Urban Dead: The Price of the Oath

[Pcm979]

Mike swung the Zombie attached to him to the floor head-first, scrambling back and nursing his hand. He noticed her and his eyes widened. "Shit!" He yelled and picked his axe up with his 'good' hand, throwing it over her shoulder and into a Zombie's head, cleaving it in two.

"Missed one." He panted with a weak grin.

[Caz]

As he swung the axe toward the zombie, she ducked down, a confused and utterly terrified look in her eye. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU--

Oh.

"Thanks, sweetie," she said with a grin. Although it was somewhat off-putting, as the showing of her teeth seemed to be for a more feral reason than simply smiling.

"Owe ya one."

[Josh]

Petro felt something slam into the door, jarring him and nearly dislodging him. He pushed with all his strength, fighting for footing.

"A... little... help here?" he yelled.

[Pcm979]

"Coming!" Mike yelled, and barged into the door. Well, he was weaponless and disabled, so what else could he do? He reached over and pressed his bloody hand onto a touchpad. After a second, the light above it went red and there was a click. The banging ceased to have any effect.

[Josh]

"Okay," Petro said. "We need to go through this door or not?" He kicked a head across the hallway.

[Caz]

"If you want your friend to live." Mike panted.

The Irregulars made quick work of any remaining zombies in the area after the doors had been closed. Sherry stood in the midst of it all, slim shoulders heaving as she let her axe clatter to the floor.

[Pcm979]

Mike wiped his hand on a rag. The cut was superficial; The Zombie's long-dead muscles didn't have much power behind them. He walked over to Sherry.

"Hey, you OK?" He asked, concerned.

[Caz]

She took a few deep breaths, squared her shoulders.

"I'm fine," she said tonelessly.

[Josh]

"Alright, everyone get ready to do it again," he said, wiping gory bits off his machete on the tattered lab coat of one of the zombies.

[Pcm979]

He looked her in the eyes, searching for the truth. Finally, he simply kissed her on the top of the head.

"You know what? Fuck this." He said, borrowing her gun and turning back to the door. He unlocked it, opened it, and blew the Zombies inside away.

"Ace? I'll need your help." He said, wiping the Zombie-puss off his face with the back of his hand.

[Josh]

He looked at Mike strangely.

"Way to go, Doc, way to go. Let's get this show rolling again."

[Pcm979]

Mike shoved the gun into his waistband and walked into the room, flipping the light on as he did so. It was full of freezers, cabinets and the like, all containing drugs of one variety or another. One shelf was damaged from his shots, chemicals sizzling through holes in the bottles. He drew Ace aside and conversed quietly with him for a few minutes, then patted him on the back and left again.

"Okay, who got scratched?" He asked, pouring some of the cheap alcohol onto his hand. "Don't be shy, single file."

[Josh]

Four of them came forward, Steve bringing up the rear with a nasty gouge out of his forearm. Petro looked around. "Lenny, keep an eye out and make sure nothing comes charging in on us. Okay to smoke in here?"

[Pcm979]

"Are you kidding? You'll get thrown out quicksmart." Mike said with a chuckle as he tended to the Irregulars. He looked up at Petro. "I told Ace what to look for. He'll be done soon." He flicked his eyes towards Sherry, giving Petro a glance. A minute?

[Josh]

He waved for Mike to do his thing and wandered off, kicking stray body parts around as he lit his cigarette.

[Pcm979]

Mike patted Steve on the shoulder. "Rest it and all that shit, hey? Then take a skating trip in Hell." He grinned, then wandered over to Sherry and pulled her into the room the Zombies had came from.

"Something's up." He said simply.

[Caz]

She strode over to where her axe--and the dismembered zombie that had snagged it--had fallen and put her boot on the remaining stump of its neck, yanking the blade free.

[Pcm979]

"Sherry?" He said, worried now. "Don't close up on me, please."

[Caz]

Sherry turned to face him, then abruptly sank down into a crouch, hands on her temples.

"I'm okay, Mike," she growled, "really."

[Pcm979]

He seemed to sway a bit, then sank down into a crouch too.

"Okay." He said. "That's good enough for me. Just- If- Let me know, okay?" He patted her on the shoulder and rose again, preparing to leave.

[Josh]

He leaned around the door. "Mike... radio?" he inquired, dumping his cigarette on a limbless, headless zombie torso.

[Caz]

She didn't reply, instead just hunkered down and sat on the blood- and gore-smeared tile, staring at nothing. Listening to Mike and Petro, she just closed her eyes and rested there.

That shouldn't have felt so good, she thought with a disgusted sigh.

[Cynical Cat]

He dug up one the cans he had collected when he had tried to eat human food. Rambling through the abandoned apartments produced a can opener. He opened the can of beans and presented it to Gwen with a spoon. "Eat. Keep up your strength."

[Caz]

Gwendolyn looked up to him with bloodshot, watery eyes. She laughed a bit, although by this point it was indistinguishable from coughing.

"You think... I can hold down food... Right now?" she wheezed.

[Josh]

The trio weren't sure of the precise route the 1st took toward downtown, but they could guess a general path. Marley, who'd worked with Sherry the most, led off as they slid quickly through the darkness.