Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CW: Dead bodies and suicide notes. I took some big inspiration from 28 Days Later with some of this chapter, especially the note thing and some other elements. Also discussions of alcoholism.
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
His shield is stained with blood as he fights his way through a crowd of what Steve can only describe as monsters. All he's heard for three days are the sounds of screaming, and snarling, along with the sick sound of these animals gnawing on human flesh, swallowing it like it's the last meal they'll ever eat. They're fast, and dangerous, but he's faster.
He came here to find Bucky, and walked into a different kind of war zone. Nobody expected this. The government didn't, Tony didn't, Ross didn't. It came out of nowhere.
This has been going on for three weeks. They've been trying to get it under control, but things just keep getting worse. The government didn't want to cause a panic, and so they reacted once it was already too late.
It started as small riots in random tiny towns across Europe that exploded and spread like wildfire.
Steve still doesn't know its origin, and neither do Sam and Tony, who are in his ear right now. Most of New York is a wasteland. The virus took hold like a thief in the night, and began to burn through everything it could. There was no escaping it, unless you were smart, lucky, resourceful, or all of the above.
"Stark— FUCK!"
"LANGUAGE, CAP!" Tony shouts.
One of the creatures lunges at Steve, face permanently etched into a snarl as it roars like an animal, blood dripping from its mouth as it leaps over a pile of bodies to get to him. The way they move is terrifying— quick, jerking motions, almost staccato-like as they assess the threat in front of them, and then explode.
The bloodlust is insatiable. All they do is eat and kill.
Steve pushes it away with his shield, knocking the creature to its knees. He then kicks the head like a football and watches it go sailing across the street, landing on a car as the body falls to its knees and drops like a brick.
He fends off the others with the shield, taking off heads. Vibranium is good for slicing through packs of them. He can fend the rest of them off with a knife.
The only way to kill them is to remove the head and destroy the brain.
"Stark, remind me why you're not here?!" Steve shouts as he charges through three of them with his shield.
"Uh, because Avengers Tower was overrun by these maniacs and the only sensible thing to do was hole up on a private island?" Tony says through commlink.
Another one sprints at him from the side.
"FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Steve roars.
He didn't even see the damn thing. Steve hurls his shield, watching as it lodges in the creature's throat, half removing its head. It's still gnashing at him, running for him with a huge piece of vibranium sticking out of its neck. Steve leans back one one leg and kicks, pushing the shield further into the creature's neck, finally decapitating it.
