Highschool of the Dead: Setting of the Sunday

Ch.3 Defined by our choices

I do not own Highschool of the Dead

It is owned by the surviving kin of Daisuke Sato

The Walking Dead is owned by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore

Positive reviews are welcome

Ch. 3 Defined by our choices

To say that Takuzo was having a bad day was an understatement. He was having a terrifyingly bad day. Student, teachers, people and friends of his that he had known for half of his life as well as those he'd known for a lot longer were killing each other.

It was like something right out of a horror flick.

Those who did die, came back minutes later, rose and began to attack others. Blood flowed along the floors and walls as students and staff, too terrified to move or too terrified to escape fast enough, were suddenly set upon, bitten into, torn apart and died. Only they didn't stay dead long. It was only now that he realized that maybe watching all of those Zombie films wasn't so cool after all.

It seemed Karma had other plans, and he wasn't enjoying them now as it was evident that such an ideal and threat was quickly becoming very real. He and his girlfriend Naomi, another handful others from from which he knew somewhat of, seemed to be just one of a few to survive, and yet with the approaching group of undead students and what with him being the only one with a weapon, he didn't think he was long for this world.

Kawamoto, whom not many knew was in a secret lesbian relationship with Taniuchi, the third and final girl of their small group.

The only member of their group he could barely remember the name of, the second and final member was a random school student he'd passed within the halls a time or two.

Around Takuzo's neck was a dry towel from having taken baseball practice when the school speakers went off and the sounded the alarm about the dangers having entered the school.

At the moment, with a metal bat in his hand, was his swings wild and desperate. The former school mates, now walking, moaning corpses, were reaching out for both he himself and those whom he was fighting to protect, only now the halls on both sides including the stairs were blocked on all sides.

'Shit...not good.' he thought to himself.

"S-S-Stay Back!" came the fearful tone of Kawamoto who only a moment ago shrieked as the schools students whom had fallen due to the onslaught of the others, had begun to rise after being bitten.

"Takuzo..." his girlfriend pleaded helplessly. Suddenly, the air whistled as an arrow flew down, embedding and penetrating the skull of the closest of the horde that had surrounded the living students.

Then the familiar, yet sickening sound of metal hitting and crushing the head of another came as another student with a metal bat in hand came down as if from on high, the heavy end of the bat destroying both bone and brain matter.

Another of the undead students fell as another familiar figure came down with long legs and violet hair, bringing down with her in a single stroke, a wooden sword that caved in the head of her own quarry. Several others came into view, including the one whom the arrows belonged to as an American teen wielding not just a bow, but a quiver still full of arrows, hung from his back.

It was a short battle as one of the new arrivals, with a massive swing smashed the last walker between the eyes with the metal tipped end of an apparent mop handle.

Congealed blood flowed down the shaft as the metallic scent of it hit the air like a horrid odor.

The one with the bow saw this, his expression changed to one of being impressed as he nodded in approval, the undead not moving after a few moments.

Takuzou finally being able to breathe a bit easier and let the soreness of his already pained arms take a moment to relax as he was barely able to keep the bat in his hands, up.

With a heavy sigh, "Thank y-umph..." a barely gloved hand quickly reached out, covering the teens mouth entirely.

The hand belonged to the archer of the group as two others finally came down from the upper floor. Looking into the archers eyes, he could clearly see the pink skin pigmentation, marking him as a 'Gaijin'.

Said Gaijin thankfully lowered his hand, "Low voice. These things go off by sound and possibly scent."

"How?" one of the female brunettes with short hair asked, but as warned, in a low tone of voice.

"First off, was anyone bitten?" Saeko Busujima demanded, her bokken held in a ready grip.

Her reputation as a sadist must have carried through the school as another female student quickly and vehemently brought her hands up, "Uh-no...nobody."

Ryan took a the time to visually analyze and deduce whether or not any of the students had any signs of fidgeting or trying to cover an arm or bloodied wound. Not seeing any evidence to the the contrary, he breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded as he was satisfied at the moment.

"We're getting out of here." he said in a low tone, his voice at the level of a mere whisper. "If you want to get out of here alive, then you're welcome to join us."

