Chapter Text
It had taken Nya a measly two days to be back on her feet. Her cut was still red and swollen, but no longer oozing pus and making her feverish. And for the rest of that time they spent there she busied herself with getting to know the team. She got along nicely with the other survivors there, Jay especially. Kai would be lying if he said he wasn’t bothered by that. In this world, the empty, zombie-ridden world, it was just Kai and Nya. Not Kai, Nya, and people who thought they were helping them. They got by just fine, thank you.
Well, if you left out their countless bleeding wounds. And their tendencies to sleep with guns.
But Kai saw how much she enjoyed their company. Her eyes had grown shinier, clear, and hey, it was the little things that mattered, right? He begrudgingly had to admit he felt a little less insane with other forms of human life around him. It was a small, insecure comfort. Though he had been told countless times they could stay with them. A part of Kai really wanted to believe that.
But his brain, the one rooted on instinct and survival, said no. It was just like his mother and father, abandoning him at the first wave of viral outbreak. Soon they would be alone, just them together, and that was how it was meant to be.
Besides, there was also a small possibility that the group could actually end up hurting them somehow. You could never be too careful in the literal apocalypse. He’d dealt with his fair share of looters and “friends,” friends that leeched off his inventory and sucked his supplies dry.
But really, they weren’t like that. That was the one thing he could be sure of. They all looted together, or in small groups of two or three. More often than not they remained together, despite having such different jobs and interests. Since Kai didn’t have a huge job, besides “fire starter,” he lingered close by Jay as he worked, or with Cole as he triple-checked their armory. But mostly he was right by Nya’s side, through feverish delirium and healthy banter.
There was one problem though. She seemed happy. Kai wasn’t. And it was highly unusual that he would try and put his own happiness above hers, and really, he wasn’t! He was just trying to keep them both safe.
So that was it, he decided, sitting at the dinner circle. Nya was better, their rations were stocked. So they were leaving. Tonight.
Dinner was passing with a handful of bickering and jokes, mostly caught back and forth by Jay and Cole. Kai sat back in his seat, pushing around another instant meal—ramen this time—and thinking.
They had no idea, really, no idea what he was about to do. They all seemed happy, and god, Nya was actually smiling. He wanted to savor this moment for as long as he could, soaking it up like tofu.
But he knew what he had to do.
After everyone had gone to sleep, Kai slipped out. He went up and down floors, filling his backpack with food and water, some ointment from the armory, and of course, his flamethrower. Well, Jay’s flamethrower, but he’s definitely taking it with him.
He pads back to the sleeping room, and seeing everyone circled around, either curled up, or (Zane, mostly) straight out like an arrow, was definitely unnerving.
They won’t even notice, come morning. Me and Nya will be gone.
He turns to see Jay as he steps in the middle of the pile, cuddling with a mangled up teddy bear, holding it like it’s somehow adorable and well cared for, despite its eye hanging out of the fabric socket, and the torso ripped and spilling stuffing onto the carpet.
Okay, getting out of here. Definitely getting out.
He leans over his sister's body, covered by a few pillowcases sewn together, head resting on a pillow that’s probably meant to be used for decoration instead of the latter.
“Get up, Nya,” he shakes her roughly.
“Wh…Kai?” She sits up groggily. “What’s wrong? Are there zombies…?”
“No,” He says smoothly. “Get up, we’re leaving.”
“L…leaving?” She blinks her eyes so they’re fully open, a frown pulling on her tired features. “Where…why?”
“We’re leaving these people.” He says simply, tugging on his backpack.
“What? No-”
“Pack your stuff.”
“Kai!” She shouts angrily and he shoots her a stiff glare, motioning to everyone fast asleep around them. She huffs but lowers her tone, firm and unyielding. “I’m not leaving.” She whispers.
“That’s too bad,” he snarks dryly, crossing his arms. His backpack is already slung around his shoulder and fully ready to go. The flamethrower is strapped onto the holder, his gun is in his belt. It infuriates her to see him looking so ready to abandon the most comfortable base in all of apocalyptic hell. It even has nice people, and a cute boy that seems to admire her as she does him.
