Canon Fodder

I buried the young girl in her backyard. She was small so it didn't take long. I said a little prayer. Numb as I had already shed enough tears that day. 

The last day and a half had gone by in a blur as I ran around the area. It took me that long to find them all. Given addresses and pictures, looking for homes took the longest. 

I was able to reunite a lot of people. At least 40 people were saved. Wive's, children, husbands, friends of about 15 of the people in the Takagi household. But I had buried another 20. 

The little girl was the latest. I had looked for her in her home, but a glass door was broken and blood was everywhere. I found her about a block away wandering around. Putting an end to her, she wasn't the youngest I had buried. But it still hurt. I wiped my nose and jumped to the roof. Looking around, the city was still in chaos. Fires burned and sirens blared. 

Running, I jumped off the building as I made my way back. Zombies didn't notice me. A few people did, yelling out. But after I stopped by a couple the day before I didn't bother anymore. They always wanted me to get them supplies. Never risking it out there. I didn't blame them. But I was busy. 

I got back to the fortress and walked up to the man and his wife. He knew what was coming. Tears in his eyes his wife held onto him. I was able to save the wife, but not his daughter. 

"How?" He groaned out. 

"Zombie," I admitted. Saya's mom had told me not to tell them if they were dead. But I refused. They deserved to know. "I buried her in your backyard. She was holding onto this." I handed them a small stuffed elephant. 

They lost it seeing the small animal. Both clutching it I turned around. Hiding my own tears as I walked away. She had been in the care of a babysitter. Both parents at work it was not an easy thing for any of them to accept. But they would. They would falter or move on. 

"You alright?" Saya asked. Concern in her voice as she leaned next to the door. 

"No," I admitted. I kept walking. 

"My um dad wants to meet you," she said. 

"When did he get back?" 

"A few hours ago," she said. "Came in with a lot of supplies. Heard about what you were doing."

"Fine," I said with a sigh. "Can't sleep anyway."

She led the way. Quiet for a time as we walked through the halls. People nodded at me but I distracted myself by watching Saya's legs move quickly. My eyes drifted up to her skirt now and then to her chest. I couldn't help it. There was a reason High School of the Dead was popular. Most every girl was gorgeous. 

We stopped outside a study as Saeko walked out. She was caressing a katana. The weapon was long but looked very simple in the sheath. 

"A real sword?" I asked, a smirk on my lips. I thought I remembered Saya's dad giving Saeko one. 

Saeko jumped. "Weston, thank god," she said. Moving up to me she hugged me. The sword in between us as she did. "You were gone a while this time."

"Sorry," I said. "New sword though?" I didn't want to talk about the most recent failure. 

"Uh yes. Mr. Takagi gave it to me. Apparently my father asked him to."

"You deserve it," I said. "I'll catch up with you later."

She nodded, cautious as Saya went into the study. "Be careful. He is very intense." I nodded. No one around I kissed her cheek. She blushed as I walked into the room. 

The study was rather large. Leather sofas facing one another. The man of the house sat behind a large oak desk. Saya moved to stand beside him. 

"Weston Watanabe?" He asked. I nodded. "Sorry, from what I've heard, I expected someone older." I nodded again. There was no real response to that. "I'm Souichirou Takagi," he said. 

Souichirou was a big man. 6 foot 3 inches tall he had dark black hair cut short. Tan skin he was all muscle. Wearing a black uniform like the guards of the household it was accented with gold seams and other minor ornate differences. He wore white gloves that stretched as he wrung his hands together. 

"I'm told you're to thank for bringing my daughter back," he said. 

I frowned. "I'm sure she would have gotten back with the others." I didn't like taking credit for something I wasn't completely responsible for. "We had it pretty easy."

"Yes, well thank you for that. And thank you for risking it out there to grab the family members of those here," he said. I nodded. "I don't agree with telling them about those they've lost though."

I bit my lip. But still retorted. "Easy to say when your daughter is alive next to you," I said. The big man tensed up. Saya too. Her eyes widening as she looked between us. 

"I'm not heartless, Weston," he said. Gritting his teeth. "I too chose survival above going to find my daughter. Yes, I am lucky she is fine. But this place only survives because these people still have hope. You dash that hope."

"Yes," I said. "But if you can look out there and say we will be fine, you're selling something. We will not be fine. No one will be fine. We can only survive another day. And when we die, which we will. It will be bloody. Those that lost loved ones need to know. So they can move on. Or stop moving completely."

"So you're fine letting them give up?" He asked angrily. 

"No, if I had my way I would have saved them all!" I spat. "I was two minutes away from saving a mother of three," I said. Tears coming to my eyes again. "If I'd gone faster or went to her first she would be alive right now. But no, a zombie broke in and she died protecting her three children. Holding onto the undead in a death grip. Her kids were wailing as they watched it happen."

I wiped my eyes. Crying without being able to help it. I had watched tons of zombie movies. And I always imagined I'd be fine. But every kid I saved I saw my own. Every wife I saw was mine. Every parent, every friend. 

 "Now a man has to raise three kids himself. Tell me, would you have wanted to know if Saya was dead?" I asked. 

He frowned but didn't answer. He didn't have to. "I'm sorry your men aren't as strong as you. But in this world where we don't know what's going on. Or who has the answers. They deserve to have their own," I said. My eyes were dry again. I stared at him. Challenging him to say something more on the subject. 

"Good," he said. "I don't agree with it. But I respect a man willing to not back down." He began to strum on his desk. His strong fingers loudly echoing in the room. 

