Quirks of Being Dead (IzukuxHarem)

8: What Lurks Inside

Amongst the four connections to U.A's home base are Outposts Alpha, Beta, Charlie and Zeta, each facility 25 miles away from the former school to establish a set perimeter. Like the main base itself each Outpost is observed by an installed Overseer, redirecting and commanding their own batches of survivors wherever they saw fit. Outpost Beta, a mixed forward operation comprising of an entire supermarket along with a nearby residential building across the street as housing. On each turn of the streets leading into the supermarket were tall, metallic gates with barb wire fashioned onto the edges as well as manned machine turrets with a three man crew. The parking lot of the market has been entirely scraped clean, leaving an open plot divided into different sections for weapons and combat training.

Over looking the gate to the left of the supermarket were two young men along with an older man, the latter sparking a lighter to life and raising the flame to the butt of a cigarette. The tobacco glowed amidst the night sky as a deep inhale was taken to the lungs before smoke slowly bellowed out through the nose. Looking down the length of the street, a distant pair of headlights turned in his direction, followed by the loud crackle of a radio coming through with a woman's voice.

"Western Gate, come in Western Gate." The woman said. "Be advised, the transport from U.A is shortly arriving to your entry. Do we have a visual?"

"Yeah, we see 'em coming down." The man replied. "We'll get the gate open and let them in."

"*CSHHH* Copy that Western Gate, please do so cautiously."

"Mease do so mautiously." One of the younger men mocked. "Act like we don't know what we're doing."

"Can you blame her? After what happened over at Ketsubutsu, 'course the Overseer's gonna be paranoid about any of our gates being opened. I'd be like that too."

"It's Akimasa's fault for thinking any good was gonna come in trying to align with those no good crazies." The other young man said. "They told him several times not to do it, and what happened? BAM, he's dust now."

"Maybe in another life things could have gone better for him." The older man said. "Maybe, but that's neither our concern here or our concern ever. Let's get that gate open, the sooner the VIPs can take care of that school the better. Place gives me the creeps."

The once distant headlights of a large truck cruised towards the entrance of the gate, the flatbed occupied by a group of men all armed with rifles and backpacks strapped tightly onto them. With a push of a button the entrance gate rattled and slowly began to slide out of the vehicle's way, permitting entry for the truck to slowly rumble it's way inside. In the back of the truck, one man looked up to the trio of sentries and locked eyes with the oldest, the latter puffing out a plume of smoke from his nose.

"Welcome to the shits kid."

The man in the flatbed went bug-eyed before his shoulders slumped and he slouched forward with a sigh. "Huhhhhh, great."

The truck cruised it's way inside the Outpost, pulling into the large parking lot as the gate rattled again and began to slide shut. For the most part the parking lot was empty, a few survivors choosing to remain and spend a few more minutes sharpening what could only be further improved. Instead of lamps or giant overhead lights they resorted to small fires kept in hollowed out barrels, the flames keeping it warm while providing a soft glow of the light. Once the truck arrived to the front of the supermarket it slowed and stopped completely, the troop of those in the flatbed rising to hop out as the cabin doors opened.

First to touch onto the black top was Midoriya, the young man interlacing his fingers and reaching for the sky to stretch. A stifled yawn puffed his mouth with Ryukyu exiting after him, the former student joining her to make their away inside the supermarket.