Fantasy Apocalypse: Infected

With the numbers of their group both increasing and decreasing at a rapid rate, it seemed convenient to keep the team centred to one area. The previous day the group had managed to find a house to hold up in, one that had only been crawling with four of the infected. Most of the locks still worked inside the house, except for the one on the front door, so Cate had told the now small group of seven to pile in once the appropriate checks had been done. The team made their way straight up to the attic and a deal was struck which stated that they only continued moving when a clear, consistent plan had been made.


When no plan was reached, Cate insisted they find food and remain inside the house for as long it was safe. That morning, she'd set out with her second in command to find the nearest source of food. The gas station they passed had been too crowded with the undead, so they kept the car moving and managed to take out a few infected on the way.


Cate's broken watch read 7AM when they pulled the car up to a small supermarket. Around the building there was no sign of life at all, not even from the undead. A few empty cars sat in the parking lot, but other than that the scene looked fairly deserted.


"You have everything?" Cate asked, waiting for a simple nod before she climbed out of the car and held her gun up in front of her, ready to fire at whatever they encountered inside the building.

((Sorry! I never got an alert that you replied.))


Imogen sighed as wandered through the grocery store, a shopping cart in her hands. Even though it had been only a few weeks since the virus first started to ravage the east coast, the sight of her with the cart in her hand seemed ridiculous. Nika was ahead of her, randomly pulling things off the shelves, considering them, and then either throwing them into the cart or putting them back. The sheer luck that this place hadn't been picked clean by looters had astounded both of the girls and were quick to take advantage of it while it still lasted. The dead they had found here when they first discovered the place they had cleared out and stuck the bodies in one of the back rooms. Since then, the girls frequented the store numerous times a week, hoarding their supplies in the small house they had claimed for their own.


"Remember we can't grab anything that needs to be refrigerated. If it isn't already bad, it'll be going there pretty soon," Imogen advised the younger girl, her voiced tainted with a slight Russian accent.


"I know, I know," Nika replied, rolling her eyes. Unlike her sister, her voice held no accent. They had moved too early in her life for it to make an impression.


"Come on, tell me the names of the fruit in Russian. We need to keep your vocabulary up." Nika was fairly fluent in Russian, considering that's what the spoke at home, but was no where near as good as her sister. With an exasperated look, Nika did as told, sometimes muttering about whether or not the item was edible or worth grabbing. Both girls idly conversed, Imogen every so often taking a gander at the front doors to make sure no dead sneaked in. Her eyes widened when she saw a pair of people, obviously alive, heading towards said doors.


Cursing, Imogen grabbed Nika, shushing her. "We need to hide," She murmured, Nika's eyes became wide with fright and she instantly shut up, allowing her sister to pull her towards the back of the store. They had managed to clear the inner workings of it as well, but something may have slipped in and Imogen didn't want to take any chances. Their best bet was to wait the strangers out and pray that if found, things would stay peaceful.


Finally, just as Imogen heard the doors open, she found a spot. A fruit bin- all of which was mainly rotten- that had a space just big enough for at least Nika to climb into. "You stay here," She breathed before darting off to hide behind one of the shelves. Nika had no time to protest and dove into the small space, making herself invisible.

"Did you remember the list this time, sweetheart?"


Cate shot Kristian a glare and the look he knew to mean that now was not a good time, so with a slight smile on his face he moved inside ahead of Cate and began slowly moving along the bottom of the aisles to check for any customers they did not want to see. Gun raised, he shouted "clear" back to his partner whenever an aisle was empty, though the talking was also meant as bait for the undead.


"I think we're good." Kristian told her as he reached the bottom of the store, though he quickly joined Cate at the entrance so that they could start moving down aisles to look for the supplies needed. The store still looked to be in fairly good shape, only a few shelves were turned over and the bloodstains on the floor were kept to a minimum. It seemed as though they would at least find some food to take back.


Cate nodded and set off with her gun still held high in front of her, allowing Kristian to move behind her to cover them both if anything came from behind. "Grab as much as we can carry, I don't want to be using the house for much longer. We need to keep moving." She told him, her British accent only slightly prominent following years living and working in the US.

It looked like it would be a game of hide and seek for Imogen. As the two looked around she darted from shelf to shelf, all while trying to keep the fruit cart in sight. From the sounds of it, the two didn't seem hostile...and now a days it was only natural to carry guns. Still, she didn't want to take that chance. Maybe if it had just been her, but she couldn't risk Nika's safety like that. Imogen managed to snag a few glances of the two intruders, surprised to see that they were in army-like gear. Despite this, she thought if she could sneak up on the woman, she could possibly disable her. The man was a different story...Swallowing, she darted to the next aisle, trying to think of her best route.


