The Kids From Yesterday {Lahad}

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

Lahad kept his eyes on her, as Rei wasted little time taking the assault rifle from him. A slight increase in the gust kept him form seeing her shock at the weight of the weapon. For him, it was much more manageable than a full-size rifle, but it was still quite heavy when fully loaded. Made from steel instead of plastics nowadays, his rifle was sure and reliable, but nowhere near as light as the polymer weapons they now used, however it was much easier to use and learn how to use than the newer weapons, which was something he favored about the weapon more than anything. Hearing her grunt, Lahad watched her hoist the rifle onto her shoulder with a small amount of trouble. Maybe he shouldn't have let her carry it? Burdening another with his own equipment when he should be carrying it. He lowered his head in a shamed way as he followed her at the now slowed, almost leisurely pace they continued at. At least they would not have such a gap between them, getting separated in the labyrinth would surely seal his final fate.

Even with his head lowered, he could still glance up and see that she did not particularly like carrying the weapon, she shifted it around quite a bit, trying to find a comfortable position. It took him quite some time to get used to the burden of carrying that rifle everywhere. In fact, it was still causing him quite a bit of discomfort lugging it around, but necessity called for it, and he was not going to argue with something like necessity. Lahad overheard Rei say something along the lines of "How do you carry this thing with you all the time? No wonder you are so tired." and he lowered his head a little more, feeling slightly guilty that he had accepted her offer to carry the weapon, though she probably would have forced him to give her the weapon so as not to continue at a pace where she would have to continue to wait up for him. He didn't retort, though he was feeling like saying that it took quite a bit of getting used to, carrying that thing.

They took quite a few paths off the beaten trail, skirting through side-streets, the scenery that of a city after a nuclear holocaust, or at least, a bombing run. Lahad cursed the north and south for this destruction, for their callous tossing away of human lives. Though, this would have to wait, his mission was to save humanity, not exact revenge on the warring factions, and he could not continue with this mission in his current state. They took another turn, and Lahad noticed Rei slow down as they came to a street which actually had houses standing. It was quite the sight, a small refuge in this otherwise desolate world. Lahad took a moment to marvel at their little hideaway, though this would be cut short by the realization that they were not yet in the sanctuary of a building. A large group of the shambling dead seemed to be gathering around this area, no doubt attracted by people who were probably holding out. The number of dead was few, but he took into consideration that there could very well be more around the corner of a house, trying to find a way into the building; like a gull trying to crack open a mussel for its tasty insides, the undead would no doubt be trying this very tactic on the buildings for the flesh of those who reside within. Lahad looked to Rei, she had already reached for that wooden sword she toted around, and drew it slowly, pointing it at the gathering of corpses. Lahad watched as she nodded toward a building close by, the gathering of the dead nearby it as well. "We may have a problem, Lahad. You see that house there? The one with the unwelcome visitors? Well, that is mine, and it is going to be your sanctuary for the night...or week...or however long it is you need to stay. You understand that?" Rei turned to face him, Lahad looked into her sapphire eyes listening closely to whatever she had to say. "I don't know if you are...well...experienced at killing these things, but I have a plan formed. But I want to know if you have one before I tell you mine. I'm hoping for one that is slightly less 'devil may care', if you will."

Lahad nodded to both statements, unwelcome they were. He looked away from her for a moment, eying his assault rifle on her back. He wanted it, there were many less than thirty and he would easily be able to pick them off they made a mad dash for her house, but it would surely attract more undead, and this was an even more unwelcome proposition. Lahad looked away from the rifle after considering that, and eyed the group of undead, some thirty meters away from the building. It wouldn't take much to sneak around them, they were of course, dead, and their senses were nearly null. Lahad felt this would be the best course of action, freeing those dead souls from their worldly shackles would have to wait until he was rested enough to even hold his rifle up and aim it properly. Lahad pulled his eyes from the dead, taking only a moment to think up his plan, and looked Rei in the eyes once again.

"You have plan... Now I do as well." He began, giving her a faint smile. "I take into consideration, my rifle would only attract more dead... We take quite route, sneak around the corpse, they have no sense, so it be fairly easy. We would need secure the weapon on each of our back so as not to make much noise, as that would only be way the dead sense us." Lahad quickly raised his hand and tapped his earlobe with an index finger before letting it drop quickly. "I still want hear your plan, it may be better..." Lahad differed, he wanted more than one course of action, in case they were to run into any problems with his plan. Though his idea was sound, there could be any number of flaws with it, and two plans were always better than just one.

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei stared at Lahad as he thought, and the way his eyes flashed back and forth between her face and the horde of undead led her to assume that he was deep in thought. For a moment, her mind wandered, and she imagined him comically stroking his chin, rubbing his fingers over his days old stubble. A small smile crossed her lips, but she quickly got control over herself before she let out a small giggle, as his glance to his weapon reminded her of the seriousness of the situation. Now wasn't the time to be laughing or finding things amusing; not that she could necessarily help herself. It had been so long that she'd been without company that she forgot how enjoyable it could be to have someone to talk to, to laugh with, more more importantly at.

However, before her thoughts could get the better of her again, he looked back to her face. His dark eyes stared into her pale blue ones, and Rei found herself beginning to trust this man before her, although she felt stupid in doing so. Whether it was his attitude, his relaxed nature or the fact he seemed so open around her, she felt like she knew him, or a part of him, and that in knowing him she understood that he wouldn't betray her. She could be completely wrong, but she'd never had the feeling before, not around anyone she'd met since the war started anyway.

