ZRP-2 Chapter 8: Survivors One and All

"Yeah they're fine," Estel said. "Hayley just looked worried and needed a shoulder."

"Alright." Hibiki said. She stood.
"I'll be in our room, James."

Nodding, James stood where he was while Hibiki moved away. "So we have a definite suspect now. The bartender, same guy that took Eve, didn't want us snooping around or talking to his son." Estel frowned, saying "He could just not want you in there." James shrugged, saying "True, but it's out best bet really."

Eve was tired. Her wrists hurt, her legs cramped...and now two men jeered.
"Not sontough now, bitch!"
Slap to the face.
"Where's your god now?"
Slap.
"C'mon whore. Speak!" Spanked her, the other slapped her chest. She looked at them.

"My goddess has a katana, tank, and my girlfriend. So fuck off."
She was hit hard for that. "Shut up!" He growled. But they stalked off, and she sighed.
"They hit like my grandma."

"Wish we had better bets then," Sam said as she sagged back into the chair. James could only grunt in agreement, before climbing up the stairs to follow Hibiki. Stepping into the room behind her, he closes the door and waited for her to say something.

She was sitting on the bed, Eve's copy of the Hunger Games in her hands.
"Is this how you felt, when your world was ripped from you?" She asked, somewhat hollow.

Abel entered the small brick apartment building where he had set up a room for himself.  He climbed the stairs to the fourth and top floor before entering apartment 401.  It was a simple room.  Bed in the center against a wall, a small kitchen in the bed/living room and a bathroom in a closet sized space.  Under the sheetless bed, he grabbed a backpack and set it on top of it.  From the kitchen cupboards Abel retrieved some canned goods and other well sealed edibles, along with bottles of water he stored under the broken sink.  He filled his pack with these consumables and the rest of his gear that he didn't have equipped.

He tightened the bag's straps firmly, making sure everything was secure inside it, then left it on the bed.

"No actually, it felt worse for me. I mean, home burned down, parents murdered, betrayed by my brother, and then there were the zombies......but this still feels pretty bad," James said as he leaned against the wall.

"Great." She says softly. "James. Please stay with me tonight. I can't do this alone."

Sitting down on the bed next to her, James put his arm around Hibiki and said quietly "Of course."

Hibiki leaned into James.
"When we get her James, Im not letting her sleep anywhere but with me for a bit...ao get used to it."

Sighing, James said nothing.

"No annoyance at denying you sex, James?" Hibiki managed to joke.

Chuckling quietly, James said "Not really.....kinda gotten used to it at this point, seeing as we haven't been 'together' for a while. Just....hope you're ready to deal with the frustration."

Hibiki looked over to James.
"So. Going to...take the initiative...and help me forget this hell?"

James actually laughed and said "Probably not......it really would be inappropriate. I mean, Eve's tied up in town, we have people aiming guns at us, and you're ready to kill......just poor timing."

"It is good stress relief." She pointed out.

"Maybe......but if we were in Eve's position, would you want her screwing someone's brains out as opposed to trying to save us?" James asked.

"I wouldn't." Hibiki said softly. "But what can I do?"

"We get this over with as quickly as possible.....and then before we let Eve sleep in the same bed, we lock ourselves in here for a bit and just vent," James said.

"Deal." Hibiki said. "But...what do we do now?"

"Well it's already getting late. So.....we should try and get some rest. Wake early tomorrow and get the proof we need to vindicate Eve," James said.

Hibiki nodded. Getting up, she began to strip down, her nightshirt to the side.
"I like having a home." She said.

James sat there, staring at Hibiki though not with any intensity. All his thoughts were on the current situation of the traitor. And Eve.....he couldn't stop worrying.

Soon in her shirt, Hibiki slid into bed.
"Goodnight James."

James simply grunted and got under the covers, before doing his best to slip into sleep.

Sam sat in the living room with Estel, silent and un-moving. Estel broke the silence and said "It's eating you up inside, isn't it?" Sam looked at her and said "What is? This thing with Eve?" Estel's silence was more than answer enough, and Sam finally said "Alright yeah, it's killing me. Not being able to do a damn thing is killing me." Estel was silent for a moment, then said "Well what is there you can do? She's been restrained in a public place underwatch. If you try and save her, they tie you up at best if not shoot you at worst."

Cristina knocked on the door twice, waiting a few moments before knocking three more times. She glanced over her shoulder before giving the bottom of the door a calm kick that did nothing but sound like a loud knock. Cristina had a plan, well an idea. Of course she would need people to carry out this plan and well... The occupants in this house would probably be interested in taking part, or at least hearing what she had to say.

