damned_institute | NIGHTSHIFT 42: BLACK ROCK HOTEL

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NIGHTSHIFT 42: BLACK ROCK HOTEL

Snake jerked his head away from Fox's hand and shot to his feet, disorientated slightly by the sudden shift. The grout in the tiles was black with what looked like old blood, and the stench of rot heaved in his throat. Something was badly wrong. He sensed threats - left, faint shapes in the dark outside the large windows - Fox - something creaking in the ceiling - a long groaning voice off to the right, past the walls - and something moving in the back of the room -

It staggered towards him, and before he fully knew what he was doing he ripped the match from the book and struck it with his left hand alone, popped the cap off the hairspray, and blasted a tongue of flame at the aggressor, aiming for its face. He saw, in the flickering light, long hair and long nails and the skin on its rotten face peeling and cracking and bubbling in the heat. It gave a long, screaming cry, and toppled to the floor. Its arms and legs writhed and kicked furiously, an automatic, animal gesture, before it finally lay still.

"Here?" he snapped at Fox, wrapping his fingers around the can of hairspray. "This place gets better and better. It's like a theme park." His voice quaked with anger. The place now stunk of something far worse than rotten meat, and for a fraction of a second he thought he could hear Big Boss's voice saying something he couldn't make out before he realised that it had come from inside his own head.

"At least I don't have to be the only thing here back from the dead," he growled. The woman zombie was leaking something he didn't want to think about. He guessed that the decomposition must have trapped methane and other flammable gasses inside the body, hence why it went up like a candle.

That said, he didn't really think he could burn anything else again. For a while.

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Zombies. Fox felt physically ill. It was one thing to deal with the nurses, those were traumatic, but they were the enemy. These were for the most part just normal people, going about their lives. He watched, and felt the heat on his face from Snake's improvised flame thrower as the zombie was dispatched.

"I didn't know it extended this far out..." Fox admitted with a small amount of horror in his voice. These town people, just going about their lives. Did they even know what happened to them at night? Did this happen every night, or was it only because they were here? He recovered from the shock quickly, hiding behind the familiar adrenaline and will to survive that came with combat.

His back was glowing again, though it was barely visible through the heavy green jacket he wore. "You're not alone, Snake. I died too," Fox pointed out, not wanting Snake to dwell on his own death. "We need to arm ourselves and find Otacon." The bar seemed the best place to do that, though there were a few zombies that needed to be dispatched. Fox carefully gave them as much distance as possible as he dashed to the bar.

Would they come back tomorrow, the way the staff did? Or was this going to be a town massacre in the morning, caused by mental patients. Fox managed to grab a bar stool and break a leg off it quickly, before the relatively slow moving zombies had a chance to react much.

"You know about Otacon?" Snake asked, following him into the bar. The bottles behind the counter didn't seem to have been affected by the transformation. He eventually settled for a very thick bottle of brandy, checking by the green light on the freezing unit that the proof was high enough to ignite the alcohol if need be. If things carried on like this he'd probably need to drink it, he thought, grimly. He gave a cursory glance over the rest of the bar, and found nothing of interest.

Thinking carefully, he set down the brandy bottle, tore a strip from the bottom of his jacket, and fished the nails from his pocket. Placing two between each one of the fingers on his left hand, he fashioned primitive knuckles, bound tight with the cloth.

"Where do you think Otacon is?" Snake asked, desperately, flexing his fist to test for strength, and then picking up the bottle by the neck with his right. "I don't know anything about him!"

Fox grabbed a smaller bottle of whiskey from behind the bar and slipped it into a pocket. "Yes, I know about Otacon. I think the electronic store would be a good place to check, but we might want to see about grabbing a gun, if there are any in this town," He said, looking to the doors as zombies started to make their way in.

Once they had Otacon they would need to find some place they could defend against superior numbers. Fox couldn't be sure, but judging by the noise and the general size of the town, he didn't think all the patients combined would be able to eliminate all the zombies. Not without suffering heavy casualties. "Once we find him we need to locate a building we can defend. A second floor or roof would be better, if these things can't climb," Fox wasn't sure about that, but they would see. "Keep an eye out for nurses, or other zombie creatures."