She listened intently as he laid out his plan, eyes never leaving him. What he said made perfect sense, and she wished she'd had the presence of mind to think of something that quickly. She had been all for shooting them, riddling the whole lot with holes, and then making a mad dash for the house, swiping at any that got too close with her bokken. A blush rose in her cheeks again, not because she had been complimented this time, but because she felt stupid. Raising her slender fingers to her mouth, she tugged gently at her lower lip as she often did when she was thinking, or embarrassed, and then lowered it back down to rest on her semi-exposed thigh.

Now she had to explain her dirge of a plan. Coughing a little to clear her throat, she bit her lip before beginning. “Well,” she started hesitantly, unsure of how to continue, “My plan was...erm...much more violent than yours. I had thought perhaps pumping them full of bullets was an option. I thought if we ran toward the house, any that got close I could...erm...well, use my bokken upon. I didn't think that it may draw more. Even though my home is fairly secure, that many in one area is a danger to others as well as ourselves.” She blushed harder, feeling even more stupid. What on earth had she been thinking? She was meant to be smarter than this, a lot smarter than this.

“So I think we should use your plan of action. It is...a little more safe I think. I know a few back routes. If we go through a few of the gardens, there is a small alley where residents used to store their garbage cans. We can probably get over my back wall from there, if you give me a boost, and try to get in through one of the windows.”

She raised her eyebrow, shrugging a little, still not sure what Lahad was thinking. Probably 'how does a girl this young and clearly this stupid survive so long in a world full of zombies?' Wrinkling her nose a little, she indicated to the gun she was still carrying.

“Also, I want to know what you want to do about this. If we are running places, trying to sneak, we need speed and silence. If you are carrying this, then you will be slower, and the metals of both your weapons may make some collision noise. However, if I carry it, it is useless should we need it. I'm not a good shot. I'm good with a bokken, not a gun.”

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

His lips curled into a gentle smirk as she told him her plan, the idea itself was conceived without giving a second thought to the situation they were in, but it was probably an idea that he would have gone through with if he were on his own; and in better condition. He had to factor in his fatigue, the fact that he was with someone whom he felt obliged to protect, and also the fact that there could be zombies lurking anywhere, not just in plain sight. It was all of this that made him think up his own sneaky plan, otherwise he would have just run in there guns blazing, like she had suggested, covering her as she would take the melee approach and smash any undead that got within reach with her stick-sword. He could imagine it would completely destroy the rotted skull of a zombie, and would be a fairly effective weapon against low numbers of the dead, but still, in his opinion, an ill-advised type of weapon in general. Lahad took a step closer to her, still smirking, and shook his head, looking into those sapphire gems of eyes, noticing her blushing, probably out of embarrassment. She seemed like a bright young lady, and this plan didn't at all suit her. Lahad felt compelled to console her.

"You worry too much. It would have been kind of plan I would have gone through with if I were feeling less weak, but necessity is mother of creation, and create I did."

She thought it would be a good idea to use his plan, and so did he, Rei spoke of her knowing a few back routes, a way around the slightly massing horde of dead. He thought her addition of taking the back route was perfect, that was just what his plan needed. Lahad watched her gestures, obviously not sure of herself, but Lahad had lit up, despite looking fairly tired. It was a good idea, and she should be proud of herself for coming forward with that knowledge she had shared.

"This is good, perfect, we take back route, I boost you up, you help me up, we climb in through window, simple, perfect."

Lahad was a bit ecstatic, speaking quickly. His smirk graduating into a full blow smile, this was great, a chance to rest and recollect himself in a safe area, instead of sleeping atop a rubble pile, surrounded by rebar or cinderblocks to keep him from being noticed by the undead. Or waking up in the middle of the night to the shuffling of the dead below, the close shuffling that scared him so. She made a gesture at his shortened Assault rifle that she was still carrying, and telling him she was concerned about making noise. The rifle wouldn't make too much noise on her back, if she kept it from bouncing around or smacking onto something. If he were to carry it, it would definitely make some collision noises with the RPG, and it would be a dead giveaway. He decided against taking the weapon back, for both weight and the fact that he did not want to ruin the plan. If they needed it, he would have to get up close behind her and use the rifle from her hip, with one hand. He was a pretty good shot from the hip, but he would use more bullets, and it would be a worst-case scenario.

Lahad took another step up close to Rei, and grasped the sling of the assault rifle on her shoulder. He undid a clip on it, and pulled it tight onto her shoulder before re-securing the clip, making sure there was as little slack as possible.

"I am going to tighten slings, so they have no slack. If we need it, I will have to come close to you and use it while it on your back... Are you comfortable with this?"

He asked, hand still on the sling for a moment, before taking his hand away from her shoulder and tightening his own RPG sling. He was nearly ready to move out, and commence this operation.

"We should move soon, then..."

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei watched Lahad in amazement as the bigger of the two started grinning at her, seeming to get happier by the second. She knew it! He was laughing at her! Her embarrassed blush was obvious, and he couldn't help but point and giggle, no doubt insulting her pathetic plan and lack of wisdom over and over in his head. 'Stupid flower girl, no brains! Just looks!' That would be exactly what he was thinking! How could she have been so foolish! Why did she have to be so direct? Her cheeks burned, and she quickly raised her free hand to her face, splaying her palm out, covering herself from view for a moment so she had the time to recover. How awful! Her father would have been distraught with her! She was distraught with herself. What a let down she...