“Kai, please,” Nya begs, more pleading this time. She shifts to her feet and she finds her lips are quivering and shaking uncontrollably. He’s being weird again, and she really, really hates it. Hates feeling weak to whatever he wants to do. She pulls on his arm, trying to drag him back. “Please, I don’t want to go. I want to stay right here.”
He exhales shakily, a pang in his chest at seeing her in this state. Didn’t she understand he was protecting her? They might not be safer, but definitely more secure, in an environment where they won’t have to worry about being kicked out. Forgotten. Left for dead.
“Listen, I’m sorry, really, but I promise we’ll find a safe new place.”
”I don’t want to, and I swear to god, I’ll wake everyone up right now!” She falls backwards, almost stepping on Zane’s hand.
“No-“ Kai reaches out for her.
But in grabbing her upper arm, his fingers curl around her healing wound.
Nya cries out, backing up and gripping her arm.
“Shit, I’m sorry-“
“Stop it!” She shrieks, suddenly whacking him with her throw pillow. He was rooted to the spot, frozen as she began pummeling him over and over.
“It’s not for you to decide! I’ll do what I want, and you can’t stop me!” Her shouting was destined to wake someone up. Likely Zane, or worst of all, Cole.
“Shut up Nya! This is what’s best for us!” He attempts to grab at the pillow, only for her to stumble back with it tightly in her grip, tripping over Zane’s head and falling straight into Jay’s sleeping space. She lands right onto his side.
“What’s going on…?” Jay’s tired, slightly pained voice.
“Kai was gonna run away!” Nya shouted in a high-pitched tone, pointing an accusing finger, though Jay is turned away and still very sleepy. She scrambles off of Jay and onto her feet.
“Shut up!” Kai smacks her with the other pillow he had been previously resting his head on.
“Run…away?” Jay yawns, still not fully awake. “Why?”
“Because he’s stupid, and insecure, and-“
Another whack. This one tore open the floodgates, turning into a full fledged war of a pillow fight.
“Okay, okay,” Jay shifts to sit up, then stands in between them both, rubbing a hand down his face, getting hit a couple times in the process. “Stop it,” He exhales, grabbing both pillows. Both of the Smith siblings glare at the other, and Jay would be lying if he said it wasn’t extremely uncomfortable to get in the way of their fighting.
“You’re…wait, wait, you’re gonna WHAT?!” Kai watches Cole flinch from under him at the loud noise, pulling the blanket up to his ears in a sleepy stupor.
“Why?” Jay hisses, grasping tighter onto both pillows and pulling them to his sides. He seems angry for some reason, and Kai can’t seem to figure out why.
“Look, we appreciate the hospitality, but we don’t need it anymore.” He tries to reason, frowning. “We’re fine now and we’ll get out of your hair.”
“No, we really don’t mind!” He whisper shouts into the dark. “It’s honestly a lot more tolerable with you and Nya here. I’m getting sick of Cole’s attempts at brooding and all Zane’s bird facts.”
“I don’t really care,” Kai snaps back, balling his fists up. “We’re not a team, and we never will be.”
Jay gasps, offended. “How could you say that?! Did those five days mean nothing to you?”
“Five days is a fucking walk in the park, try five years on your own, in the apocalypse.” His closed fists tremble with caught tension.
“I know! That’s why I'm offering you to stay!” Jay throws one of the pillows out. It lands with a puff onto Cole’s face. “You don’t have to be alone with your sister.”
“You don’t know jack shit about me, or my sister! Lay off!” Kai jabs at Jay’s chest for emphasis, a snarl around his biting mouth.
There’s silence. Jay’s mouth opens then closes, debating his next words.
“I know…I know what it’s like to be all alone,” He admits quietly. “And it’s not fun, or worth it like you think it is. I was…I was alone the very first year, my parents were killed in front of me.”
Kai goes quiet, some of the initial anger fading, replaced with a cold hard shock. Really? Jay, of all people?
“…Things got pretty crazy, due to the first three waves and all. Everyone around me just seemed to keep dying, or leaving.” His words are accompanied by the rustle of his fingers as he presses them together, fidgeting nervously.
