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Series: No Day But Today
Title: Hell is Easy
Pairings: Klaine and others
Includes: zombies and creeps
Word Count: ~1596
Summary: West accompanies his fellow survivors on a mission. Forest gets a visitor.
A line of poles surrounded the compound. And writhing on top of each pole was... a head. A wriggling, rotting head, working its jaws ineffectually. Juices dripped down some of the poles, the ones with fresher heads, staining the wood.
Twinkie Boy nearly lost control of the car when he spotted the “guards.” He started gasping for air, like a creep had just grabbed ahold of his lungs.
“Easy, kid,” West said. “Breathe.”
“They... They tore their fucking heads off,” Twink wheezed. He slowed the car to a stop and let out a sob.
“Someone get the faggot under control,” Tex growled.
“I-I’m not-” Twink managed.
“Lay off,” West ordered. He squeezed Twink’s shoulder. “Breathe in and out. Slowly. You should’ve told us you have asthma.”
The boy clutched his chest and closed his eyes. After a moment he said, “Wh-What good does it do? You got a pulmonologist tucked away somewhere?”
“We can get you an inhaler.”
“Got one. Have... Have to save it for bad attacks.” Twink let out a breath and lifted his eyes at the gruesome sight before them once again.
A few of the heads closest to them started snapping.
“Ohhh, my God.” Twink closed his eyes again.
“Gawddammit.” Tex smacked the back of Twink’s seat.
“You aren’t helping, deadhead,” West snapped.
“I don’t wanna go in there,” Twink told West quietly.
“Should’a left him with the other women,” Oak grumbled.
West frowned back at the other two men. “No one wants to go in there. I sure as hell don’t. And I still think this is a fucking stupid plan.”
There was a reason no one bothered the assholes here, which the natives proudly called the Wasteland, and that was simply because, as crazy as the rest of the world had gone, these fucks had made it their mission to jump farther off the deep end than anyone else. The weird decorations aside, these men, and they were all men, had gathered from different busted groups to create a hell of a stronghold. Nothing was getting in there but air. Word was that some of the Wastelanders were survivors so damn tough they’d survived the bombing of the States and just drifted north.
West was pretty sure Red had insisted they bring Twink along simply because he was disposable. Whereas, Nadir and Tea, who the Wastelanders would probably want slightly more, were too useful with their various piloting, mechanical, and medical skills to let anything happen to them. West had come because he knew better than to let these three fools try to handle these rabid psychos themselves. They’d get themselves killed, or worse, and they’d give away too much. His only other option was to leave the group with Tea, but there was no surviving out there on their own.
At the sound of gunfire, West ducked down. The car pealed backward immediately, a moment of unexpectedly quick action on the part of Twink.
“Guess a knock on the front door might not be the best strategy, huh?” the boy joked. He panted as he started to spin the car around.
“Nuh uh!” Tex leaned forward. “We got to talk to them. We need the numbers! Pull up!”
“I don’t plan on dying today!” Twink’s voice shot up an octave.
“Neither do I.” West looked back at the compound. “Stop here, and wait. It’s too far to shoot, and we’ll see them if they come at us.”
“What are you gonna do?” Twink asked.
West unbuckled his seat belt, took a deep breath, then stepped out of the car. He walked a few feet forward, then spread his hands to show whoever was watching that he was unarmed. Of course they had guns in the car, but that was just practical. Creepers could be anywhere.
For what seemed like a long time, there was no response. Then the gate opened, and a man came out, tall and broad-shouldered, though not as beefy as Oak. He wore glasses and a long dark ponytail. His eyes raked over West as he grew closer.
Then he grinned. “Welcome to the Wasteland. You’re a brave guy.”
“I’m not so scared of creepers that can’t creep.” West put his hands on his hips. “We’re here to talk about a mutually beneficial arrangement. If you aren’t interested, we’ll be on our way.”
“Mutually beneficial arrangement?” The man bent over and looked into the car. “You have something to offer us? I have to tell you, friend, it doesn’t look like you have anything we can’t get ourselves. Though, the big guys would make a good barbecue.”
West didn’t flinch, though the way the man said “friend” made West feel slimy. “We’re raiding a town of survivors and need better numbers. For a few extra sets of hands, your men could take whatever you could grab. We basically need more food and supplies.”
“That kinda hurts my feelings. Why don’t you just join us?”
“You need a reason aside from shooting at us and threatening to eat our men?”
Laughter. The man pulled his lips to the side in an expression that wasn’t quite a smile. “We aren’t that hard up for supplies that we want to be helping every ragtag group in need. They have a cashload of ammo?”
“Not that we’re aware of. But we do. We’ll give it to you, in exchange for the help.”
His lips twisted again. “What’s to stop us from just heading back to your place and taking it?”
“It’s not back at ‘our place,’” West lied easily. “Also-” He leaned forward. “-we have the pulse on a ship that might be willing to ferry people over to Europe. We’d be willing to share that resource, take some with us on the first trip and come back for subsequent passengers.”
“Y’missed the memo, pretty boy. None of us are interested in leaving. We like it here. This is our world now.” He shook his head. “Besides, what makes you think there’s anything out there but more of what we’ve already got?”