“"You worry too much. It would have been kind of plan I would have gone through with if I were feeling less weak, but necessity is mother of creation, and create I did."

What? Was he trying to make her feel better? Was he trying to make her feel less stupid? No one had ever been that kind to her, and that made her redden further, if it were possible, her eyes watering. She had never felt so foolish in her life. She looked around uncertainly, not sure if there was any way she could stop herself looking so idiotic, but she had little time to say anything, even to stutter a thanks before Lahad spoke again.

"This is good, perfect, we take back route, I boost you up, you help me up, we climb in through window, simple, perfect."

She blinked, now amazed at how ecstatic her companion was. He was talking quickly, praising her more, smiling widely. She didn't think she'd said anything that useful, but apparently she was wrong. She shrugged a little, and smiled back, liking the feel of someone being nice to her and not putting down her ideas. It made a change. “I wouldn't say perfect perhaps but...maybe it wasn't a completely useless idea” Her voice was quiet, as if modesty wouldn't allow her to completely agree with Lahad. However, she did feel, with his aid, as though she had some worth, and it swelled her chest with pride. She had been useful! She had succeeded in something.

Rei did not have long to think on things long however, as Lahad stepped close up to her and laid his hand on her upper chest. Her eyes widened, and she froze. For a moment, she thought about slapping him, but her body wouldn't move. What was he doing?! She thought he was different! The second he compliments her he thought he could grab her? She let out a little squeak. He was just like all high schoolers. Eyes looking to his to try and see his intentions, they looked just as they had before. Big, brown, kind. Why was he-

It was then she felt the gun on her back tighten to her shoulder, and she looked down, noticing him re-clasping the strap about her, stopping the weapon from moving around. How embarrassing. She had thought... She went a deep maroon colour, and had to stop herself breathing too quickly. She must appear insane right now. What had come over her? She had never acted like this. Then again, she was used to acting around jocks, and no man had ever been this close to her without having his head smashed in. It was a strange state of affairs for the young girl.

When Lahad asked his question, Rei just nodded, noting his hand as it slipped away. So long as he was careful and didn't hurt her in some way, she figured she'd be a decent gun brace should the need arise. If any made it past the bullets, they'd run straight into her sword. They wouldn't survive that.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the other suggesting they move, and she nodded her agreement, gulping. It was time for her to get serious.

She made her way quickly to the first garden, vaulting a waist high wall easily in her torn skirt, her clothing fitting of this kind of activity. She moved quietly as she could, signalling to Lahad every few steps, be it a hand signal to slow down or speed up, or merely a glance to check where he was. They reach the next garden without any incident, but she had to skid to a halt before she could vault the next wall, ducking into a crouch. Apparently, some of the horde had separated, and now, in the area over, there wandered a single undead. She signalled for Lahad to get down too, and whispered frantically when he joined her “You want to kill it, or shall I?” Her heart pounded in her ears, so loud that she was terrified it would attract the others gathered near her own safehouse.

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

Lahad patted the sling of his RPG, making sure it was secure on his shoulder. His eyes locked on the sling for a moment before looking back at Rei, she seemed to get a maroon tinge to her face. Had he embarrassed her somehow? He hoped not, she was turning into a very good ally, the type of person that Lahad would like to keep around. She had nodded to his questions in the affirmative, which was good, he didn't want to be out of line if he had to reach close to her and use the weapon on her back. It was time to move out, he moved with her toward the first garden of the neighborhood, though you wouldn't be able to tell it was much of a garden by the way it looked. Trodding through loose soil, they came to a wall, which Rei vaulted over first, Lahad's eyes trained on her, watching how agile she was. It was no surprise that with those abilities she would be surviving in this world for as long as she did. The last thing he wanted to do was think of this young lady in a suggestive way, but watching her short torn skirt as she vaulted, and catching a glimpse of her underwear made the thoughts momentarily cross his mind. He shook his head, this was neither the time nor the place to be thinking like that. Lahad vaulted the wall as well, touching down onto the dirt on the other side and trying to keep quiet. She moved quietly, as so did he, grasping tightly his RPG sling so that it would not bounce, in fact, it made almost no noise whatsoever.

She signaled for him to stop every few steps, only for a moment, as she scanned the area for any undead in their path. He scanned with her, keeping her in his peripherals in case she signaled to move out again, which she did after only a moment. They had to be careful, if any stragglers were around, in a large enough group, they would be in hot water. The painstakingly slow pace allowed them to sneak to the next wall without incident. Though, something had caught Rei's eye, and she skidded to a halt. Lahad stopped in his tracks as well, ducking down in a crouch with her as she signaled for him to get down. He peeked over the wall, and saw a single shambling undead, pacing the garden over the wall. This straggler wouldn't offer too much resistance, but still, there could be more. She whispered frantically to him "You want to kill it, or shall I?".

Lahad didn't know if either he or she should kill it. He knew from experience that it would probably be a simple task, it was only one, but if it was to be him who ended it, he would obviously use his weapon and attract more of the undead. He also considered sending her, but he did not like that idea, sending her alone would go against his morals, and if she was to get hurt, it would be on his conscience for the rest of his life. He thought on it for a moment, before looking her in the eyes and having an idea.

"We go together, but you kill it... If I were to kill it, the noise would attract rest of horde, you will be able to do it silently with your weapon. We go together, so I back you up in case dead-one fights back. If you go alone, and get hurt, it be on my conscience and I never forgive myself."

