Cloud Invictus

Zuxano

Victus

Lincoln High Metal Shop

"You're Victus?", the kid across from me asked. I nodded, "That'd be me, why?" I inquired back.

He extended his hand, "My name's Cloud, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

Who the hell is this kid. "Walk with me, I've got some drinking to do so I'd like to get moving." His female companion seemed to trail us, so I figured let her. "What do you need from me?" I asked Cloud.

"Do you know what happened to us?"

I looked them up and down real quick. They didn't seem like much, but remembered, this was the kid I had pulled from the rubble. "You got hit by some rubble when the building got hit with a stray shell. You were out for a good six hours." I unscrewed the cap to my Absolut, I wasn't in the mood for shots, straight from the bottle it is. I took one long swig before I found some preppy looking douchebag before me. "Can I help you," I stated as an assertion more than a question, "or are you going to move?"

"That bottle, how'd you get it?" This kid smelled like white privilege, disgusting.

"Is your dad going to sue me if I don't tell you?" I asked with obvious sass in my voice.

"Hand over the bottle man, we need it." I hadn't noticed the three other daddy's boy looking douchebags behind him.

"I'm good." I said, and kept on walking. I heard a slide go back. Shit. Daddy's boy can use a gun.

"Drop the gun, asshole." I heard Cloud say from behind me. This turned his gaze away from me, good job kid. I kicked the gun from his hand, landing it on the floor and setting off the round in the chamber. The kid swung at me, but I stepped left, grabbed his arm, and flipped him. The other three rushed me, but I picked up the gun from the floor and leveled it at them. Collectively, they backed off.

I turned my head to meet Cloud's gaze. "Nice assist man."

Cloud

Lincoln High Courtyard

"One needs to learn ones place, nothing in this world comes without a price. That bottle is yours." I wonder if I despised our classmates before the accident as well.

Victis is silent, like me, quiet and to the point. We continue walking to the middle of the courtyard, gazing towards the sophomores constructing a barrier against the oncoming destruction of the zeds.

"We need to recruit a team."

Victus is right.

"I second that."

"Cloud. Stephanie. I'm recruiting you into my team, if that is fine with you." Victis smiled for the first time, "and go ahead and call me Vic."

Victus
Main Street
I had gathered a team, a decent one at that, at least I had friends behind me. Cloud seemed like a decent fellow, and Stephanie hadn't given any reason not to like her. I could never be angry about being teamed with Hailey, she was my best friend after all. Ryan was a hell of an archer, and McSterling had found a battleaxe and helmet in the metal shop, so he decided to tag along.

McSterling would not stop rattling on about how badass he felt. Douchebag.

We were on our way to gather some weapons, at least some ammunition from what was left of the Big 5 Sporting goods down the street from Lincoln. God damn was this the longest two blocks I've ever walked. The streets were relatively clear but we were all on edge. "On our left." Cloud called out. Ryan nailed it with an arrow