totally chillaxed right now.”
He asked. Karen shrugged, her voice deadpan as she spoke.

“There is nothing going on in my life that the apocalypse could have made worse.”
Oliver paused.

“...that good huh?”

“No. It fucking sucks.”
Oliver chucked at that.

“...yeah.”
The two sat in silence for a moment before Oliver glanced over at the massive TV on the wall.

“Wanna see if the news is on?”
Karen nodded.

“Good idea.”

-

Randy sank into the hot water, a sigh audibly escaping his throat as his tense muscles relaxed. He began to scrub the blood from his skin, checking for wounds or god forbid any bites. He silently wondered where God had gone, wondering if he was okay or if he was in a dumpster asleep somewhere, unaware of what was happening. Randy shuddered as the image of that waterlogged, rotting corpse came to mind, crawling out of the pond before rising to its feet like some horrible omen of death. He hoped Gingi was okay…he was so, so worried. Gingi was never one for taking care of himself, and his reaction time was… questionable at best. Randy sat up a bit as he cleaned his legs off, the blood washing away to reveal all the scars that littered his skin. No bites, just a lot of bruises. He settled back into the water as he began to wash his face off, careful to get in between his buttons and around his speaker. The last thing he needed was dry blood causing one of the buttons to stick; that was insanely uncomfortable and not something he wanted to experience again. The warm water caressed his skin, breathing some life into his pale torso as he hugged himself for a moment. He sat totally still, letting his mind simmer as he relished in the warmth. It was something he hadn’t had since he was…16? A warm bath? His old apartment didn’t have a bathtub and the dumpster certainly didn’t. He let out a long, deep breath, his head nodding slightly before he snapped back awake. He wanted to stay in the bath longer but…he didn’t want to waste any more resources than he had to, and falling asleep in here would guarantee a strained back. He unplugged the drain, watching as the now red-tinged water lowered until the basin was empty. He got out, shivering as he wrapped a towel around himself. He gathered his clothes and brought them to the sink, carefully beginning to scrub them in the water. The blood ran down the drain, and so did his thoughts. He was so, so tired…he was starving, he was exhausted in every sense of the word…he wrung out his now clean clothes, tugging them on even though they were still damp. He hung the towel up to dry and headed back out into the main bedroom.

Oliver and Karen were sitting on the bed, watching with looks of shock on their faces. Randy stood by them, looking at the TV. The anchor women had been infected, chasing after the cameraman who was running for his life, unaware and uncaring that he was still live. He screamed as she caught up, his cries of terror turning to guttural screams of agony before the feed cut off. Oliver quickly turned the TV off, all three of them sitting in silence. Randy glanced at the bed, a bit nervous to even touch it, given how much it was worth. Oliver noticed and scooted over, patting the spot next to him.

“C’mon, there's plenty of room!”
Karen noticed how apprehensive Randy was and, being desperate to change the subject after witnessing something so horrific, spoke up.

“How long has it been since you’ve slept on a bed?”
Randy rubbed his arm.

“...u-um…not since I was 16…I-I had a couch in my apartment but…”
His voice trailed off sheepishly. Oliver promptly grabbed Randy’s arm and yanked him onto the bed, much to Randy’s surprise. He toppled onto the soft purple covers with little grace, his hands pushing into the comforter as he sunk down onto the plush mattress. He condeeded and lowered his head onto it with a groan as his spine decompressed for the first time in who knows how long. Oliver gently rubbed his back, nodding.

“Yeah… yeah . Me too, buddy.”
The door to the room opened. The three of them looked over, bristling until they saw it was Norm. He had three bowls of soup, balancing one in the crook of his arm while he carried the other two. Karen stood and grabbed one of the bowls while Norm handed the other two over.

“So, is it comfy ‘nough?”
Norm asked, smiling. Oliver laughed.

“Naaahh…I’ve seen waaayyy fancier.”
He joked. Karen took a sip of the soup, melting a little as she tasted the broth.

“I haven’t- rotary christ this is good… ”
She murmured, immediately going in for another sip. Norm chuckled.

“Thank ya kindly, Karen.”
Randy took a sip as well, shivering as it finally quelled the pain spiking in his stomach. Norm adjusted his hat with a sigh, trying to get his thoughts in order.
“T’morrow we’ll be headin’ out. I’ll be splittin’ off from ya t’ go look fer survivors, you three need t’ go t’ yer places n’ get all the supplies ya need.”
Norm rubbed the back of his neck as he let out a small hum.
“Any daily meds, any comfort items, anythin’ that's important. Everythin’ should die down in the early mornin’, I’ll get ya all up then, so ya’ll should get t’ sleep soon.”
Oliver nodded, giving a thumbs up as he downed half the soup in one go.

