Chapter Text
The apocalypse began like a cliche dystopian movie.
That’s how I’d describe it.
A laboratory had found an anomaly when researching for a cure for a deadly disease.
The scientists believed this was the breakthrough of human innovation, assuming the anomaly was the cure itself.
The scientists then began their tests. First on animals like mice and rats, before moving onto a chimpanzee, a “stand in” for humans since they were the most like humans.
The tests on the animals all came out perfect, so the scientists began their first test on a human.
And that was when it all begun.
As soon as the anomaly-cure entered the test subject’s body, a monstrous mutation grew.
The patient died right then and there.
But then, they came back to life.
Braindead.
Hungry.
Mindless.
The patient then attacked the scientists before they could do anything. The patient bit one scientist, and since that was the first development of the mutation, the patient’s bite spread immediately, affecting the scientist instantly.
Now there were two monsters.
Zombies.
And then the whole laboratory erupted into chaos.
Within an hour, more than half of the staff in the building were affected and turned into the zombies.
Then after the lab basically collapsed on itself, the zombies were released into the rest of the city.
It’s been 3 years since that incident.
I’m now 21.
It started when I was 18.
You don’t even know who I am, do you?
Right.
I’m Tenma Tsukasa.
Yes, the former troupe leader of Wonderlands x Showtime.
I say former because when the apocalypse begun, there were exactly 3 normal days before Shibuya erupted into chaos, and I never saw my friends again.
Not Emu.
Not Nene.
Not Rui.
Not anyone else from Kamiyama either.
It was just me and my sister and our parents.
…
A few months had passed since the incident when our parents disappeared.
So, technically, it’s just me and my sister now.
And that’s how it has been for the last 3 years.
We don’t know if our parents are dead or not. Saki still has hope they’re alive. I do, kind of, but the longer time goes on the more doubt creeps into my mind.
Anyway, let me say this again.
I am Tenma Tsukasa.
One of the Shibuya survivors.
And I believe we are royally fucked.
“Onii-chan, are you writing in that notebook again?”
Tsukasa looked up from his book he was most definitely writing in.
He’s tried writing in it for some time, but with all the zombies around it’s kind of hard trying to find a time to actually sit down and write. But now, he’s found a good place.
Tsukasa sighed, seeing Saki over sitting on the ground, repackaging their first-aid kit.
“Yes, I am.” He said, voice calmer than how he used to speak. Then again, that was three years ago. “I thought that now we’ve found a place to settle for a few days, I could actually start writing.”
Saki nodded, watching Tsukasa turn back to his notebook. She sighed quietly, closing the first-aid kit with a click.
‘Ever since Emu-chan and Nene-chan and Rui-san have been no where to be found, as well as mom and dad being missing, Onii-chan has been a lot duller…’
She looked back at her brother, seeing his tired eyes and the bandages on his cheeks.
‘And it makes me sad whenever he tries to act happy just for my sake.’
Saki sighed again, then stood up to go over and sit next to Tsukasa. She took the notebook from him and gently set it on the ground. Tsukasa didn’t do much to protest, then Saki took a comb from her side bag and began running it through his hair.
Over the three years, Tsukasa’s hair had grown a bit, reaching just below his collarbone. He tried to keep it under control at first, but it didn’t work out well as he had to prioritize survival over looks. So Saki would sometimes try to at least brush it and put it into a ponytail.
Tsukasa winced ever so slightly when Saki pulled against a knot in his hair.
“Sorry.” Saki apologized, going slower with the comb so she wouldn’t hit the knot again.
“You don’t have to apologize.” Tsukasa said immediately. “It’s just a hair knot.”
Saki shrugged, gathering the at least half-brushed hair to put into a ponytail.
Tsukasa sighed. “I can do this myself, you know…”
“But do you?” Saki countered, giving Tsukasa a slightly stern look.
“I suppose not.”
Tsukasa brought his knees to his chest as Saki finished his hair, looking out the broken window above him.
After Saki finished, she set the comb back into her side bag, then wrapped her arms around her brother tightly. Tsukasa leaned into it almost immediately, letting her bury her head in his shoulder.
“It’ll be okay, Onii-chan,” Saki whispered. “It’s only been three years, I’m sure some labs somewhere in the world have started on making a cure. You just gotta have hope, okay?”
Tsukasa felt his eyes sting as Saki spoke.
Usually, it’s always been him that does the encouraging, the motivational speeches.
But ever since everyone was just… gone, it’s been painfully hard to keep his positive attitude.
So Saki had taken upon herself to make sure both she and him still have a small flame of hope for this all to end.
Tsukasa then leaned into his sister’s embrace fully, fighting the tears from falling.
Then, as if to disturb the family bonding time, a hiss was heard from outside the window.
Both Saki and Tsukasa froze.
The hiss was heard again, followed by the grotesque sound of a tongue flicking loudly.
Great.
A Viper.
Zombies who don’t bite, but kill with their venomous tongue and nails.
