AN: JDUBZ is a good Beta Reader, maybe even the best. *Looks into the distance*

Chapter 8: Guns, Guts, and Glory

"What are you doing? NO! STOP IT! STO-! GAAAAHHHHHHH!"

A blood curdling scream broke the peaceful silence of the street.

Subaru stopped in his tracks. Looking back, his worst nightmare was realized; walkers were here.

A walker was now tearing apart the old man who was in the garden's throat, ripping the flesh easily and gulping it down without chewing. The blood flowing out of the old man's throat bubbled as air from his lungs escaped his body. The dreams he had planned with his wife died with him. This wasn't part of his plan. A brutal end should never had befallen him, but Subaru could do nothing. Dying wasn't worth it.

"RRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

A walker had caught sight of Subaru and was charging at him. With no other option other than to fight, Subaru swung the bat and knocked the walker to the side.

Two other walkers had taken notice to the noise Subaru had created and began to sprint at him.

Only a block away.

Instead of taking on three walkers with vision, Subaru decided to run. Taking on three blind walkers was no sweat for him. All he had to do was kill them one by one and move quietly. However, if three of them could see then they would know where he was at all times. It would be like fighting three extremely pissed off cannibals who would do anything to kill him. It was a fight he was sure he had no chance of winning.

Running as fast as he could, Subaru was still unable to lose the walkers that chased him. Crap. At this rate I'm just going to end up bringing them to Emilia. He could see her house a few houses down. It was easy to spot since it was the only two story house on the block.

"Damn it." Subaru pulled out his phone and called Emilia. "Please pick up!"

The walkers started to shorten the distance between them and Subaru. One was just barely able to grab his collar. At one point, it's fingers even brushed Subaru's neck, sending a jolt up his spine.

Picking up the pace, Subaru swung his arm behind him and hit the walker on the side of the head with the bat. The walker stumbled and fell, but ended up getting right back into its feet without hesitation.

"Hello? Subaru?"

Subaru heard Emilia from his phone and hastily answered her, "Yes it's me Emilia! I-I don't want to be a b-burden, but can you open the front door please?"

"Are you OK, Subaru? You sound out of breath."

Subaru looked back at the walkers chasing him, then looked back forward, "I've been better."

"Well why do you need me to open my front door?"

Subaru huffed and puffed as he kept running, "It's umm, ah….it's a surprise."

"You're not very good as surprises, Subaru."

Emilia agreed to open the door for Subaru despite not knowing his intentions. While Emilia was the cutest and charming girl he knew, he could see that she needed to work on her ability to read people. She was naive in that sense.

Just as he reached Emilia's neighbor's house, Emilia opened her front door, still in a pink nightdress, and looked around. Her purple eyes scanned the area as her long silver hair flowed behind her every time she turned her head. Her uniquely, purple eyes landed on Subaru and the people chasing him. To her, she saw Subaru, who was splattered with blood and had a bat in his hand, being followed by three other men who looked angry. The sounds that came from their mouths terrified her. Their mouths were also filled with red, bloody teeth, making them look even more savage.

She worryingly took a step back into the house, not sure what to do.

Subaru helped her decide, "Emilia, don't close the door!"

A walker almost grabbed Subaru, but missed when he made a sudden turn towards the house's front door.

Subaru ran up the front yard and yelled at the terrified Emilia, "Get inside!"

She didn't need to be told twice and backed into the house, hoping Subaru knew what he was doing.

Emilia yelped when Subaru ran through the front door and slammed it shut behind him. She barely said, "Subaru?" before the walkers began to slam on the door with all their might.

Emilia could hear the yells of them and grabbed Subaru's hand and pulled him away from the door. Subaru and her backed away from the door, she looked at him with her purple eyes with fear. "Subaru? What's going on?"

The door already began to crack. These walkers were surprisingly stronger than the bunch he had to deal with at his house. Perhaps their strength as a walker was determined by how strong they were as a human? It was a theory, one that made sense. But there was no time for theorizing, the door was breaking down, they needed a plan.

Think, think, think.

Number one thing, keep Emilia safe. His own life didn't matter compared to hers. He would die for his Emilia.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the front door and began moving to the back of the house. Since they were childhood friends, Subaru was familiar with the layout of the house from the many times he had been over.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Subaru pointed up them, "Upstairs! Now!" But Emilia didn't move.