“Sounds groovy, thanks man!!”
Norm smiled and headed out, pausing at the door.

“...sleep well, kiddos. I’ll be downstairs if ya need me.”
He shut the door with a soft click, leaving the three alone. Randy downed the rest of the soup a bit too fast, coughing slightly as he watched the others continue to drink theirs at a normal speed. Oliver glanced at him with a cheeky grin.

“Man, you were hungry huh!”
He laughed. Randy nodded sheepishly as he took Karen’s empty bowl. Oliver soon handed his over and Randy set them very carefully on the nightstand, nervous to damage anything in the room. Even a scratch and he would probably have another panic attack.

“A-Are you okay with sharing a bed? I can sleep on the floor if it would be more c-comfortable for yo- WOAH -!”
He yelped as Oliver and Karen both yanked him up towards the top of the bed, Karen lifting the covers as Oliver grabbed the pillows to spread them out.

“It’ll be fine, Randy. Promise. You need to get some rest. Proper rest.”
Karen said, her voice as soft as she could make it. Oliver nodded as he flopped down onto the pillow, giggling as it poofed out slightly.

“Yeah!! This’ll be just like a sleepover!! Like we used to do in highschool!”
Randy smiled at the memory, nodding.

“Y-yeah, I guess so…!”
The three of them quickly settled down, Oliver yanking the covers over them as they all got themselves comfortable. Karen was on one side while Oliver was on the other, sandwiching Randy in the middle so he wouldn’t try to wiggle out and sleep on the floor to avoid rumpling the bed cover or something. Karen reached over and flicked off the lamp, plunging the room into a quiet darkness. There were a few moments of silence before Oliver finally started whispering.

“ This is just like a videogame I was playing last week! Isn’t that freaky? ”
He said, his smile obvious in his tone. Karen raised an eyebrow.

“ ...the sleeping in bed with your friends or the whole zombie thing? ”
She asked. Oliver snickered at that.

“ The zombie thing. Gettin’ t’ crash with friends is a bonus though! ”
Randy let out a small startled noise as Oliver hugged him.

“ ...w-what if the zombies are like the ones from that one game- w-where their eyes glow red at night and they get stronger!? ”
He whispered back, sounding very nervous. Karen shrugged.

“ Even if they are, I’d like to see them get through that door. Norm has it completely barricaded off. ”
Oliver paused.

“ ...dude you play horror games? ”
Randy nodded.

“ I-I did when I had an apartment…I-I thought it would be good exposure therapy… ”
Karen hummed.

“ I can see that. Did it work? ”
A pause.

“ ...no. ”
The three of them were silent for a moment before bursting into quiet laughter. Karen huddled a bit closer to Randy. Normally she absolutely hated proximity but…she felt the need to be close to someone. Oliver reached an arm around Randy and Karen did the same, all three keeping as close as possible for warmth and safety. Breathing trailed off, minds wound down, and the three actually managed to get to sleep fairly quickly, despite everything. They had each other, that was all that mattered.

Tomorrow is another day.

Chapter Text

The three datables were sleeping surprisingly soundly, or unsurprisingly…they must have been exhausted after everything that had happened. Oliver was splayed out over his side of the bed, covered kicked off except over one leg as he laid like a starfish. Randy was curled up as tiny as he could be, the only part of him visible above the covers being a bit of his screen as it glowed softly. Karen was laying flat on her back with her arms folded over her chest like a corpse, her head making soft clunking sounds as she slept. Norm watched them all from the doorway for a moment, having to stop tears of relief from spilling over as he reminded himself over and over again that they were okay. He finally tugged the door closed as quietly as he could, standing with himself for a moment as he tried to regather his thoughts. He hadn’t been able to sleep at all throughout the night, he was far too worried, too rattled. He made his way down the stairs and around the corner, heading down the hall towards the lobby. The front doors had been heavily sealed off, wooden boards and furniture blocking any windows and exits that could be breached. It helped that some poor soul had rolled their car directly into the front of the building, also blocking off the door and collapsing several of the pillars that thankfully weren’t too important for structure. Norm headed past where the reception desk used to be, the silence outside filling him with a deep sense of unease. The mornings were never this silent. There would always be bustle as the morning and night crowds mingled, the former going to start the day and the latter going to end it. But now…it was silent. Just silent. The occasional car alarm or gunshot would break it and then it would return, draped over the town like a suffocating blanket.
Norm pushed open the door to the mayor's office, taking a deep breath as he did so. She and Tango were standing behind the desk, talking quietly. Mingus’s brow was furrowed, her fingers tapping against her arms as she listened to Tango speak.