"Re-Really?" one of the females asked with a look of hope in her eyes.

"Yeah. But you'll have to be fast. Remember to keep up." Takashi said as he took a towel that had been discarded on the floor a moment before and used it to clean the bat.

Ryan, having memorized the map given to him earlier from the faculty and noticing some lockers nearby, he and the others took the time to breathe.

"So," he said, "up for living a little bit longer by following a westerner?"

"Y-Yes." came the reply from the brunette with the bat.

It was then that Takashi noticed movement from the middle of the lockers nearby, 'Shit!?' Turning his back to them, the others also copied his actions as they too flattened themselves against the lockers.

An idea came to Ryans mind as he knew it was a crazy thought, but one that may just give them a chance. "Hey..." he hissed to any of the girls, "who's got a mirror?"

"W-What?" one of the unnamed girls shot back in a as low a voice as she could.

"He asked if any of us had a mirror." Saeko said when one of the girls eyes shot up and produced a small and round makeup kit from a bag she carried on her person.

By this time, Ryan was now chewing silently on a stick of gum. Never be let it said that even gum can not be handy at times during an emergency. He had just so happen to have on him a pack of spearmint gum in order to keep a fresh breath about him.

With an outstretched hand, he non-verbally demanded the makeup kit in a 'give it up' gesture.

Even with an unsure expression, she gave it up to the wooden sword wielding female fatale who passed it down until it was in Ryans hand. Placing it against his pants leg with the kit open, "Sorry about this." he said as with a silent grunt and a barely inaudible 'snap', he managed to separate the mirror from the small object it was in. Thankfully, the mirror was connected to the lid from the inside.

The girl gasped as she watched the westerner break one of her most valued treasures. She teared up as he then pulled out an arrow from his quiver. After a few extra chews, he took the gum out and placed it on the back of the makeup lid only to connect it to the arrowhead.

He held the arrow-mirror out as he needed to see if there were any 'Walkers' in their way. Looking in both directions, he saw none, even as he looked both ways again as he stepped out further. But upon walking up to and checking beyond the second row of lockers, he sighed as he had come to spot some on either sides of the lockers. Getting a full count of how many were within the Locker room, he pulled back on the arrow, making sure not even a light reflection could get their attention.

He quickly returned to the others as he was mentally coming up with a plan of action on what to do.
"Ok, here's how it's going to go. I need all of you to stay here for a moment." he said, "Saeko-san, Takashi-san, you two take point and watch out for the others. Takuzou-san, watch their backs. Kouta, you're the sharp shooter, but from what I can tell, you're low on both ammo and power, right?"

A grunt and nod was his answer from the bi-spectacle teen.

"Then if you can, make sure your shots count. Head shots only. One shot, one kill. Being as sluggish as these things are, I'm sure that won't be a problem will it?"

When a head shake was made, an unpleasant spoke up.

"Who left you in charge?" Saya demanded a bit rudely.

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "I'm the guy with the most likely chance of getting you out of here alive. Unlike you, I've taken survivalist training thanks to my father and my extended family back in the US. So I do know what I am doing, thank you very much. Any other questions?"

As much as she wanted to, she couldn't dispute that he had her there, and so silently fumed. With a huff, she folded her arms and sneered, causing him to roll his eyes again.

"We on the same page?" Ryan asked as he looked around and didn't see anyone objecting, "Good."

A hand reached out and touched his arm. Looking up, he gazed into the curious eyes of Rei Miyamoto, "What are you going to do?"

"Going to try to thin the heard, Rei-chan. Don't worry, I'll be back. Oh, and one more thing. In order to not be freaked out, wait for my sign."

"What kind of sign?" Takashi asked.

"Back in WW2, as the Americans fought against the Germans, in order to recognize their fellow Americans brothers, Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment had to use clickers and call signs. I obviously don't have a clicker, but wait for my call sign. When I say 'Flash', then you'll say 'Thunder'." he explained.

"Flash?!" Kouta Hirano, who currently carried a make shift nail gun in his arms.

"Thunder." Ryan called back with a smirk and a thumbs up before he disappeared.