The door could be heard crashing to the floor. The walkers groaned loudly as they searched for the two.

Crap!

"Subaru!"

Subaru got behind Emilia and pressed on her back, forcing her feet to start moving up the stairs, "Go!Go!Go!Go!"

"RRRAAAGGGGHHHHHH!"

Knowing that the walkers had heard him, Subaru ended up carrying Emilia up the stairs bridal style.

"Subaru! What are you doing?!"

Her screams of confusion only egged the walkers on as they knew where to look.

Subaru leaped up the stairs faster than he thought he could when carrying Emilia. When he reached the top, a walker had made it to the bottom and caught sight of him.

Emilia is heavier than I thought.

The adrenaline rush Subaru had felt before had dissipated so now the weight of Emilia had struck him and he struggled to carry her further. He really should've worked out when he had the time before this all happened.

Subaru started to pant as he ran down a short hallway and slammed open the only door at the end. He dropped Emilia's legs, letting her stand. Quickly slamming the door just as the walker reached to top of the staircase, Subaru commanded Emilia, "In the closet!"

Just as Emilia did as she was told, the walker reached the door and began to tear it down.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

From inside the closet, Emilia shut her eyes. She couldn't believe this was happening. Subaru was in her house with three men trying to attack them. She was sure Subaru knew something because he seemed to have it under control somewhat, but that still didn't make her feel better. This situation reminded her of a scary movie she saw two minutes of before she started crying. She just hoped it would all just go away.

Emilia could hear Subaru scream at the walker, "Come on! Come at me, fucker!" The speed of the banging increased.

She could here the splintering of wood as the zombie began to break down the door. When the sound stopped, two screams pierced the short silence.

"RRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Emilia covered her ears. There was a clanging sound, like metal on stone. Right after, a loud CRASH-ing sound rang out like something had hit a wall or shelf. An angry groan, Subaru yelling, another clang, and then a gurgling sound. Emilia stood for a moment, listening to comforting silence.

Emilia sighed, sweat dripping down her forehead. She didn't want to open the door, she was afraid of what she'll see. The thought of a dead man bleeding in her room sickened and horrified her, but she was sure that what she heard was correct. That man had died. She was sure Subaru had killed him.

Going against her own will, Emilia slowly opened the door and peeked outside. It was just as she feared. A man whose head was now indescribable was dead against her drawers. Blood poured from injuries and seeped into the carpet. What was worse was that Subaru had just taken the bat out of the man's head. His face had a splash of blood on it. His eyes were fierce and squinched, he was ready to do anything.

Just as she was about to call to Subaru, another walker ran into the room and attacked Subaru.

Emilia screamed from its sudden appearance and stepped back.

The walker snapped at Subaru's arm. However, Subaru was barely able to pull it away just in time when the walker closed its mouth. This didn't stop the walker from tackling Subaru to the ground and start to push itself onto him.

The bat had fallen out of his hands so the only thing keeping the walker from biting him was his own strength, but this alone wasn't enough. The walker shook it's head violently as it neared Subaru's neck.

"Subaru!" Emilia rushed out of the closet and stood there, not knowing how to help Subaru.

His teeth clenched, Subaru noticed Emilia and said, "Hit..him..with..something."

Emilia started to cry from the intense situation she was suddenly put in, "I-I-I don't know what to do! What do I hit him with?"

Still pushing with all his might, Subaru looked into the dead eyes of the walker, "Anything!"

That's when Emilia made the decision.

As the walker's drool dripped onto Subaru's neck, Subaru could only delay his death by pushing back with all the energy he could muster. That was when a large object came from the side and hit the walker's head.

The walker was unhurt, but looked at where the attacker was.

Emilia stood, shaking in her spot with a large, square pillow the size of her body in front of her. Her face was pale from fear, but she stood her ground when the walker looked at her with a bloodshot eyes.

Subaru mimicked his own thoughts, "A pillow?!"

The walker snapped his attention back at Subaru, but looked back at Emilia when she came in for another attack. She shoved the pillow into his face and held it there. However, the walker decided to turn Emilia into its next meal and charged at her with the pillow between them.

