Don't Get Bit

1: Meet the Team

Ani peered into the window, heart pounding. She was terrible at this, but it had to be done. Her gaze drifted over her shoulder, hoping the signal wouldn't show. The sun glinted on something in the distance, and she let out a soft, resigned groan. She had to go in.

Ani placed her hands on the sill, careful to avoid what glass remained there. She boosted herself over, a light tinkle following as her jeans caught a shard and dropped it to the floor. She waited.

No other sound played, so the girl kept moving. She was surprised to realize the spores weren't growing in here. Maybe there actually would be supplies. The town had been small enough to keep looters away.

She made a beeline for the pharmacy. The blinds were down, and she could only imagine the door was locked. Sure enough, the handle refused to move. She dug the kit out of her fanny pack and went to work.

Honestly, she never knew why it had been her first instinct, but when whispers about some virus that might actually cause the apocalypse started to circulate, Ani decided it was time to learn to pick locks. It was... scarily easy. And at this point, pretty much second nature to her.

The door swung open with a loud screeeeech. She tried not to cry - she fucking hate those sounds. Once the echoes stop, she crept through.

The smell hit her like a ton of bricks. She dug out a cloth to cover her nose and mouth. Thankfully, it was rotten corpse. That just meant some unfortunate soul never made it out. At least it wasn't musty.

Tip toeing, Ani quietly crossed the racks. She has been given a list, and she only hoped they had what she needed.

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Mark clicked the safety into place as the last zombie crumpled to the ground. The spores took longer to settle.

Once he was sure the area was clear, he pulled off the mask and ear plugs.

"Jaysus, I dinnit think there could be so many in a town this small."

He shot Jack a grin as he hostlered his weapon. "Good part, though, that was probably most of them."

Jack finished wiping the mold from his bat, then stretched. "God, I hope so. Think Ani had any luck?"

They started to wander back to the hotel in the distance. Mark shrugged. "The small towns have certainly been more help."

Truth be told, he was nervous about it all. Something felt too way easy about how they had handled the small town they came across a week ago. There had been almost too many supplies.

"Yer doin' the thing again, Mark."

He snapped out of his thoughts, his hand fiddling with the pistol he had just put away. He spat a small curse.

"Sorry. Just been feeling like it's been too easy."

Jack slung the bat behind his neck, resting his arms on it as they walked. "Eh. I know what ya mean. This place has felt fuckin' untouched, even with the zeds we got."

They continued in silence, Mark staring at the ground in thought.

"Fuck!"

Mark snapped up to see his friend bolting off, slightly away from the hotel. He looked up to the windows, where a light flickered rapidly in signal.

He tore off after Jack.

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Ani slammed a fist into a shelf, then immediately regretted it when her knuckles started to sting.

"Fucking hell..." She muttered, starting to leave. The shelves had been empty. Anything left behind would be of no use to them.

She hesitated at the door, hand over the knob. Something felt... Wrong. She stared for a long moment before it clicked.

She hadn't closed it behind her.

Ani took a step back and pulled out her revolver. Certainly didn't have Mark or Matt's aim, but if there were anything in here...

She reached out and opened the door. It swung silently. The hair on the back of her neck stood on it's ends. She turned her head to look over her shoulder.

A zombie stood at the other end of the hallway. A Brainiac, to be precise. The mold grew around it's system, out it's face, but one of the few that still had higher functions.

She ran.

-----

MatPat dug for his ammo once Mark started to run. It has taken far too long for them to see.

He loaded a round and looked out, hoping for an opening.

-------

Fuck fuck fuck fuck

Jack careened over the broken window, ignoring the sharp pain in his arm when he did. That signal meant one of two things.

Horde, or trap, headed straight for their medic.

Hordes were easy. Hordes were just lots of bullets and swings.

Traps meant--

"Brainiac!"

Ani nearly crashed into him. Hot in her heels was the monstrosity itself.

He dropped the bat, pulling Ani out of the line of fire as she lost balance from stopping.

"What I wouldn't give for a fucking chainsaw," he muttered.

"Mark's still for shotgun shells, right!?"

As of on queue, a blast of buck shot landed in the zombie's chest. A cloud of spores burst forth.

"Out!"

All three made a break for the window. Jack drew his machete as Mark helped Ani out to the open. The Brainiac reached out to grab him.

Jack took a deep breath and swung. The burst of spores was both exhilarating and terrifying. Mark called out for him, and he turned tail to run. Up, over the sill, then flat to the ground.

One very clear shot rang through the town, and a bullet soared over his head and into the zombie's brain. It was dead before it hit the ground.

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Ani snipped the thread and packed everything else away.

"I'm sorry."

Everyone looked over at MatPat as he studied a map. "I should have known better."

"Dude," the young woman scoffed. "None of this was your fault. How would you know the town had a Brainiac? We haven't even seen 'em since LA."

She looked back at Jack and took over wrapping the stitches. Jack then offered the theorist a grin. "Only one injury, too!"

"But we're still running low on supplies, even so now that--"

Ani sighed. "It's fine, dude. For one, I didn't check the rest of the store. For two, it's dead now."

"She has a point," Mark continued. "We still have time to search here."

"But--"

"We'll. Be. Fine," she stated. Convinced he wouldn't argue more, Ani smiled as she tied off the bandage for Jack.

They were going to be fine.