[From here. (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/674253.html?thread=55562445#t55562445)]

This was bad. Unarmed and with two-noncombatants to protect, Sousuke could only feel panic rising in his chest--something that he hadn't felt in a long, long time. So many targets... so many targets he had no idea how to defeat... That was probably the worst part for him: he had no intel on any of these things. No backup, nothing. He was on his own, protecting Miku and Ritsuka while weaponless.

The sergeant kicked down the entryway door, quickly surveying the situation. They were everywhere in the lobby, pouring down the stairs... Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. Normally when securing a stronghold in a hotel, the occupants turned and ran when a gun was pointed at them. Not so much with the undead.

His eyes flicked to the fireplace. The fireplace should have tools--and a poker.

"Miku I have to let you down," he said, his tone quiet and straightforward. Hers and Ritsuka's safety had to be secured.

[You all posted too fast! Stupid work. orz]

[from here] (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/674253.html?view=55659469#t55659469)

Sheena had chased after Ritsuka and the others to the hotel. Whereas Sousuke had already kicked the door down, Sheena went in through a broken window in the lobby. Perching on the sill, the ninja swallowed hard seeing the tidal wave of zombies coming down the stairs. At least they were somewhat bottle necked.

The ninja was never more happy to have remembered Raine's tale of what had happened that one Doyleton trip. Because of that, she'd brought along the five cards she'd made the previous nights that had actually lasted into the day along with the regular deck of cards - for playing on the busride, she'd told her nurse. This meant Sheena was as unarmed as she could have been.

Leaping from the window sill to the back of a couch not too far from where Sousuke had stopped, the ninja threw one of her cards at the stairs. Forming the necessary seals with her hands, Sheena sent her mana into the cards. "Pyre Seal!"

The single card suddenly split into many as it reached the bottom step and then exploded with sufficient force to ruffle her hair. That should kill a bunch of them and maybe barricade the base of the stairs for a while, stalling the zombies.

Ugh... that smell!

This wasn't happening. It simply couldn't be real. Getting trapped on the buses at night and having those bird creatures come after them was one thing, but having the townspeople attack? Seeing that he had been wrong about them having souls and being real people? It was too much. Ritsuka could hardly hurt the animals at the Institute, so what was he supposed to do against people? Even in their rotting forms, they were still... They still looked human.

It had been so hard to run. Even though he'd been the one to tell Miku she had to move, running past all of the dead people had been one of the hardest things he'd done here. The smell of it turned his stomach and the sight terrified him. He needed to run, to hide, to do something and all he could do was to call out for Soubi in his head. Thankfully, Sousuke was here, but how much could he do when he was fighting against so many?

Stumbling through the hotel door, Ritsuka tripped hit the floor, cursing under his breath as he skinned his knee. He wanted to close the door, but it was broken and the only thing he could think to do was to throw his weight against the wood and shove a nearby chair under the handle. It wouldn't hold, but it was something.

Movement out of the corner of his eye startled him and Ritsuka turned in time to see Sheena throw a card at the things coming down the stairs. A card that Ritsuka remembered having seen explode before. "Wait, don--!!"

He couldn't get his words out fast enough and the card exploded, fire engulfing the bodies. The smell of burnt flesh hit him immediately and Ritsuka grabbed his stomach and covered his mouth in a vain attempt to keep from vomiting. The smell... it was twice as bad as when he entered the classroom and saw him sitting there, tied to a chair, charred and black and--

Ritsuka fell to his knees, doubled over, choking back to keep at least some shred of dignity and failing miserably.

"N-no," Miku clung tighter to Sousuke. He couldn't leave her! Not now, not with this! "Please don't, please..." It was worse, though, when Sheena's cards set the zombies on fire. The smell of burning, rotted flesh made her gorge rise. She knew that voice though.

He'd put her down, even if she wanted him to keep her close.

Miku hid her face in Sousuke's chest and nodded to allow him to put her down. Ritsuka... she had to help Ritsuka, too. Even if she couldn't do anything else.

"Guard Ritsuka. Stay close to Sheena, I'm going just across the room, stay here!"