Emilia screamed when the walker pushed her onto her bed and began to swipe at the pillow between them. She held the pillow at the sides so the walker didn't knock it to the side because she could tell that if the walker got to her she would be killed.

She fearfully defended herself, yelling for help, "Subaru!"

Subaru got up from the floor and started to go help Emilia, but from the corner of his eye was the third and last walker standing in the doorway.

In the split second that he had, Subaru weighed his options. If he save Emilia now, then he would die from the walker that just came. However, if he dealt with this walker, then Emilia would be probably be dead. Looking at the pillow between Emilia and the walker, Subaru noticed it was still in one piece. He had time to save kill this walker first.

However, the bat was nowhere to be seen. Probably rolled under the bed…

There was a thin glass vase next to him, but what was that going to do? Before he could think of something, the walker charged him. Subaru dodged it and watched as the walker ran head first into the window that had been behind him, cracking it. This gave Subaru a stupid idea.

The walker turned back to Subaru instantly and charged again. He again dodged the attack and kicked the walker in the back, sending it tumbling out of the room.

Subaru ran and took his place in front of the window, his legs spread and bent while his hands were in front of him. The walker outside the room got up and sprinted at Subaru.

Just like a video game.

When the walker was within arms reach, Subaru grabbed to front of it's shirt with his hands and squated down. The momentum of the walker went over Subaru, letting him pull the zombie over his head easily. With this, Subaru extended his legs again as he threw the walker out the window.

Without wasting time, Subaru grabbed the glass vase and smashed it on top of the walker's head that was attacking the pillow Emilia was sheltered under.

With the zombie temporarily distracted, Subaru shoved it into the closet and slammed the door.

Almost immediately, the walker began to bang on the door.

Emilia got off her bed and went to Subaru, watching the closet door shake. "Subaru, you haven't told me anything! Why is this happening?"

Subaru got on his hands and knees and sweeped the bottom of Emilia's bed with an arm. "I don't know why this is happening, but it's deadly and we have to get out of here, Emilia!"

His hand brushed the metal bat. He grasped it and pulled it from under Emilia's bed.

Emilia back up with fear still in her eyes, "Subaru…..why are you killing people?"

A hand burst from the closet door and slowly retreated back in. The walker put its face up against the hole and shot its eyes back and forth between Emilia and Subaru. It continued to pound harder on the door.

"Because they're trying to kill us, Emilia! Can't you see that?" He pointed the bat at the walker currently destroying the door. He grabbed onto Emilia's hand and began pulling her out of her room, saying with desperation, "Now come on, we have to leave before he gets out of there!" Subaru had made it just past the door frame when Emilia tugged her hand from him..

No longer feeling Emilia's smooth hand in his grasp, Subaru turned around to meet her gaze. Emilia's purple eyes were concentrated with seriousness on the matter, "Why, Subaru? I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you are doing this." She slowly back away into her room as her eyes softened again, "Subaru…...You're scaring me." Her eyes glanced down at the bat in his hand. She was shaking.

No…

Emilia was afraid of him, afraid of what he'd done. She didn't understand the desperation to survive, the spreading of this infection. Emilia was oblivious to it all, to her Subaru had just committed murder. The emotional pain of knowing that she was scared of him was just as severe as when Rem had refused to believe him in another loop. In that one, she had feared him as well. That one didn't end well.

Subaru dropped the bat and stepped towards Emilia, she stepped back. Subaru stopped and put his hands to the side. "Emilia….you don't understand what's happening."

Emilia still kept her distance, "Then tell me, Subaru. Tell me what yo-." Emilia was slammed into the wall by the walker that had been in the closet.

NO!!!

Apparently, fate didn't want Subaru to be happy. It wanted everyone he loved to die. It separated him from his parents, killed Rem and Ram multiple times, and now it was going to take Emilia. He'd be damned if he let that happen.

Before the walker could clamp its jaws on Emilia's skin, Subaru grabbed it by the neck, preventing it from getting any closer. However, he didn't have enough leverage to push the walker off of Emilia. Instead of pushing it off, Subaru decided to weaken it. Raising a foot, Subaru brought it down onto the walker's knee, breaking it. Despite not feeling pain, the walker was still forced to balance itself.

