HOTD: A New Dawn

There was a TV attached to a high corner. Tysone thought that as it stood, no one would be stupid or brave enough to have a live broadcast of the actual situation at the moment.

Apparently, he was wrong.

There was one TV crew that tried to explain and downplay the situation, only to be slapped in the face with reality when the bagged corpses they were carting away suddenly sat up. Gunshots rang out promptly, putting them down.

Naturally, the transmission was cut off, before the main studio feed resumed once again. The host was shaken as she stuttered some bullshit story to distract the viewers from the fact that it was indeed getting ugly. Stay inside. Don't go out unless absolutely necessary.

It was pointless.

"That's all?!" Takashi ranted, with good reason. "Why aren't they saying more?!"

"Because they're afraid of causing panic." Saya said, her face clean of blood or tears. She looked quite calm once again. Tysone was relieved to see her back to her regular state.

"Even now?" Rei questioned, concerned.

"Fear leads to chaos. Chaos leads to anarchy. Anarchy leads to hatred. And hatred leads to the dark side." Saya elaborated, not looking at anyone in particular. "How do you expect the government to deal with the living dead in a time of anarchy?"

Tysone changed channels, and this one was a translation of an American one.

'This unusual phenomenon has spread throughout America, and has yet to be brought under control. The government authorities have evacuated the White House and will relocate to a command center on-board an aircraft. There are reports that this transfer is in preparation for the possible use of tactical warheads. We have currently lost contact with Moscow. Beijing has been set ablaze. London has maintained order, but in Paris and Rome there are reports of looting. Government officials have declared—'

The screen glitched out before turning into static noise.

Takashi gaped, his eyes wide, jaw going slack in complete disbelief.

"How has it come to this...?"

Tysone pursed his lips as a scowl formed on his visage. The governments were losing control. Not that anyone could do much at the moment, aside from going into full panic mode, or barricade themselves with weapons, supplies, and survivors.

"Let's get back to moving then, it isn't safe here." He finally spoke, disrupting everyone. "I know what's going through your minds right now. This isn't a mere pandemic, it's worse than that. This isn't a localized issue, it's going worldwide, and humanity itself is at a major risk of dying out. If there'll ever be a vaccine, a cure, we must be alive to see it happen. For now, we'll do what we've been doing so far. Bust heads and survive."

Somehow, his words managed to lift their spirits a bit.

Saeko raised an eyebrow as she observed Tysone, silent.

He had been calm so far—rational and intelligent, speaking only when necessary and focusing solely on getting everyone out alive. If anyone was suited to lead in this type of disaster, it was him. She didn't have any doubts he was capable.

"Well said." Saeko muttered under her breath, turning toward the rest of the group. "What is important is having a location to make use of after we check on our families." She said, softly, her arms crossed. "Should we act only on our self-interest, we stand not a chance. Let us act as a team."

Tysone nodded in her direction. Her words were that extra kick that had everyone gearing up and ready to rumble.

"We should help survivors as our ability allows us to." Saeko added. 

…

They burst out of the classroom, Tysone leading the group while Saeko and Takashi were at his side. Saya and Rei behind them, while Kotha, Mai and Miku covered the rear. The weakest link of the group, Shizuka, was in the middle. Being a nurse with medical knowledge meant she was essential and thus needed protecting.

Thanks to Saya's extensive explanation and deduction, they managed to slip by hordes of zombies without having to fight. It was something Saeko endorsed as well—if you could avoid fighting, it was best to do so. No need to waste stamina and risk their lives pointlessly.

However, that didn't mean that a fight was always avoidable.

So long as there was a slight noise or misstep. They attracted the attention of a dozen hungry zombies, all stumbling forward in a frenzied attempt to tear the intruders apart, moaning loudly in the process.

As they made their way to the parking lot, tearing through zombies, they ended up saving quite a few students. Tysone kept a keen eye out to see if there was anyone worth recruiting.

Unfortunately, most of them, while brave enough to face their demise in battle, didn't make the cut, either physically unfit, too distraught, or not combat capable at all. 

