Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Schlatt sat in his room by his desk playing Minecraft with a few of his old buddies. His five-month-old puppy laying on the floor beside his bed would emit a quiet snore now and again. This couldn't be a more normal night.

He was just about to put Honey, the name he chose for her, in her cage and go to sleep when he heard the phone ring. It was Ted. He only ever texted. He never called unless it was something important.

"Schlatt, Turn on the TV Now."

"Why? Ted, what's going on?"

"Just do it."

Schlatt, albeit hesitantly, turned on his TV to find there’d been an Emergency Alert System broadcast going out to the entire country. The President stood proudly in front of the nation and continued his speech.

"...that all citizens should remain calm and stay in their homes. There have been only a few, small outbreaks in Large cities around our proud nation. These outbreaks have been confirmed to be found within Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston..."

"..Outbreaks? Ted, What the fuck is going on?"

"Schlatt, I'll be over as soon as I can to explain." A few moments of shuffling could be heard on the other end before the call was ended.

The President continued with his speech and Schlatt returned his attention to the screen before him. "...and Atlanta. There are no indications as to how or why this outbreak has occurred. There is no way to tell if you have been infected until it is too late.

However, some of the key features of knowing you are infected are increased strength, a strong scent of rotting flesh, and major motor function failure. However, speech may still be possible within very few specimens, as numerous cases have already been reported of the,”

The country's leader pauses, as if thinking for a name, but eventually succumbs to the truth. “..Undead using speech to either lure victims in or convince them that they still are human, despite their ghoulish appearance..."

"So, basic zombie, only stronger and a little smarter," Schlatt says to himself as if keeping a mental note.

“Scientists across the globe are working on developing a cure, and tests so far have been promising, especially given their time restraints.

However, a true cure may not be manufactured as soon as we need them, so I am personally ordering for Martial Law to be placed into action while I advise vaccines of the same nature as the cure, yet tamer, is to be given to the public.

Furthermore..."

A horrifying scream ripped through the air, stopping the President’s speech, and could be heard as the camera turned from where he was to a man standing over a young girl with her neck ripped apart, the man hunched over and with every chewing motion, a loud, sickening crunch echoes out for bystanders to hear.

All of a sudden, a flurry of bullets comes towards the man and cuts through his body as if it were paper, almost hitting his head. He falls to the ground not a second later, bloodied and defeated. The screen goes black.

"What the fuck?" Schlatt says to himself.

After quite some time, Ted finally arrives shortly thereafter and walks in without knocking. "What the fuck is going on here?" Schlatt demands, staring at the other with wide, horrified eyes.

"Well, I hope you watched all those zombie movies. Because, to put it simply, zombies are running amok."

"Zombies?"

"Well. I hate to be the one to break it to you so I’ll say it lightly. They aren’t dead. They aren't the zombies everyone watched in the theaters, Schlatt. They still have their smarts and they are very much alive, Basically still people, but with a hunger for human flesh.

They are stronger than us, faster than us, and smarter than us in every way. The only thing they care about is ripping us all into a million pieces. No one knows why or where they’ve gotten this hunger, but whatever happened could quite possibly be humanity’s downfall. They’re stronger than us in every fucking way.”

"Wait, if they’re smarter than us, then why did that guy just eat a kid on live TV?"

"I don't know Schlatt.. They all seem to all be as smart as what they were beforehand, so apparently, he wasn't very smart." Ted laughed at the statement for a moment before getting serious once more and continuing. "Anyway, Schlatt, we need to go. Now."

"Where are we going?"

"First to get the fuck out of the city cause I don’t know about you, but I specifically remember hearing that cities were a hotspot for outbreaks. But then to my friend’s house in Aklavik, Canada. And yes, I know it’s one hell of a fucking drive, but it’s far enough from here to hopefully be safe. He has a spacious bunker we could stay in for a while until a cure comes out or when things cool down.

And who knows? Maybe a few of our friends will be there. I did, after all, send out a message to the boys and a few others who could use a bit of safety. We should be safe there."

"How do you plan to get there?"

"Simple, We drive.”

"Oh, yeah, of course. Let’s fucking drive through zombie-filled streets dumbass.”

“Well, do you have any other ideas genius?” Ted asks, frowning at the other.

Schlatt stands there for a minute in deep thought before glaring at Ted. “No.” He says begrudgingly.

Ted smirks and nods. “You should pack some things, Schlatt. I don’t think you’ll wanna come back to visit New York again if zombies are walking around every damn corner. I can help you if you’d like?” He asks, ready to help even if Schlatt were to deny him.

Schlatt nods and rushes over to his room with Ted following right behind. The two began packing, with Schlatt directing Ted with what to get.

Schlatt bit his lip as he looked over to his sleeping pup in the cage. “Hey, uh.. Ted? Is there enough space for Honey?” He asks, quietly, afraid he would be told that he couldn’t.

Ted smiled a little, his attention on packing clothing for Schlatt. “Yeah, grab a few jars. Probably won’t find some for a while.”