He whispered back to her, nodding in affirmation, and putting a hand on her shoulder for a second, before tearing his eyes from her's and vaulting the wall. He hoped she would follow right away, and they would take care of this undead together. Lahad touched down with his leather-soled shoes quietly on the other side, and waited to listen for her footfalls of touching down before following right behind her if she decided to sneak up or charge at the undead that crossed their path.

[Rei Sonozaki]

"We go together, but you kill it... If I were to kill it, the noise would attract rest of horde, you will be able to do it silently with your weapon. We go together, so I back you up in case dead-one fights back. If you go alone, and get hurt, it be on my conscience and I never forgive myself."

As Lahad whispered excitably to her, Rei's cheeks coloured once more. He was risking his life to protect her, and for what? He'd only know her a few hours? How on earth would her life be on his conscience? She'd never thought herself as that meaningful or important. Surely he'd seen people die, had had to let people die in order to survive. She knew that most had. What he said had touched her, and she bit her lip, unsure of how to answer. His hand rested upon her shoulder moments later, as if he were trying to comfort her. It was a sweet gesture, one that she had no idea how to reciprocate, and she just nodded, her cheeks the color of red she was getting used to them displaying around him.

He looked away from her, almost reluctantly, although she was too stunned to note such a thing, and when she finally managed to regain control of herself she noticed he'd already vaulted the wall, making his way slowly towards their enemy. That's right, she had work to do. Standing gracefully, she laid her land on the wall and vaulted it once again with ease, landing quietly on the other side. As soon as her feet hit the floor, she threw herself into a silent run, approaching the shambling corpse at an amazing pace.

Her hair flew out behind her, and her face and eyes were hard, emotionless. She was focused entirely on one thing, the creature before her. As she got closer, her right hand found the hilt of her bokken, and, only a few feet a way, she drew her blade and swung in one single action. The thick wooden weapon hit the head of the zombie with a sickening crunch, and it passed clean through its cranium, separating the top of its head from the rest of its skull. Brain matter spilled to the floor, and the body dropped, lifeless after one hit. Looking down at the corpse, Rei kicked its side once, testing to see if it would move.

When it did nothing, she knew she had downed her opponent for good. Bowing her head, she wiped the blade on the hem of her torn skirt, and then re-sheathed it, eyes finally looking up to find Lahad. She grinned, proud of herself, and gestured toward the wall behind him. “We get over that wall and we're in the garbage alley. From there, it's only two houses down. The wall gets a little higher as we go, so you'll need to give me a boost like I said, but it might not be all that bad for you.”

With that said, she winked slyly, feeling more in control of herself now she'd slain the zombie, now she was a heroine again, and she jogged forward to the wall, ready to clear it in one jump. That was how she'd used to talk to people, people at her high school who she used to want to be friends with, though they were few and far between. None remained close to her for long, finding her odd sense of humour and strange values an annoyance rather than endearing. Add her odd mood swings and random depressive bouts into that, and most thought she was crazy by the second week of knowing her But maybe she could try again...

She slowed a little as she got close, and looked over her shoulder at Lahad. “Come on, get moving. The faster you get inside the faster you can get some rest. And you look like you need it.” She smiled again, and this time she was the first to get up and over the structure, her hair and skirt flying as she moved through the air, and she landed neatly in the darkened street beyond, looking both ways, checking they were clear, and then waited for him to follow her.

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

As they vaulted over the low wall, Lahad took a few steps ahead. However, his lead wouldn't last, and Rei blasted by him so fast it caught him off guard. She was silent, too, her feet making no noise as she darted past Lahad, and toward the walking corpse. Graceful, dare he say in his mind, beautiful, she was as her hair flew out and trailed behind her. Lahad watched in awe as she reached a few foot's distance from her quarry, grasping the hilt of her wooden weapon, and with a single powerful stroke, destroying the skull of her opponent with a sickening crunch. The undead, or now fully dead corpse slumped, it's skull literally cracked in half and bifurcated. Lahad was awestruck, she was amazing, and allah was watching her do the sacred work that Lahad was also sent here to do. That could be the only way she had such skill, in Lahad's mind, she was another blessed soul, a holy woman who was sent here to destroy the undead by his side. He watched in awe, walking up to her slowly and nodding that she had done an amazing job. She kicked at it, to make sure it was dead, but it was completely lifeless. He watched her clean her wooden weapon of the gore that had covered it with her torn skirt; thinking back to the panty-shot he had gotten earlier. It crossed his mind yet again, and he couldn't believe it. This wasn't the time or the place to be thinking that whatsoever! He shook his head trying to get it out of his mind's eye. His eyes caught hers as she turned to and grinned at him, motioning to a nearby wall.

"We get over that wall and we're in the garbage alley. From there, it's only two houses down. The wall gets a little higher as we go, so you'll need to give me a boost like I said, but it might not be all that bad for you.”

Lahad gave her a grin back, this was good, they were going to be safe, soon. She winked at him, which he didn't pick up for what reason, but it didn't matter, they were going to be in a safe house soon, and that was enough reason for him to be happy. He followed her at a jogging pace toward the wall she had gestured at, it was time to move out. Lahad trailed a bit behind her, enough for her to slow to a stop before the wall, and look over her shoulder to call to him.

“Come on, get moving. The faster you get inside the faster you can get some rest. And you look like you need it.”