Kai…can understand that. And it’s proof that there’s more to Jay than his annoying motor mouth. But still! Just because he shared his life story, it doesn’t mean anything to Kai.
He won’t give in. He won’t.
“Anyways, I met Cole in a gas station. We were both looting, and kind of just hit it off. He was really the only person who was able to stay by my side. And from that came Zane who was sleeping in a Mcdonald’s, then you two in the motel.”
Kai sighs, shoulders slumping, some of the fight draining out of him. “We’re still not a team, we’re not,” It’s like a broken record at this point, slipping out the same words over and over. It’s his very favorite defensive mechanism.
And it’s currently crumbling right in front of his eyes.
“We’re not…” Nya frowns gently. She places her hand in Kai’s palm, squeezing the center 3 times. I love you. “But I’m really tired of being all by myself.”
Okay, ouch. That one pricks at his heart.
“Don’t forget about me,” Jay smiles, standing in the middle of their intertwined fingers. “I’m right here, guys.”
“Shut up, Jay,” Kai deadpans, earning a small smile from Nya.
He exhales heavily, squeezing Nya’s hand back. “I…I guess we can stay, if you really want to. I don’t…mind,” He tries to not admit the fact begrudgingly.
He watches her brighten just a bit.
And of course Jay is grinning from ear to ear, but he’s not really relevant.
“Thank you Kai,” She exhales, her relief palpable. He knew she would do this, tug and tug until she held the rope. But it may have been part of the reason he did it anyways, instead of lugging her unconscious body miles from this place and waiting for her to awake all alone, without her friends.
The sentiment of the moment is cut completely by Nya’s scream.
“Nya! what-” Kai pushes Jay as he tries to get to her, but she just lets out a relieved sigh, placing a hand on her chest.
“Geez, Zane, you scared me. Your hand is so cold, it almost feels like zombie slime.”
Kai gazes down at the boy in question, who was looking extra menacing in the darkness, the faint glow of his eyes unnerving. “Forgive me,” He smiles apologetically, pulling his hand back. “I awoke, and was about to ask you to be quieter.”
“I’m up too,” Cole grumbles and huffs, having to stretch first before fully sitting up.
“Sorry Cole, Zane,” Jay apologizes.
Kai sucked in a breath. “So…how much of that did you hear?”
“Most of it,” Cole sighs, craning his neck to the ceiling. Simultaneously, Zane replies, “All of it.”
“Wonderful.”
Cole sits up, then comes to stand with the rest of them. He crosses his arms, giving an unimpressed scoff at Kai with his bag packed. “So you were actually gonna do it,” His eyes trail to the flamethrower strapped a little too obviously, from how extremely huge it is.
“And…you were gonna take that with you,” He sighs, brushing back his messy fringe.
“Yeah, isn’t it sick? Check it out.” Kai flips the switch on.
But in consequence of switching it on inside, it was now scorching the ends of Jay’s hair. The pillow in his hands caught on fire. “Shit!”
Jay screams, brushing frantically at his hair in an attempt to cool the flames. In doing so he let the pillow fall to the floor, still very much on fire, and teetering dangerously close to their blankets and pillows. After a short moment passed with the four of them freaking out, trying to extinguish the mess of flaming hair, Zane takes the pillow with a foot and stamps it out.
“Okay,” Cole exhales heavily, running a hand down his face. He pats the last of the embers on Jay’s neck, which had completely burned away the small mullet the apocalypse had grown for him. “I’ll be taking that.” Cole mutters, snatching it away. Kai couldn’t even argue with that, he just handed his flamethrower into more responsible hands.
“Yeah, sorry.” Jay marvels momentarily at Kai’s apologetic face, which is mostly concealed with a scoff.
“We are staying though, right?” Nya tugs at Kai’s sleeve, searching for his answer, though he’s already given it. He’s certain she just wants to see him say it again.
“Yeah, yeah,” he huffs. “No running away.”
She smiles, and then Jay, and Cole, and even Kai. It’s infectious. But a good infection, unlike the zombies that lurk outside.
They’re happy.
BEEP! BEEP BEEP!
The fire alarm.
“Wow…” Cole cranes his neck, turning to look at the white machine perched on the wall. “Those batteries still work?”