Schlatt huffed, smacking Ted’s shoulder lightly. “Not the honey you eat. I meant the dog, you ass. Can she come?”

Ted thought things over for a few tense moments, darting his eyes around the room while in thought. “..Yeah, but you’d need to keep a close eye on her. Don't let her out of sight. And bring food, if you didn’t think to.”

Schlatt smiles widely and shakes awake the sleeping canine. Honey yawns, a squeaky sound coming from such a tiny animal, and exits the cage, her tail swaying lazily behind her. She seemed to ignore Ted as she hopped up onto the bed and sat patiently.

After what seemed like a half-hour, the two men seemed finished with only four boxes, Schlatt deciding to leave most things behind. He’d also made sure to bring only a few silent toys for his pup, knowing this journey would probably be boring for her.

He grabbed Honey’s leash, hooked it up to her soft yellow collar, and walked out silently to Ted’s already half-filled truck.

"You ready?" Ted asks as he sits behind the wheel. Schlatt hums as a reply, Honey lying down on the hybrid’s lap. “To Aklavik then?” He inquires while turning the key in the ignition.

"To Aklavik."

Chapter Text

Only one day passes after the trio leaves New York. America has gotten worse, much worse. More and more outbreaks spring up in smaller cities, and more of the ghoulish beings are stalking the streets, looking for more victims to infect or devour.

The hunger that plagues the nation reigns hell in only 8 hours after its discovery. It continues in proving itself to be the most contagious virus known to man, with a staggering one hundred percent infection rate.

However, the trio’s gas has run out. They now sit at a gas station grabbing supplies and fuel.
—-
"C'mon, man. We have to go," Schlatt growls quietly as he looks around, scouting the area with unease. "This was just supposed to be a fucking pit stop."

"Hold on dude. I need to find something."

"Ted, we need to go, like, Now!"

"Stop being so dramatic, Schlatt."

"Goddammit, Ted! You’re gonna get us killed!" Schlatt hissed. Ted didn’t mind his counterpart and continued scouring through the station.

Ted finally looked up after a while from a pile of pills and tablets to find a crimson-covered zombie looking him dead in the eyes. Ted cried out in fear and ran to Schlatt as fast as he could.

Schlatt turns and pulls out the rather small handgun they had found alongside the road beside a decaying body, half-eaten by the vultures circling it above. He faces the flesh-hungry human and pulls the trigger, the head bursting open upon direct contact.

"Get in. We’ve attracted enough attention with that fucking gunshot of yours."

“Ted, how about a thank you? I saved your fucking life you asshole.”

“Yeah, but you could’ve used anything besides a gun. And now we have to leave without medicine we could use, else a horde will come running to any loud sound, and you and I both know we don't have many bullets left.”

Schlatt frowns but stays silent as the trio of them rides off towards Canada.

About a half-hour later, Schlatt clears his throat and looks out his window. “Hey.. Ted? Do you think your family is okay?” He asks, his tone softer than before.

Ted shrugs, knowing Schlatt can’t see. “I don’t know. I hope they are, and I wanna say they are, but I don’t know.”

They take a left turn and Ted speaks again. “Do you think yours is okay?”

Schlatt thinks for a moment. “Probably not.” He replies, though his tone marks the end of the discussion.

A bit more time passes before Ted smiles and with his eyes glued to the road, he leans over only barely. “Hey Schlatt, there’s music in the compartment if you wanna put something on. I’m sure there’s music you like in there.”

"Alright, but you’d better not have stal or I swear I’ll jump out of this truck right now.” Schlatt jokes, causing Ted to smile and shake his head,

After a bit of rummaging through the plethora of discs, Schlatt finds an album named ‘Scaled And Icy’ and laughs lightly.

“Dude, you like Steely Dan? A man of pleasant taste, I see.” The hybrid slides in the disk when Ted doesn't answer but he does catch a glimpse of a smile.

The two of them sit in a comfortable silence as the music fills the previously tense air, soothing the two of them.

Schlatt begins to sing along with the music, perhaps subconsciously, with his pointer finger beating softly on the young dog’s back. Ted listens just a little bit closer, picking up on the other man’s vocality.

After the song ended, Ted piped up with a warm smile. “You have a nice voice, Schlatt.”

As a reply, or rather a reaction, Schlatt’s cheeks burned a bright red with embarrassment as he looked down and threads his digits between Honey’s fur.

Ted chuckles lightly, leaning over again. “Don’t worry, I sing in the car too.”

Schlatt huffs and shakes his head. “Ted, shut up.” He replies with a smile

A few minutes pass before a song Ted adores plays, his ability to refrain from singing was thinning as he hums lightly. Eventually, the singer in him takes over and he’s singing loud and proud in his car, smiling widely while doing so and moving his shoulders as he sings.

Schlatt listens, smiling lightly. He feels himself move slightly, and he looks over to see Ted, who’d been looking at Schlatt with a wide grin. “Come on! Sing!”

