Broken Bonds - A Piggy AU

Chapter 8- Factory Part 2

Pandy was knocked back into consciousness with a jolt. She was in the same place as where she had fallen to the ground minutes before. The infected that had been approaching her had latched onto her arm with his teeth.

Pandy quickly looked around for a way to stop the hostile koala. A silver gleam caught her eye. It was her katana, which had been propped up against the brick wall. She lunged for it and stabbed the koala in the chest.

Her attacker did not seem to be dead, but he had collapsed on the ground. Pandy gripped her katana, panting.

And then her right leg collapsed from under her, and she toppled to the ground.

The pain had started to set in. Pandy examined her aching limbs, which were now stained with blood and fresh bruises. Her entire head felt as if it had exploded. Her left leg was twisted at an awkward angle, purple and swollen. Her ribcage was sore. Pandy looked up at the ledge set about 20 feet into the air and the most recent occurrences returned to her mind. How - Pandy was finding it difficult to form a coherent thought, but she managed to put together one worded question from what she knew: how am I alive?

Pandy decided that the how didn't matter, she was just glad she was.

She picked up her katana and took it in her left hand. I can use this for a...a crutch. Pandy used the katana to steady herself. She took another look at the infected koala, who glanced up at her, its eyes now devoid of any hostility towards her, now painted with confusion. Strange.

If I use the katana too much, though, the edge will get dull and I won't be able to defend myself. I'll have to find something else.

Pandy limped around the factory. All of her limbs were difficult to properly move. At least the pain is dulling a bit. As she gripped the railing to some stairs with her free hand, she heard a familiar voice.

"Who's there?"

It was Baren, her stepbrother. "Baren? Where are you?" She continued to walk down the stairs.

"Someone trapped me behind this board. One of our hostages came in here, but he never came back to help me." Baren responded. Pandy followed the sound of his voice to a formation of boxes with a board nailed to each side. "Can you give me a hand?"

"I'll try." Pandy swapped the katana to her right hand and planted her left against the wall for balance. She sliced the board in half with the sharp blade.

"Thanks, Pa- woah, what the heck happened to you?" Baren backed up slightly.

"Fell about 20 feet. Why, is it bad?"

"Pandy- you're- your leg- half of your head is smashed in! Just look!" Baren took out his waterbottle and poured a bit of water onto the floor. "Ick, it- it just looks so wrong like that."

Pandy gazed down at the reflective puddle. "Oh, jeez, that is bad."

Baren was in disbelief. "How- how are you even alive?"

"Dunno. I suppose I got lucky. But I'll probably die of internal bleeding and brain injury pretty soon."

"How are you so chill about this?!"

Pandy looked at him. "Baren, I don't think you can tell, but I am not 'chill' about this. I thought it was obvious, I mean, I'm very injured as you can see. And don't forget the severe brain damage I probably sustained. My vision is blurry, I can't even stand up straight. I don't know why I'm alive, I don't even remember how I got that high in the first place...."

Baren blinked. "Hey, how about you take this part of the board and use it to balance instead of your katana? That way it won't become dull."

"That seems like a good idea."