“Hey, we could totally use them!” Jay exclaims, watching the alarm go off and on.
“I believe we do have a large amount of radios,” Zane chimed in with a small smile.
“Someone could be out there, and we could reach them!” Jay bounces up and down, using Cole as his personal pogo stick. “Yes! Thank you Kai! Thank you for setting me on fire!” He throws his arms around the boy and squeezes tightly, pulling away as quick as he leeches on and bounding towards the wall.
…
“Cole, a little help.”
Cole snorts, following Jay to the wall where the alarm is perched high and still rings like crazy.
“Hop on, shortie.”
It’s a bit of a complicated ordeal, trying to crack the alarm open. First Jay shuts it off, but then figures they need a screwdriver to pry it open. He hops off, jogs upstairs and comes right back, only to realize it’s the wrong type. Hops off again, goes up and comes back, this time with a wide variety of tools and a hammer if it’s really necessary.
Zane stands back from it all, knowing that somehow his friends are perfectly capable of doing it themselves, despite the events that took place earlier. He trusts Kai won’t try to run off again, or set someone on fire. I mean, he is trying to help them now.
There’s one more matter he needs to take care of now.
He slips out without notice.
He had been camping out a ways away from the building.
His first night, he’d been extremely tempted to go knocking at the door, but the amount of screaming that goes down inside always scares him off. A lot, actually.
So he stuck to his ideals and sat himself down on a log, scribbling away in his journal. There were no zombies all the way out here, so he was free to readapt any sort of information he felt was wrong. He would’ve liked more time to experiment, but there was also a lot he had to do before he could start that.
First and foremost, get out of there.
But he couldn’t, and he felt himself go a little insane for a lack of better word. The countless nights of bracing himself for that knock, only to fall back and bury his head in the bushes, silently screaming. He could never actually muster up enough courage to try to come in. He told himself he could be at least a little bad and sneak in, steal some rations, but he couldn’t even do that.
So he ran on zero food, some river water, and a couple hours spent dreaming in patches of weeds and bugs. When he wasn’t sleeping (which was most of the time) he was writing, charting, doodling.
Until two hours ago, when his pencil snapped clean off. He had tried to sharpen it with his hunting knife, but it was no use. Thanks to this he grew incredibly bored, having nothing to do but sleep.
Well, there was one thing…
The thought was always present at him, chipping away at his resolve with a hammer.
Actually, it shatters completely when he hears the screaming, and the beeping. Immediately he’s on his feet, scrambling for his backpack. He’s worried for whoever’s inside, but it’s also crazy of him to try and check.
He’s sure his appearance would only intensify the screams.
Even so, he hoists his backpack onto his back, curling it in a death grip. It was time and he was definitely doing it this time. Even if he didn’t want to, it was a natural reaction to check on the noise that screams danger. He takes a breath, trying not to think too hard, but of course his brain says otherwise.
Think things through, Lloyd. They could shoot you on spot, steal all your things, even start testing on you. You’re a freak of nature, remember?
Ah, what the hell, he shoots back at it. If he died, he died. A better fate than the eternal hunger he always felt.
Besides, these guys might have food, and water, and he wouldn’t be sick and throwing up dirty river…well he wouldn’t call that water.
He exhales heavily, not daring to think anymore. His feet pick up traction, sailing past weeds and plants, falling onto the side path that leads towards the building.
But he slams into something cold, something hard.
It’s a body he slams into. A person.
“Hello,” Zane says calmly, a small smile on his face as he stops in his tracks. He holds out a baking pan, copper and hosting a few cans and bottles of water that had fallen over at impact.
“Uh…” His breath catches in his throat, too thrown off to form a response. He rubs his nose absently. It still stings a little.
“How are you doing this evening?” Zane ventures to be polite.
“F-fine…what-?”
“That is excellent!” The other boy exclaims.
“Huh…?” He stares, frightened and unsure. This guy knew, he definitely knew he was out here, hiding in the bushes like a creep.
“I’m sorry, I swear I wasn’t spying or anything-”
“Yes, I have noticed you. But after analyzing your behavior patterns, I find you are not an agitated or violent life-form. You likely need food,” He raises his pan up higher.