“Ted, No. I don’t-“

“Schlatt, I swear, if you say you don’t sing I’m gonna put stal on.”

The hybrid then wastes no time singing along wholeheartedly, as if he’d just been held at gunpoint.

The two of them continue until the song ends, which then leads to Ted grinning at Schlatt, who remains unaware until the ram looks over. “Dude, what?”

“You have the goods, big guy,” Ted says. “Fuck off man..” Schlatt replies, smiling lightly.

It takes a minute or so until he speaks again, his hand still working through his pup’s fur. “..Thank you, by the way..” In return, Ted nods silently, a smile gracing his face.

The drive carries on for another hour, with the two of them occasionally making small talk to pass the time. It ends after a while and the two enjoy the silence. Honey had her way towards the back, contrary to Ted’s dismay, as she stuck her head out the window and lolled out her tongue.

Then, something snaps Schlatt out of his dead stare out the window of the car. Ted’s phone seems to be ringing.

Schlatt looks to Ted with surprise and urges him to answer the call. Ted does so, and not a moment later, a New Zealand accent is screaming through to them.

“Ted? Ted! You’ve finally fucking picked up the goddamn phone! We’ve been trying to get a fucking hold of you for 3 hours!”

The voice is recognized to be Cameron, a close friend to both men sitting in the car. Ted decided to pull over, shut off the radio, and set the call to the speaker.

“Cam? How are you calling me? I thought all lines were reserved for the cops or the military?”

“Ted, look, we need your fucking help, please. I’m with Eric, Tobi, Mason, and oddly enough, Charlie. We found him in L.A. when this whole shit show began. Where are you?”

Ted goes quiet for a minute, looking over to Schlatt for help, in which he speaks next.

“Cam, it’s Schlatt. We’re heading to Canada. Aklavik, specifically. Is there any way you could find a way to meet us there?”

Cameron seems to put down the phone for a minute, a few words can be heard being discussed in the background, but he comes back with a sigh.

“No, we’re stranded. My car broke down after landing in the U.S. so I’m out of luck, Eric’s car was stolen, and Toby doesn’t have a working car. We’re fucked out here. We need help. Please.”

Cameron spoke the last bit softly, pleading with the two men to come and help them. Schlatt gives Ted a questioning look, and it takes a few minutes for Ted to finally give in and nod his head, signaling they’d have to change their destination.

Schlatt nods back and talks with a strong determined tone.

“Where are you guys?”

Chapter Text

The duo learns that the four men are stranded in Beverly Hills. Nowhere near the safest place, they could be at, but safe enough that they’d still be alive when most of the population had already turned.

The duo had only seen one or two actual people, but both of their lives were ended shortly after confrontation by the flesh-eating beings.

Now, on their way to a new destination, Beverly Hills.

—-

They continued driving for about another four hours, not seeing another living soul, when all of a sudden a person walked out in front of them, looking completely healthy. Ted slams on the brakes and stays in the car, staring with unease.

“Do you think he’s infected?” He asks softly. Schlatt only shrugs and stares at the man. Ted huffs and rolls down his window.

"Hey! Bud! You okay out there? You’re kinda in the middle of the road!” His voice echoes out of the vehicle and only then does he realize that the person he’s shouting at is not a Human, but a zombie.

Honey whines and hides behind the passenger seat, curling her tail around her small body.

Schlatt reached for the gun in the storage compartment in front of him, but the walking corpse had begun running towards the vehicle, growling slowly. It gets to his side of the car before Schlatt can pull his firearm out in time.

The ram hybrid swings the car door open to hurt the ghoul standing in front of it and steps to the side. He knees the pale-faced man in the gut, causing the being to stumble back a few steps. Though it stands completely upright again, the blow causes little to no damage. Schlatt pulls out the handgun and rests his finger on the trigger when he realizes who it is that he's facing.

Standing before him, staring him dead in the eyes with a vicious hunger, is none other than the soft brown-haired Wilbur Soot himself, a large and gruesomely infected bite mark on his neck evidence of how he’d been turned.

Schlatt prepares to pull the trigger but freezes when Wilbur speaks- No, begs for the hybrid not to harm him.

“N-No, Schlatt please-!“ The dead man yelps. However, his expression hadn’t looked as horrified as his tone. Despite standing at point-blank range, his head refuses to pull the trigger on his friend.

Instead, he moves his head back and swings it forth in one swift motion, his horns colliding with Wilbur harshly, leaving the zombified musician to fall unconscious on the road.

Ted gets out quickly once he determines that it’s safe and walks around the car to see Schlatt doubled over the man he’d just knocked out mere moments ago, weeping as he hesitantly puts a hand on Wilbur’s arm.

"Get back in the car, Schlatt. It’s not safe out here.” Ted says in a solemn voice. Schlatt shakes his head and looks up to Ted, a warm red circling his eyes with tears threatening to spill over. “Ted, I-.. I can’t just leave him here. Please, we need to help him.”

