Wilted.

Log Day 14; Reunion.

What felt like hours, Azrael finally found his way through Denver to Thornton, his clothes and his hair dampened. He grumbled at the sound of thunder and the distant sound of screeching. Luckily he hasn't been spotted. He turned to Issac, his dark brown eye focused on his scared friend. Issac shook their head and pointed toward a tall Wasted. Bony legs, bony arms, and a long bent neck. And its face? Indescribable. Azrael gulped quietly and handed a gun to Issac. "Keep this on you and follow quietly. The storm should muffle our movements." He commanded, keeping low in the dark to  attempt to go around. Issac followed up behind him, a smirk on his face. "How'd you end up looking like a cringe gacha creepypasta oc in 2018?"
Azrael turned his head toward his much shorter friend and couldn't help but remember the past memories with him. The laughter, the crying, the anger, the joy. It's good to be home.
"I got attacked before coming out here. Were you expecting a battle story?"
Azrael teased in reply, keeping voice low enough, but audible enough for him to hear through the rain. The conversation subsided for a while until they arrived at a large run-down factory. SunCo. Azrael squinted up at the tall structure, trying to see through the rain that poured onto himself and Issac like a bag of rocks.
"Alright. The sun is coming up, we should get inside before we become more visible to any unwanted company." Issac nodded in reply, putting his Brown hair into a ponytail. "What's the plan?" He asked, turning his blue gaze on his scarred friend.
"We'll just have to improvise when we get inside... Remember the guys from the Server?"
Azrael asked, his brow furrowing as he lead his friend through the rain.
Issac nodded again, looking down and holding on to Azrael's hand tightly. "Yeah... uh. Sam and Alex were in it right?". Azrael chuckled weakly, walking into the large building and sniffing the air. No smell of rotting or death. "Yep, they're here with Phoenix... there's someone else too, but you'll meet him soon...". As the two made their way through the silence, Azrael lifted his head at the sound of familiar whispering.. "Azzy...? Azzzy...." Ben...? Azrael turned heel immediately, eye wide and fear shooting in his chest.
Issac froze up and tugged at Azrael's sleeve. "Az... Az-"
Azrael scanned the area, eye darting from dark place to darker place. "Azzy... you promised to protect me..."
"Ben...?" Azrael asked, voice shaking and grip loosening in Issac's hand. Issac looked uncertain, his gaze fixed on Azrael with worry. "Azzy- Azzy-!"
He tried to call out, his voice still hushed. "Azzy Ben isn't here?... or is he?-"
Azrael spoke again... "Ben- Ben I'm so... so sorry... I-"
The boy walked forward and reached out, eye slightly wider than before. Issac began to panic in his chest. What is Azrael hearing? Why can he hear it himself? Is Azrael hearing things? Is he responding to something that happened? Is Ben actually here and Issac can't hear him?
Issac yanked on Azrael's sleeve.
"AZRAEL-" the voice screamed in Azrael's mind, why can't he see his best friend? Where is he? He has to apologize- why is Issac yelling at him?
"AZRAEL." Issac yelled, grabbing into his friend's shoulder and gripping them tightly.
"Azzy. Ben isn't here."
Sam? He found them? He walked from behind a doorway, his mask over his nose and his hair in a braid. He put his hands in front of him and reached for both Issac and Azrael. "Issac, good to see you again... go through that door I just came from." He demanded quietly, gently nudging his mutual toward the entrance. Issac nodded and glanced at Azrael, the look of fear plastered on his friends face scared him. When was the last time he looked like that? He walked away and obeyed Sam. Leaving the two alone in the hallway.
"Azrael, Ben isn't here..." Sam started, pulling his taller companion into a hug. "I know you're sorry, and I know you miss him... but he's not here."
Azrael eased into his touch, he can feel his hands shaking. "T-That's right... he isn't-..."
Sam nodded and pulled away, his hands resting on Azrael's shoulders now. "Mhm... it's all in your head. Come on... let's get you some sleep." He began to lead Azrael toward the door, and once they stepped through, Azrael spotted a clearing. A few crates were lying about, there was a small fire with a few people huddled around it. Keegan, Alex and Phoenix were handing two people some rations. Hold up... two people? He recognized Issac, but the other guy. Large, with short hair. Familiar tattoos on his arms.
"You're not gonna believe who found us-"
Sam began, giving Azrael an excited smile. That's when the man turned around, Azrael began in a sprint and tackled him, tears streaming his face, "DAD!" He exclaimed, voice cracking. Michael wrapped his arms around the boy and dug his nose into his shoulder. "Az!-"