The zombie now switched it's attention to Subaru, grabbing one of his leg and pulling it towards its mouth. Linking his hands behind the walker's head, Subaru slammed his knee into the walker's face. The force of it knocked the walker to its back. The walker flailed around and tried to get to it's feet. Before it could, Subaru grabbed Emilia's blanket from her bed and threw it onto the zombie. Hopefully it would occupy it long enough for them to escape.

"We have to hurry." Subaru grabbed Emilia's hand again and ran down the stairs. This time, Emilia didn't stop running with him. From the second Subaru had called her, she knew something was wrong. Nothing could have prepared her for what she was going to have to witness in this new world she now lived in.

Subaru and Emilia ran back down the street towards Rem's house until they encountered more zombies. They had traveled further down and had been infecting people on the way.

"Hide." Subaru pulled Emilia into the nearest yard and hid behind some bushes. Subaru looked at the house they hid in front of. A man was reloading a revolver he had in his hand. When the man looked out the window he saw the walkers. His eyes widened in terror. I guess he watched the news.

The man looked down at Subaru and Emilia. Subaru put a finger to his mouth, telling the man to not make any noise. If he did, then walkers would be on all of them.

Emilia was on the verge of tears as she heard the walkers groan as they passed. "Subar-." Subaru's hand covered her mouth.

Suddenly, a loud booming sound echoed across the whole block. Subaru and Elimia flinched at the sudden burst of sound. They weren't the only ones affected however. A collective groan came from the small mass of walkers, some ran and some just shuffled their way over.

Heart thumping from the mild heart attack, Subaru slowly peeked his head over the top of the bush to peek over. A walker ran across his vision, making him shrink back down. Emilia held onto his arm to calm him down when she herself needed the comforting. Subaru smiled at Emilia and mouthed, 'Thank you'.

Subaru again peeked his head over, finding all the walkers making their way to a single house. The loud noise. It must attracted all of them.

This was their chance, and Subaru was going to take it. He lowered himself and turned to Emilia, "Do you trust me?"

Even though she was previously afraid of Subaru, he had saved her life. She knew he would never hurt her. So whatever he did, he did to keep her safe from the walkers. Subaru was her hero.

Emilia immediately started nodding. Trusting Subaru with her life.

Subaru smiled and took Emilia's hand into his. He stayed there longer than he expected, staring into Emilia's glistening eyes. It wasn't until the booming sound occurred again did Subaru snap out of his trance. He blinked and helped Emilia to her feet. Still holding her hand, Subaru led her away from the house and ran towards Rem's.

The man in the window finished reloading the revolver. Six bullets ready to fire.

He watched as the two kids outside his house ran away from his front yard. He nodded to himself with a pained smile.

Spinning the cylinder of the revolver, the man made his way to the living room. That was where he took his last look at the television.

The screen displayed the view from a news helicopter as it flew over San Francisco. The city was burning, people were dying and it wasn't stopping. The next video was of Seattle, also in chaos. Next was Hong Kong, then Tokyo, Paris, Shanghai, and even Baghdad.

Nothing is said to be known of the origin of the virus. The only explanation would be worldwide terrorism, but even that seemed improbable for it seemed to strike everyone by surprise. The virus was spreading fast, starting in major cities and expanding. The attempts to suppress it by CEDA proved to be useless. However, they assured that a more serious approach would be made now that they were aware of the effects of the virus; rage, hunger, and seemingly endless stamina.

To the man, it was the end of the world. The infection had taken over some of the world's most popular cities in only a few hours. Soon, very soon, the infection would spread across a whole continent, turning everyone into monsters. It was a future the man wished not to see.

He turned off the television and looked at his reflection on the dusty surface. He saw a man who had given up, there was nothing he could do. If he lived, the only thing he would see was a burning world struck with something, a plague sent by God to eradicate the human race and start from scratch. It was a sign that they had done something wrong to punish them, something they did to destroy all life on Earth.

The man didn't want any part of God's wrath.

He lifted the gun to his head and cocked the hammer while his eyes settled onto a bible that laid on the coffee table in front of him.

Straining his whole body, the man whispered, "Forgive me, Father."

A distinct gunshot rang out, causing the walkers to stop in their tracks.

Subaru stupidly stopped running and looked back. It had came from the man's house. The man...

Another person Subaru couldn't save.