Ted frowns. “No, Schlatt. I’m not letting you put us in danger. What if he attacks you? You don’t even know if he’s not going to kill you, for fucks sake.”

“Ted, he said my name goddammit. He remembers me. We.. We can.. We can tie him up. Keep him in the trunk. I- I know you have rope in the back-“

“Schlatt, I said-“

“Ted, please.”

Tears stream down the ram’s face as he begs, an unmistakable sob passing his lips as he looks back down to Wilbur. “Please..”

Ted sighs quietly, nodding. “Fine. But be fucking careful. If he attacks,” Ted doesn't finish his sentence, but Schlatt guesses that he'd gladly put a hole in the zombie's head. He nods with a small, yet gracious smile as he drags Wilbur to the back of the truck and takes out the bundles of rope Ted has in the back. Ted gets in the truck and waits patiently.

He hears nothing from inside except for a loud ‘thump’, followed by the passenger door opening for Schlatt to get in. Schlatt gets back in the car, wiping the residue of tears from his eyes, and Ted continues driving.

They sit in silence, enjoying the soft flow of music coming from the radio when night rolls around. Ted pulls into a hotel on the side of a long stretch of road in Ohio, specifically, Route 71.

They enter the abandoned establishment after scouting out the area and both of the men take their own pick of rooms. Ted calls it a night and ends up going to sleep as soon as his body hits a bed at the end of the hall.

Schlatt would eventually take a larger room in the middle, not because he’d been selfish, but because he wouldn’t want Honey to feel more suffocated than she’d been all day in the car.

The hybrid decides he’d felt restless and walks out into the otherwise silent hallway, ignoring Ted’s soft snores coming from the room at the end of the hall.

As he explores the hotel and goes down to the general area-that being the ground floor-he is pleasantly surprised to have found a box full of weapons and ammunition. He feels an almost childish glee after opening the box of goodies.

Now he wouldn’t feel bad when he shot the gun.

Well, that’s a lie. It would still make a hell of a lot of noise.

He decides that he’ll tell Ted of this discovery tomorrow, as he felt sudden exhaustion overtake his body. So, he made his way upstairs and back into his own room.

Honey lays on the left side of the bed, so Schlatt lays on the right, not wanting to sleep his growing puppy up from her rest. He curls up under the blanket and is inwardly pleased when he finds that sleep has taken a hold of him easily.

The next morning, the both of them are woken up by a sickening growl coming from downstairs. With his heart thrumming dangerously in his rib cage, Schlatt hesitantly opens the door to his room.

Honey, however, stays on the bed, her ears flat against her head in terror. Schlatt felt a pang of guilt for her, knowing it was his fault he’d brought her with.

He could only guess what was downstairs. Or rather, who.

It appears that Ted had the same idea, as he too opened the door with obvious hesitance to see what had been happening on the ground floor.

The two of them nod to each other and slowly make their way towards the railing.

The zombie previously tied up in the trunk of Ted’s truck seemed to be standing in a predatory stance in the communal area.

Ted stared at it with hesitation. While Schlatt, however, leaned over the railing to get a closer look at his zombified friend.

It takes a moment for Schlatt to gain enough courage to speak out to Wilbur. “Wil? Are you in there?” He asks, his knuckles curled over, turning white with his death grip on the railing.

The ghoul down below on the ground level looks up and snarls roughly as if a predator had finally found its prey.

Ted’s lips curl downwards as he takes a step back, his glare shooting daggers Wilbur’s way, which results in the man swiftly moving forwards and up the stairs, a deep growl emitting from his throat.

It lunges towards Schlatt, not entirely ignoring Ted, who had hidden in his doorway after dearly hoping Schlatt would do the same.

Schlatt looks into Wilbur’s eyes, horrified. “Wilbur, please, I know you’re still in there, I don’t want to hurt you-” Schlatt begs, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

He fights against Wilbur, and eventually, the two of them are thrown on opposite sides. Schlatt was now on top of Wilbur, holding down his arms and head.

The hybrid headbutts his friend, stunting them for barely half a minute, and the horned man eventually grabs a hunter’s knife from the safety of a back pocket on his pants.

He hesitates, which causes Wilbur to swipe upwards with his free arm, hissing and screeching at the ram above him.

Schlatt plunges down the knife into his friend’s eye, flinching when a rose color paints his face.

He stays there for a few agonizing seconds. As realization strikes him, he struggles to stand, his arms weak and his legs numb. He eventually stands but stares down towards the lifeless man he’d stabbed not moments ago.

Ted walks forwards and stands beside his friend. He sets a comforting hand on the ram’s shoulder, but it’s immediately shrugged off. When the hybrid moves, he expects Schlatt to leave and sleep for the night, but he’s proved wrong when the ram bends down and wraps his arms around Wilbur.

“Are you gonna help me or are you just gonna stare?”

“I- Yeah, of course,” Ted replies softly as he grabs Soot’s legs, Schlatt grabbing his upper body.

Neither of them talks when they bring the body downstairs.