Nika pointed her head out, the curious mouse she was, glancing around to see the intruders. Her eyes widened at the guns and she looked at her sister, wanting to run. Imogen waved her hand at the child, shaking her head furiously, wanting her to get back in. Nika shook her head again and slowly started to inch out of her hiding spot. "Get back!" Imogen hissed in Russian, throwing a cautionary glance at the two. Nika slid back some into the protection of the cart before ultimately deciding to run out.


"Nika!" Imogen hissed, plastering herself against the shelf as her sister tried to zoom through one of the empty aisles. The elder sister managed to grab a handful of the younger's shirt, tugging her close then slapped a hand over her mouth. Nika struggled, pulling at the hands, wanting to run. Where, Imogen had no idea. It was a three mile walk back to the house and by now there would be the roamers out an about. "Calm down!" Imogen whispered in Nika's ear, throwing another glance down the aisle they had last seen the pair.


During this glance though, Nika managed to claw her way from Imogen's hold and darted down one of the aisles. Imogen, furious and terrified all at the same time, waiting to see if the two would hear the younger girl over their talking.

Though the scuffle was far too frantic to sound like the undead, Cate and Kristian had learned since the outbreak to treat any incident as a life threatening occurrence. Kristian looked over to Cate when he first heard the whispering and only began to move toward the sounds when she nodded her head to signal that it was okay to move. The footsteps running caught Cate's attention most of all and the sound of the scuffle sent her instincts into overdrive, but she held back and insisted that Kris do the same.


However, when a pair of footsteps set off again Cate motioned for Kristian to set off after them. As Nika set off down the aisle and away from her sister, Kristian stepped into the aisle and grabbed the girl by her arm, allowing for Cate to move in beside him and aim her gun for the young woman standing at the bottom of the aisle.


"Human." Cate stated, as the team had made an early decision to always assess possible survivors before they moved in to help. From past experiences, however, Cate knew that one of them or both could be infected. "I need names... and whether or not you're infected, both of you." Cate spoke slowly but clearly, eyes fixed on the woman since the teenager seemed to be the least of their problems.

Fear paralyzed Imogen when she saw the man grab her sister and moved to run towards him, thinking there might be some way to subdue said man. She skidded to a halt when the younger woman stepped out, her gun pointed at Imogen. "No!" Nika cried, her lower lip already trembling as tears threatened to spill over. A brief thought passed by her that made her sick- There was no way that Nika was going to survive if she didn't harden up and learn to listen. "Be quiet," Imogen told the young girl in Russian, narrowing her eyes gently. Swallowing, she turned her gaze back towards the two.


"If you let her go, I'll tell you," She informed the woman, her hand resting on her hip where the small pistol she carried sat. "She has no need to be apart of this.


"I'm not leaving you!" Nika interrupted in their language and Imogen once again shushed her angrily. "Do it now or I'll put a bullet in your head." She drew her gun quickly, leveling it at Cate's forehead, one of her eyes squinted shut to better her view.

The woman, upon first glance, seemed healthy and coherent. Though Cate couldn't understand what the younger girl was saying, she expected that the teenager was just as safe. Besides, they were tasked with finding survivors, not shooting them because there was a small risk that they were dangerous. "Let her go." She agreed, though she still had her gun levelled pointing to Imogen's head.


Upon hearing the command, Kristian pushed the girl towards Imogen and took a step back, though as he did so he took hold of his gun and raised it to point at Imogen. "Are you two infected?" He asked, speaking directly to Imogen.

Nika scampered back over to Imogen, almost knocking her down with the force she grabbed her with. With her free hand, Imogen wrapped an arm around her sister, trying to sooth her as she started to cry. Maybe they would get out of this alive and unharmed..."No, we're fine. Are you?" The elder sister narrowed her eyes at the two, her fingers anxiously dancing along the butt of the gun. A second side glance to the outside assured her that there would be no surprise visitors for the time being.


"Listen. We don't want any trouble. We'll leave with what we have and you can go about your way," She suggested, pursing her lips some as Nika started to murmur her woes into her sister's chest. This wasn't the time for that...Shushing the girl gently, she rubbed a little at her back, hoping to speed the process.

"We're also uninfected," Kristian replied, sounding far more genuine that Cate could ever manage. He didn't blame her, though, it sometimes seemed as though the roaming members of the undead were the least of her worries. As the young girl began to cry, Kristian glanced at Cate for her impression, then without asking permission he began to lower his gun. "We don't want any trouble either... we're part of a team that is supposed to be keeping survivors safe, but we have to check."


Cate raised an eyebrow, turning her head the slightest bit to look at her second in command as he conversed with the two girls. She held her gun tight, but lowered it from Imogen's head and instead pointed it at the area around her chest.


"Are the two of you alone?" Kristian asked.