Sousuke darted away from Miku towards the fireplace. Fortunately, he was used to taking on large mobs of slow-moving targets (well, slow for him--the small riot in his classroom during the virus incident came to mind...), and thus was able to clear a path through the attackers, disabling each one quickly and quietly.

The fireplace looked as though it had seen better days, though the metal tools were still there. Pulling the poker out of a pile of ash, Sousuke fought his way back to Miku, Ritsuka, and Sheena. He felt better now that he had the poker, but it was far too long for what he was used to. Perhaps the hardware store would have a knife...

"Follow me and Sheena," he instructed Miku and Ritsuka. He turned to the card-slinging ninja. "We need to establish a stronghold and go for backup. Would you be able to make explosions with alcohol and the fire you just used?"

Shortly after Sousuke headed toward the fireplace, a few zombies closed in on the two Sheena was there to protect. Leaping off the couch, the ninja trapped one zombie's head between her legs, snapping it as she rolled down and tossed the limp body at another group. Sweeping the feet out from under another, her fist broke its jaw on the follow up before she did a handspring back to stand protectively over Ritsuka and Miku.

Her eyes tracked the closest zombies, her eyes and breathing giving away how terrified of the creatures she was, though one fist was clenched, ready to strike, while she held a single card in her other hand. Just in case. She leaped up with a spinning kick and struck the center of the chest of the next zombie to get too close, saving it in as the monster fell back.

"Yes," she replied to Sousuke when he returned. "Though I am extremely limited in the number of times I can use that ability." Grimacing, the ninja dealt with another zombie. "We have to make them count."

(From here. (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/677442.html?thread=55583554#t55583554))

This place was already turning into a war-zone. The smell of burning undead assaulted Touya's senses and he had to take a step back. Maybe one of the rooms would be a good place to hole up in for the night, but he'd ask the fighters' opinion first.

"What now?" He set Sakura down on the floor, looking to see if there was some path through the clumps of zombies mingling in the hotel lobby.

He couldn't do anything. The nausea was getting worse as the smell grew stronger and Ritsuka curled into himself, squeezing his eyes shut. He shouldn't look away from this; he knew he had to learn to be stronger, but he just didn't know how. The sound of people moaning, the fire scorching flesh, the knowledge that Sousuke and Sheena were killing right in front of him was overwhelming. The creatures weren't really alive to begin with, but the sound of bones snapping and the sight of lifeless, half-rotten bodies was more than he could handle.

But he had to. He had to do something. Miku was terrified, they all were. He had to break out of this!

Soubi, where are you? Please don't tell me you're trapped out there alone.

Calling out to his Fighter in a place like this seemed useless, but he had to try. Because if Soubi was out there, he had to be protecting Kio. Kio who was worse off than Ritsuka was; he would need someone. But then, so did they. Forcing his eyes open, Ritsuka looked up at the others, trying to focus on what they were saying. Alcohol and fire - stronghold, limited numbers. His throat was raw and his voice sounded thick in his own head, but he urged himself to speak, focusing all of his attention on a single spot - Sheena's hand. "Get Miku to safety. Somewhere, there has to be a room in here they can't get to."

There was a horrible feeling in Miku's chest, like something was being pulled to its limit. "Don't look at them," she managed to murmur, pulling Ritsuka closer to her and hiding his face in her coat. Her hands were sweaty and clammy, and she couldn't stop shaking, but it was the best thing she could do for him. Miku's heart hammered in her chest. Don't leave me.

Miku's eyes darted to Sousuke, watching him intently. She had to get up and lead Ritsuka, or the both of them were going to be hurt. Hadn't she promised not to be hurt any more? Sousuke wouldn't feel any guilt over his charge tonight. "We're going to follow Sousuke and Sheena, okay?" she whispered into Ritsuka's ear. "Trust me, and don't look."

"So we find a fortress, then," Snake responded, brandishing the bottle, checking around him. "Got it. You think Otacon might have had the same idea?"

Hopping over the counter, he told Fox, "I saw a Sheriff's Office in town today. He might have gone there to look for a gun."