Not when they bury Wilbur’s body.

Nor when they return to their respective rooms for the night.

Ted couldn’t sleep. He was pretty sure Schlatt couldn’t either, clear from the constant shuffling coming from the other room beside his.

He wouldn’t comment on it though. He needed sleep, and that’s what he was going to get.

Chapter Text

The two men had woken fairly late, breakfast being on neither of their minds, both too caught up in not only leaving the area, but losing a close friend.

Ted knew Schlatt would need time to grieve, but the hybrid could do that on the road.

They needed to get to California as soon as possible.
-
Honey sat in the back, silently looking out the window.

Ted sighs quietly as he makes a turn. It’s been a few hours since they’ve left and Ted has heard Schlatt’s stomach growl at least twenty times, more or less.

"Schlatt, you should really eat something,” Ted said, his tone full of concern.

The ram frowned. “Not hungry.”

He’d been staring out the window, preoccupied with staring intently at the vultures high above them who’d presumably been circling whatever sort of carcass on some other road they couldn’t see. Ted sat in silence, but he felt like Schlatt was suppressing how he felt. It wasn’t healthy, nor was it helpful.

He stops his train of thought and decides to come up with a lighter topic; Schlatt’s sick dog. “If you aren’t going to eat, will you at least feed Honey?”

Schlatt doesn’t move, and Ted just about moves to feed Honey himself, when the Hybrid sighs quietly and reaches back for a can of dog food behind the seat.

He pats the floor below him for Honey to leap from the back into the front, blinding Ted for a split second before she sits politely in front of Schlatt. “Where’d you find her anyways? I don’t remember asking.” Ted tries to make small talk to ease the tension, and it seems to work as a small smile makes its way onto the ram’s features.

“Found her in a box behind a bank. Didn’t wanna leave her there all alone, so I took her in.”

Ted feels his lips curl upwards as another question lies heavy on his tongue. Though Schlatt continues after a moment of silence.

“She looked like she was going to die. Her back left leg was broken, the tip of her tail was cut off, but she just looked like the most innocent pup I’d ever seen. She-“ He pauses, tilting his head at the pup, who does the same in return, her tongue lolling out the side after she’d been done eating.

“..She reminded me of when I was younger.”

He spoke that line carefully, yet quietly as if it would disturb Ted if he’d spoken louder. Ted furrows his brow, confusion settling into his features. “..What do you mean?” He asks cautiously. Schlatt doesn’t answer. Instead, he continues to look out his window, his hand still under Honey’s soft chin.

Ted huffs with frustration. “Schlatt, will you please just talk to me?”

The hybrid cracks at the command, shooting a sharp glare in Ted’s direction.

“Fine. Fine! You wanna know so fucking badly? My dad left me bloodied in my room every fucking day cause he saw me hold a boy's hand. Is that what you wanted to know? Huh? He didn’t want a gay son so he thought punishing me would do the trick.”

Schlatt spits out the words venomously, though inwardly hopes Ted can’t see the fat crocodile tears rolling down off his cheeks as he turns his head and stares out the window after his outburst.

Ted looks ahead and stares out at the road before him. He doesn't know what to say, what to feel or what to think. He knew that living as a hybrid was bad enough, but trauma from childhood on top of that would’ve made life ten times harder.

“I-.. Schlatt, I’m-“

“Save it, Ted. I don’t need your pity. I’m alive, aren’t I?” Schlatt frowns, staring down at the dog on the floor below him. Honey’s ears seem to have flattened, possibly due to his raised voice.

Schlatt sighs and brushes his hand over her ear slowly. “Sorry, girl.” He mutters with guilt laced in his tone.

Ted tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to mind other than questions about his younger life, but he knew better than to poke the bear with a stick.

They continue driving for what feels like hours before coming upon a deserted ranch. The only thing that seemed to roam the area was the wind with not an animal, nor a zombie in sight. The silence had barely brought peace to both men as tension still hung high above their heads.

They did the same as before; Find two rooms and sleep. Easy enough, one would say. But something wasn’t right. Something felt off.

Schlatt went right into his room with Honey, shutting the door behind him.

As Ted walks up the stairs and enters his room, he has a feeling he’d been followed. Ted decides once the feeling intends to stay, he opens his door and hears faint footsteps downstairs. It hits him.

They weren’t alone.

Chapter Text

They weren’t alone.

Ted backs up and rushes back into his room, grabbing whatever weapon was closest, which just happened to be a machete he kept in his suitcase. For self-defense, of course. As he made his way down the old creaking steps, it was as if whatever was in the kitchen had dropped a glass on cue.

A short-lived gasp erupted from whatever or whoever was in the kitchen. Ted raised his weapon as he neared the destination of the sound, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Whatever was in the kitchen seemed to notice him walking as Ted’s presence caused it to drop whatever had been in its grasp. The sound of glass shattering echoed around the house, and next came a flurry of near-silent swears. Ted lowered his weapon and switched on the nearby light, which was in and of itself a miracle that it still worked despite obviously being abandoned for so long.