She was right, he definitely needed to rest, even this brisk jog was getting to him. However, her smile and perseverance allowed him to keep going, it was like a refreshment from god himself, a sign to keep going, no matter what. She hopped over the low wall, again her hair flying behind her and trailing her path, her skirt-- Again flipped up so that he caught a glimpse of her underwear. Lahad paused and rubbed his eyes, he was surely going to fall out of favour with god if he kept this up. He shook his head at his blasphemous thoughts, and quickly followed, vaulting the low-wall behind Rei, and landing beside her.

"If we are clear.. I follow.."

He was going to follow right behind her now, making sure he wouldn't stray too far behind. Things seemed clear left to right, as Lahad cast a glance either way, but he wasn't sure, it was too quick of a glance, and he was tired and bound to miss something. Even though he hadn't much trouble missing Rei's underwear, but you would honestly have to try extremely hard to miss that.

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei stepped to the side a little as Lahad vaulted the wall and landed next to her, still looking into the darkness about them, wanting to make sure they were actually alone. As luck would have it, nothing moved, not even rats in the garbage, and everything looked to be clear. Despite that one zombie she'd had to dispose of, everything seemed to be going well. So far, it seemed as though Lahad's plan was by far the better one, saving energy, ammunition, and more importantly, the risking of their lives. She was silently grateful for meeting him, for listening to him, for having him near her. She'd never admit it out loud, but...she liked having someone of fair intelligence around her...she liked company. She'd missed out on it for so long that she'd forgotten why she'd ever wanted it. Now, since meeting him, she remembered again.

"If we are clear.. I follow.." Rei nodded quickly, grabbing his sleeve and dragging him in the direction they needed to move. She didn't hold onto him for long, but long enough to make sure he was moving behind him, not looking off into distant shadows and losing his way when she took the slight turn that was coming.

Their walk was not a long one, although it seemed to take forever. Walking slightly slower now, the gun strap cutting into her chest again, Rei had let herself calm a little, thinking everything was over, thinking the zombies she'd seen earlier were as good as gone, that she'd be able to get to her bed, get to sleep, and forget the evening she'd had, forget the hideous things she'd seen until the following morning. But in doing that, she realized how fatigued she was. The adrenaline that ran through her, that powered her, dampened, and soon enough she wilted, wincing with every few steps she took, just wanting to get inside, drop her weapon, drop Lahad's weapon, slip into something more comfortable and relax.

As they moved, the walls rose either side of them, fairly steeply in places, made worse by the slight decline of the path they walked. It blocked out much of the light that was left of the dying day, and when Rei finally came to a halt, signalling the wall that separated them from her home, everything around them seemed bathed in the dark greys of twilight. Pointing to the wall, she smiled at Lahad, the new found weakness preventing her from grinning as she had only minutes before, when she was switched on and alert. Resting her hands on her hips, she used the other to prod the big foreigner's shoulder.

“You need to give me that boost we were talking about.” Turning half to the wall, she tugged him closer to her again, using his sleeve like a leash. “You're going to need to get close enough to actually touch me if this is going to work. Don't worry, I won't break any of your limbs. I am not that heavy.” That, well...that was Rei's attempt at a joke. Perhaps it was becoming slightly more obvious as to why people had found her a killjoy in high school.

Readying herself for Lahad to spring into action, she wondered exactly how he was going to get her up to where she needed to be. Was he going to lift her, throw her or make some kind of platform for her to stand on. God knows exactly what he had in mind, but she figured she ought to expect any eventuality. Boosting someone was done differently by every human crossing the earth, and she readied her hands to grab the top of the wall as soon as she moved toward the top of it. Glancing at him, quickly, she blushed. “No peeking.” Another smile. Another bad joke. She never thought anyone would be interested in what they would see boosting her. How wrong she was...

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

The tug at his sleeve signaled it was time to move. Rei was more than trusted by Lahad at this point in time, she was a good person as far as Lahad knew, and she wasn't about to lead him into a trap. The twilight that had fallen made it difficult to see, but nothing moved in the shambling menacing way that the undead did. This was positive, they were safe and secure for the time being. The walking dead were no longer on his mind at this point, as Rei tugged him along like a dog on a leash. They moved relatively slowly, and Lahad saw this as her keeping quiet so that they did not attract the undead. The painfully slow pace made Lahad weary for sleep, for a warm bed instead of bundling up in the clothes he wore on his back to keep the biting cold away.

Lahad didn't notice the walls rising in height, or anything else for that matter, he was far too tired to be noticing the little things. Finally, after a fairly long trot, and turning a gentle corner, Rei signal led that this was the place. Though the dark colors that came with twilight were setting in around them, he could still see Rei's fair skinned face turn to him in a smile. This was the wall, obviously. Lahad smiled back and looked upward. It wasn't that tall, she would surely reach the top with his assistance, and hopefully she would pull him up behind her. A prod in his shoulder gained his attention, and his eyes made contact with Rei's once again.

"You need to give me that boost we were talking about."

Rei tugged Lahad a little closer by the sleeve, he was close to her to begin with, but now he was nearly breathing on her. His face straightened, and he felt a touch of embarrassment, being so close to a young lady like this, it made him embarrassed.

"You're going to need to get close enough to actually touch me if this is going to work. Don't worry, I won't break any of your limbs. I am not that heavy."

Touch her? Lahad nearly lost his knees when she said that, and he swallowed hard to try and keep composure. Heavy? She didn't look it at all, and that was the least of his worries, he was wearily thinking about her in impure fashions, and she wanted him to touch her? He took in a deep breath and kept his composure, thinking about every other obstacle he had overcome, this was just another. Lahad nodded to her, and squatted down, interlinking his fingers together so that she would be able to use that as a footing, then he would stand and lift her up as high as he could. The RPG on his back would make it a little difficult for him to put his entire back against the wall, but he instead rested one shoulder against the wall, so the RPG would not interfere.