“Ah…” Lloyd blinked. He just…knew??? Did that mean everyone else did? Oh god, they were probably all laughing at him right now-
“If you would like, I can also keep this secret.” Zane seemed to somehow pick up on his emotions, reading him down to the exact thought.
“Secret? Uh…” He felt like freaking out, but it really wouldn’t help anything. “I guess…that would be good?”
The boy smiled. “My name is Zane Julien, and you are?”
“Lloyd,” he whispers quietly. He was certain saying his last name would immediately get him kicked out. He adds this to his list of reasons he should never interact with the human species ever again.
“Please, take some,” Zane lowers the tray so it’s at Lloyd’s level.
Lloyd's hand reached carefully, snaking around a can of peaches. There was already a plastic fork jammed inside, courtesy of Zane and his good manners of just about everything.
“You are also welcome in our base if you would like to join us. We have enough rations for exactly 12 people, so you will not trouble us.”
“Oh, um…I’ll think about it,” He lies, smiling nervously up at Zane. There was no way. Too many things could go wrong, too many things could escalate. One very minor mistake could destroy his life’s work of research.
“I suspect you don’t have any rations in your bag? Here, please take some more.” He offers out his tray again, to which Lloyd quickly grabs at a few bottles of water.
He unzips his bag to shove them in, but his hoodie gets caught on the zipper, and it topples over when he tries to unlodge it.
Splat.
Shit.
There goes his research, again. He really should keep it in a safe pouch, there are even some along the insides of his bag. But he’s not too worried. It’s a side journal, which is basically just a copy of old stuff. He can rework it.
He waits for Zane to make a grab at it, maybe laugh in his face, or run off. But Zane does nothing. He stares at the open page, and smiles back at him. “Those are some interesting papers you have," He speaks gently, as if coaxing a feral street cat out. “Do you enjoy science?”
“Well, err…” Lloyd rubs his head, not sure to do now that he realizes Zane isn’t bullying him. “I guess, but it’s just…necessary, y'know? It’s just for survival.”
“Yes, I understand,” Zane nods, picking up the mud-mucked journal and handing it back. Lloyd shoves it down, back into his backpack after wiping it all down.
“I must inform you it is not safe to be out here, especially during cold season,” Zane frowns, as if Lloyd has no idea what he’s doing. He’s not a child!
“I know,” Lloyd huffs, exasperated. “I’ll be fine.”
“You are welcome any time,” Zane’s eyes crinkle with concern. “I must admit, I don’t understand why you won’t take my hand.” Though, with the recent events that just went down inside, he’s lying. Lloyd seems less rough around the edges, though, and his behavior is only slightly explained, and Zane’s only running on assumption. He’ll have to coax him out with a gentle hand, let him slide in slowly.
“I think I’m fine,” Lloyd mumbles. Though the truth is, in every single situation he is bound to be rejected. Either from the bites, or the hunger, or just how generally weird he is. In his opinion, all of them aren’t normal.
“I will start leaving daily rations on the post, is this acceptable?” Zane hums, gesturing to his tray which is only half full now.
“…yeah,” Lloyd mumbles dully. He’s not exactly happy to be taking from someone else, but he needs to survive somehow.
It also helps the hunger, just a tiny bit.
He takes a bite out of his jar of peaches, savoring the sweet sensation of something sugary hitting his tastebuds. Quietly, he looks down at the can in confusion.
“How’s this stuff still good?” He smacks his lips after he’s swallowed, frowning.
Zane brightens. “It is actually a very interesting process! They are heated to rid germs and it makes it so they last until up to five years of their making.”
“Oh,” Lloyd knows his response is bland, he’s just too thrown off to respond. “And uh…how do you know that?”
“The Canning and Preservation of Fruits and Foods by-“
“Shh!” Lloyd snaps, cutting him off. Zane goes quiet, turning his head to look behind him. He hears the patter of footsteps, and Lloyd’s a bit worried it’s coming from behind him.
A black haired boy stands in the doorway, placing both hands on the frame.
He calls out for Zane.
Lloyd bolts.