The first thing Ted saw was a hunched over Hybrid, their curled horns ending with dangerously pointed tips.

The next thing Ted saw made his stomach churn uneasily.

Schlatt was sitting on the ground with his shoulders hunched up tightly and his ears uncomfortably flat against his head. He hesitantly looks up, his gaze fearful and his eyes wide as he stares at the weapon in Ted’s hand.

His eyes dart to the broken remnants of a whiskey bottle shattered on the ground, then slowly trail back up to the weapon. The hybrid’s eyes widened a little more in some sort of twisted realization as he raises open hands to cover his face, tears flooding his eyes once again.

He was a child.

He was young and weak and at his father’s mercy.

“N-No- Don’t- Please! I’m sorry, I-I’ll clean the floor, I promise- I’m sorry-" The pleading and apologies were broken apart by sobs tearing through the horned man, his hands frantically scooping up the shards of glass while slicing them up in the process.

Ted felt sick.

He took a moment to step back and swallow down whatever was threatening to come up. “Schlatt, stop. Look at me.” He uses a more forceful tone, despite whatever he thought of the ongoing situation. Schlatt was hesitant to halt his actions but eventually tilts his head upwards, wincing under Ted’s concerned gaze. He took the hybrid’s hands into his own. They were shaky and weak, bloodied and torn. It left Ted with a sour taste in his mouth.

“Schlatt, it’s me. It’s Ted. You’re safe here. I promise.”

Schlatt blinks slowly and begins to remove his hands from his face to view the man standing before him. When Ted finally comes into view, more tears began to spill over as his face lit up hotter than the sun in mid-July, burning fiercely with shame.

“Ted, I-.. I’m sorry-” Schlatt lets his head fall as he tried to shield his face from the onslaught of concern Ted sends his way.

The hybrid almost feels like curling in further when he doesn’t get a reply, terrified that Ted would have left him, but a pair of familiar arms wrap around Schlatt. He jumps a little at the sudden contact but leans into the hug and sobs into the soft, clean white shirt Ted is wearing.

Schlatt was sure that he would need to apologize later for the tear stains and snot residue left over. Right now, though, he couldn’t care less because he wasn’t alone.

He made a mental note to thank Ted for this, for everything.

Chapter Text

The two men had eventually parted ways and returned back to their respective rooms to get what little sleep they had left until the sun rose over the horizon. Before leaving, Ted had washed away the blood from the Hybrid’s sore hands.

Morning came, and they left the house, once again on the road towards the men that needed their help.

-

The ride was relatively smooth, in terms of the nonexistent communication.

About an hour into the ride, Schlatt perked up, cocking his head to the side, and spoke with a gentle voice. “You won’t, uh, tell the others about anything, right?” Ted nods, but only after slight hesitance. “Promise?” Schlatt asks, frowning a little.

“Promise.”

They sit in silence for a little while longer before Ted breaks the tense air around them with a smile. “We’ll probably be there by tomorrow night, maybe even the next day’s morning.” In response, the hybrid nods and turns to the dog sitting in the backseat.

Honey is lying with her head down on the seat, her nose dry and her tongue lolling out the side of her jaw, but the most unsettling fact could be that her breathing comes in rasp panting rather than soft breaths.

Schlatt dips his ears down in distress and looks to Ted for help.

“Dude, I think she’s sick.”

“Don’t you have any medicine?” He asks, confusion settling into his features.

“No, what do I do? What can I do?” Schlatt asks, panicked. He’d always been a pessimist. What if she died now because of him? What if the signs had already shown and he’d been too blind to see? What if-

“-att! Schlatt! Snap out of it dude. She’ll be fine. I’m sure it’s just a little cold, okay? It’ll go away.” Ted smiles lightly, trying his best to comfort his friend. The hybrid nods and turns back to comb his digits through Honey’s golden fur. She raised her head up into his palm, whining quietly.

“You’ll be okay girl, I promise. Just hang in there, you’ll be better before you know it.” Honey looks up for a moment before lying back down and letting her eyes close.

Schlatt twists his body forwards again, his heart racing against his rib cage. His hands curl over his pants, his knuckles turning a fierce white. Ted looks over and lets his right hand fall onto Schlatt’s, hoping to ease his anxiety and let him know he isn’t alone, to which the hybrid’s frown turns upright and he lets his hands relax.

They continue their ride in silence, both not uttering a word when they pass a music store. They felt content in each other’s presence, and neither wanted to ruin it.

After a couple uneventful hours pass with nothing but a silent, yet comforting air float around them, Ted exhales rather forcefully.

“Schlatt, I hate to ask this from you, but could you take over for a little while? My arms feel stiff.”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, of course. Dude, you could’ve asked sooner, I don’t mind.” The ram replies, waiting until Ted pulls over. The two men swap seats and eventually, they’re on the road again. Schlatt opens his mouth to talk, though shuts it once he looks over to see Ted asleep in the passenger seat.

