Dead on Arrival

Chaos.
It was everywhere. From the moment Tino woke up that morning, he could tell something wasn't right. He had always been an early riser, and was awake and dressed before the other children and most of the staff. Normally he'd spend his mornings helping out the kind workers with little things, like cleaning up the rooms, or helping to prepare breakfast, but this morning was different.

The air around the building smelt differently than usual. Almost like a dead animal left out in the sun. He spent no time trying to find it's source, however. At first, he tried to carry on his normal morning routine, but his senses were tingling, and a feeling of dread had settled in his stomach. Over the years he'd learned to trust his instincts, and whether that was because of the slight paranoia he'd developed from growing up in an abusive home before coming to the Home, or because of the way his senses never tricked him, he knew he had to listen.

He snuck into Ms. Bennett's room (The supervisor), careful to make sure she was elsewhere before entering. Assuming she was downstairs, supervising the kitchen staff as they started breakfast, he crept to her bedside table, pulling out the deadly black weapon he knew she kept hidden there, and quickly hiding it in his jacket. He knew how much trouble he could be in if he got caught, but he knew to always be prepared; even if that preparedness was a little extreme.

Not knowing what else to do as he waited for whatever it was, he decided to watch the News on the shared TV in the entertainment room. It was only 15 minutes later that the emergency broadcast came on. He stared at the screen in shock and disbelief as the man on the TV explained the situation. A mysterious virus, created by accident in a medical lab, had gotten outside of the containment area. The Virus made the Dead come back to life as a shell, soul completely gone. One bite, or scratch, could pass on the disease. After listening as the man explained the creatures created by the virus could only be killed by a shot to the head, Tino turned off the TV. He couldn't listen anymore.

By that time, most of the children had woken up, confused by the strange smell Tino had smelled earlier, only this time it was stronger. Confusion turned into panic as the diseased creatures began to slowly fill the streets. The workers ushered the children out, getting them into the cars and buses that had come to take them somewhere safer, somewhere away from the danger.

"Everyone get to the vans!"

"Stay calm!"

"Stick together!"

He heard the shouts of the workers, directing the children and trying to keep them calm, even when they themselves were nowhere near calm. Tino, up until then, had been doing his best to help the children get to the vans. Things had been going fine until they ran out of space. All the workers, and the lucky ones who had gotten onto a bus, or a car, left, leaving the few remaining children to fend for themselves as the monsters made their way around, some choosing to attack the foster home and it's innocent occupants.

Looking around, there were only a handful of children left. Tino calmed down the two he found crying in the hallway, and told them to hide under the sink as he searched around for more stragglers. He made his way upstairs, listening for any sign of movement. Despite the scratching coming from the front door, he could hear people talking. He followed it's source and entered, pulling out the gun he took in case one of those creatures was there. Seeing that there were none, he put it back, not wanting to frighten the others. He did his best to keep a smile on his face, noticing a few younger children, maybe around 11 or 12, but his smile faded quickly. "Look, we all need to get out of here." he said, trying to keep calm. "If you'll just follow me, we can all stick together and find somewhere to hide until this passes, alright?" he said, glancing to a boy that was maybe only a year younger than himself. He looked familiar, and Tino was sure he'd seen him walking around with another, slightly older guy. However, now was not the time to question a familiar face. "Come on, let's go."

((Sorry It's so long! ^^; ))

"They can go, I've got to.... uhhhhh...." Emil began to stammer awkwardly. The pressures of the whole situation were making him feel like his head was about to explode. He looked up from his shoes and into the older boy's pupils. "I can't go.... Or not yet at least..... I... Did you happen to know a boy named Lukas? I can't leave him behind." He knew this was barely the time to dwell on such things but for the sake of his own mental health he had to find him, or at least find out what happened to him. This fear of the unkown was surely going to kill him someday.

Emil arose from his spot on the ground and approached the boy. He moved slowly, feeling slightly off put by the hefty weapon the guy was carrying. "Could you at least tell me what's going on?" Emil pointed to the gun. "I feel like I'm out of the loop here. Well.... I mean, I have an idea of what the deal is, I just don't know how everyone's gone about- I feel like I'm going in circles.... I- I'm sorry... I just really, really have to find this guy."

(No worries, this looks fantastic! X3 Sorry, that mine is so short.)

(what rules are we going by? l4d ? walking dead???)

Lukas had always been a morning person. Days of protecting Emil had drilled that into him. He knew Emil had little memory of there parents he had only been little when they had died. He had been home with the sitter....Lukas...was the only one who survived the car accident. He still had the scar on his temple to prove it.

But that morning he had been up early as always. Helping in the kitchen as normal. Avoiding his unwanted best friend as usual. It wasn't that he hated the other just... the other didn't know personal space if it hit him in the face.

He had been waiting for a food delivery when he was attacked. A deranged man...skin rotting like a horror movie he had squinted at through trembling fingers lunged at him. The scrabble had been barely heard as lukas managed to push the other off. Receiving no wounds bar scraping of concrete on his back laving a road rash on pale skin. he had managed to lock the door keeping the creature out.