“-this it should all be fine, ma’am! We’ve got enough water to last at least a year, that’s plenty of time to think of a plan!!!”

Tango said, his voice extremely cheerful despite…everything. Mingus sighed heavily, but she nodded.

“Right, yes. Thank you, Tango.”
Tango’s dial spun happily as Mingus actually thanked him without also insulting him in the same breath.

“Of course, ma’am! I’ll get to work on organizing and logging what supplies we have!”
Tango nodded to Norm as he hurried out of the room.
“Morning, Norm!”
Mingus turned, staring at Norm. The two exchanged an icy, tense silence before Mingus finally spoke.

“...Norm, I…”
She paused, clearly wanting to say quite a lot without having the words to do so. Norm walked over, setting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“It’ll be okay, Mingus. We just gotta take it one day at a time. Hell, one hour atta time if we’ve gotta.”
Mingus pulled away from Norm’s touch, hugging her arms closer to herself. Her tail was bristled, her ears flat against her head as she looked at the boarded up windows.

“...I…I didn’t want this.”
She finally said, keeping her voice steady despite her emotions. Still, Norm could tell how angry she was. Angry that things turned out like this, that this wasn’t hell rising in a silly fashion, not the rapture solved by a TV-headed god coming back from vacation. This was…the end of everything they had known. Everything she had worked for.
“I- everything was getting better! I was fixing things- I-I was taking your advice even when I REALLY didn’t want to- I-”
She growled, slamming her fist into the desk HARD. Norm frowned, approaching her again.

“Hey, hey…easy. Don’t hurt yerself.”
Mingus dug her claws into the wood of her desk, glancing at its contents. Paperwork and other things that just didn’t matter anymore. What, was she supposed to campaign to the lifeless corpses shuffling around outside? She couldn’t even think of a political joke to make, she was that upset. She just stared at those meaningless papers, barely able to read the words she had been writing on them when chaos broke out. It had all happened so fast, too fast and far too slow. The feeling of a deep wound being inflicted always defied time, and this was no exception. She, for the first time in her life, was deeply, deeply terrified. When Norm had come back to town, she had been…surprised. When she confronted him and Gingi, she was enraged . Living up to her fathers approval, seeking validation for a man who, in every sense of the word, was dead, it had never frightened her. It was a sick, twisted motivation, an unhealthy need to be the best, to be seen. To be heard by the one person who mattered, even though that was impossible. Healing had daunted her, but she wouldn’t say it frightened her. What was a new challenge to the esteemed Mingus Crown? But the blood staining the sidewalk, the screams of agony and the wails of those being split apart outside of her window while she stood, frozen and utterly powerless to help…it frightened her. Terrified her. It was a fear that threatened to ruin her, but she couldn’t let it. Not yet. Not yet. She felt Norm’s hand on her shoulder, and for once she didn’t push him away. Norm squeezed it gently, rubbing his thumb along the shoulder pad of her suit jacket.

“...can ya eat eggs at all?”
He asked softly. Mingus paused, looking at him incredulously. 

“...why wouldn’t I be able to??”
Norm shrugged.

“Ya got a cat head, missy. They ain’t built fer eatin’ eggs.”
Mingus huffed.

“There are snakes that can eat eggs, Norm. I can eat eggs just fine.”
Norm paused, smiling slightly.

“Fair enough. I just figured seemin’ as how cats can't usually have too many eggs-”

“Just go away and make the damn food, Norm.”

Mingus snapped. Norm paused, his voice warm as ever. 

“Alright, alright…I'm goin’...”

As Norm headed out of the room she immediately regretted her outburst. She didn't actually want to be alone…she sighed, Pinching the bridge of her nose as she turned away from the door. She wouldn't admit it outloud, but…she was deeply worried about the Mingling…Well. Everyone but Theoroar. But Abel, Bunny, God, Shooty and Stabby…where were they?? Were they safe?? The funfair had so many people, so many potentials for infection, for violence…downtown was completely overrun in an hour. The factory must be even worse. She sat down in one of the chairs she had pulled over to the table, her tail bristled and flicking back and forth as she rubbed her temples. 

“...rotary christ, what do I do…?” 

She looked to the portrait of Callum, her eyes filling with a deep, quiet fear. 

