Now that the most annoying problem was gone I turn to the rest on the bus.
Plastering on a fake smile. “Good! Now let’s discuss a safe location to board up. Who has a place nearby that they think would be easily fortifiable so we can search for our families?”
Shizuka speaks up at this point. Slowing down the bus slightly as she speaks.
“Um I house sit for a friend sometimes, she has a place near the river it should be near the city. It's very big so it should fit everyone.”
“Great anyone else?” I look to everyone best to listen to all perspectives.
“Uh, there's a pawnshop that way? It should have a lot of stuff and metal shades?” The blue-haired girl with long braided hair nervously says while pointing off to the side towards a road where several gunshots can be heard.
“Good idea but probably not safe. We might do a supply run that way, it’s the one right next to the mall right? The malls probably had a lot of people inside when this all started going down. Thanks for your input. Anyone else?” I look to the others.
“Uh, there's the police station? It might be a bit far though…across the bridge too.” Rei speaks up this time likely because her father is a police officer.
“Also, a good idea worst case scenario we might get some weapons. It's worth checking out. Is your place closer Shizuka?” I turn back to Shizuka.
“Oh yeah, it's on the way there actually, since the police station is across the bridge and my friend's place is on this side just before it.” She happily says before starting to hum to herself a little song.
“Perfect, anyone else I’m willing to listen to all ideas.” People slowly start getting more comfortable speaking up now that everything isn't being aggressive like with the weasel. A few other people give a few small ideas. I circle them on my map as potential loot areas on the route we are heading and for the future. Eventually, no one else has anything else to add.
“Now before the night is over ah Miss. Shizuka do you mind pulling over up there on the right?” I gesture over to a gas station on the side. We come to a stop. In front of what looks like a corner store but what's more important is what's crashed into the side of the building.
“Look a police car that crashed. Saeko you stay here to protect the group Me Takashi and Rei will search the Shop for food. If anyone else wants to volunteer to carry food, you’ll help carry more back so you will be a little less hungry tonight!” I call out. I get a few reluctant hands apart from one red-headed girl with a hairband that waved her hand fervently.
“Sweet and don’t worry with the three of us it’s unlikely you will have to fight. However, be prepared in case you have to.” The others all give a nervous glance one way or the other.
“Hirano, Rei search that wrecked police car. I’m sure you two are the most familiar with what types of things they may have in there.” They both give a nod to Hirano smiling at the idea of finding police weapons.
Takashi and I start taking down the zombies around the market while the group starts loading any bag they can carry back and forth to the bus and loading it into the undercarriage area. Though some of them have some questionable priorities.
“Aww, what do you mean no slushies?” One of the guys complains. He's spent the last five minutes trying to loosen one of the slushie machines from the wall without making a mess. Before trying to just fill a bag with the slushie inside.
“One, it’s not real food two it’s a waste of space. Two, it will melt and make a mess we need stuff that can be stored long-term if needed. Three, there's blood on the machine do you want to risk getting infected over your slushie?” I ask from the side. The last comment especially seems to make him let go of the bag like it was on fire causing a big mess to spill over the floor.
“Ha you um you have a point, I guess. I’ll go get some of the more secure essentials then.” He gives a bit of nervous laughter before they start going back to loading up ‘essentials’ like soda and beer instead.
“Ahh not really what I had in mind but honestly I can’t complain if that’s what you’re getting.” Even though beer and soda might not be essential it's probably good for morale as long as they don’t take things too far. Not like they have much of a choice considering there's no supply let them keep drinking once it's gone.
“Hey hey Hasu look what me and Rei found! Two five-shot colt Paterson with .36 caliber rounds. One of them is a bit messed up but I’m sure we can fix it somehow once we settle down!” Hinako comes in blazing happy with Rei following up behind holding some handcuffs and a nightstick.
“Nice find. How about you hold on to it Hinaro you’re the most experienced one here with guns. Just make sure to be careful with it and give it the proper respect it deserves.” He nods rapidly raising the gun up to the lights to get a better look at it from all angles and giving it a slight hug. I turn my attention to Rei.
“The handcuffs are also a nice find. Do you want the collapsible nightstick Rei? You guys found it so first dibs and all that.” She puts on a thoughtful pose and thinks it over for a moment.
“Na I prefer my spear pole at the moment. It has more reach.” She twirls her mop stick a bit.
“Alright then. We should think about improving your spear at some point it shouldn’t be hard to tape a knife to the end or something. In the meantime, both of you feel free to help, there aren’t many zombies around the area so long as we are relatively quiet. Just grab some plastic bags and fill up with what you might want to eat tonight or tomorrow.” They both get busy working around with the others to fill up the bus with much-needed supplies of nonperishables.
