The Apocalypse [Dreamnotfound AU]

Stay Together

Tw: swearing, zombies, weapons, blood, injury

The doors slam open and half a dozen zombies pour in.

"I'll control them," Techno calls, pushing against the doors to steady the flow. "You guys kill them as they come."

Dream spares one last glance at George, who gives him a ready nod. Then, side by side, they launch into battle.

The first zombies fall easily. Dream slices his knife through them, George fires arrow after arrow from behind. Sapnap whirls his axe through the group, slamming down any of the zombies that are still standing. The world fades, Dream's mind stops spinning, and all that's left is adrenaline and instinct.

The others huddle in a group, watching each other's backs as Techno strains against the cafeteria doors.

"I can't hold them much longer," he warns through the fray as growls and groans rip through the air.

"Let them come," Sapnap yells, and the doors burst open, bringing a tide of zombies toward them.

There's a scream - Dream thinks it's Karl - as a flood of zombies surrounds them, lurching and retching. Blood sprays over Dream's hoodie as he cuts through two of them, searching the red-stained room for Karl. But Sapnap's already there, jumping in front of him and Montero to protect them. They form a group with Bad and Skeppy and Quackity, steadily fighting their way to the door.

"Dream!" Sapnap yells. "Get over here!"

"Wait!" Dream returns, his voice hoarse, as he narrowly misses a zombie's hand grabbing for him. His eyes scan the room, searching desperately for George. George who was right behind him a second ago, who's disappeared between the zombies...

An arrow spears a zombie in the eye and relief floods through Dream, making his legs go weak.

"You almost left me, idiot!" George accuses, pushing through the zombies. Dream grabs his hand tightly, interlocking their fingers, and George holds on just as firmly.

"I'll never leave you," Dream says, wiping blood from George's cheeks. "I swear."

George makes a face, tightening his hold until Dream's hand feels numb with it, though he barely notices. "That's cringe, idiot. Make better speeches."

Dream scoffs and George laughs and the world feels like normal again.

Until a growl sounds right by Dream's ear.

"Dream!" George shouts and he yanks him out of the way as the zombie that was behind Dream topples over with an axe in its skull.

"Be more fucking careful!" Sapnap shouts over the chaos. He grabs his axe, ripping it out of the zombie's head as he appears in front of both of them. "And group with us."

Dream has never been more thankful for his friends as the three of them cut their way back toward the group, where Techno and Bad are keeping off most of the zombies.

"Stay together!" Sapnap calls out, and Dream's happy to let him take the lead, to focus only on clearing a path in front of him and keeping George at his side. They stay close enough to touch, and every brush of George's arm against his reminds Dream that they're still fighting.

They wade through the doors, taking down zombies in every direction. The hallway is swarming with them, but Dream barely notices. He just keeps swinging his blade, feeling blood splatter over him and adrenaline rush through his blood. Next to him, George and Sapnap do the same, keeping the others in the group safe.

The school's front doors come into view and Karl shouts, "We're almost there!"

Dream feels hope pull at his gut, just as another cold feeling hits him. Like a premonition, like what he'd felt before when he'd been talking to George.