Ryan used the arrow/mirror again to check around the first set of lockers. Thankfully, there were still no walkers. Moving along, he rested his back against the left side of the next row of lockers. Once more using the arrow/mirror, he could make out the same two behind him on the other side of the lockers.

'This is going to be tricky.' Removing the gum and mirror from his arrow, tossing the gum to the side and pocketing the mirror, he placed the shaft of the arrow into his mouth while removing another from his quiver.

Silently, he managed to sneack up behind a walking male corpse. With a swing of his right leg, the undead creatures legs came out from underneath it. Twirling the shaft of the arrow in his fingers, he then gripped it tightly and with a hint of effort and a near silent grunt, shoved the arrow fully into its forehead.

Not wasting another second, he snatched the one from his mouth and notched it, only to release it into the head of a female corpse that was on the verge of turning. 'It may have heard its counterpart as it collapsed.' he thought to himself.

Of course, because the female zombie was so close and to the left, he was able to catch her as she fell a second after the arrow pierced its brain. Yanking the arrow from it and the male corpse, using the covered parts of his fingers to close the eyes of the both of them, he continued to clear a path as his arrows flew true.

-l

"He shouldn't have to do this alone. What is he thinking?" Takashi said.

"He wants us to stay here, he obviously knows what he doing." Saya Takagi replied with a haughtiness in her tone as she then huffed. Her left arm over her right one, she used her left hands index finger to push her glasses back up into place.

"Just who is this guy?"

"Yeah, where did this guy come from. He's not even Japanese." another responded.

"Sssaaaayyyyyaaaa-chan!" Kouta Hirano whined, "Can't you at least try to get along. We are in the middle of a Zombie Apocolypse after all."

"Don't call it that." she screamed.

"Well, what would you have us call it?" Takashi demanded rather vehemently.

"I don't know. Anything but that. And besides, he may be an American, but he seems to know what hes doing."

"Fair enough. But at the moment, if he says to wait, then we wait." Takashi said as even a sliver a doubt had begun to creep into his mind, his hand tightening on the grip of the bat. "I say we wait and give him the time to 'thin out the herd' I believe is the American term." he repeated Ryans earlier words.

"Why? After all, it's not like they could see us anymore, right? So there's no need to hide."

"But still..."

"Will all of you be quiet? I'm trying to listen and you're all talking too much." Saeko had demanded.

The pink haired teen made to speak some more when the air pressure and gravity seemed to suddenly increase. Moving their head about, the others began to take notice how quiet it had suddenly become. The groaning that had permeated their ears since the nightmare had begun, suddenly seemed non-existent.

"Is it me, or is it a little too quiet?" Kouta asked.

None spoke up at this realization as they too took notice.

"Do you think he's ok?" Takuzou.

"That's what I'm trying to find out." Suddenly, a pale gray body of a male corpse slammed back first between both lockers. Some of the individuals of the two groups were about to shriek when the moaning creature was forever silenced as a foot came down on its head, turning it to the left side.

With a bit of leg pressure and the sickening sound of breaking bone as its skull was suddenly crushed, the person responsible for completing the undeads unnatural existence called out, "Flash."

At first, no one spoke until he called out again, "Flash."

"Th-Thunder?!" came the unsure reply back courtesy of Kouta Hirano.

"Who the hell are you, man?" Takuzou

"Don't worry about that." Ryan spoke, then gazed upon and said to the gathered group "Let's move."

Following his lead, the gathered group of students ran behind him, and yet could see the carnage before them. Even now, they noticed the decrease of arrow shafts sticking out of the quiver as the hallways were littered with already gray bodies with missing limbs, missing chunks of flesh, and such, all with arrows sticking out of their heads and eyes.

"Holy shit." came Hiranos' verbal thoughts aloud as they quickly traversed the hallways. Before long, the entrance of the school. They all had to stop a moment at the currently closed doors in order to catch their breaths, but none needed it more than Ryan as he had to bend over, holding an arm to his stomach in order to catch his breath.