Tsukasa ducked down to the ground, Saki as well, and he rolled over to where his baseball bat was. He grabbed it tightly, not caring for the old blood that stained the wood, and turned his head back to Saki.
“Go out to the ladder and climb up to the roof. Kick the ladder down once you’re up.” He whisper yelled, and Saki nodded.
While Saki rolled over to the back exit, Tsukasa carefully made it back to the window. He pressed his back to the wall as he sat up, then he dared a glance out the window.
Dear god.
Not just one Viper was right outside, but many Vipers and Zombies. The Vipers’ bony, hunched body was standing there as its elongated tongue hung out of its mouth. The other Zombies were just as you’d expect: rotten skin, torn clothes, jaw hanging loose. Disgusting was the best word to describe both of them, honestly. A Viper hissed again, trying to elicit a reaction from what it sensed nearby.
Tsukasa gripped his bat tighter, taking a deep breath. He heard the back door open slowly—Saki getting out to the roof ladder—and closed his eyes, praying silently to any deity out there that his sister would stay safe.
Then the door creaked.
Just barely.
The monsters outside heard it.
A gurgling, ear piercing screech rang out from outside, and dozens of footsteps began running towards where they heard the sound.
‘Shit.’
Tsukasa immediately jumped up and ran to the door.
He grabbed onto Saki’s arm and pulled her away from the door, slamming it shut before the Zombies could get through. He grabbed the chain they used to lock the doors off the ground and tied it around the door handle and pole holding up the roof.
The door shook as the Zombies banged on it, trying to get through.
Tsukasa turned to Saki, and took her arm again. “We need to get out. The front door is our last bet.”
Saki nodded, still eyeing the area wearily, and took out her gun from her pocket.
She and Tsukasa ran to the door—Saki stopping just for a second to grab the first aid kit and put it into their backpack and sling it onto her shoulders—and pushed it open.
The door made a louder creak, and the Vipers hissed once again at the noise.
“RUN!!” Tsukasa shouted, and he and his sister broke out into a sprint.
There were a few Zombies on the road as they were running, but Tsukasa and Saki were able to dodge by them or hit them with their weapons: Saki by shooting her gun and Tsukasa by swinging his baseball bat.
As they were running, they saw a gas station up ahead, and Saki pointed to it.
“There!” She said. “We can go there to hide from them!”
Tsukasa nodded, picking up his pace of running, making Saki have to quicken up too.
But then—
An arm grabbed Saki’s jacket hood.
She was pulled back, and Tsukasa whirled around to see what happened.
A Viper had Saki.
A Viper had Saki.
Tsukasa charged forward, gripping his bat tight, about to swing when something caught him from behind. A Zombie wrapped its arms around his torso, dragging him backwards. Tsukasa wrestled against its grip, trying to move away from the undead’s mouth so he wouldn’t get bit.
Saki was fighting her own battle, trying desperately to stay clear of the Viper’s tongue and nails. Tsukasa looked over to her and his soul almost left his body. He punched the Zombie holding him hostage in the face with a sickening crack, then turned towards Saki.
“SAKI!! YOUR GUN!!” He shouted.
Saki tried pointing the hand that held her gun at the Viper—but her hand was empty. She dropped the gun when she got pulled back.
“I DON’T HAVE IT!” Saki shouted back, panic in her voice. “IT FELL!!”
Tsukasa cursed internally. This was not how things were to go. He struggled again at the Zombie’s grip, but froze when he saw that the Viper holding Saki bound her arms behind her back, and its tongue was dangerously close to her face.
“STOP!” Tsukasa yelled, fighting against the Zombie that held him. “DON’T HURT HER!!”
The Viper didn’t acknowledge Tsukasa’s protests. It’s tongue was so close to Saki’s face, ready to kill—
BAM!
The Viper was shot in the head, immediately falling to the ground and releasing Saki.
BAM!
Another gunshot was heard, and this time it shot the Zombie that held Tsukasa. He was freed, while the undead fell to the ground limply.
Tsukasa immediately ran to Saki, checking her for injuries. There were none, thankfully, but she was pretty shaken up.
A faint buzzing noise came from above, and Saki pointed to it.
“Onii-chan, is that… a drone?” She asked.
Tsukasa looked to where she was pointing, and there indeed was a drone. It was circling around the area, seemingly scanning the scene. Perhaps the drone was now satisfied, as it turned around and flew to where Tsukasa assumed was where it came from.
In the distance, there were three figures. Tsukasa nor Saki could make out what they looked like, but Tsukasa stepped forward.
“Excuse me?” He called, hoping the people could hear. “Were you the ones who—”
Tsukasa stopped mid sentence.
He had to.
Because he froze when he saw the three people coming closer.
And now that the sunset’s light could reach them, they were able to be seen.
A tall man with purple hair.
A shorter girl with pink hair.
And a girl just a bit taller than her with mint green hair.
The three of them froze as well.
The purple haired one spoke first, the drone from earlier hovering nearby him.
“Tsukasa-kun..?”
What a fun reunion.