Choosing not to dwell on it, Subaru turned back to the direction they were going. Only two more houses down.

He tugged again on Emilia's arm, "Let's go, Emilia." Not wanting to stay any longer.

However, Emilia didn't move. When Subaru ahead lightly tugged at Emilia's arm, she didn't budge. Before looking at her, Subaru heard her ask fearfully, "Su..ba..ru?"

When he looked at Emilia, her eyes weren't planted on his, instead they focused on across the street. Subaru followed her gaze and met the eyes of all the walkers gifted with sight. Oh….no.

While the ones that could see were staring at Subaru and Emilia, the ones that couldn't still had their heads tilted in the direction of the gunshot.

With over fourteen pairs of eyes trained on them, Subaru felt like a slab of meat that was being eyed by hungry wild dogs. They were outnumbered, nothing was saving them. But Subaru still had Emilia alive, the warmth of her palm and the sweetness of her smile is what drove him to not give up when she was attacked. That was enough for Subaru to not give up just yet, and live another day.

Without saying anything, Subaru gripped Emilia's hand harder and forcefully pulled her with him so they could make it to Rem's house and hopefully hide in the basement before the zombies could reach them.

One of the larger zombies let out a ferocious roar, "RRRRRRRAAAAAAWWWWWHHHH!"

All the visually enabled walkers charged them at once. With this came the blind ones as well, following the sounds of their companions.

Subaru looked at his empty hand. No!

He had forgotten his bat at Emilia's. He had no way of protecting himself from the walkers.

BANG!

A group of the walkers fell to the floor and flailed around, their backs broken and bloody.

Subaru looked across the street. It was the man who had killed Subaru. Well, killed Subaru when he was infected. The man hand stepped outside his house and fired a shotgun shell into the mob. Subaru quickly realized that it was the same sound from earlier. This man had been setting off his shotgun, attracting an innumerable amount of zombies.

The man pumped his shotgun and fired again into the crowd, dropping more walkers. However, this still wasn't enough. A few walkers still chased after Subaru and Emilia. While some others were attracted to the man with the shotgun.

If it came to it, Subaru decided that he would sacrifice himself for Emilia. At least then he would know Emilia would live and he would die, just to start over and make things right. But this would only occurs if he deemed it necessary, he didn't like dying, it left a bad taste in his mouth. Hehe.

They were in front of Rem's house when the walkers caught up with them. Being the gentleman he was, Subaru opened the front door and shoved Emilia inside to ensure her safety first. Subaru went to go in just as the walkers came, but his track suit collar was grabbed by one of the walkers and pushed to the ground.

Three zombies simultaneously bent down to bite into him. Subaru covered his face with his arms, trying, feebly, to protect himself.

That was when Quark raised his gun and planted a bullet into two of the walkers. Their heads flew back from the impact. The zombie, that was about to finish Subaru, was knocked to the side forcefully. Subaru scrabbled to a sitting by position and scooted his way into the house.

"You should be thanking me, Barusu."

Subaru looked next to the doorway. Ram stood there with her wooden kendo sword.

Subaru smiled, gracious for the help, "Thank you, Gordon."

Ram scoffed. "What?"

"Gordon. You know, like Gordon Ramsay."

"That's has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard. But it did come from Barusu so it isn't surprising."

"Hey! It took me-!"

Quark interrupted the two's squabbling as shot at walkers approaching their house, "Children! Now is most certainly not the time for that!"

Subaru popped to his feet, "Right." He looked around, noticing some missing faces, "Where's Emilia and Rem?"

Ram answered with a bored face, as usual, "Rem went to take Emilia into the basement."

Quark moved from the front door and to the windows, where the walkers were now moving to, "Well she better hurry up! I'm running low on ammunition!" He reloaded, now on his last clip. "Damn." Looking outside, they were thirteen walkers left. He'd have to make use of every bullet.

Subaru started walking to the kitchen, "I'll get Rem! Ram, while your dad takes the windows, you keep them from getting in through the front door!"

Ram nodded.

When Subaru went into the kitchen, he found the couch had been moved there. It may have been a way to block the door when they decided to hide in it. Clever.