Imogen relaxed slightly as the guns were lowered and the tension between the two groups started to mellow out. She eyed Kristian, pulling her lip between her teeth in slight worry. "Yes...Are you?" Her own gun lowered to Cate's chest in return, hoping to show she meant no harm. All she wanted to do was get out of here and hurry back home. At this point she didn't even care if they took the food they'd gathered with them. There were plenty of other places around, all they would have to do is clear the dead and make it secure...


"Please...Honestly we mean no harm... We'll be on our way and we wont have to cross paths again," The elder sister murmured, pulling the younger closer as her crying intensified. There was really no point in trying to shush the girl, Imogen knew from experience that it was pointless.

Sensing that perhaps they had been a little too cautious in their actions, Kristian held up his hands as a sign of good faith. "We have a few people with us, but they are in the safe place that we've been using." He explained, taking to talking to Imogen since Cate seemed less eager to let the two girls off so easily. It made him uncomfortable to know that they had upset a child, it was the last thing they were out in the field for, yet he could understand why Cate tried to keep an attitude of professionalism as much as she could. Especially around strangers.


"We're not going to hurt you, and we didn't mean to upset her." Kristian insisted, taking a small step towards Imogen and Nika while Cate watched the exchange in silence. "If anything, we'd like to help you... survivors should be banding together, we're all stronger as a group."

Imogen drew Nika closer, taking a semi step back when Kristian stepped closer. Her glance flicked to Cate, whom sat in silence, a frown crossing her lips. Why would they want to do something like that? It might not be at this moment, but soon the real threat would be the living; not the undead. The obvious opportunity for better protection, food and shelter for Nika and herself was hard to ignore....But how did they know that these people were speaking the truth? Swallowing, Imogen shook her head some, knocking her gun up an inch.


"My sister and I are fine on our own, thank you," Imogen replied, her eyes narrowing some. There was no way that she could trust these strangers...There was no proof of what they said. The few people the sisters had come in contact with were less than ideal, who was to say that these two weren't the same?

"Your sister?" Kristian had expected it, the two looked alike, but the confirmation merely brought him more guilt that he'd had to scare her. "Your sister would be better off with a big group of people that can keep her safe, that can keep you safe too." He insisted, hoping that Imogen would be able to see things from his point of view. It was always hard convincing strangers to come on board with the team but it was always worth it when they did.


Though she still didn't trust the siblings, Cate finally lowered her gun and allowed her shoulders to relax ever so slightly. "He's right. It's better we all stay together."

Imogen chewed some at her lower lip, debating, "How do we know what you're telling us is true?" She asked, raising a brow but lowering her own gun. No need to provoke anything that otherwise could be avoided. A glance down at her sister showed that the girl was sobering up some, tuning into the conversation. What would Nika think about joining the group? Before the two could answer, the elder sister brought up a new request.


"Do you mind if my sister and I take a moment to talk things through?" Even if Imogen was hesitant to go along with the group..Nika's thoughts on the situation mattered just as much as Imogen's own.

"Why would we lie? That's the only answer I can give... we're all in the same position here, after all." Cate answered before Kristian was able to formulate a response, then she nodded as Imogen asked to talk things over with her sister. Slowly, Cate stepped back out of the aisle and after a moment or so Kristian joined her, both with their guns slung over their shoulders by the strap that held them in place.


Kristian raised an eyebrow at her, taking some time to gauge her expression before he opted to speak. "I'd hate to think anything happened to them." He pointed out quietly, clearly aiming for her to make more of an effort if the girls did decide to trust them.


Rolling her eyes, Cate adjusted the strap over her shoulder then regarded her second in command. "I can't force anyone to do anything they don't want to do, it's one rule of life that still applies here."

Imogen took this comment with a grain of salt before pulling her sister aside. Gently, she pushed Nika away and started to brush away at the girl's tears. "They aren't going to hurt us, Nikky," Imogen soothed, now speaking in Russian. Noe extra precaution against being eaves dropped on. "Did you hear what they said?" The younger sister's crying had subsided to sniffles and she rubbed at her green eyes now and she nodded some. "And what do you think of it? I need you to be focused here with me, okay?" The girl nodded again and gave one last hard sniff before calming down.


"I think they seem nice enough, well at least the guy. I think I want to go...They're right. It's better to be with more people," Nika presented. Imogen sighed some, wishing that the girl's answer had been different so she could justify not going with them. After a moment or two she nodded some.


"We'll give it a week or so, then depending on things, we'll leave, okay?" Imogen suggested. The younger girl nodded and they headed back towards the front to meet up with the two.

"You're being difficult." Kristian insisted quietly, in the most polite way he possibly could whilst still speaking to someone who was ultimately in charge of the whole operation. He knew Cate would listen to his point of view and respect what he had to say, it was the main reason that he above everyone else was allowed to second-guess her decisions. Sometimes she allowed her own personal feelings about people to get in the way and he had to remind her of that.


