A Survivor's Last Stand

I went over to some corpses and begun to dig around. I took some change, a few things worth of value and a even found a few military grade rounds. "Probably about ten, not nearly as many as you thats for damn sure." I said as I looted. "Man you sure mastered that gun quick did'nt ya?"

I nodded cutely.
"It's easy to master when it's recoil is similar to that of a bow." I said sweetly, picking up a baggie of quarters, and another flash drive. "Quarters?" I asked aloud quietly. "Why would someone carry around so many quarters?"

I looked over to her with a shocked expression. "Are you serious? Oh wait thats right you haven't really been around scene the downfall of society havent you. Well you see ever scene the fall of man dollar bills became less common and valuable and quarters ,as they were a metal, grew in value. So now a quarter is worth about say, a buck. Paper money these days is really only good for toliet paper or rolling joints." I said stuffing the soldier's money into my wallet.

I nodded, then pocketed the small back of quarters.
"I'd say that I just got a mini paycheck then." I giggled before going to the next body and extracting an actual grenade and a letter. "This letter may need to be read by Francis." I noted. "Could be something important to him." I pocketed the letter, and kept going along the bodies, looting them. By the time Arty and I were done, I have quite a few quarters, two grenades, the letter, four unused rounds of 9mm bullets, an unopened pack of cigarettes, a sapphire ring that fit me very well, and a pair of black silk gauntlet gloves. I put on the gauntlet gloves, reloaded my gun, put the one extra in the holster's magazine slot, and the last one in the jeep, then took out one of the cigarettes from the pack and lit it.

After I finished looting I came up with a good amount of quarters, some lightly used batteries, an ivory carving, and even about six rough diamonds. "Fucking sweet." i said as I went back to the jeep. i got in the car. "Not a bad ambush if I do say so myself." I said starting up the engine. "Now if you would, direct us to the metro entrance."

I nodded, smoke coming out of my nose as I exhaled while opening the map again.
"Okay, it's not far from here." I said, pointing to the right. "Go right for a mile or two, then turn left, and it should come into view."

I nodded as I begun to drive down the street. I asked Yoru. "Hey Yoru, have you ever, killed a human being before today?"

I nodded.
"Only once." I said. "I had to. I would have been killed if I didn't." I looked to Arty in an adorably way. "I've never been the same since that day."

"Yeah, I know how that feels. My first kill, wasnt even for justice like it is today. Trust me I can relate." I said sighing.

I sighed as well, and took another, long puff from my cigarette.
"Arty, may I ask you a question?" I asked softly, looking at the road ahead of me still.

"Yeah sure whats up?" I replied

I looked to him, a very serious, but youthful expression on me.
"Why do you try to move on?" I asked seriously, but softly. "The infection hit, and you lost everything.. What keeps you going?"

I sighed as I looked towards the road. "Some people will say for justice, some will say for their family and friends you know cliché shit like that. Me, I'm trying to prevent the rest of humanity from tearing each other apart. You see when society falls the very worst of mankind is revealed. Even before the virus man was tearing each other from the limbs, and now with 60% plus of the population dead human life carries more value these days, yet we contuine to tear each other apart. But, I can make a difference, I've seen things noone would think it would be possible to see, I know what must be done, but thats for the future. For now I strive to achive me goals." I replied to Yoru, obviously getting lost in speech and emotions.

I nodded, then looked out the window.
"I see..." I said softly. "That's... quite a reason to live." I took another puff from the cigarette, and brought it out the window to flick off the cherry, then returned it to my mouth.

"So, what keeps you going? S-sorry i didnt ask before, I kinda got lost in my own ramble." I said sighing.

I nodded, then looked to Arty.
"It's fine." I said passively. I then looked out the window. "The reason why I stay alive... I often wonder if my reason is even worth it. My parents, when the infection hit my town seven years ago, told me to run to the forest... to live the rest of my life, the best I possibly can..." I took a puff, and let the smoke leave through my nose as I continued. "I'm pretty sure both my mother.. and my father are dead now. I had to run away at only thirteen years old... into a forest to live alone for the next seven years after and what for?" I sighed, letting the rest of the smoke leave through my mouth. I then flicked the cherry off again. "I am here today... I am trying to remain alive... the only thing... that keeps me going...." I took a puff. "Is only to bury my parents." There were tears trickling down my cheeks by this point, their slow motion leaving a wet trail behind it. "They were the best parents I could ask for... They deserve a funeral..." I looked to Arty at that point, and showed him my necklace, which had a bullet on the end of it. "This charm was passed down from my father's side of the family... It was giving to me as a gift for my thirteenth birthday..." I gripped the bullet tightly. "Only a month before the infection hit us..." I let go of the bullet, letting the charm land between my breasts as I looked out the window again. "It's the only thing that I have left, besides my Tanto and bow..." I sniffled, taking the last puff of the cigarette in the process, then throwing the cigarette butt out the window. "My only living purpose is to give my parents a good funeral... After that, I wouldn't give a fuck if I ended up dying the same night..."

I sighed and put my arm around Yoru's shoulder while keeping an eye on the road. "I know your pain, I had to put my parents down, but I had no time to bury them. Its every child's duty to bury their parents, for the other way around is far worse. I promise, we'll bury your parents. I'm going to help you in everyway I can, because I know you'd do the same for me." i said to Yoru trying to comfort her.

I looked to Arty, tears still in my eyes, but a small smile formed on my face.
"Thanks, Artyom." I said softly, before kissing his cheek, then looking back out the window.

I was absolutely stunned ny the kiss on the check. I pondered for a moment, if that really happened. I looked as Yoru contuined to stare out the window. Astonished, I still kept driving.

I held still by the window, looking out it, it still rolled down. My hair was moving a little from the wind, but not much. My eyes had shifted to an ocean blue hue, but my eyes were a bit puffy from my crying.
"Turn left up ahead..." I said softly, almost in a whisper.

I nodded as I took a turn left. "How close are we?" i asked in a monotone tone.

I looked to the road.
"It's not even a mile away, on the right side... You should see it in a second." I whispered, wiping the tears out of my eyes, and unbuttoning my gun's holster. "Be prepared.."

"Alright." As i tunred right I could see a parked jeep, with Hans and Davis waiting nearby with their guns at the ready. "Lets go talk to them." I said as I parked the jeep and got out. Hans spoke in his deep voice. "Well you two got here quickly. How did the shed go?" He asked.

I looked to Hans with the straightest expression I could muster.
"Eighty-five Revs... Eighty-five kills... ten Artyom's... Seventy-five mine..." I whimpered under my breath. "The shed is now nonexistent.... All intel from it was gathered, as well as some military-grade equipment, such as bullets and grenades." I cleared my throat. "Stay on your toes; I know this one won't be as easy, since they're better equip."

"Alright heres the plan. Davis, you will find yourself a good sniper position. Yoru, you will sneak in and take out as many as you can, when the time is right I will storm in from the east and Hans will come in from the west. And Yoru your main priority is to take out their alarm so they cant call for backup. We will have soldiers focused as much as possible on hans while Yoru and I take from the inside and Davis snipes. Any questions?" I asked the gorup