He walked past the couch and opened the basement door. Just in the other side was Rem who was reaching for the door. Her shocked expression was instantly replaced with happiness upon seeing Subaru. She went to lunge at him and give him a big hug, but Subaru stopped her by planting his hands on her shoulders, "I know you want a hug, Rem, and I promise I'll hug you later, but we need your help." He looked at her empty hands, "Where's your gun?"

Rem pulled it from behind her and laid it on her palms, "Here it is, Subaru darling."

"Good," he lead Rem to the front room, "because we're gonna do some target practice."

Rem froze when she saw her father shooting out of the window and her sister swinging her stick at incoming walkers. A walker jumped halfway through the window and clawed at the air, but Quark shoved the gun into its mouth and fired a bullet. Ram was repeatedly hitting a walker as it got closer, she hit the legs, arms, head, anything she could, and seemed to be working. However, Quark was running low on ammo and Ram was starting to have a hard time keeping off more than one at a time.

Subaru looked at Rem, "Rem? We need you right now, I need you right now!"

Rem looked fearfully at the walkers, "Subaru…..needs Rem?" She looked at Subaru with confused look.

"Yes! Subaru needs his Rem, and he needs her right now!"

Rem looked back at the small mass of walkers, "I….I….I….."

Subaru turned Rem to face him, saying to her face with urgency, "You said you'd protect me, Rem! You said that and I know you remember! Please…..protect me!"

Rem looked at her gun.

A boy kicked the stomach of a smaller kid that was on the floor, "What, you thought you could just snitch on me?"

The smaller kid tried to breath as he spoke fearfully, "I...I….I didn't think that she would….be mad."

The kid kick him again, "That's what you thought, idiot!"

Another delinquent nearby spoke up, "Let's teach him a lesson."

The alpha leaned down and spoke calmly, but threateningly, "You see, kid, when you tattle-tale on us, there are consequences."

"What should we do to him?"

"Make him pay, our way."

A barrage of punches rained down upon the little boy, his back, arms, and head got most of the blows since he curled up into a ball. It went on for what seemed like forever before the boys stopped at the sound of a girl's voice.

"What are you doing?!"

The boys stopped and looked at the girl, "Mind your own business, girly!"

The girl pulled out her phone and said seriously, "I'm calling my daddy!"

The other kid looked panicked at urged the bigger kid away, "Dude, her dad's a cop! We gotta go, I don't wanna be in trouble again!"

The bigger kid looked at the girl with a sour look before following his friend.

The girl put her phone back into her jacket and ran to the boy's side. He was bruised, but other than that there were no major injuries. The girl felt relieved as she helped him to a sitting position.

She looked at his dirt encrusted face and began wiping it off with her hands, asking, "Are you alright?"

The boy stayed silent and only shook his head. He looked up at the girl.

"Thank you, Rem." He looked away in shame, having been saved by a girl. "Sorry I caused trouble."

Rem smiled, happy to know Subaru was okay to speak. "Subaru, Rem is just happy to know you're okay."

Subaru slowly nodded. Like that, Subaru started to cry again. The pain and humiliation he felt poured out his eyes as he cried in front of a girl who he'd know almost since birth. It was embarrassing, but he didn't care, the tears wouldn't stop.

However, his tears slowed down when he suddenly felt two arms wrapped around him. He opened his bloodshot eyes to only see blue in his vision, blue hair. Rem was hugging him.

Shock replaced his previous sadness. He lifted his hands from his sides, "Rem, what are you doing?"

With the side of her face pressed into his chest, Rem replied soothingly, "Making sure nothing hurts you anymore." She put some space between them so she could look at him. "Subaru's face is like a baby's. When you cried, Rem felt like crying too. So I thought if I hugged you, you wouldn't cry anymore."

The situation was so bizarre and sweet to him that Subaru had to choke back more tears from falling. Giving into the hug, Subaru cried until he couldn't cry anymore. After then, he lifted his head again and smiled.

Rem did the same when she saw Subaru's lips curl, "See, when Subaru smiles, Rem will do so as well because it's a beautiful thing….to be happy."

Subaru's smile didn't falter, he thought of just how blessed to know Rem. Had he never known her he didn't know what he'd do to get out of certain situations.

"You said….nothing is going to hurt me?"

"Nothing….I will protect you, Subaru."