"No peeking."

Rei's voice yet again caught Lahad's attention, while he had his eyes on his interlinked hands, ready to see her foot step in, instead his eyes looked up to her face now and seeing her blush and smile. It embarrassed Lahad further, shaking his head and thinking about other things than her underwear. He would have to use all of his Constitution, every fibre of his being to not look up when he boosted her. This was a force of habit, really, looking up when you boosted someone. You wanted to see if they had gotten hold of what you were boosting them up to get at, and with her wearing a skirt, well, things would inadvertently be seen. But what if he didn't lift her high enough? He would have to look up, sadly, but he would try and explain beforehand. Yes, this would hopefully clear the air should she look down as he looked up and catch him peeking. Lahad thought he would begin, to explain, but instead took her leg, lifted it by the calf, and put his hands underneath her foot.

"Okay.. No peek, I will not... But do not get angry if I look up... I err.. I am not peek.. I just look to see if you have catch onto ledge... Now I boost, yes?"

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei's eyes widened as Lahad, who had half-crouched before her, grabbed her calf, lifted her leg and latched his feet underneath her foot. Her leg half in the air, she quickly lowered her hands to her skirt, pushing it down for the sake of modesty, not wanting him to see anything at the height he was, as surely his eyes would be at about that level in the position he has. Gulping a little, her blush deepened, and she bit her lip. How embarrassing! The second she'd told him not to peek, she went and revealed all to him anyway. Sighing, she supposed it wasn't too bad, as it was dark, and it was only underwear. It could have been worse, she could have gone without panties that day, or he could have seen her coming out of the shower...at least, these are the things she tried to tell herself in an attempt to make the situation easier to bare. What had been a joke had become reality, and it wasn't as funny any more.

"Okay.. No peek, I will not... But do not get angry if I look up... I err.. I am not peek.. I just look to see if you have catch onto ledge... Now I boost, yes?" Smiling a little, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to know there was still one decent person in the world, one that wouldn't look up a girls skirt if they had the opportunity. It was quite sweet of him to reassure her! How she wished more men at school had been like Lahad, rather than trying to grab and grope her, taking sneak peaks in the locker rooms and catching any girl who didn't quickly cross her legs when she sat. He was a gentleman, and it made her even happier to be in his company; happy that she'd found someone she could trust, for now at any rate.

Nodding, Rei turned to face the wall fully, and readied her hands, satisfied that Lahad wouldn't try and catch a glimpse of her underwear. She readied her arm muscled, tensing and relaxing them, getting ready to catch her own weight when she was pushed into the air. “Okay, I'm ready.” Her tone was back to being more monotone, more flat, concentrating hard on the task at had. And then she felt his weight shift beneath her, and the ground quickly got further away. She was propelled, rocketed upwards, and she gripped the wall with ease, pulling herself up with a few feminine grunts, legs flailing wildly.

When atop the wall, she lay there for a few moments, and then simply shouted down “Okay, I'm up. Time to get you up here.” Though quite how was another matter. Did he have any ideas? She guessed she could lower her arm to him. “If I lower my arm, do you think you could reach it?” And lower her arm she did, letting it dangle down to him, pushing it as far as she could. She hoped he wasn't as heavy as he looked!

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

"Okay, I'm ready."

That was her monotone cue for him to begin lifting. She was surprisingly light, he had little trouble pushing her by one foot up past his shoulders. Maybe he was just used to carrying heavy things, and in comparison she was light. Either way this was the thought process he kept to keep himself from looking up and catching a glimpse of what was forbidden at this point. His face felt warm, a blush that would be invisible on his dark skin. Lahad kept his eyes level with the other wall, he could hear her feminine grunts as she pulled herself up, and he only looked back up when he heard her stop. He saw her, straddling the wall and laying forward on it. Lahad took a step back from the wall and looked up at her, nodding. He was satisfied that she was fairly secure, secure enough to at least help as a point he could pull himself plus twenty some pounds of his RPG up to where she was. It would not be simple, he looked and saw she was quite a bit higher up than he was standing, but he would be tall enough with a jump to catch her arm. She shouted down at him, still laying and straddling the wall.

"Okay, I'm up. Time to get you up here. If I lower my arm, do you think you could reach it?”

That was a question he doubted he could answer definitely. He didn't know exactly he if could, she dangled her arm down, but it seemed fairly thin, he didn't want to hurt her making his way up, but he was still obliged to follow her, and keep her alive. Lahad looked up, taking a few more steps back, sizing up the wall. He would need a running start, but it should be enough.

"I believe it will be possible, yes."

Lahad called back to her, nodding in affirmation, before backing up to the wall opposite of them, and beginning a mad dash to the wall Rei straddled. He bounded toward the wall, and in a few short steps he was already across the alleyway, and jumped, pushing as hard as he could off the ground, and lifting one leg up. With his lifted leg, he caught the wall, and pushed a little more with his momentum, giving him enough height, and lift, to catch her wrist. He then used the same momentum to bend his arm as he caught her wrist, pulling himself up enough to grasp the lip of the ledge above with his opposite hand. As soon as he wrapped his fingers around the lip of the ledge, he let go of Rei and secured his other hand on the ledge. He began the arduous task of pulling himself up onto the ledge. Bending his arms to pull himself high enough, and throwing an arm over the edge so as to gain more leverage. Slowly, he had pulled himself high enough to throw a leg over the ledge, panting all the while. Finally, he was up, and straddled the wall facing Rei. Taking a moment to recover his breath and his composure, he nodded at Rei with a faint smile.