He turns forwards towards the road, his lips curled upwards and his eyes gleaming with excitement for what lies ahead.

‘God, what have I gotten myself into?’

Chapter Text

Eventually, the two men arrive in California after a perilous five-give or take-day journey. They still had a while until they could reach their friends, but they were nearly there. They weren’t giving up yet.

Ted was driving now, saying that he felt better, and apologized for falling asleep.

Honey’s cold didn’t seem like it would let up anytime soon, so she sat comfortably in the hybrid’s lap on the way towards their destination.

-

The two drive for another hour in silence apart from the music they’d only recently put on.

Schlatt looked at the time on the vehicle’s radio. “I think we should stop for the night, Ted.”

“But we’re so close, Schlatt! Another hour or two and we’ll be there!” Ted replies, almost begging for them to continue.

Schlatt shakes his head. “I want to see them safe too, Ted. I really do. But we can’t risk our lives in the dark. We can’t even tell what is and what isn’t human in broad daylight, let alone when it gets dark.”

Ted thinks this over and sighs once he comes to a conclusion. “Fine, fine, we’ll pull over.”

The two of them end up at a motel near a gas station, deciding that if they needed supplies in the morning, they wouldn’t have to travel too far.

Both chose their rooms after the three of them ate together, both Ted and Schlatt feeding the sick, yet growing puppy.

As soon as the ram’s head hit the pillow, he’d been out, exhaustion overcoming his entire figure.

That night seemed like any other for the hybrid; a dreamless night only useful in getting rid of his tiredness.

Though it seemed his mind thought he had it too easy these last few days.

<^><^><^><^>

He was home again.

He was six, and he was home.

"Wait- N-No, please don't-“ The little ram begged, inwardly despising how pathetic and broken his voice sounded to his own pointed ears.

His father said nothing, but then again, he seldom had much to say when he’d been drunk. Sure, he drank every night. But it was on nights like these when he felt a sudden unbridled ferocity that only one action could relieve him of.

He remembers when his mother used to caress his face and tell him to stay strong. If not for himself, then for her.

She loved her little ram with all her heart and reminded him every day of how much he meant to her.

Schlatt remembers how heartbroken he’d been to see his mother lying on the kitchen floor, his father looming dangerously over her.

He’s stuck in the memory as his father stares impassively at him with a twisted, cruel smile.

Then, the elder snarls for the first time since yanked the little ram off of his bed and threw the boy to the floor. "I told you not to say that, didn’t I?”

"I-I’m sor- sorry, Father, I forgot, it- it just slipped out-“

The little ram’s stammered apologies were wasted as the elder raised the belt wrapped around calloused hands and brought it down quickly. The thick leather belt cracked across Schlatt’s back like lightning, tearing into the small ram's skin through the thin, soft blue wool sweater he wore.

He remembers how many tears he cried when the sweater had gotten ruined by one of his father’s many outbursts.

It had been a gift from his mother after all.

The small boy bit back his screams for as long as he could. Lash after lash met the ram’s back, the metal buckle occasionally colliding with the back of his head, and yet the man was relentless. The louder the little boy screamed, the harder the belt hit.

It was a while before the boy’s father eventually got tired of the relentless torture and left to drown himself in more booze.

The battered boy eventually recovered his senses enough to push himself upright and stagger into the bathroom. The sight of his reflection in the mirror made him wince.

He didn’t know what he did wrong. He never does.

He doesn’t think he’ll ever know.

<^><^><^><^>

Chapter Text

The two men ride on for another hour before they come up onto the outskirts of Beverly Hills. While both felt rather drained, not only from the ride but from the experiences, they both felt ready to help their friends.

-

As they near a city, Ted decides that he should try and call Cameron to let him know they’re close. So he does, but the phone just rings.

And rings.

And rings.

No one picks up and Ted starts to panic, his grip tightening on the wheel. Schlatt looks over and lays a hand on his friend's shoulder. “Try again, maybe the towers are just finally dead?” Ted nods and takes in a deep breath. He needed to calm down. He tries calling again, and it isn’t Cam who picks up, but Eric.

“Hello? Ted?”

Ted lets a breath out he didn’t know he was holding in. “You fucking asshole, why didn’t you pick up the first time?”

“Well for one, it isn’t my phone, two, Fitz was sleeping on said phone, and three, I only heard it the second time you called,” Eric replies, sighing almost dramatically. “Are you guys fucking close yet?” He adds, sounding desperate.

“Yes, we’re in La Cañada Flintridge. Just passed a sign. We’ll be there in.. I don’t know, twenty, thirty minutes?” Schlatt says calmly, staring at the phone as if it were a person.

“Alright alright, see you then. Oh- Wait! Don’t make too much noise, there’s kind of, like, a wall of zombies,” Eric replies anxiously.

“Are you suggesting we walk?” Ted asks, raising a brow.

“I dunno man, whichever is quieter. I would walk if I were you. I don’t know and don’t exactly wanna know how many of them are here with us. Just hurry, please?”

