ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ʟᴇғᴛ || ᴀɴ ᴀᴛʟᴀ ᴀᴘᴏᴄᴀʟʏᴘsᴇ ғᴀɴғɪᴄ

c̷h̷a̷p̷t̷e̷r̷ ̷2̷

WE'RE BACK SUCKAZZZ

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He turned around, his Adam's apple bobbing as he witnessed the horror in front of him. Jinju, was his name. Aang's eyes drifted to the bite mark on Jinju's upper arm, hidden by the sleeve of his shirt, but uncovered enough for him to see.

"You're bleeding—" Aang started, but was cut off as Jinju coughed several times more. Aang's eyes widened as he backed away in panic, noticing fearfully that his classmate soon began to hack up blood.

He began convulsing, his shaking body having collapsed to the floor. As he continued — blood still seeping from his mouth — his body twisted and turned as Aang could only watch in terror.

Within seconds, his former classmate had transformed into an otherworldly being. His once pale skin now had a rotting look and had a greenish hue to it. Jinju's eyes looked at Aang, visibly pleading for help for a moment before boiling with rage.

His former classmate, now zombified, lunged for him, and Aang quickly dodged him, making a run for the window — but not before noticing Jinju violently attacking another student out of the corner of his eye.

This creature that Jinju transformed into had sank its teeth into the classmate's shoulder. Bright red blood sprayed across the tiled classroom floor, and the classmate let out a scream of pain before forcibly going through the exact same transformation process as the last victim. The sight absolutely sickened him.

Aang dove out of the small opening and rolled onto the grass. Not wasting any time, he, among many other panicked students, sprinted across the courtyard, racking his brain for any possible secure locations to temporarily reside in.

None came to mind.

He was screwed.

○●○●

Aang pulled a thin blanket tighter around himself, teeth chattering as he curled into a ball. Tears silently dropped from his eyes as he recounted the previous events of the night.

Aang's legs burned as he sprinted to his apartment, the only safe haven that came to mind. It was likely that Gyatso was aware of the current situation, and was discreetly residing in their apartment, waiting for Aang to come back home.

After a few tries, Aang picked the front door lock open, and he burst inside.

"I'm home!" he shouted.

Probably not the smartest idea, considering the fact that zombie-like creatures had infested nearly the entirety of the Air Nation.

His only reply was an eerie silence.

Aang hastily switched on the lights in every room of the house, frantically searching every nook and cranny of the house for his uncle.

He cautiously walked inside his uncle's bedroom, an area he'd never entered before out of respect and privacy.

Aang made his way to the nightstand, where a familiar object lay.

An Air Nomad necklace scratched and worn over the years lay on the nightstand.

A sacred heirloom, one that Gyatso never left behind.

Aang clutched the necklace, cradling it to his chest. He sank down onto his uncle's bed.

He couldn't be gone. Gyatso could get through anything — he can't...he couldn't...

Aang cracked out a sob, clutching his uncle's necklace even tighter.

Gyatso is alive. He has to be.

○●○●

Aang woke up to the blinding sun on his face. He stood up, letting the thin blanket slide down. Not that it was any useful, really; he'd cried himself to sleep last night, knowing that Gyatso was the only person he had left in the entire world, and now he was gone too.

Aang pulled himself together, walking outside.

He inhaled deeply, letting the scent of fresh pine fill his lungs. His mind felt a bit clearer as he gradually recollected as to where he'd ventured off last night.

The shed in his backyard, that was. Not very far considering his emotional state but it did the job. It seemed like the most convenient place to stay, considering that there was a lock and it was fairly secured.

Aang walked back inside his apartment room, which had since been set into a state of disaster. Furniture was overturned, many valuables were stolen, and nearly all resources were ransacked.

By instinct, his hand reached up to his neck, where Gyatso's necklace lay. He relaxed knowing that he hadn't lost it.

He headed up to the storage closet, pulling out a duffel bag. It was no longer safe to stay there. If they — whoever they were — had somehow reached one of the most secured apartment complexes in his location, there was no telling what these...monsters could do.

Aang spent half an hour collecting anything he might need. A first aid kit, extra clothes, a sleeping bag, water bottles, and non-perishable food.

He stood in his front yard, turning back to see his home that he'd lived in since he was young. That might've been the final time he'd be able to see it in a while. If there was anything left.

The world was ending, he was sure of it. And if he could, he'd do anything to stop it.

○●○●

For weeks Aang had lived on the streets, scouring the area for any survivors. There was absolutely no sign of life anywhere.

How was this even possible? All his classmates, friends, and even the nice, old lady that lived down the street had mysteriously up and went.

It was another night in the formerly peaceful Air Nation, among many others. He was sure not to remain in a single place for too long, should these creatures be able to get a hold of his trail. Aang unpacked his belongings, dropping his significantly lighter bag on the ground with a barely audible thud. He flopped down on the thick grass, relaxing after a long day of walking.

His eyes caught onto the stars slowly blooming in the dark sky. It seemed that nothing had changed up there, while the world was in chaos here.

No survivors.

Absolutely none.

He hadn't even seen any wildlife around, either, although he prayed that they had fled to a safer location.

Aang began to unpack his dinner, a can of pinto beans and heating it over the fire. Normally he wouldn't choose to light a fire, but the climate was significantly cooler in the night, and dying of hypothermia didn't seem like a reasonable option to him.

He held his hands above the fire, allowing the dancing red flames to warm his fingertips. Once again, he felt warmth coursing through his body and he felt even more at ease, letting the comforting feeling overtake him.

He was about to enjoy his dinner when he heard a loud barking in the distance. His plastic spoon slipped from his fingers as his head whirled behind him, in the exact direction of the noise.

He thought he was hallucinating until he heard another loud bark.

That can't be good.