“Nothing. Hope, that’s all. But in the case you don’t have men who want to leave...” West wobbled his head from side to side. “It’s not a stretch to assume that you could send a man with us to scavenge from wherever we find across the sea. Ammo. Fuel.”
“Women?”
West tightened his lips for a second, and the man laughed again.
“So there’s the reason you don’t want to join us, hm? I suspected.” His lips pulled back, revealing surprisingly white teeth. “Got a lady you’re trying to protect?”
West drew a breath in and out. He met the man’s eye. Half-truths were easier to sell. “A gay little brother.”
The man laughed in surprise. “Well, we got some that like the little boys. But they can control themselves, at least, for the amount of time it would take to run this job. Leastwise, I could make sure to send fellas not so interested in that. We’ve got enough to spare a few.”
“Then you’re interested?”
“We’re always interested in more ammo. Without ammo, we don’t have much defense against the corpses.” The man stepped forward, held his hands up, and then made a show of shaking West’s hand and waving to whoever was watching at the compound. “Call me Angus. Anyway, there’ll be some fresh meat at this settlement, hm? I’m not that interested myself in the prurient matters, but the boys, they do get restless. And we’re all hungry.”
Bile rose in West’s throat. He knew he’d go pretty far to protect his family, but he never would have imagined... this. Shaking the hand of a man he didn’t trust in front of a compound lined with writhing creeper heads, and praying that they didn’t turn on them and consume their group, too. He could only hope that the settlement didn’t have women and children there to steal.
***
Forest flinched as the door opened. He could barely lift his swollen eyelids, but through the cracks, he could see a small figure, about 5’2 to guess. His eyes closed, then slowly opened again. It had drawn nearer by a few feet. It was strange to him how little panic he felt with someone or something coming closer and closer to him. But the size and shape of it was unlike the men who had beaten him and the cruel woman who came in to question him, and he felt nothing.
When he opened his eyes a third time, he saw a face. Young, with hair done up like a little girl, but definitely not a child. Determined. She held her fingers to her purple lips and reached over to unlock the chains he was in.
“I can’t go with you,” the tiny woman said. “I really can’t; I’m sorry-- but I have food, water, and a gun. I’m so sorry, but that’s the best I can do. There are abandoned cars outside the compound, but you really need to go out the back way, okay? The creepers have seen us going in and out from the courtyard, and there’s no way you’ll get past them that way.”
“You’re an angel,” Forest said.
She shook her head, with tears shining in her eyes. “We’re better than this. Or we should be.”
AN: Yes, he’s that guy.
Title: Hell is Easy
Pairings: Klaine and others
Includes: zombies and creeps
Word Count: ~1596
Summary: West accompanies his fellow survivors on a mission. Forest gets a visitor.
A line of poles surrounded the compound. And writhing on top of each pole was... a head. A wriggling, rotting head, working its jaws ineffectually. Juices dripped down some of the poles, the ones with fresher heads, staining the wood.
Twinkie Boy nearly lost control of the car when he spotted the “guards.” He started gasping for air, like a creep had just grabbed ahold of his lungs.
“Easy, kid,” West said. “Breathe.”
“They... They tore their fucking heads off,” Twink wheezed. He slowed the car to a stop and let out a sob.
“Someone get the faggot under control,” Tex growled.
“I-I’m not-” Twink managed.
“Lay off,” West ordered. He squeezed Twink’s shoulder. “Breathe in and out. Slowly. You should’ve told us you have asthma.”
The boy clutched his chest and closed his eyes. After a moment he said, “Wh-What good does it do? You got a pulmonologist tucked away somewhere?”
“We can get you an inhaler.”
“Got one. Have... Have to save it for bad attacks.” Twink let out a breath and lifted his eyes at the gruesome sight before them once again.
A few of the heads closest to them started snapping.
“Ohhh, my God.” Twink closed his eyes again.
“Gawddammit.” Tex smacked the back of Twink’s seat.
“You aren’t helping, deadhead,” West snapped.
“I don’t wanna go in there,” Twink told West quietly.
“Should’a left him with the other women,” Oak grumbled.
West frowned back at the other two men. “No one wants to go in there. I sure as hell don’t. And I still think this is a fucking stupid plan.”
There was a reason no one bothered the assholes here, which the natives proudly called the Wasteland, and that was simply because, as crazy as the rest of the world had gone, these fucks had made it their mission to jump farther off the deep end than anyone else. The weird decorations aside, these men, and they were all men, had gathered from different busted groups to create a hell of a stronghold. Nothing was getting in there but air. Word was that some of the Wastelanders were survivors so damn tough they’d survived the bombing of the States and just drifted north.
West was pretty sure Red had insisted they bring Twink along simply because he was disposable. Whereas, Nadir and Tea, who the Wastelanders would probably want slightly more, were too useful with their various piloting, mechanical, and medical skills to let anything happen to them. West had come because he knew better than to let these three fools try to handle these rabid psychos themselves. They’d get themselves killed, or worse, and they’d give away too much. His only other option was to leave the group with Tea, but there was no surviving out there on their own.