Saeko, seeing this asked, "West-son, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just winded and my arm muscles are starting to sore, wearing me out." he answered. "Just give me a moment. I'll be right as rain in a bit." he had to shake his arms out as the soreness from excessive activity had yet to subside. Minutes later, flexing his fingers and again shaking his arms, Ryan stood to his full height.

"Thought you might need these." Kouta said as he passed a handful of retrieved arrows. Some were still coated a bit in congealed blood and a bit of bloodied matter, a few even looked chipped, but he'd deal with that when it came time as he graciously accepted them and placed them back into the quiver.

Sneaking a glance out the glass entryway of the school, the grounds were littered with Walkers. Cracking his neck, not bothering to see the looks of disgust from some of his group, his eyes searched the grounds until they found the parking spaces for bot staff and school vehicles. Right then, he spotted the bus. It was a lot smaller than the buses used back in the US, but it'd make do.

Turning back and pulling out an arrow and notching, he said, "Remember, one speed."

"One speed." Takashi repeated with a nod.

Saeko nodded with a look of fierce certainty. Gazing at the others who also gave a nod, including the insufferable Saya and a somewhat nervous school nurse, Ryan then stepped forward and turned around. A few deep breaths, enough to calm his beating heart, kicked open the doors of the school.

Pulling back and taking aim, he unleashed an arrow on the closest Walker. Its head was beginning to rise where it stood when the sound of foot met glass caused the doors to slam open. But the moment the arrow met its skull and sunk in, it fell forward and didn't rise again.

Feet met pavement as the teens and singular staff member made for the parking lot. Wooden sword and metal bats met their marks as the students picked their targets. To aid them, more arrows were also unleashed. Seeing a Walker dead ahead of him, he took out its good leg as it was barely standing due to a missing chunk of meat and bone in its bad leg.

As it hit the ground, Ryan made to finish it off as he jumped into the air only to come down, landing on its head with one foot. The multiple sickening 'crunches' its back made in the process loud, and smashing its face and head in. Rolling back to his feet, he resumed his run as he did not lessen his speed and made sure he remained with the group.

It was a combined effort as Kouta's nail gun laid to rest the last of the Walkers that barred the group from the bus. Forming a barrier around the Nurse as per Ryans orders, she wasted little time in quickly opening the doors of the said bus, despite her inebriated state.

Kneeling with his bow notched and aimed at a now approaching group of Walkers made up of both former students and staff alike, including the first set of individuals whom were attacked when the incident began.

One by one, the group began to pile on the moment the last of the school patrons managed to open the doors, of course, due to her current state, was a challenge in of it self. Finally managing to find the right key and getting the door open did the group begin to pile in.

"Get it started." Ryan hollered as he continued putting down Walkers whom were getting too close. He was joined by Kouta who knelt next to his side.

Looking to his side, he noticed the glean in the students eyes. Glancing at the makeshift weapon in his hands as he fired what remained of his nail ammo.

'Click-Click-Click'

"Eh-heh-heh." he gulped, "I'm out."

Nodding at this Ryan replied, "Get on, you've done enough."

Shaking his head, Kouta stood when his eyes picked out another group quickly making their way towards the bus.

"...Please!"

Even as the group got on the bus, the school nurse was quickly fiddling with the keys, trying to find the right key in which to stick into the key ignition, "Ahhh, this isn't like my car. Let me see, ABC, ABC..."

"Wait!?" hollered what appeared to be the eldest of the group. A surviving faculty member. A teacher, maybe?!

"Who's that?" Takashi said as he allowed Kouta to pass him by.

"Shidou...From third year, Class-A." replied Saeko with a hint of loathing in her tone.

"...Shidou." Rei said darkly, glaring over Takashis shoulder.

"We're leaving now!" the nurse said hollered just as the bus started up, having successfully overturned the engine.

"Please, wait a little bit!" Takashi."

"No time. More of them are coming and I'm beginning to run out of Arrows." Ryan says as he climbs aboard.

"He's right. They're coming from the front too. If we take too long." the now clearly upset nurse said as she began to operate the bus, moving it along. "If we take too long getting everyone, we won't be able go at all."

"I say we should just run them over." an unfamiliar female voice said.