Cate glanced around them and made a mental list of things they needed, though it was always a case of grabbing what they could and leaving as soon as possible. "I'm being realistic, you're allowing your emotions to get in the way - yes, we want to help people, but only if they want our help." As footsteps began to move down towards where they stood, Cate turned back to face the aisle as the two girls appeared.


"What do you think, then?" Kristian asked thoughtfully.

(( Sorry if my replies are slow. I'm cleaning. ))


"We'll come...As long as we have the option to leave if we decide it isn't for us," Imogen informed the two, casting a glance at Nika who nodded in agreement. The younger sister stood slightly behind the elder and was obviously resisting the urge to reach out and hold her hand. "If you decide that's okay, we'll give it a weeks time and then make our decision. We won't bother you, ask for any supplies but the ones we came into the group with, and that will be that." Imogen's gun was now tucked into her pants at the small of her back, seeing that the other two had eased their arms.


"Do we have a deal?" Imogen asked, her eyebrow raising at Cate and Kristian.

((No worries.))


Their conditions appeared entirely fair and Kristian was incredibly pleased that the two had made the decision to join them, though it meant they would have to take into consideration how safe their travels were going to be now that they had a teenager with them, she seemed to be a big point of concern for her sister and Kristian felt the need to keep her especially safe.


"Deal." Cate nodded slowly, mostly because she couldn't see a reason to say no. She liked having other people around, despite not showing that she did. It was always a shock to find other survivors so when they did it became of great importance to ensure they stayed safe. "We need to collect items to take back with us, then we can leave." She nodded once more at Imogen, then strode off down another aisle to look for supplies.

Imogen glanced at Nika, seeing an apprehensive type of relief on her face at a deal having been struck. She gave the younger girl a slight smile, ruffling her hair some, glad to see she had managed to calm some. "I'm Imogen Moskvin and this is my sister, Nika," The elder introduced, holding her hand out to Kristian. It was odd to her that Cate be so insistent on them joining but no bother to stay around to learn their names, but she supposed to each her own. They would have time to exchange causalities later.


"Come on, Nika," Imogen murmured, gesturing with her chin to step forward to offer a hand shake as well. The girl chewed at her lip, eyeing the younger man before stepping forward finally to offer her hand as well.

Kristian shook hands with Imogen, then smiled and shook Nika's hand when she held it out to him. "I'm Kris Danvers... and that's Cate Callahan. She's uh, a lot nicer when you get to know her." He often felt the need to apologise for Cate's behaviour, though she hadn't been that way at all before the outbreak. Before Mia had disappeared Cate would have never intentionally been rude to other survivors, it seemed as though now she cared little about other people and was solely focused on finding Mia, something Kristian could understand but not quite condone.


He glanced between the two in front of him, listening to Cate's footsteps as she moved around the supermarket. "We have four people with us at the moment. They are back at the house we're holding up in."

Imogen pushed a smile to her lips and nodded some, glancing towards the sound of Cate's footsteps. "Fair enough..We'll have to stop by our own place so we can grab some things," She informed, rubbing at the back of her neck some. Ultimately she was glad that the other young woman would defrost over time, but wondered if they would be around long enough to see it for themselves. After a moment or two, Imogen nudged Nika, motioning to the cart. "I think we're going to go finishing grabbing a few things...Is there anything in particular you guys are looking for?"


Not waiting for an answer, Nika scampered off the cart the two sisters had previously been feeling, obviously more relaxed now that everything had defused. Imogen followed her sister with her eyes briefly before returning her gaze to Kristian.

Kristian knew that Cate wouldn't be happy with having to stop off at another location on their way back to their base, but ultimately she would allow it because they couldn't exactly say no. Upon hearing the question, Kris shook his head. "Nah, nothing in particular." He assured her, "I'll go and help Cate, we can meet back here in a few minutes." He flashed a light smile, then strode off to fall into step with his superior.


Cate was holding a few food tins when he reached her and without thinking he picked up a couple from the shelf, as tins were the best way of keeping food while they were travelling. "You made friends?" She asked him teasingly, to which he merely rolled his eyes and continued on walking.

After Kristian left, Imogen fell in step with Nika, grabbing a few things here and there. "What are you thinking of them so far?" Imogen asked, once again switching to Russian. Kristian seemed nice enough, someone she could get along with, but the girl was another story. How would the remaining four people be if these two were so diverse? Or, how would the react to two more people joining their little group? Shaking her head to herself, she threw in a few more cans, then looked to Nika questioningly.


"Well, the guy is really nice...The girl seems kind of rude," She replied, shrugging her shoulders lightly. "But he said that she'll warm up once we get to know each other and all." Nodding a bit, the elder sister lead the two down a new aisle, taking a moment to survey what was in it before trucking ahead.