The metallic tang of blood, thick and cloying, filled Itsuka Kendo's nostrils. It wasn't her own. Not yet, anyway. Her hands, calloused but steady, tightened around the makeshift spear – a broom handle sharpened to a vicious point. Another lurching figure, its face a grotesque mask of decaying flesh and twisted Quirk-induced mutations, stumbled towards her. Kendo lunged, the spear piercing through the creature's skull with a sickening crunch. It collapsed, twitching, another victim of the Quirkfall Virus.
Just weeks ago, this had been the bustling common room of UA High, a place of laughter and camaraderie. Now, it was a charnel house. Overturned furniture, shattered windows, and bloodstains that seemed to crawl across the floor like grotesque vines painted a horrifying picture of the school's final hours.
Kendo swallowed the bile rising in her throat. She couldn't afford to lose her focus, not now. Three other figures huddled behind her, their faces pale and drawn, but their eyes burning with a desperate will to survive. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, his steel-hard skin gleaming under the flickering emergency lights, stood ready, his fists clenched. Momo Yaoyorozu, her face streaked with grime and tears, clutched a handful of hastily created bandages. And Fumikage Tokoyami, his Dark Shadow flickering nervously in the dim light, whispered reassurances to himself.
"We need to move," Kendo said, her voice hoarse. "This place isn't safe anymore."
"But where do we go?" Momo asked, her voice trembling. "Everywhere is… like this."
Kendo glanced out the shattered window. The once-familiar campus was a wasteland. Zombified students and teachers, their Quirks warped into monstrous parodies of their former selves, roamed the grounds, their moans and snarls echoing in the eerie silence. The Quirkfall Virus, a nightmare that had sprung from the shadows, had turned their world upside down in a matter of days.
"There's a rumor," Tetsutetsu said, his voice low. "A safe zone in the mountains. North, past the city."
"A rumor?" Momo repeated, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
"It's better than nothing," Kendo said, her voice firm. "We have to try."
Tokoyami nodded, his Dark Shadow solidifying slightly. "Indeed. We must not succumb to despair. There is still hope, however faint."
They moved quickly, their footsteps echoing in the deserted hallways. Kendo led the way, her spear held at the ready. They encountered a few stray zombies, quickly dispatched with brutal efficiency. But the real danger lay ahead. They had to cross the city, a sprawling metropolis now teeming with the infected.
As they reached the main gate, a wave of nausea washed over Kendo. The streets were a horrifying spectacle. Twisted figures, their Quirks gone haywire, staggered through the rubble. A zombified Kamui Woods, his wooden limbs now razor-sharp and dripping with gore, impaled a screaming civilian. A grotesque version of Mt. Lady, her flesh bloated and distended, lumbered through the streets, crushing cars underfoot.
"We can't go that way," Momo whispered, her eyes wide with horror.
"We have to," Kendo said, her voice tight. "There's no other way out."
They slipped through the gate, their hearts pounding in their chests. The stench of decay was overwhelming. The moans and groans of the infected seemed to come from all directions. Kendo gripped her spear tighter, her knuckles white.
They moved from shadow to shadow, using the ruined buildings as cover. Tetsutetsu's steel skin proved invaluable, deflecting the occasional stray attack. Momo, despite her fear, managed to create a few smoke bombs, providing temporary cover. And Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, though weakened by the lack of light, darted out to snatch and disable isolated zombies.
But their progress was slow and perilous. Every corner turned, every street crossed, was a gamble. The city, once a symbol of human ingenuity and progress, was now a tomb.
As they reached a deserted intersection, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air. A young girl, no older than ten, stumbled into the street, her clothes torn, her face contorted in terror. A hulking figure, its Quirk grotesquely amplified, lumbered after her, its eyes burning with a predatory hunger.
Kendo didn't hesitate. She sprang forward, her spear raised. "Run!" she yelled to the girl. "Get out of here!"
The hulking figure turned, its gaze fixing on Kendo. Its Quirk, once a harmless form of gigantism, had now transformed it into a monstrous behemoth, its skin stretched taut over bulging muscles. It roared, a sound that sent shivers down Kendo's spine.
The fight was brutal and desperate. Kendo's spear, though effective against smaller zombies, barely scratched the behemoth's thick hide. Tetsutetsu joined the fray, his steel fists hammering against the creature's legs, but to little effect. Momo, her face pale with fear, struggled to create a weapon powerful enough to take it down. And Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, hampered by the daylight, could only offer limited support.
As the behemoth lunged, its massive fist aimed at Kendo's head, a dark shape erupted from the shadows. Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, fueled by his friend's desperation, swelled to an enormous size, engulfing the behemoth in a shroud of darkness. The creature roared in pain and confusion, its movements slowing.
This was their chance. Kendo, her heart pounding, lunged forward, her spear aimed at the creature's exposed neck. The spear plunged deep, severing its spinal cord. The behemoth collapsed, its massive body shaking the ground.
They stood there, panting, covered in blood and grime, the echoes of the creature's roars still ringing in their ears. The little girl, trembling but safe, clung to Momo's leg.
Kendo looked at her companions, her face grim. They had survived this encounter, but the road ahead was long and dangerous. The city was a death trap, and the mountains seemed further away than ever.
"We have to keep moving," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "We have to survive."
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A/N: No real schedule just posting whenever honestly. May post early chapters on subscribestar or something if I decide I want to though.