Emil...he had to find Emil! Racing through the building he searched with frantic eyes. The boy with impossibly snowy hair stood out normally in a ground was no where to be seen. Not even his best friend was in sight. But he knew he was able to defend himself. "Emil?" He questioned as he poked his head in each room. Each call becoming more desperate as time went one.

And then he turned the corner There speaking to a boy not much taller then his brother was Emil. "Emil!" he called for once letting his emotion slip through. Ruffled was an understatement as the dirt from his scuffle made the once crisp white shirt grubbing. Decay from the undead's hands had marked and stained it. But he didn't care. Emil was safe.

Tino gave the boy a sympathetic look. "I know you're confused, and scared. It's okei, I think we all are." he glanced at the window, taking in just how much was going on out there. It wasn't too bad, but Tino had the feeling if they waited much longer it'd get worse. "I'm not really the best when it comes to explaining things, but from what I saw on the News..." he paused, knowing what he was about to say would sound silly, no matter how true it was. "The dead have come back to life, but they're not people anymore. They're monsters."

Hearing someone call a name, he spun around, gun at the ready until he saw that the person that called out wasn't a threat. He lowered it again, watching as the two brothers were reunited. It was sweet, he thought, that they had each other to look out for.

"I don't mean to rush you... Er, well I guess I do, but we REALLY need to either get out of here, or make this place more secure." he said, feeling bad for spoiling their moment.

(I think so. Classic Romero zombies that can only be killed by having their head destroyed. They move at an average speed rate though.)

Emil's eyes slowly widened in terror. "Sort of like a bad dream, right? I.... Oh no... Oh no, this can't..." To think, something he might have been joking about a couple days ago had become a reality. It was at this point he wished maybe he'd read up more on those crazy "How to Survive a Zombie Plague" sites. But it was far too late for that now, and besides, he other things to worry about. "How far has it spread? Is anyone here infected? Did you- Did you see a blonde kid get hurt or- or bi'"

Emil quit his babbling in an instant. "Well... that mystery solved...." He could feel his heart sink ever so slightly as he watched his brother bound down the hall way. For the first time in his life, Emil showed what might just be the closest he'd ever to get to smiling. "Lukas?! Lukas!!!" Emil tripped slightly as he went to run forward. Considering his typical stoic and reserved nature, this was a first to him. He held back for as long as he could until he finally broke and ran over to his brother and hugged him.

Realising immediately what he had done, Emil quickly let go of his brother and attempted to compose himself. His attempt at appearing calm and collected wasn't working out on account of a slight crack in his voice and the red complexion his usually pale face had taken on. "W-Where were you?" He didn't really need an answer at this point though. Lukas was here, and he was alive. Simple as that.

Emil snapped out of it. They were in the middle for crying out loud. He tightened his collar and turned back to the older boy with the gun. "Do you mind leading the way?"

Emil crashed into him arms wrapping round him. Shocking Lukas slightly, as the younger went to pull away Lukas pulled him back for a hug. He had watched as Emil had grown and with each year the more distant the younger had become. He missed the days Emil would crawl into his bed to hide from nightmares or cling to his hand in fear of other children.

When the other cracked his voice Lukas patted his head. "kitchen...i got attacked...don't worry i wasn't bitten." Looking to the blond who looked rather threatening with the gun though take it away and he wouldn't of Lukas scanned the crowds. "Mathias....has he come this way Emil?" He asked. Concerned that the idiot might of gotten himself eaten due to his stupidity. Sure it was a rather abusive friend ship with Lukas being the abuser but he couldn't lie and say he wasn't worried about the other. He was one of the few people who looked out for the brothers.

Despite their current situation, Tino gave Lukas a friendly smile as a greeting before turning back to Emil, which was what he assumed the boy's name was from what Lukas had called him. "Of course I've heard of Mathias." he said with a light chuckle. "I think it'd be impossible to live here without knowing him." Tino himself thought some of the things the guy did were pretty amusing, although most just found them downright annoying. He didn't seem like a bad guy, though. "He might have gotten on one of the buses, but it's possible he's still around. We'll look for him while we move, don't worry." he reassured them.

"Come on, we can get some supplies in the kitchen. It'd be sort of silly if we died of starvation during the zombie apocalypse." he said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. He led the way downstairs, listening carefully in case the zombies managed to get through the doors. Thankfully there weren't too many just yet, and none of them had the strength or wits to get through the door.

Once they entered the kitchen, he went straight to the sink to check on the kids he told to hide there. "Hei, you can come out no-" he stopped when he opened the space, blinking in surprise. It was completely empty, aside from a garbage bin and some cleaning products. Where ever they went, he hoped they were safe. He felt a knot of worry nestle in his stomach, but he did his best to ignore it as he turned back to the others. "Well... I guess for now we should just collect whatever we can use."