Unfortunately, the sound of the dead was loud enough that it was almost too late before he sensed the creak of bones standing behind him -

Just outside, Soubi stopped running and stared around. He was near, he knew he was.

"RITSUKA!" he shouted. Just then, there was a flash from the hotel. Fire? Ristuka's voice. Zombies. Soubi turned on his heel and ran inside, only able to see one thing. His Sacrifice.

He whipped off his hoodie as he ran (hardly difficult considering the size) and pulled it over Ritsuka before sweeping the boy into his arms.

Up until now he'd had an incredible urge to tell the boy off for not being where he'd expected, but now he just wanted to hold him and take him somewhere safe.

"Sheena. Is it just the people?" he asked. It might have seemed like a peculiar lesson, but if Soubi had learned anything from movies, it was that zombies were creatures of habit, in a way. If it was only humans out here, perhaps they were safer running into the wilderness? Hell. If he could get Ritsuka up a high enough tree?

"I don't know how good Otacon is with that kind of tactic," For all Fox knew, Otacon was hiding in a locker or a closet somewhere. "We'll stop by the Sheriff's Office, then. He might go there," There were a number of places it would make sense to look.

He could sense the position of the zombies in the room, but it seemed Snake wasn't as aware of his surroundings as he should have been. "Behind you!" Fox called. He wouldn't be able to get there in time, and he didn't trust the bar stool leg to go where wanted to throw it. If it had been a sword or a knife, maybe, but he might hit Snake instead. Fox dashed towards Snake, even though there was a little too much distance between them.

Snake whipped around at Fox's approach, clubbing the rotting head with the brandy bottle and then delivering a stinging left punch to its face. The nails sank deep, and it took him a frightening second before he could free his fist, with a squelch of purple blood - the zombie's jaw chattered, desperate to bite at his fingers.

It shot at his neck, angry and hungry, and Snake responded by clubbing it again under the jaw. Unbalanced, the thing staggered back, groaning in agony, and Snake took the opening to shove it down with a push from his left and then run.

"Follow me," he shouted at Fox.

Sousuke felt better that the odds had evened out a little, but he still wasn't one-hundred percent comfortable without a weapon he was comfortable with. Still, he felt better about leaving Miku and Ritsuka with not only Sheena, but Soubi as well. He could leave them and find something to fight with.

"Negative," Sousuke responded, ignoring the fact that Soubi had been talking to Sheena. "I spotted some animals who seemed to be displaying similar behavior patterns. The best stronghold is indoors. One where the entrances and exits can be closely monitored."

He looked up at the ceiling briefly, thinking. "We have two options as far as this location: One, find an unoccupied, small hotel room and create a safezone there. The door and windows can be easily monitored. The only problem may be the lack of available weaponry. Two, place noncombatants behind the bar in this hotel and use the available alcohol and Sheena's ability as an explosive force until the wave dies down. A frontal attack on the noncombatants would be close to impossible in this scenario."

There weren't quite as many of the creatures inside as there were outside, but any number of them was far too many, in Yue's opinion. There seemed to be an endless supply of them - no matter how many were disabled (or set on fire, from the reek inside the building) there were always more coming up behind them.

"We need to find shelter," he replied without bothering to look back at Touya. His attention was too focused on keeping the area around him and Sakura clear, while at the same time he was trying to search the room for anything that might be useful as a weapon. It was difficult, not to mention rather disgusting, to deal with rotting zombies with his bare hands. "Upstairs might be best."

It was too bad their path hadn't taken them by the hardware store on the way to the hotel - that would certainly have some kind of useful weapon. This place? Well, there were bottles of alcohol behind the bar, but his powers didn't involve fire, and he had to keep what he had in reserve anyway. The other group of people in the lobby seemed to be in much the same situation, but he didn't have time to worry about them as well. Taking care of the three he was with was hard enough.

Sheena's whipped around as Soubi suddenly appeared, ready to pummel him if he'd been a zombie but managed to stop short. She frowned a little when the Fighter pulled Ritsuka away from Miku. She understood why he did, but still, he should have at least said something to Miku during the process. Stupid Soubi.

