Apocalypse - Fairy Tail

4

~ Saturday, July 28, 2024 - 10 am ~

"Hey, it's time to get up," Levy said softly as she gently shook the sleeping person. Slowly, Lucy sat up and rubbed her eyes to dispel the drowsiness.
"What time is it?" she asked, her voice still soaked with fatigue.
"It's 8:00," Levy replied, glancing at the clock. The sun's rays were tentatively making their way through the window, illuminating the room.

As Lucy looked around, she noticed Natsu lying right next to her hand. A single strand of his pink hair had settled on her hand. Slowly, his eyes opened, and he sat up as well. Their eyes met for a moment before she quickly lowered her gaze. Her cheeks caught fire, and she was grateful that the light was still dim - so no one could notice her blush.

"We should keep going. We can get more done in the daylight because we'll have a better view of the surroundings," Gajeel explained in a serious tone.

Levy handed Lucy pieces of clothing to replace the torn and impractical dress. Gratefully, she accepted the clothes and changed her clothes together with Levy. Natsu and Gajeel respectfully turned away while they changed.

"Are you okay?" asked Natsu when they were finished dressing. Together they walked down the stairs, and Gajeel carefully opened the door so Natsu could check the area around them.

"All quiet," Natsu noted, and signaled to Gajeel that they could go outside. A refreshing breath of spring air flowed into the room, and Lucy took a deep breath. No signs of zombies were to be seen, at least for now.

"Okay, now we're going back the same way we came yesterday. The city is there. On an elevated roof, we can fire our signal pistol and call for help," Natsu explained the planned course of action. His words brought a spark of hope to the grim situation.

Natsu held a pistol out in front of Lucy, and she took it carefully. "Can you handle it?" he asked, his eyes searching hers. She nodded slightly, a hint of pride running through her. Her father had taken her to the shooting range at a young age and taught her how to handle a gun. The memories of that gave her a sense of determination.

With a tentative smile on her lips and the gun firmly in her hand, she prepared to face the unknown outside once again.

"Good, then let's get going," Gajeel said firmly. The group started moving, led by Natsu, followed by Lucy, Levy, and Gajeel, who brought up the rear. It seemed strange that there were no zombies in the immediate vicinity. Perhaps they had already completely infected the city and were now looking for new flesh.

"Sparing ammunition is advisable. Shoot only when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, run away or finish off the zombies with a knife. They are not as fast as we are," Gajeel explained with a matter-of-fact tone. It was obvious that he and Natsu were well acquainted with the situation. Without the two soldiers, Lucy would probably have felt overwhelmed long ago.

Finally, they reached the site of the accident and had a better view of the city from there. The houses and streets looked deserted and ghostly.

"Maybe we should get a car. It would take us forever to get to the city on foot," Lucy suggested while looking at the surrounding scenery.

"I might think of something," Levy spoke up, pointing to the nearby square. There was a farmhouse there with a car parked in it. Whether it was still roadworthy, however, they did not know. The group made its way to the farm.

Natsu opened the car door, but the key was not in the ignition. A short discussion ensued about who should look for the key.

"No, I'm coming with you guys. Gajeel can stay with Levy," Lucy interrupted. She felt a strong desire to protect Levy should a dangerous situation arise. Together with Natsu, she made her way to the house. Natsu pulled out his flashlight, and Lucy carefully opened the door. She held her pistol firmly in front of her as she entered the room. Together they searched the inside of the house for the missing key.

"Looks clean," Natsu said, and they decided to part ways. Lucy made her way to a room that looked like a living room. She put the gun on the dresser in front of her and looked around in the drawers.

"There's nothing..."

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling sound rang out, followed by a thud. A zombie had surprised her and thrown her to the floor. Quickly, she brought her hands between her and the attacking zombie and braced it away from her. With practiced movement, she reached for her pistol and fired before the zombie could reach her. The head shot finished him off for good.

Natsu had rushed over in a flash and was watching the scene anxiously. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously, coming closer.

"Yes, I think so. And I found the key," Lucy replied, pointing to the belt of the killed zombie.

"Did you get some of him?" asked Natsu again, his gaze penetrating her body.

"No," she confirmed, getting to her feet.

"I must have attracted the zombies with that shot. We should get out of here," she suggested. Natsu took the key and they ran back to the car. Gajeel and Levy were already waiting inside. Quickly Lucy sat down in the driver's seat, put the key in the ignition and turned it. The car's engine started on the second try, and they drove off.

Zombies scurried by here and there, but the car allowed them to keep a safe distance. The fuel gauge indicated that they would soon have to refuel.

"We need to find a gas station," Lucy remarked anxiously.

"There's one up ahead," Levy pointed out to them. A gas station appeared around a bend, surrounded by an eerie silence. Lucy stopped the car, and Gajeel began filling the tank while Lucy and Natsu traded places. With an extra canister, he made sure they had enough in reserve. Finally, the tanks were filled again, and the group continued their journey.

The road took them through scattered clusters of zombies that moved slowly and erratically. Uncertainty about whether the zombies had already reached the other side and what the situation was like in other countries was heavy in the air.

"Can we hope that the situation will be brought under control?" asked Lucy to the group.

"Nothing indicates that," Natsu replied seriously. He steered the car in front of a high-rise building and stopped.

"We could go further into the city, of course, but the deeper we go, the greater the danger," he stated matter-of-factly. His words made the group pause and think about the next steps.

"It's okay," Lucy assured them, noticeably relieved. At least they were able to deal with all those zombies. Too many of them would definitely not be desirable. The group left the car and entered the building. Since the elevator was out of order, they decided to take the stairs.

"That's really a lot of stairs," Levy remarked, looking up.

"At least it gives us a chance to burn some calories," Lucy joked, a smile flitting across her lips.

"You're right about that," Levy agreed, and they couldn't suppress a quiet laugh. The little anecdote also brought a slight smile to the men's lips. It was a welcome change to briefly experience some cheerfulness in the midst of the serious situation.

After reaching the 23rd floor, they had to navigate the hallways to get to the opposite side. There was the exit to the roof terrace, which they targeted. The excitement and anticipation of what awaited them at the top was literally in the air.