We load up the bus with as much as we can before continuing down the road traveling for a bit before another problem comes up that I hadn’t considered when we passed a few other stations.
“Hey, Haru we are starting to run low on gas,” Shizuka calls out.
“Damn alright well, there's a gas station up ahead I guess we will just have to use that. They operate off emergency power in blackouts and the power is still on in a lot of places so it should all still work.” The spirit of the people in the bus is much higher now thanks to a lot of them drinking soda and talking in the back now. A bit of gossip going on here and there with glances at me and Saeko.
Pulling up next to the pump. Saeko and I kill off any small stragglers in the area nearby. I get another notification.
Congratulations you completed the third side quest. Reward: 4 stat points that will apply to your body from this world
Next chain quest: Kill 100 zombies
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
I’ll hold off on spending them until I need to for now. The kill requirement is going up more and more. Once that’s finished up I return to the bus and ask everyone.
“Alright does anyone have their wallet?” I have mine but it’s not like I carry much with me besides a bus pass.
I’m met with dead silence.
“Seriously? No one?” I look to auntie and the other guys.
“Uh well I mean I’ve got my wallet but I ain't got any money in it” a guy mentions from the back.
“Same I sorta didn’t think I’d need it going to school.” One of the girls mentions looking a bit bashful about it.
The girls from the shadows group speak up. “We were in the gym when the attack started all our stuff was in our lockers.”
Even Auntie looks a bit embarrassed. “My purse was left behind at the front of the school. I was scared so I dropped it then you dragged me away so fast that I forgot all about it till just now.” Damn, that was a Christmas present I got her a while back. Oh well, it's not like I can blame her for not thinking of her purse when the whole world fell apart.
“Haha alright, I guess I’ll go rob a store or something. Does anyone want to come along?” looking at the group behind me.
One of the girls I don’t know raises her hand. “Umm Mr.Hero can I come? I have to use the restroom.” Her face is a bit red but from her little feet dance, I can tell she can't hold it in for much longer anyway.
“Oh sure, anyone else? Best get it out now.”
A resounding of no’s but one other girl who looks at me brightly and asks to come along as well.
“Alright um what are your names? Sorry I didn’t catch them before.” Looking at the two of them.
“I’m Taniuchi thank you for helping us!” She has light blue hair and big round glasses. She is currently still in her gym clothes. She's the one that first asked to use the restroom.
“Alright nice to meet you, and you?” turning to the second girl.
“I’m Miku Yuuki it's veeeery nice to meet you. Please call me Miku.” She gives me a long look and puffs up her chest a little. She is slightly shorter than me with orangish-red short hair held back by a hairband. She's the one that waved her hand around earlier for the market. She's being a bit weird about it though, but I guess it's fine to be a bit odd now.
“Okay then?” I just give her a weird look. Not wanting to delay any further.
“Let's just head into the gas station first.” I turn to the rest of the people there.
“You guys wait at the pump I’ll be right out!”
We go inside taking a look around in case anything is interesting.
“Alright, are you girls good for the bathroom? Or do you want me to be nearby in case of another zombie?” There's a men's and women's restroom at the back of the place.
Taniuchi gets very embarrassed and stutters out “I-I-I should be fine….” hurriedly going into the women's restroom.
Meanwhile, Miku is much less shameless “Yes come right on in I’d rather you be watching me while I go” she gives me a wink. I roll my eyes.
“Still dating Saeko, please just get on with it will you?”
She hmphs and blows out her cheeks a bit.
“This could be our little secret? The three of us until they come looking?” She starts pulling down her skirt before I gently raise her arms back up stopping her action.
“Yeaaaah no thanks. I get that you’re trying to get with the leader but really I’m good thanks for the offer though.” Trying to soften the blow at least a little bit. She gives me an angry huff before walking into the men's restroom.
I wait for a bit but hear a scream and dash in there.
An inside is a man he's fairly tall with grilled teeth white and looks like a wannabe gangster. He's got a knife pointed to Miku’s throat while his other hand is groping her hard.
“Hey hey stop let. Let me go and I’ll let you do what you want with me just don’t hurt me please” She's crying now while being held twisting and trying to keep her neck away from the knife that’s slowly drawing blood.
“HAHA HAHAHA, YOU” he points at me with the knife. “You got a fucking hot piece of ass right here.” Giving her a resounding smack.
I slowly assume a stance getting ready and maintaining eye contact. “Let her go.”
“HA, Why would you do that? Do you think I’d settle for some zombie pussy? NA it’s gotta be live and warm to get me going.” His hand starts to drift down her chest. Towards her very bare bottom since she was trying to use the restroom.