Shaking her head, Saya hastily agreed, "All those people would flip us.

Ryan was of two minds about the subject when Takashi made the choice for him as he lunged towards the front of the bus. Rei had to grab him from behind in order to stop him, her voice loud as she cried out, "You can't save him!"

It went quiet as everyone turned to look between Rei and Takashi as he peeled her arms from his person. Spinning around, he grabbed her by the wrist by which hand did not hold her personal weapon of choice as he shouted back. "Rei! What are you talking about?"

"You don't have to save him! He's better off dead."

Something about how she said those words and the conviction they held made Ryan pause as he turned back to the source of their little spat.

He observed as the one called 'Shidou' was leading the students towards the waiting bus when one of the students whose arms carried a couple of books, lost his footing and fell. Ryan watched in horror and dread as the student found the strength to grasp the mans lower left pants leg, obviously begging for help.

'Help him damnit!' Ryan shouted within his mind as the teacher adopted a sinister look, turned to and gazed down at the student.

"Let go of me!" could clearly be heard even from the distance in which he stood, as the Teacher smashed the face of the student with his finely polished black shoe.

'He-...He didn't just...' Ryan said to himself as the others within the bus too had watched what had just occurred.

Ryan, with an arrow notched, pulled as far back as he dared. The moment that 'Koichi Shidou' had begun to turn around and walk towards the bus, did the archer let go. The arrow flew straight and true as the moment a group of hungry walkers descended on the helpless and defenseless student, the arrow hit its mark as it struck the clearly sociopathic individual dead on in the sternum.

The power and precision of the arrows release knocked the man off of his feet wherein he flew and fell next to the student in which he'd just condemned.

Even his protests fell on deaf ears as a number of the walkers devouring the student he betrayed turned their attention and teeth upon him.

The remaining students whom had followed him and had yet to get on the bus, stopped to see as their mentor and dare a girl or two think even more of, fall to his demise. Before they could so much as cry out and make an attempt to aid him, it was Saeko whom called to them, "I wouldn't if I were you. You got two choices, you can join us and live, or you can join him and die. Better make the choice fast before the Dead makes the choice for you."

Despite their desire to aid the man whom meant so much to them and more, the surviving students knew when it was time to cut their losses and run. Even as he reached out in the hopes that he could be saved, the man known as Koichi Shidous arm was wrenched from its socket wherein it was then ravenously being eaten by the likes of student turned undead.

He recognized this female creature as just one of many as she bit into his flesh after tearing the arm from his body. His last thought as the darkness claimed him was him finally coming to terms with the meaning of Bad Karma and Fate getting its due.

As the last of the students climbed aboard, Ryan and Saeko made sure everyone was aboard before he took over the position of driver after depositing his bow and quiver to the side in an empty seat.

The sword wielding 'Maiden' as far as he was concerned, made to stand beside him. "Do you even know how to drive this thing?"

He just looked up at her with a blank look as he shifted the throttle in first gear in order to move it ahead. Turning his head back to the windshield, he pushed the bus to go faster as gears shifted. Even as they approached the gates, they had mowed over several walkers. Some of the teens within the bus shrieked at first, but then calmed down the moment when the bus tore through the fence as if it was aluminum.

"You going to be ok?" Saeko asked as she placed a hand on his left shoulder.

"I know I should be." he replied. "Hell, I want to be."

"But?"

"But...the truth is...I killed a teacher. and yet, for the guilt I feel, I also know that I was Justified in my actions."

"He killed someone. A student."

"Exactly."

"And you're wondering if you made the right choice or if the choice you made was yours to make at all."

"How the hell do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Read me. As if you know what I'm thinking about."

"Because West-son." she replied, "If it had come down to me being forced to make the choice, I would have made the same as you. so don't feel bad about ending that scum. He had it coming."

"Of that, I can too agree." Takashi said as he stepped forward.

Going to ending the chapter here for the moment. May decide to add a bit more as I feel that it could use more dialogue, but I am too tired to continue. Leave me a review and please remember to be positive as positive criticism is always welcome and needed to make one a better writer. Until next time.