The bus rumbled through the city streets, its wheels crushing biters under its weight, clearing a path towards the obscured destination in the smoke-choked area.
Amidst the growls of the encircling biters, Aya's reassuring hand rested on Cody's shoulder. "I'm right behind you," she affirmed with a faint smile, her presence offering a silent camaraderie.
Cody acknowledged her assurance with a brief gaze, his grip tightening around the crowbar as Ed brandished his machete, readying themselves for the imminent confrontation.
Dogface tightened his hold on his gun, and Guts, displaying his eagerness for combat, thundered a battle cry. "Let's bump some uglies!" Guts roared, unleashing a visceral energy.
Ed swung open the bus door, stepping out into the fray. A lone biter turned towards him, met by Guts' unrestrained enthusiasm. Guts leaped into action, fists colliding with the biter's head, splattering blood on the pavement.
Gunshots reverberated from the vicinity of the building. Cody darted out, Aya closely shadowing him, while Spike and Bandy unfurled their deadly claws in tandem with their approach.
Emmy, with Ted on her back, emerged, pistol aimed methodically from the bus entrance. The report of gunfire accompanied Emmy's precision, sending biters reeling and collapsing under her accurate shots.
Aryton aligned himself with Dogface, shouldering his gun. He aimed and fired at a group of biters to the left, causing a stumbling retreat and thinning their numbers.
Meanwhile, Mr. Peterson, accustomed to a different era, loaded his rifle. "Been a while since I shot a rifle," he remarked with a nostalgic touch, firing at a biter's neck. As gurgles replaced growls, he casually uttered, "Woops," before realigning his aim, this time claiming a decisive headshot.
Cody wielded the crowbar with finesse, thrusting it into a biter's skull like a spear. Aya, swift and purposeful, unsheathed her knife and jabbed it into another biter, seamlessly joining the orchestrated dance of survival.
Stalker, fueled by the sound of gunfire and the sight of biters falling before his eyes, turned to Andrew with an encouraging smile. "We're getting help," he announced, clenching his blade as he rushed outside. "HEY, ROTTING DIRT BAGS!" Stalker's yell cut through the chaos, capturing the attention of the encircling biters.
Andrew, initially shocked, quickly shouldered his rifle, preparing for the unforeseen assistance. Tommy charged into the horde, skillfully shoving biters to the ground and joining Stalker's valiant stand. Marcel and Julie swiftly followed suit, while Dobby remained vigilant, handling the strays that deviated from the group.
Cody, navigating through the dense smoke, spotted the newcomers and bellowed, "FRIENDLY!" Tommy's eyes widened at the unexpected encounter. "We know, join in!" Stalker commanded, as Ed, with a brutal efficiency, slashed through biters, reducing their numbers with each lethal swing.
Raven emerged seemingly out of nowhere, wielding his military-grade mace. He crashed it into a biter's skull, rendering a fatal blow, before lifting it upward, toppling another undead foe. Andrew, with his rifle, methodically shot at the flanks of the circle, thinning the relentless horde.
Cody, amidst the chaos, lunged at biters, wielding his crowbar with a forceful downward strike. Aya, swift and deadly, stabbed and tossed a biter aside, stealthily slipping into the protective circle. Guts, unleashing a fervent roar, swung vigorously at a group of biters, laughter ringing out as black blood splattered around.
Observing Cody and Aya, Stalker subtly analyzed them. "What?" Cody questioned, then refocused on the onslaught, jabbing his crowbar into a biter. "We'll talk later," Stalker asserted. Cody, nodding in agreement, swung his weapon once more, accompanied by a pained grunt.
Aya, concerned for Cody's well-being, insisted, "Take a break." Cody, resisting the suggestion, replied, "We have to do this." Stalker reassured them, "It's fine. There aren't many left."
Meanwhile, Dogface, in tandem with Aryton, unleashed a torrent of gunfire, causing the remaining biters to crumble, their once relentless advance halted.
Cody surveyed the aftermath, streets strewn with the lifeless bodies of biters and the occasional straggler. Stalker exchanged glances with Cob and Jackal, emerging from the building to join him.
"The ones that weren't in the big group are gone now too," Cob remarked, eyeing Dobby, now drenched in black blood. Stalker gestured toward the strays. "Help me handle these," he instructed, Cob nodding in agreement, with Jackal trailing behind, studying the fallen biters.
Stalker approached an older biter, putting it out of its misery with a swift stab to the head. He turned to Cob, speaking with a somber tone. "We lost a good amount of people, I would assume."
"We won't know the total number for a while," Jackal added, observing the scene. Aya, meanwhile, examined the ravaged lobby, where biters mingled with the bodies of survivors. Cody, entering the scene, let out a small sigh. "What happened here?" he inquired, turning to Andrew.
Andrew, glancing from Cody to Aya, asked, "You're Lilah and Carter's kids?" Cody's eyes widened, stumbling over debris as he rushed toward Andrew. "Our parents! They are alive?!" he exclaimed.
Andrew nodded. "They may be on the third floor; the stairwell collapsed," he informed them. Aya, upon hearing the news, hurried over. "We can't just stand there; we need to help them!" she urged, but Andrew explained the obstacles. "It'll take us days to clear the debris on the stairs."
As Stalker continued dealing with the remaining biters, Cob voiced his concern. "Why the hell did the military attack us?"
"We should make a plan to guard this pla-" Stalker began to respond, but Jackal interjected with a different perspective. "We are not staying here. It's too dangerous. The military knows our location, our defenses are gone, and the shelter is barely standing. We will need a new place once we gather our people!"
Cob nodded in agreement. "Maybe the group that helped us can let us stay with them," Cob suggested. While Cob dispatched a lone biter with a swing of his machete, Stalker noted a small group of biters approaching.
"Four of them straight ahead," Stalker warned as the growls of the biters filled the air. Cob swiftly dealt with one as Stalker prepared to attack, but the sight of the biter behind the others caught his attention. Stalker's eyes widened, and Jackal's face turned pale as they realized the truth. Jackal swiftly took down the last biter.
Long, dirty blonde hair, a shoulder marked by a bite, and decaying pale skin—it was Stalker's wife. Stalker's eyes welled up as he examined his ring, bearing the letter 'M.' He looked at the ring on her finger, which read 'S.' Jackal, filled with remorse, apologized "I'm sorry."
Stalker whispered, "It's her." He turned back to the approaching biter. "That's my wife."