She shook her head, about to answer when Sousuke did so for her. That made things easier for her. "They also pull themselves up out of the ground."

Which of Sousuke's plan sounded best? "Uh... I've got maybe four cards left and then I'm out. I think the room might be the better idea."

Hands were on him, but they weren't pulling or hurting. This was comforting, something he wasn't used to, but he needed it. Miku's voice was in his ear telling him what they were going to do and Ritsuka gave in to it. His face was hidden and he could ignore the sounds and smells around him, focusing instead on Miku's heartbeat and on trying to stay calm.

It was moments later when he heard a voice call his name outside and then, suddenly, hands were dragging him away from Miku. At first he struggled, especially when the world went dark around him and he didn't know what was going on. He wanted to stay with his friend, stay somewhere that he knew was safe, but he couldn't reach. His hands shot out and tangled in cloth, gripping at it instinctively. But then he heard that voice and he calmed.

Soubi had heard him after all and now he was here. So what of Kio? And what about Miku and Sheena and--? Sousuke was giving options and Ritsuka wanted to pull his head out of the hoodie (if that was what the blackness was, and he suspected that to be the truth), but he had no idea where and he wasn't sure he should. Keeping his voice relatively steady and just loud enough for Soubi to hear, Ritsuka said, "Sousuke and Sheena can mostly take care of themselve, but Miku needs our help. You can't let anything get to her, Soubi, do you understand?"

Ritsuka was pulled away from her violently, and while Miku could understand why Soubi had done so, it still felt rude. Awkward. Unfair. Miku suddenly wanted to crawl inside herself and hide. Hide anywhere. The bar was a good idea, but...

...Who was she kidding? She couldn't even make her body move properly right now. Her heart continued to hammer in her chest, and she backed herself into the corner behind them, breathing unevenly. Maybe things would be better if she passed out from hyperventilation, the thought came wildly. Anything would be better than being eaten, or watching her friends be eaten. What the others were saying barely registered, and Miku's eyes settled helplessly on the back of Sousuke's head.

Soubi looked to Sousuke and Sheena, only when they spoke, expression unreadable. He didn't like this place as a hideout, but going outside could be worse. If there was a working elevator, they could jam it just above the ground floor, but if things went wrong, it meant being trapped.

"Is there an elevator or attic?"

Having Ritsuka in his arms was calming (to a point). He held the boy close and listened to him. It as one of the rare orders. "I understand," he nodded. He reached out and pulled Miku closer. Kio had...crossed his mind. Once he found Rituska. He couldn't deny that he was worried, but there was little he could do until Ritsuka was safe.

After getting off of her brother's back, Sakura coughed at the horrible scent as well. She knew zombies wouldn't smell like roses, but she didn't know they would smell that bad. Staying close to Yue, Sakura began glancing around the room as well. The inn already seemed to have erupted into a state of chaos. By no means was it worse than outside, but she was beginning to have doubts about their decision.

Leaning her head a little to the side, she took a look at the stairs as per Yue's suggestion. "It looks like those stairs are on fire," Sakura said, hopefully loud enough for the boys to hear. "Are there any other stairs we can use?"

It didn't take long to size up the situation. Fewer of the dead walking around, but there was the addition of fire to deal with. How long could they last? And with the bonus of stairs on fire, did they really want to go up? Yuuhi wasn't one to take the lead though, so he glanced from Yue to Touya, leaving the decision in their hands. If upstairs was the way to go, then that's what they'd have to do. Finding a way that wasn't on fire at the moment might be a bit more difficult though.

"I'm up for any suggestions," he shrugged, readying himself for the slowly approaching monsters. It wouldn't take long before they had more to deal with.

"No doubt the elevators are shot," Touya called over the noise. "But if this building is up to code, there should be a fire escape easily accessible." Oh the things one learned from a million part-time jobs.

He peered through the zombies that were being taken down by another group, looking for a green sign that would indicate an exit. It wasn't lit, but he spotted one near the back, close to the bar.

"There!" he said, pointing. Now all they had to do was get to it...

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NIGHTSHIFT 42: BLACK ROCK HOTEL

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