Subaru started to laugh lightheartedly, a quiet one that was like music to Rem's ears. Slowly, his laughter turned into sobs. Tears of happiness fell from his face as leaned his head on Rem's shoulder. Between sobs, he quietly said into her shoulder, "Thank….you."

"RRRRAAAAAGGGHHHH!"

The walkers started to overpower Ram, one managed to grab the sword and pull it from her grasp. It bit into the wood, but found it inedible and threw it aside.

Quark was out of ammo and was starting to kick the walkers that wanted in through the window.

"Please…..protect me!" Subaru's voice. The same voice Rem remembers vowing to all those years ago. A vow to protect the one she considered a friend. A vow to protect everyone she loved. A vow to stay happy.

"Rem will protect her Subaru."

Rem rose the gun and pointed it at a walker that had gotten hold of her sister. "Rem will stay happy..." She shot the walker in the head, allowing Ram to scramble away and run to her father, "..to keep everyone happy." She emptied the entire clip into the front doorway of the house where multiple walkers tunneled through, aiming only for the heads. A look of crazy flashed in her eyes as she reloaded and fired more shots. Their unfiltered madness didn't go unnoticed. Ram looked in near fear at her own sister's demonic look as she fired shot after shot into the frenzy.

Subaru grabbed Ram's sword from the ground and used it to stab any walkers that crawled in through the window. One walker did grab the sword and pulled on it, but Subaru made sure that his foot would be the first to greet them.

It became apparent that the number of walkers trying to get into the house was shrinking exponentially. This gave Subaru more hope when no zombie were trying to crawl into the window.

Subaru watched as a walker sprinted through the front door as Rem was reloading. With a roar, Subaru charged to intercept the walker. The sword ripped through the walker's side, skewering it. He stopped running and let the walker slid off of the sword and fall to the floor. Not surprisingly, the walker quickly tried to get its feet, but was stopped by Subaru's foot on its chest. The walker grabbed at his leg, desperately trying to bite it, but not sure how to get to it. With hatred, Subaru brought the tip of the sword down hard into the eye socket of the walker. The arms of the beast went limp and dropped to the floor.

With the walkers dead, Subaru, leaned on the wall. He had completely worn himself out from his efforts to escape and kill the walkers.

The crazy look in Rem's eyes died out, and returned to normal, "Did-Did Rem do good?"

Quark put a thumbs up, "Damn good, sweetie."

Just then, the yelling of a crowd of walkers could heard. It sounded far off, but it was still bone chilling.

Subaru froze in fear, "What-What was that?"

The roaring continued to get louder and louder. Ram looked out the window, and said worryingly, "Barusu, it sounds like a lot. What did we do?"

A ringing sound was still in Subaru's ears, "The guns…."

Rem looked at her gun, "What?"

Subaru threw the sword to Ram and walked outside. He walked into the street and looked down either side. Nothing was on it but the deceased, cold bodies of the undead.

The man with the shotgun exited his own house upon hearing the same noise. The sounds grew louder and louder each passing second. Like Ram said, it sounded like there were a lot. It made sense to Subaru why that would be. They'd been shooting shotgun shells and bullets all willy nilly when the walkers were obviously attracted to sound.

When the man had fired the first shotgun shell. The walkers didn't see it, they had just heard it.

Their gunshots must have attracted every walker in a mile radius. Now they were coming their way.

The first walker rounded a corner from a few streets down. Subaru watched as dozens upon dozens of walkers followed closely behind. It was a large horde of them.

Quark had just walked out of the house when Subaru started to run back. Quark was slightly confused when Subaru started to push him back towards the house, "Subaru, what are you doing?"

Subaru didn't answer, instead he continued to pushQuark until he was in the house again. "They're coming! More of them are coming!"

Quark took control of his daughters and herded them into the basement while Subaru blocked the front door with chairs and whatever he could find. He shut the windows and locked them for good measure.

The horde was louder, Subaru knew he had to hurry.

Quark came back to the living room and grabbed Subaru, "Subaru, let's go!"

Nodding, Subaru ran with him to the kitchen and went through the basement door.

Quark moved the couch so it settled right in front of the doorway. From there, he closed the door and locked it then slid the large piece of wood down in place so it prevented the door from opening.

From below ground, the small group of survivors huddled together, listening as a wave of death struck their neighbors.

There was only question going through everyone's mind.

How much longer can we survive this?