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A while passed, and the group eased next to the fire, talking about their experiences, what they've learned and seen. However I lead Azrael toward a quieter area, prepared a sleeping bag and even sat down beside it. "You get some sleep, I'll stay right here with you okay?"
I reassured him, aware of the constant nightmares he's been having. And the fact that when he got here he began to hallucinate made me worry a lot more.
He nodded reluctantly and sat down on the sleeping bag, his gaze fixed on me like he wanted to ask something. I nodded to gesture he could talk. "Who's going to watch Keega-" I cut him off before he can continue, putting my hand on his head to gently ruffle his hair. "You are supposed to sleep, now that Michael is back you can take a break from being scary and intimidating." Once again I reassured him, and it seems it worked, watching as how he began to lay down and get comfortable, "Thank you Phoe... wake me up if something happens." He requested. I couldn't help but laugh and nod. "Sure.", and with that I watched him fall asleep.

I woke up to the sound of arguing, my eye blinking as I noticed Phoenix sleeping, my head in their lap. As I lift up and begin to stand, I hear the sound of the argument getting louder. What is going on?...
I stand up and leave Phoenix to sleep. They need it. As I walked out of the small room, I fixed on the sight of Sam arguing with Keegan, dad even joined in, his own voice raising as he got closer to the scientist. I run up to the three, shielding Keegan to block him from a nasty lecture. "Shut up! Why is everyone fighting?" I demanded and answer, my gaze moving to Keegan suspiciously. "You're supposed to be sleeping." Sam growled, his brows furrowed as he looked at me. "Are you my boss? No. What's going on?" Dad spoke up and shot a glare at the man behind me. "This- he injected Alex with something and he won't tell us what it is." My gaze narrowed as my dad explained what happened, I turn to Keegan and throw a punch to his jaw. "What was it?!" Sam immediately reacted and wrapped his arms around me, making me stop.
Keegan stumbled back after I punched him, holding onto his cheek and rubbing it. "Ow... You sure pack a punch for a kid... Mr. Maize, you raised a good man." My dad got into a tense stance and looked like he was ready to add to my punch. "I know I did, and I won't hesitate to let him do what he did to the other prisoner to you, if you don't compromise. If you behave and tell us what it is, you can live." Sam finally lets me go and I stand beside him with my arms crossed over my chest. Keegan chuckled and shook his head. "You act as if I sent her to her death bed! Relax, I only installed some... type of poison. To fight off the disease for her. She agreed when I told her she could be of more use when I begin an antidote." As he found his bearings, he stood straight with his arms behind his back. He then turned to Alex who was sitting further away from the fire, and more so closer to the room I was sleeping in. "Come here my dear, I need your help." Alex obeyed and skipped over to the three boys, looking like she was in discomfort. "What are you experiencing right now?" He asked, pulling out a small notepad and a pen from his pocket. Alex rubbed her neck. "Well... I feel really hot, and... sweatier than usual." Keegan began to write. "Alright thank you, go to sleep, I'll be there to document your behavior when you wake."

Azrael watched Alex make her way back to the room he was asleep in, she's most likely gonna get some sleep herself. He let out a heavy sigh and fixed his gaze back on Keegan. "What'd you put in this... Poison?" He questioned, he can feel the tension thicken in the air. Keegan smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, to make a vaccine... I had to add some... Wilter DNA into your friend. If we combine someone with immunity of the disease we'll be able to stop this disaster!" He explained, causing Sam, Michael, and Azrael to glare at him. "So you put the disease into her?!" Sam exclaimed, his blue-green eyes wide with rage. Azrael looked down and thought. "The disease... Ben was in mid-stage 4 when he was sick... and he was sick for..."
He began to count of his fingers. "maybe three-in-a-half weeks...? And this happened today..." He closed his eyes, but then opened them and turned to Keegan. "You better pray to any god you worship, or you better start praying to one because if she gets worse I'm giving you a front row seat to how it is in hell." With that Azrael walked away from the group, into the room with his two sleeping friends.

                                               

                                                 "I won't let her die the same way Ben did."