Shit, maybe I can at least try to be persuasive? “Alright what do you want? You know it won't end well if you hurt her. So, let’s do a trade.”
“A TRADE A FUCKING TRADE! HAHAHA NA your gonna give me the keys to that fucking bus then you’re going to watch me screw this bitch before I leave her wanting for more like the whore she is. Then you can have whatever is left over.” He starts cackling to himself about his family and how nothing matters anymore. How no one will tell him what he's doing wrong. It's mostly incomprehensible gibberish though.
Damnit hmm maybe. I still have some points left after the bus ride and clearing out the previous area I’ve got the next quest done. I don’t know why the survivor quest hasn’t been completed yet but it should reward me soon.
“Okay okay, I’m just getting the keys now” I start reaching for the keys. The other guy starts pulling down his pants one-handed but is struggling with the buckle. “grrr Bitch undo my pants” Mikus's tears start to fall as she starts to bend down to help him out.
I spend all of my points on a mixture of speed and thought speed. I’m already pretty fast. But after spending 3 points on speed and one on thought speed. I’m sitting at a 14 speed or 40% faster than I am usually and I was already an athlete. This translates to closing the distance faster than the punk can look up from his grin down at his buckle being undone.
I slam my bokken into his throat as hard as I can which as that speed is enough to puncture his throat and hit his spine. My offhand shoots to grab his hand with the knife in time for it to attempt to flail out at Miku but instead, I wrestle with it falling on him to the side as I pull it away from Miku and take a few light cuts myself as I push it away. His body quickly loses its fight though as his arm becomes weaker and weaker and his gurgling throat finally stops. My Bokken still sticking out of it as I get up.
I hear the sound of water hitting the floor. I look over towards Miku and it seems she relieved herself. I just awkwardly distance myself a bit picking up my bokken and avoiding looking at her and her increasingly red face.
“Well… that’s um that. Have a nice time in the restroom Miku if uh you want anything on him feel free to keep it he was attacking you after all first.” I try to get out of there quickly.
“But but but Haru um I need to thank you for your help. I I’m also a bit scared to be here alone…” She grabs my arm. With a somewhat frightened look on her face still eyes darting to the man on the floor. A few bruises started to appear on her neck and where she was slapped a bit before.
“Well, um your welcome no real thanks needed. I’ll uh I’ll go get Taniuchi I’m sure she will be able to comfort you better than me. Now have a nice time in here I need to get money for the gas station.” I walk off leaving her surrounded by blood and piss. I feel sort of bad but I’m getting tired of her pushiness no means no. I also just don’t know how to deal with that sort of situation and I know I’d screw up. I turn to the other restroom.
“Hey, Taniuchi how did yours go okay?” She walks out of the restroom.
“Yep! all good, I heard a lot of shouting over there did something happen?” She looks at the other restroom somewhat nervously.
“Yeah, some punk tried to grab Miku I handled it though so there's nothing to worry about. I’d really appreciate it though if you could go in there and talk with her a bit while I go grab some towels or something. I’m not really great with comforting people I don’t know.” She gives a bit of a worried look and pokes her head into the women's bathroom.
“Oh my… I I’m not really friends with Miku but I’ll try my best. Thanks for helping her… Thanks for helping all of us.” She looks down at the ground for a bit while I get one of the guys from outside to go grab a towel as I start cracking the cash registers for money.
I may act like I’m fine, but that short sprint and attack took a lot out of me. I didn’t realize that my speed may have gone up but my endurance is still only at 10% more and resilience is the same so the strain of running 40% faster than I should normally do a number on my body just because I can move those speeds doesn’t mean I should or can for long.
Eventually, Miku comes out wearing her old outfit with some extra bling and holding a knife and gun. Which surprises the heck out of me.
“Um, I don’t know how to use this?” She offhandedly moves the gun around a bit making me cringe when the gun points at me for a moment as I move out of the way.
“Wait shit he had a gun? Why the hell didn’t he use it?”
“Um, I think it's out of bullets? Do you want it? It’ll only cost you one kiss.” She puckers up.
“Nope not worth it. I’m sure Hirano or some of the other guys would gladly pay it though.” Taniuchi giggles at that but she pouts a bit.
“Let’s go meet with the others and fill up the bus.”
We head back one gun richer and a lot of low-denominated bills. The end of the world happened around 2 pm so it was about mid-day for most businesses depending on how lazy they were they would have somewhere between about 200-400 USD worth, and we cracked open 5 cash registers. If nothing else all the cash can be used as kindling or for more gas stations like this one.
Bus up and loaded we continued on our way to Shizuka’s friend's house.