“...what do I do…”

-

Karen startled awake to a soft knock on the door. it took her longer than she would like to admit to remember that the bed underneath her wasnt hers, the blankets werent hers, and that the bodies laying next to her were…friends. she pushed herself up onto her arms, groaning as she rubbed the side of her head. She looked over, frowning. 

“Who is it?” 

She asked, her voice steady as she began to reach for the spear she had set by the bed. The door opened, and she relaxed as she saw Norm. Norm smiled, tipping his hat to her slightly. 

“Mornin’ kiddo. I was gonna make some breakfast…can ya'll eat eggs?” 

Karen looked at Oliver and Randy, nodding. 

“Yep, I can get a full list of allergies from them later.” 

Norm nodded at her. 

“That'd be mighty helpful. It'll be waitin’ fer ya all downstairs.” 

Norm shut the door quietly. Karen sat for a moment, processing everything that had happened chunk by chunk. It hadnt been a dream…? Not some twisted nightmare? Some horrible daydream or something her psyche made up to combat the sheer, crushing boredom of her life? She leaned forward a bit, holding her head in her hands. Her head clunked as she tried to process all of it. She took a deep, slow breath, slowly looking up. Organize. That was what she did best. Organize the problems and deal with them as they come. First problem; wake Randy and Oliver up without scaring them. If it was just Oliver she would just whack him with a pillow but she had a feeling Randy would have a heart attack if she did that. She reached over and gently moved the blanket, putting a hand on Randy's arm and shaking gently. 

“Psst, Randy, Oli, wake up.” 

Randy groaned, shifting as his screen flickered on. 

“Huh…?”

He sat up as Oliver shifted. Karen, satisfied that they were both awake, stood out of bed to go take a shower. 

“Norm said breakfast should be ready soon. I'll be in the shower if anyone needs me.” 

She headed into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Randy watched her go, gripping the blankets in his hands as he tried to think. He was in a bed…his back didn't hurt nearly as badly as it did before. He felt selfish for being so relieved that he got to be in a bed. This situation was horrible beyond measure, he shouldn't be happy. 

He reached over and gently shook Oliver. Oliver jolted awake with a yelp, immediately flopping back onto the pillow with a groan. He reached out and began to feel around the nightstand, pausing as he realized his meds weren’t there. He sat up, looking around the decadent, very purple room before remembering where he was. 

“Oh, haha! Right. Yeah.” 

A hint of…some emotion filtered through his voice before he composed himself. Randy looked concerned. 

“What were you looking for…?”

He asked, his voice laced with worry. Oliver strugged, stretching his arms over his head. 

“Just my meds, dude. Nothin’ bad.” 

Randy's screen immediately flickered in worry. 

“Your meds?? Are they important!?” 

He stammered, clearly concerned about Oliver's health. Oliver shrugged as he began to get out of bed. 

“Eh, sorta? It's my ADHD meds and meds for my POTS. The uh...the second ones probably more important.”

He said, laughing slightly. Randy gripped the blanket tighter, looking like he was about to burst into tears. 

“...can I ask you something…?” 

Oliver looked at him, leaning against the bedpost for support. 

“Of course, dude!” 

Randy's hands were shaking badly and he flinched as a car alarm went off outside. 

“...how are you… so cheerful…? You and Karen are being so calm…am I just being dramatic?” 

He asked, his voice cracking slightly. Oliver immediately shook his head. 

“Nah! You're totally fine dude!! I just handle shit differently than you! I am...a bit stressed, yeah. I want to know where dad is, a-and I'm super worried about Gingi, but I know that you and Karen are safe!” 

Oliver put a hand on Randy's shoulder. 

“Plus, I get to hang out with my two best friends all the time now! I'm sure everything'll be just fine!” 

Randy gently put his own hand over Oliver's, feeling the skin and muscle and bones. Signs of life. Witness to life. Randy finally relaxed a bit. 

“Y-yeah. You're right…” 

Oliver gave him a warm smile. 

“...you'll be fine, dude. Being panicked is like, totally valid! The fuckin’ world ended!”

Randy nodded. Well that didn't help. 

“Haha, yeah! It did! Right in front of me…! ”

Randy gave two shaking thumbs up, which Oliver happily reciprocated. Randy watched as he walked to the window. 

“So, i-if we can't get your meds how concerned should we be? Are you gonna have seizures or h-hallucinate or something?” 

He asked, concern obvious in his voice. Oliver shook his head, quickly pulling the curtains shut again. 

“Nah, I’ll just get real fainty and dizzy. And uh…I MAAAYYY have forgotten t’ take my dose yesterday…” 

He said sheepishly. Randy got out of bed, sighing. 