At the sound of gunfire, West ducked down. The car pealed backward immediately, a moment of unexpectedly quick action on the part of Twink.
“Guess a knock on the front door might not be the best strategy, huh?” the boy joked. He panted as he started to spin the car around.
“Nuh uh!” Tex leaned forward. “We got to talk to them. We need the numbers! Pull up!”
“I don’t plan on dying today!” Twink’s voice shot up an octave.
“Neither do I.” West looked back at the compound. “Stop here, and wait. It’s too far to shoot, and we’ll see them if they come at us.”
“What are you gonna do?” Twink asked.
West unbuckled his seat belt, took a deep breath, then stepped out of the car. He walked a few feet forward, then spread his hands to show whoever was watching that he was unarmed. Of course they had guns in the car, but that was just practical. Creepers could be anywhere.
For what seemed like a long time, there was no response. Then the gate opened, and a man came out, tall and broad-shouldered, though not as beefy as Oak. He wore glasses and a long dark ponytail. His eyes raked over West as he grew closer.
Then he grinned. “Welcome to the Wasteland. You’re a brave guy.”
“I’m not so scared of creepers that can’t creep.” West put his hands on his hips. “We’re here to talk about a mutually beneficial arrangement. If you aren’t interested, we’ll be on our way.”
“Mutually beneficial arrangement?” The man bent over and looked into the car. “You have something to offer us? I have to tell you, friend, it doesn’t look like you have anything we can’t get ourselves. Though, the big guys would make a good barbecue.”
West didn’t flinch, though the way the man said “friend” made West feel slimy. “We’re raiding a town of survivors and need better numbers. For a few extra sets of hands, your men could take whatever you could grab. We basically need more food and supplies.”
“That kinda hurts my feelings. Why don’t you just join us?”
“You need a reason aside from shooting at us and threatening to eat our men?”
Laughter. The man pulled his lips to the side in an expression that wasn’t quite a smile. “We aren’t that hard up for supplies that we want to be helping every ragtag group in need. They have a cashload of ammo?”
“Not that we’re aware of. But we do. We’ll give it to you, in exchange for the help.”
His lips twisted again. “What’s to stop us from just heading back to your place and taking it?”
“It’s not back at ‘our place,’” West lied easily. “Also-” He leaned forward. “-we have the pulse on a ship that might be willing to ferry people over to Europe. We’d be willing to share that resource, take some with us on the first trip and come back for subsequent passengers.”
“Y’missed the memo, pretty boy. None of us are interested in leaving. We like it here. This is our world now.” He shook his head. “Besides, what makes you think there’s anything out there but more of what we’ve already got?”
“Nothing. Hope, that’s all. But in the case you don’t have men who want to leave...” West wobbled his head from side to side. “It’s not a stretch to assume that you could send a man with us to scavenge from wherever we find across the sea. Ammo. Fuel.”
“Women?”
West tightened his lips for a second, and the man laughed again.
“So there’s the reason you don’t want to join us, hm? I suspected.” His lips pulled back, revealing surprisingly white teeth. “Got a lady you’re trying to protect?”
West drew a breath in and out. He met the man’s eye. Half-truths were easier to sell. “A gay little brother.”
The man laughed in surprise. “Well, we got some that like the little boys. But they can control themselves, at least, for the amount of time it would take to run this job. Leastwise, I could make sure to send fellas not so interested in that. We’ve got enough to spare a few.”
“Then you’re interested?”
“We’re always interested in more ammo. Without ammo, we don’t have much defense against the corpses.” The man stepped forward, held his hands up, and then made a show of shaking West’s hand and waving to whoever was watching at the compound. “Call me Angus. Anyway, there’ll be some fresh meat at this settlement, hm? I’m not that interested myself in the prurient matters, but the boys, they do get restless. And we’re all hungry.”
Bile rose in West’s throat. He knew he’d go pretty far to protect his family, but he never would have imagined... this. Shaking the hand of a man he didn’t trust in front of a compound lined with writhing creeper heads, and praying that they didn’t turn on them and consume their group, too. He could only hope that the settlement didn’t have women and children there to steal.
Forest flinched as the door opened. He could barely lift his swollen eyelids, but through the cracks, he could see a small figure, about 5’2 to guess. His eyes closed, then slowly opened again. It had drawn nearer by a few feet. It was strange to him how little panic he felt with someone or something coming closer and closer to him. But the size and shape of it was unlike the men who had beaten him and the cruel woman who came in to question him, and he felt nothing.
When he opened his eyes a third time, he saw a face. Young, with hair done up like a little girl, but definitely not a child. Determined. She held her fingers to her purple lips and reached over to unlock the chains he was in.
“I can’t go with you,” the tiny woman said. “I really can’t; I’m sorry-- but I have food, water, and a gun. I’m so sorry, but that’s the best I can do. There are abandoned cars outside the compound, but you really need to go out the back way, okay? The creepers have seen us going in and out from the courtyard, and there’s no way you’ll get past them that way.”
“You’re an angel,” Forest said.
She shook her head, with tears shining in her eyes. “We’re better than this. Or we should be.”
AN: Yes, he’s that guy.