"I think we have made it."

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei watched Lahad carefully as he took a few steps back, realizing very quickly he was going to try and take a running jump at the wall. She thought that best, as at least running he might make it higher up than from a standing start, and the last thing she wanted was to hold onto him for longer than she had to. Armed with that rocket thing, and being a fairly big guy, she wasn't expecting him to be light. Readying her self, she let her arm hang loose. If it was tense, she would probably have her arm pulled out of her socket, or a muscle torn...or something equally painful that she didn't want to deal with right now.

She barely kept her eyes on him as he stepped over the short distance between them; he moved hellaciously fast for a thick-set man carrying an RPG, and when he hit the wall with his foot, she could have sworn it shook. Moments later she felt his warm hand wrap around her arm, and within seconds she was holding his full weight. Feeling herself pulled down, hard, she winced. The force he was exerting threatened to pull her from her perch, or worse, crush her body into the brick, her chest and thighs pushing and rubbing against the coarse brick, scratching her sensitive skin.

Her cheeks turned red, though not from embarrassment this time. Holding onto him hurt, and took more strength than she had. Her muscles were on fire, and she felt tears threatening to burst from her eyes. Would he just hurry up and pull himself up already. Making a small whining noise, she whimpered with the exertion put on her arms, a pathetic mewling similar to that of a cat. She tried counting the seconds to take her mind off of it, but all she felt pain. When would it end?

Finally, the guy grabbed the wall, letting go of Rei's arm, and she let her head collapse forward, resting it after the strain she had just undergone. She heard Lahad struggling desperately to pull himself up, but she couldn't bring herself to try and aid him. She couldn't bring herself to check if he was okay. She needed some time to recover, wipe away her tears, not look so damn pathetic. She needed to look strong again. Taking deep breaths, she did not look back to Lahad until he spoke again.

"I think we have made it."

When she finally turned to look at him, he was smiling at her, and she just about managed one back. Scooting forward a little, she shifted closer to him, her face nearly touching his, and breathed out a little. Then resting her hands on his shoulders, she pushed herself up, sliding her legs up, then dangling them over the wall on the side her house was. Keeping them apart a little, she lifted her skirt a little, and looked at the cuts and grazes the wall had caused on her soft thighs. They were both bleeding a little, though neither injury was that deep.

“Made it we have...though I don't think we should stay out here too long celebrating. We need to get inside...” She didn't want to say way, say that her blood would attract the horde out front. No, she just wanted to get inside with him, and then get some rest. They both deserved that much. Letting her head collapse back a moment, she wished he'd sat up. His shoulder was the perfect pillow height.

“After you this time...” she said with a weak smile, tired from the long day, too close to home to be strong any more.

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

When she managed to smile back, it made the effort of climbing up this wall worth it. Lahad was growing fond of this young lady, just being around her made it feel like he was getting to know her every moment they spent hunting the unholy undead. He was off in dreamland for a moment before he was taken back to reality by the sight of Rei coming closer to him, noses almost touching. Lahad felt his face get warm, an invisible blush on his dark skin, the darkness did little to help visibility as well. He felt her breath on his chin, and he shuddered slightly. Lahad had to look down, away from her eyes, if he did continue to look into them, he would swear he would lean in and commit a horrendous deed that should only be done between married couples. He felt Rei touch both his shoulders and his face got even hotter, though, the touch wouldn't last. Surprised, and relieved, he looked up to catch her as she turned to dangle her legs off the side of the wall where her house was located. He watched her curiously, as she... Lifted her skirt?! Lahad averted his eyes immediately, he didn't want her to catch him peeking at whatever it was she was looking at!

"Made it we have...though I don't think we should stay out here too long celebrating. We need to get inside..."

Lahad nodded slightly, looking back to see that she leaned her head back a little bit; she was tired too. So was he, Lahad felt the fatigue many times over, but he would press on, it was a short distance from the wall to her home. His eyes came to rest on her eyes, a weak smile forming on her fair face.

"After you this time..."

He obliged her a smile back before lifting his own leg up, turning himself slowly, bracing with one hand so he didn't lose balance, and letting his legs dangle on the same side as Rei. He nodded, and looked down to the distance they would have to drop. It was a little intimidating, Lahad's own height added to the height of the wall, and he instantly felt a little dizzy. This wasn't time for that though! Lahad shook his head and pushed off the wall, falling to the ground with a loud thud. He stuck the landing, but his legs hurt afterward. He hadn't absorbed much of the fall, and it reverberated through his body. Collapsing to one knee, he let out a small grunt of discomfort before getting up to a crouch, and nodding.

"We are clear... I follow you into house."

Lahad would follow right behind Rei as soon as she dropped down, covering her as best he could in the dwindling sunlight.

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei watched as Lahad dropped off the wall before her, his body becoming nothing more than one of the shadows that stretched across the dead garden. Having one last poke at her thighs, determining that they weren't too badly injured, she sighed and decided on following him sooner rather than later. Sliding herself forward a little, she position herself on the lip of the brick, and then pushed herself off, plummeting to the floor. Normally, she would have landed neatly, but she was never normally out this long, and fatigue and injury had made her a little clumsier than normal. Looking back only ten minutes, she wondered how on earth she'd had the strength in her body to sprint, let alone vault walls and kill zombies. With her adrenaline reserves dissipated, she felt utterly useless, as if she were about to collapse.