"Sorry for being useless." Kohta approached Tysone when they had a brief respite, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. Around them, piles of dead bodies lay strewn about, the stench of blood thick, but even someone like Kohta got used to it.

Tysone glanced at Kohta, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Don't worry about it. We'll stop by a shooting range if we can, and we'll equip you with a pistol and a magazine."

Kohta lifted a finger. "Not a Beretta, right? I want a Springfield or a Sig-Sauer."

Tysone arched his brow in surprise at that specific request, a smile touching his lips. "You know how to handle them, Kohta?" He asked, making sure everyone listened—if Kotha could assemble a nail gun like he did in the anime, he sure as hell would prove himself an essential member of the group.

Kohta adjusted his glasses, the lenses slightly fogged from the heat of the skirmish. At Tysone's question, the chubby marksman-in-the-making hesitated for a moment, looking between the others. Takashi, Rei, Saya, and even Saeko had their attention on him now.

"Well... yeah." Kohta admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, I've spent years studying different firearms. I know how they function, how to strip and clean them, even how to modify them. Not that it helps much without an actual gun."

"Huh..." Tysone hummed, feigning casual interest. "What about assembling one? From spare parts, I mean."

Kohta blinked. "Like a makeshift weapon? I mean, theoretically, if I had the right components, I could build something functional. But it's not like we're gonna find gun parts lying around a high school."

"Maybe not." Tysone conceded. "But a nail gun, on the other hand…"

A brief silence fell over the group, save for the distant moans of zombies echoing through the halls.

Kohta's expression shifted from uncertainty to realization, his hands clenching as an excited gleam shone behind his glasses. "A nail gun… Yeah, that could work! If we can find one strong enough, like a gas-powered or pneumatic model, and make a few modifications… It wouldn't be as good as an actual firearm, but it'd still be lethal enough at close range!"

"Then we make a quick detour." Tysone declared. "We need to get to the staff room for the keys anyway, right? But before that, let's stop by the shop classroom. Should have some tools, maybe even a nail gun."

"Can this fatass really do something like this?" Saya, skeptical, scoffed. "I bet he's all bark, no bite, just like in school."

A frown replaced Tysone's neutral expression, but Kohta's face twitched. This wasn't his first insult.

"Saya... apologize." Tysone sighed softly. "I won't have you badmouth someone who may very well have to save your sorry ass in the future. If this group of ours is to prosper, and survive, then we need to give everyone a shot to prove themselves. One word from you, and you ruin their morale. I don't want a repeat of that. You understand what I'm trying to convey, Saya, don't you?"

A heavy blush engulfed Saya's entire face as she lowered her gaze and pursed her lips. "...Sorry, Hirano."

Kohta looked startled by her sudden and genuine apology and rushed to wave his arms frantically in the air, stuttering as he did so. "It's okay. No hard feelings, really, Takagi-san. No harm done."

"Then, do I have everyone's approval for this?" Tysone continued the discussion.

Takashi nodded. "If Hirano could actually do what he's saying, that's a plus."

"Right, right~!" Shizuka grinned, her smile sleepy but genuine. "If Kohta-kun can build a nail gun, maybe he can build a massage chair next! My shoulders are soooo stiff from all this running~!"

Everyone just stared at her.

"...Shizuka-sensei." Rei sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That's really not the priority right now."

"But it could be!" Shizuka whined, stretching her arms dramatically. "I need a break, reeeal soon. My feet hurt and my neck is all in knots!"

Tysone resisted the urge to laugh, but the tension in the room eased just a bit. Even Saya exhaled, shaking her head.

Kohta, however, suddenly pushed his glasses up, his expression oddly serious. "Technically, if I had the right materials, I could modify a chair to have a basic vibration function using a repurposed motor..."

"Not helping, Kohta." Takashi muttered.

Author's Note:

If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead or support my work, you can check out my P@treon at [email protected]/LordCampione. But don't worry—all chapters will eventually be public. Just being here and reading means the world to me. Thank you for your time and support.