Both Sam and Estel jumped at the loud banging sound, each reaching a weapon. Estel moved to the window to see, while Sam went to the door and slowly unlocked and opened it. She saw Cristina outside, though she never met her in person. Only seeing her in passing. "Cristina, right?" she asked.

"Hey yeah mind if I come in?" Cristina asked as she answered the question. She stepped inside without waiting for permission. She had her rifle slung over her shoulder, despite the nervousness she felt especially after the breach of their wall.
This place was not safe however she knew that she had to try to help them out, especially since one of their members where tied up in the open. Of course her plan she could not really voice it while the door was still open.

"Sure, make yourself comfortable," Sam said almost sarcastically since Cristina just let herself in. Closing the door, she looked at her and asked "What's going on?"

Cristina shrugged, most of her manners really had gone away since the end of the world and surviving on her own. "Terrible business that happened earlier..." She began as she propped herself against a wall. "I doubt whoever was or is behind it will actually let your friend go or even survive the night, if I were you guys I would find some way to create a distraction and get out of..." Cristina frowned trying to remember the phrase the Americans' had for this. "Get the heck of Dodge"

"That option is honestly.......really appealing," Sam said. Estel grunted with nigh masculine agreement. "Frankly, it's what we should do after we prove Eve's innocent and expose the culprit. I mean, how can we be expected to live with these people, when they tried killing one of our own?"

She shook her head and sighed. "No no that was not what I meant... My English perhaps?" Cristina frowned before trying to explain. "I expect that whoever did it will find some way to kill Eve most likely tonight you... I doubt you will be able to actually prove the truth here"

Sam certainly looked alarmed at that, her expression growing pale. "Well not like we can let that happen," Estel said. "What if we just keep an eye on her through the night? Not like we haven't already pulled all nighters."

"It makes sense the tales tell no dead" Cristina said wording a saying wrong in English but not noticing it. "Just an observation that you might want to make out with..."

Estel snickered a little at Cristina's bad English, but she didn't make any comment on it. After all, she had a point. "If it comes to it, we go in guns blazing and pull Eve out. But we should just have someone protect her for now," she said.

"Your choice I promised one of the mothers' that I would stop by later tonight" Cristina ignored Estel snicker. "Apparently her teenage son is a bit of a fan so I said I would come over you know the usual sign a picture, smile for the cameras possibly an interview" She chuckled quietly.

"Heh, end of the world and you're still performing fan service," Estel said.

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "What can I say? People still love me" Cristina chuckled.

"Must be a good feeling," Sam said.

"Yeah you could say that" Cristina responded, though in reality she longed to actually go home. As nice as America was or used to be, nothing could compare to home. Still at least there where still things she could do to help, not like most sports stars who where useless in battle. "Ah the heavy burden of fame is not all fun and games especially when lesser males recognise who you are"

"Not that either of us would know," Sam said. "Well, okay not that I would know. How about you Estel, you ever been famous?" Estel shrugged and said "Once got my face on a poster for juvenile delinquents."

"Well... It is difficult to explain" She began to make her way back towards the door. "I have got to run now promises to be kept and all that" Cristina said with a small smile.

"Alright then," Sam said. "Watch yourself out there though Cristina. You're new, so they may suspect you more than us."

"Oh don't worry I've already kicked one drunken fool in the groin for getting too close" Cristina grinned. "So I am going to this party then I will probably be going back here to see what is what"

"Alright then," Estel said. "We'll be here."

Cristina exited the building, closing the door quietly behind her and walking down the street.

Sam and Estel, after Cristina left, headed up to the room where they knew Hayley and Ella were. Sam knocked on the door, and Ella opened. She blinked and said "Sam? Estel? What's going on?" Estel said "we need to talk with Hayley, if possible."

Abel sat in a chair next to both a window and a small bedside table, running a jackknife up and down a small rectangle piece of marble.  A cigarette hung in his mouth.  As he breathed in, he was filled with a warming sensation as the smoke moved through his body.  He exhaled through his teeth as he checked the knife's edge.  Running his thumb down it, he could feel it was decently sharp.  He set it on the nightstand then threw himself onto the bed, over the covers.  As he was lying, Abel found it quite difficult to sleep that night.

Hayley looked up.
"Yeah?" She stood and headed to the door. "What do you guys need?"