As soon as her feet hit the floor, she ducked into a roll, unable to land in a crouch. While she'd attempted it, the impact had caused her thighs to hurt, and she'd thrown herself forward last minute to ease some of the pain. She landed flat on her back, and stared up at the sky for a moment. How she wished she could see the stars, or the moon, but all that lay in the dark night was the pollution from constantly dropped bombs, breaking any chance she had of entering a silent reverie. At least it got her to push herself up, something she did with a grunt.

It was as she rose that she felt her back begin to ache, and she remembered that she was still carrying Lahad's gun. She'd completely forgotten about it throwing herself into a roll, and had she remembered how hard it was, she would have taken the shock in her legs. Christ that had hurt, and she was sure she'd have a bruise there the following day. “Owch” she muttered, a little too loud for it to be just for her own ears.

"We are clear... I follow you into house."

Nodding, Rei just about managed to run the distance between them and the house, her legs operating as if on auto-pilot. On reaching the garage annex of the building, she dragged a garbage can from close by, and, looking up, searched for her emergency escape and entrance window. It lay off to the left, a large window, blacked out so it wasn't overly noticeable to those looking for it. It was the only entrance to the entire place she'd kept unlocked and unbarricaded. Pulling the trash almost directly below it, she pulled herself up onto the green lid, and then reached up to press her hands against the dark, cold glass.

At first, it felt stiff to the touch, refusing to budge, but lifting her hands to the top, she pressed down firmly, and it opened outwards toward her, coming out and up from the bottom. Once it was a little way out, she got her fingers underneath it, pulling as high as it would go, namely to allow for the RPG carrying Lahad to fit. That done, she clambered up and onto the ledge, and then turned to look down at Lahad.

“Okay, once you get here, you're in. It's really dark in here, as there is no natural light, but once we get to the first floor I can get a torch and show you around and give you somewhere to sleep. If you're lucky, I might cook for you.” She added the last part with a smile, hoping to brighten the big man's spirits a little, making the best of what had been a hard day.

Lowering herself into the dark abyss, she said one more, final thing. “Once you are through, pull it shut. And tight. I don't want to share the place with scavengers.”

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

Lahad crouched in the dead garden, waiting for Rei to drop down as he did. When she did, though, he turned his attention to her momentarily to see her roll forward and onto her back. He gritted his teeth and wanted to reach out and take her hand, help her up, but she was already ontop of the situation, she muttered a sound usually uttered when in pain, before pushing herself up to her feet and nodding to him. She managed to run, and so, Lahad felt it would be the same for him. Making the least amount of noise possible as he kept his eyes peeled in the darkness for lumbering shadows of undead as he kept right behind Rei. When they finally made it to the house, Lahad turned his back to Rei and kept his eyes peeled for anything moving behind them. He would use his rocket out in the open if necessary, it would explode in a much better fashion than if he used it in close quarters. He heard her drag something a short distance and then climb atop it. Lahad glanced over his shoulder to see Rei, or at least the fair skin of her face and legs in the darkness, standing atop something and pushing against a window high enough up for it to be necessary to raise oneself ontop of something to get at it. He watched her for a moment before turning back to the darkness, scanning for anything that moved. The sky was blotted out by polluted clouds and made starlight null, and moonlight non-existent. Though it was still possible to discern movement in the darkness, Lahad had to not move himself.

A bit of sound from Rei's direction caught his attention again, and he looked, seeing she had now opened the window as if it were a hatch and pulling herself up onto the window sill. Lahad watched her as she clambered up onto the sill, her skirt for once actually hiding her underwear this time.“Okay, once you get here, you're in. It's really dark in here, as there is no natural light, but once we get to the first floor I can get a torch and show you around and give you somewhere to sleep. If you're lucky, I might cook for you. Once you are through, pull it shut. And tight. I don't want to share the place with scavengers.” Lahad sighed in relief, it was nearly time for him to drop his guard, for safety. He looked up and smiled up at her, the prospect of some good food as well wasn't one he could turn down. He nodded at her requests, they weren't out of line, he didn't want scavengers in there either, forcing him to give them his prized weapons and Lahad being powerless to really stop them. He had an oath, after all, not to end human lives, those most precious things that were left on this Earth.

As soon as he saw her disappear into the blackness of the house, he knew it was his turn. Lahad rested a knee on the top of the trashcan, which he could now discern what it was she used to raise herself up, and took a step up onto it. Lahad then stood up and realized that it would be far too much if he were to try and pull himself up with an RPG on his back. Lahad took it off of his back, sliding the sling down his arm carefully as he lifted the tube with the volatile explosive on it's tip over his head and into the building, resting it as carefully as he could close to the window on the inside of the building. He then wrapped his fingers around the sill and began to pull himself up, holding his breath as he pulled himself up and flopped his upper body over the bottom of the sill. Lahad then lifted his legs and slid himself forward with a light thud into the darkness of the building. He was safe, finally, even though he had incurred himself a small amount of pain from falling into Rei's house. Lahad flipped himself onto his back and let out a sigh of relief, a smile on his face in the darkness before he remembered what Rei had said. Lahad leaned up and replaced the RPG from beside the window to further away before pulling at the bottom of the dark window to close it most of the way before pushing at the top to shut it entirely. Safe at last, Lahad stood at the sill, both arms on either side of the frame, leaning forward and taking his first relaxed breath in quite some time.