Chapter 15: Other survivors
"Akira!" Reia was kneeling next to Akira who had been knocked out. Reia knowing he isn't dead was still freaking out as mutants could come at any moment.
"We need to hide." Reia could hear the mutants outside frantically running around looking for them.
Reia got up from the ground and started to look for a place to hide. Spotting what looked like a small storage room she went to pick Akira up.
'Fuck Akira, why do you have to be so heavy.' Reia struggled to lift Akira and thanks to his height it became harder forcing Reia to drag him.
Reia reached the storage room and opened the door, without looking Reia stepped into the room. What Reia failed to realise was she had stepped into a hole causing her to fall. Dragging Akira along with her, they both fell down the hole landing in a stack of cement bags. These stacks were on 4 pallets all put together leaving a small gap between each big stack of cement bags.
Landing in a basement of some sort, Reia found herself stuck underneath Akira. Reia attempted to push him but found herself stuck in a position that made it harder for her to get Akira off.
Being unable to push him off, Reia had to lay on top of cement bags with Akira passed out on top of her.
'Well, at least it's comfortable.' Reia during the fall had lost grip on Akira causing him to turn over and land on Reia facing her. This worked out as having Akira's swords and bag in her face would not have been ideal.
Reia let out a sigh as she had no idea what to do and cursed herself for not taking up more physical training.
However, fatigue was also catching up with Reia since she hadn't been able to properly rest. Being oddly comfortable in the awkward situation Reia could feel herself getting tired.
'I can't sleep yet, we are hardly far from safe.' Reia did not want to pass out, so she decided to try pushing Akira off her again. Reia then came to realise she was also getting exhausted as realistically it shouldn't have been too hard to move him to the side, but with each attempt she found herself getting weaker.
'Let's just hope we are safe, I'm slowly sinking in between the gaps of these cement bags so at least I can hide if I need to.' Reia figured if any mutants were to make their way down she would force herself down the gap.
Reia stared at the roof, getting lost in thought on how so much has happened in only a day.
'Only if we made it to the haven. Then at least we would be able to relax.' Reia wished that they had more time since the haven was far from the city making it a quiet area.
'Everyone should be able to survive and hopefully, they are making their way to the haven.' Although Reia believed in her squad she still felt uneasy seeing that Akira and her are barely getting by.
*
After 10 minutes of waiting, the sounds outside did not die down, but Reia was not worried as none could be heard in the construction site.
'Seems like the lion doesn't know where we are too.' After the first roar, the lion had not made any more sounds. Reia thought that Akira's corruption may have killed it or is on the verge of dying.
Reia's eyes were starting to get heavy and despite the situation was failing to stay awake.
'I... need.. To stay..... Awa-' Reia wanted to stay awake just in case, but could not fight it anymore and passed out.
***
<few hours later>
"The mutants have cleared, we can move in." A female tiger in urban clothes was in a nearby building waiting for the mutants to clear from a construction site where 2 highly equipped people fell. The half tiger had orange hair and was sitting by a window where the only light source was.
The building was rather empty with a set of stairs going below and thanks to the sun getting close to setting making the room completely dark.
"Alright, I doubt they are alive, but if they are we will take them in unless they are from the military." The same man with the scar across his eye spoke up and walked in front of the window. The man looked old and had grey throughout his hair, he also had a bushy beard that was also slowly turning grey. His clothes represented that of a general but instead of the white uniform, it was brown with an R symbol on the chest.
"Are you sure? Just because they are military doesn't mean they share the same view." The half tiger questioned the man as she did not understand why he would kill them on site.
"They are brainwashed, especially Reia, one of their best soldiers who would kill at their command." The man put his hand up to the scar on his eye as if remembering something.
"You are not wrong, she is the lonely queen after all." The half tiger sighed and got up, walking towards a set of stairs to let the people below know they are moving.
*
A group of 6 people approached the construction site taking out any lingering mutants with ease and not attracting attention. Each member carried a basic rifle with simple attachments and a suppressor to reduce the noise.
Using hand gestures the group made their way inside with ease and spotted the hole that was in the roof and half-built floor of the second level.
"Search the trash pile, if their bodies aren't there, they may be alive so keep on high alert, but do not shoot unless you see a white uniform." The same old man gave out orders and the other 5 started to rummage around looking for the 2 people that fell.
"Captain, they don't seem to be here, I think they may have moved somewhere else." A male half-dog spoke, reporting their findings.
"Search the whole building, they can't be far." The old man was a little worried about who they were dealing with, but seeing as it was most likely a couple it would not be hard to coax them into joining them.
They now started searching the place from top to bottom trying to find signs on where they went.
"They are nowhere to be found, we are yet to check the basement, so if they are here it is most likely they are hiding in there." A male half squirrel spoke from the second-floor reporting that there was no sign.
"Alright, we will all enter the basement, prepare for any danger." The old man made his way to a concrete staircase that went upstairs and downstairs.
Once everyone had arrived they all made their way down the stairs while turning on their flashlights.
Looking into the basement, it was rather empty with the floor being half-filled with concrete.
A bunch of equipment was left behind as well as a few stacks of bagged concrete.
However, when they looked at the concrete bags they noticed a pair of fox ears behind them.
"I believe there is a half fox behind the concrete bags boss." A female half spider that was next to the old man told them what they were seeing.
"Hey! Come out with your hands up, we do not mean any harm." The old man spoke and the fox ears behind the concrete bags twitched.
A male fox of about 2 metres tall stood up from behind the concrete bags with his hands up. A lot of dust was on his body and the fresh clothes they got were already dirty.
The old man examined his clothes and the weapons he had on him. Thanks to him facing away he was able to get a good look at the swords and gun.
'I don't see anything that says he is from the military.' The old man was looking for the A symbol that was on all military equipment and not one could be seen on him.
"What do you want?" Akira stared at the old man with a cold gaze while planning on what to do next as having 5 guns pointed at him was not ideal.
"Seeing as you are alive, we are gathering up survivors and we saw you and your girlfriend fall from the roof. If I'm honest we were hoping to loot your bodies, but since you're alive we will take you with us." The old man spoke honestly.
Akira was rather suspicious of the old man and since Reia was asleep he did not want to start a fight.
The half dog getting the gesture to move up slowly went to Akira to check on the other person that was there. The half dog looked around the cement bags and saw a fox girl who seemed to have passed out.
The half dog nodded letting them know that there was another person and that there was no danger.
The old man signalled to lower their weapons and Akira was finally able to relax.
"Take your girl and follow us." The old man turned to go up the stairs.
Akira nodded and picked up Reia in a princess carry.
Akira approached the stairs coming next to the orange-haired tiger. The half tiger looked at the woman in Akira's arms and realised something. With the limited light barely coming from the stairs the half tiger was able to just make out Reia's face.
"The lonely queen?" She spoke these words to herself, as she still wasn't sure because of the light, but this had set Akira off. Not taking any chances Akira pulled out one of his swords and instantly killed the woman.
There was a brief moment of shock before anyone realised what had happened and Akira knew that he didn't have much time left.