Ted and Schlatt both share an equally heavy sigh and a side look to each other. “Yeah, yeah we can walk.” The hybrid answers after a moment of hesitation.

Ted is silent for a moment, thinking through whatever he needs to until he talks again.

“We’ll start walking in Glendale. Where we are this second would take us four hours to walk from here to you guys. There, it’ll only be an hour and a half, maybe two. But the safer we are, the safer you are in the long run. See you soon.”

Eventually, after they all say their goodbyes, the phone's screen in Ted's hand glows once more, letting them know that Eric had ended the call.

Ted exhales slowly and turns to face the hybrid sitting beside him. He smiles warmly. “You ready to walk, Schlatt?” He asks, daring to hope as it gleams brightly from his eyes.

The hybrid nods, determination painting his features.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Chapter Text

The two men drive until they reach the western edge of Los Angeles. They hop out, grab supplies they may need in a backpack, such as their pistol and other potential weapons, and continue on their way.

-

Silent, their footsteps.

Hushed, their voices.

Slow, their pace.

Ted decided to walk in front, pistol raised in hand, backpack behind him, and eyes darting from side to side. They’ve now been walking for around twenty minutes, but neither has kept track. While leashed, Honey’s ears laid flat against her head and she seemed slower than normal. Schlatt hoped she would get better soon.

“You okay back there?” Ted asks, almost hesitant to break apart the built silence surrounding them. The hybrid, who holds a metal pipe as a weapon found in the back of Ted’s truck, gives an affirming hum. “Yeah, I’m fine. How about you milkman?”

“I’m- wait, what?” Ted replies, holding back a laugh.

“Y’know, milkman? Your entire brand?” Schlatt smiles a little, even if the man ahead of him can’t see.

“Yeah, no, I get it. Caught me off guard is all.” They leave it at that and continue. The ram’s smile had eventually fallen as he walked, feeling as though any sign of comfort in the unknown will result in their demise.

Not only did a shrill screech emit from the demented thing, but something had fallen from the rooftop above them. The hybrid let out a cry of fear and leaped backward to avoid the not-yet-dead zombie, his body colliding with Ted’s and forcing them down to the ground.

Honey tried to lunge towards the snarling creature, but the hybrid snatched her back.

Ted struggled to get up and once he did, he aimed his gun and shot before Schlatt shouted, “No, Ted Don’t-!” The bullet had lodged itself deep within the zombie’s head, but not before a great deal of crimson-colored bodily fluids had been pushed out. Schlatt finally gets to his feet and smacks the taller male’s shoulder.

“You dumbass, I can bet money that every zombie within a mile heard that!”

“Schlatt, calm down, we’ll be fine. Have we died yet? Hm? No?” The ram snorts and crosses his arms. “No..”

“Then let’s go before we get surrounded,” Ted replies in haste, sighing quietly as he turns and quickens his pace, whereas before he cared more about staying silent. The hybrid follows quietly, his left hand gripping his weapon and his right holding onto Honey’s leash. They walk for another half hour, give or take before Schlatt is pulled back by his sick puppy. “Ted, wait, something’s wrong.” He says, looking worriedly at his pup, whose tail stays motionless behind her body.

“Maybe she’s hungry?” Ted asks. “She won’t eat,” Schlatt explains almost desperately, frowning slightly. “..Maybe she’s tired?” Ted offers, hoping he’d figured it out.

“Ted, all she does is sleep.”

“Then try feeding her again. Doing something is better than nothing.” Ted reasons, looking towards the horned man. After a minute of hesitation had stretched on, Schlatt nods. “Alright.. Alright, yeah..” He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a small bag of jerky specifically created for dogs. He rips a few pieces apart so that Honey doesn’t struggle to get it down and puts his hand out for her to eat from. “C’mon girl, it’s good!” He tries, the ends of his lips curled upwards.

Honey looks up at her owner and sniffs the treat before eventually dropping her head down low again. “Honey, please, you’ve gotta eat something.” Again, his weary pup raises her head but fails to eat anything and lowers her head. Schlatt curls his hands into fists and forces back tears, turning his head away from Ted’s concerned gaze. He was so, so afraid, but he wasn't going to let Ted see that.

Not yet, at least.

“Schlatt, we need to keep going,” Ted says quietly. The ram nods after a few minutes of running his hand through her golden, silky hair. He gives up his steel pipe, handing it to Ted, moves beside Honey, and lifts her easily, given her small size and slowly diminishing weight.

“You’ll be better before you know it, girl..” Schlatt mutters softly to his pup, hoping for his words to somehow make it true.

Ted lifts his gun again and continues.

Chapter Text

Hey y'all, I'm just here to apologize for not updating the fic for a while. Life's been so hectic these past few weeks and, well, even months. But I will try to update more often. Perhaps not today, not this week, maybe not even this month, but I promise to try and update soon.

I hope you all are staying safe this season!

Merry (Late) Christmas and Happy (Late) New Year!

<3