"Saya says you wish to leave," he said. I looked to Saya. She mouthed the word please. I frowned but slowly nodded. "Can I ask why?"

"My…um friends," I said. "They have family out there as well. Further out than I can bring them back safely, or even find them. So long since the outbreak I'm having more and more trouble finding people as they risk leaving safety. My friends will go with or without me. I'd rather know they were safe."

"I would prefer everyone stay here. But you have made our position stronger by finding loved ones," he said. "I have no right to ask it but can you wait a day?" I noticed Saya give a slight nod. 

"Yes, I assume there is something you need me to do," I said. He nodded. "I am tired. I have been up for over 50 hours. I assume this is a big ask?" 

"Yes," Souichirou said. "We want you to clear out a local electrical substation. To help ensure we have electricity and water for now. And if possible the dam where we get all of our electricity and water."

That tickled something in the back of my mind. I slowly remembered what was going to happen. My eyes widening I asked, "do you not have solar or wind?"

"Some. But not enough for all of these people." 

I knew it was going to become useless anyway though. A nuclear bomb was going to go off. Wiping out all electricity. After that all power went out anyway. They'd have to abandon the place. But why did I have a quest to save it?

A knock at the door one of the guards stepped in. "Sir, there is a large bus of people at the gates. They wish access."

"How many people?"

"Fifteen or so," he said. 

"Let them in," Souichirou said. He turned back to me as the guard left. "Tell me. What do you need to do to clear the dead out of the dam and station?"

"How far away are they?" I asked. 

"The substation is a few blocks away. We would like to clear a way toward it. Set up cables to block the roads. The dam can be accessed by the river. If you could help clear a way to the river we could get a boat to service it if needed."

I nodded. "Give me three hours of sleep. Prepare your men." He agreed. Not letting any expression cross his face. I nodded toward him and walked away. As I did the lights in the room turned off. 

Stopping in my tracks the lights didn't kick back on. People began yelling from the courtyard. Youichirou and Saya followed me as I ran outside. Once there I found the group of the others from our group. 

"What happened?" I asked. 

"There was this really bright light in the sky," Kohta said. "Then the power kicked out." 

"Fuck," I said. Looking up I missed the explosion. 

"What is it?" Shizuoka asked. 

"Nuclear bomb," I said. "If done in high altitude it causes a giant Electromagnetic Pulse. Knocking out all electricity." I listened. The sirens that had been going on for a couple of days finally quieted. Nothing with electricity was running in the city. That meant that the zombies would begin to hear us more easily from further away. 

"No way," Rei whined. She was next to Takashi as they looked around. 

"Yes way," Saya said. "Gamma rays from a nuclear explosion knock everything out. Was the light right above us?" 

"Pretty close," Takashi said. 

"Damn, I guess clearing out the substations and dam is useless now," Youichirou said. 

"Guess so," I said. I turned with the others as a large group walked in from the open gate. I noticed the teacher right away. Shidou looked about the same as when I had seen him last on the bus. He walked with a limp, a big smile on his lips as he looked around. 

The brown haired Rei bolted toward him. Her own rifle in hand there was a bayonet fixed to it. She was quickly on him, pointing the gun at his face. The greasy looking man wore a scared look for a moment then put on a cocky grin as we walked up to him. 

"Rei, how good to see you," he said. "Can you tell me what I did to deserve such a welcome?"

"You know what you did," she spat. 

"I can honestly say I don't." Shidou said. The students behind him were disheveled but looked at their leader, worry on their faces. 

"You do, your dad the politician was under investigation by my father. And to warn my dad to lay off you held me back a year in school!" She yelled. Intense emotions in her voice I frowned. That sounded stupid as hell. 

"This again? I assure you, that is not why you were held back. And what? Are you going to kill me?" He asked. "Become a murderer? That will make your father proud, I'm sure." She still held the gun up to his face. Takashi was about to say something, but I couldn't help but get involved. 

"Wait, so did he kill your dad?" I asked, walking up.

She gave me a surprised look. "No." 

"He just made you repeat a grade?" I asked. 

"Well, yeah," she said as if that explained why she was so angry at him. 

"And you're going to kill him for that?" I asked, with all the seriousness I could muster. "I knew there was something going on between you two. But that? Whoopteefuckingdo. Maybe if you looked around you might have noticed that no one gives a shit what grade you are in." 

"Yeah but it ruined my chances at-" 

"College?" I asked. "I say again, look around. They're fucked as it is. Put down the gun." She had tears in her eyes, but deflated as she dropped the rifle. Shidou smiled widely as she did. 

"Don't worry. I'll give you a real reason to kill him." I pulled the Chikyugi Necklace out of my Status Screen. Putting it on they both looked at the turned heart emblem. I channeled chakra through it, but only drew Shidou's mind in. 

We were in a dungeon. Shidou strapped to the wall with chains he stared wide eyed at me. 

"Where are we?" He asked. Fear clear in his voice. 

"Doesn't matter," I said. "Let's find your real sins, shall we?" I picked up a railroad spike. The man's eyes widened as I moved closer. Then as slowly as possible I stabbed it into his abdomen. The greasy teacher screamed as it entered him. I didn't stop until it was all the way in. The thick head level with his skin as he screamed louder. 

"Shhh," I said. Putting tape on his mouth I did it again and again. Then I really started torturing him. Slicing long lines across his body I flayed his skin. When that didn't work I sent in three zombies. They ate him piece by piece. He cried out. Closing his eyes, but when he did that I increased the pain he was feeling. It took two hours but he spilled the beans. My gut clenched in anger as he did.