“Oli, that's really important! ”

He chastised softly. Oliver held his hands up in defense, laughing. 

“I know, I know!! I wasn't plannin’ on World War Z out there!” 

They both paused before breaking into laughter, the tension melting away. 

“Phone God…never change, Oliver.” 

Randy half whispered. Oliver beamed at him like the horror-movie obsessed ray of sunshine he was. 

“Don't plan to!! The horrors persist but so do I!”

-

The three datables were gathered downstairs. Norm was loading his rifle, another larger gun slung over his shoulder. It looked like Theoroar’s. Karen raised an eyebrow.

“Is that Theo’s gun?”
Norm paused, nodding.

“Yeah, it sure is. I got in contact with the bastard over the radio this mornin’. Zoo’s been turned int’ a safehouse, he’s got survivors in there as well. A fer the gun, he must’ve left it here the last meetin’ the Mingling had.” 

He turned to Mingus, who was reading a book quietly at the table.
“Ya gonna be okay while we head out? I gotta go check fer supplies n’ survivors while they get their personal belongin’s.”
Mingus looked up, her ear flicking in either worry or disinterest. It was impossible to tell.

“Hm? Yes yes, whatever. Go on.”
Norm smiled slightly under his bag.

“Right on, we’ll be back soon, I promise.”
As he led the others towards the backdoor, Mingus suddenly stood.

“Wait.”
Norm paused, turning.

“Hm?”
She looked at him, her tail swishing from side to side.

“...just- be careful. I-I don’t want to have to go out looking for you when you inevitably get stuck somewhere.”
She huffed, looking away. Norm nodded, tipping his hat in reassurance.

“I promise ya, ma’am, we won’t be anythin’ but.”
He smiled and headed down the hallway to regroup with the others. Karen was fussing over the other two, helping them get on various things to make bites easier to resist. Knee and elbow pads, arm guards, leather jackets and things like that. Anything that you would wear on a motorcycle basically. Thankfully it seemed that there were a lot of those sorts of things in the hall closet; most likely from Shooty and Stabby. Norm paused, a bit impressed that Karen had thought of that before he pointed it out. Randy had his trusty hammer tight in his hand, while Karen had her makeshift spear and Oliver had a fire axe. Norm couldn’t help but look on at the three of them with an odd feeling of pride; he knew they would be just fine. Karen adjusted her wrist guard as she looked up.

“Ah, Norm, there you are. So what’s the plan?”
Norm came over, humming in thought.

“Well, first things first, we gotta stop and get any meds ‘r personal items ya’ll need. Randy, do ya have everythin’? I know you came in with a backpack.”
Randy nodded.

“Yes s-sir. I have everything I had to my name in that bag. E-except the possum, he screamed too much and it would give me away like a big neon ‘please come eat me’ sign. I figured I c-cry enough already…”
He said, wringing his hands. Norm gently patted his shoulder.

“Yer fine. Alright, the three of you should be fine on yer own while I go check out the zoo, yeah?”
Karen nodded, rolling her shoulders.

“Yeah, I feel like the apartments should be cleared out by now…”
She said calmly. Randy gripped his hammer a bit tighter.

“Or they’re c-completely infested and we’re all fucked.”
Oliver patted him on the back, causing him to nearly jump out of his skin.

“Aw c’mon man, positive thinking!! It’ll be fiiinnneee!”
Norm smiled under the bag and adjusted his hat.

“You'll all be fine. If there’s an emergency, either run back here or call me; I’ll come runnin’. Karen, after this you n’ I are gonna do a little lesson in shootin’. I’ve got the extra gun and I trust ya t’ use it properly.”
Karen paused. She didn’t like the idea of all the noise guns could cause, but she had to admit; having one in the current circumstances would be nice. She sighed and nodded.

“Alright.”
Oliver spoke up.

“What, you don’t trust us with guns? Whyyyyy?? C’moonn!”
Norm raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”
Oliver just grinned at him, showing he was just being silly. Randy shook his head.

“Do not trust me with a gun, oh phone god the responsibility-”

“Yer fine Randy, yer fine.”
Norm peeked out the door's peephole before pushing it open, ushering the three outside. The sun was still rising, casting a soft blue light over everything that was slowly fading to orange. The area was quiet, the only sounds being the distant wail of car alarms. No birds, no wildlife, nothing. The sounds of normalcy had been wiped clean. Norm grimaced and ushered them all forward. He would keep them safe. He would keep them all alive, even if it killed him.

Even if it killed him.