ZRP-2 Chapter 7: Mutation

Hayley screamed as they dragged her out naked. They threw her out without even a blanket, and she landed next to Sam. Hayley tried to cover herself with her hands, ready crying.
Then a gunshot rang. Hibiki stood there, Eve's gun in one hand and her motherfucking katana in the other.
"AWAY FROM MY FAMILY, OR THE NEXT PERSON TO FALL WILL BE HEADLESS!" She roared.

The crowd froze, no one moving though they still looked angry. Ella, who had been dragged out of the house moved to Hayley, covering her with her arms as she sheltered her. James moved to stand up, and Marcus Clara and Cooper immediately arrived, with Clara looking livid. "What the hell is going on?" It wasn't just James' house. People had gone to the other houses, and already tried dragging them out. One of the mob members stepped forward. "Clara, you don't need to be here. We're taking care of the problem just fine ourselves." Clara moved forward and stared down the man. "And what. Problem. Is that?"

"These intruders. Things were fine before they came here! Then the Shepherds, then the runners, and now a fucking bandit raid! They need to be kicked out if we're to get things back to normal here!"

Hibiki stalked into the mob. It parted, and Hibiki pistol-whipped the speaker.
"You just ripped my family from a home. You took a girl who has been gang raped by bandits for weeks and threw her naked into public. If Marcus and Clara didnt have the guts to kick me out, I'd fucking kill you." She looked terrifying. "You two deal with this. I have a others to help."

She stalked off to other homes, as if the angel.of death approached. Eve ran foe Hayley, helping her and Ella up.
"Lets get inside. Now." She said.

The speaker was knocked back by the blow, but then immediately regained his balance and moved to attack Hibiki. But James immediately darted forward and slammed his fist into the mans stomach, knocking the air out of him and sending him down. "Touch her, and I'll kill you," James said through clenched teeth. "And that goes for all of you. Touch anyone of my friends of family, and I will kill you, plain and simple." The mob backed off a bit, and Clara motioned for two guards to drag the man away. "If anyone's got a problem," Clara said. "You bring it to me. That's the way this has always worked. Now, in light of this I can see we have some talking to do; everyone meet at the church in an hour, after you've cooled off." The armed guards began moving through the crowd, breaking it up and making them recede, while James followed Hibiki and the others back into the house.

Sam helped Ella walk back up the porch, wanting very badly to beat someone up.

Eve helped keep Hayley covered. The already traumatized medic just cried, but still.managed to help Ella inside.
once Ella was on the couch, she ran upstairs. Hibiki looked up.
"Sam. Get her. Eve. Bow. Watch from the upper floor. James...no fucking clue. Watch Ella." She stomped into the kitchen.

James followed his wife into the kitchen, certain this wasn't going to end well. "So.....how close are we to setting the town on fire?" he asked her.

Sam went after Hayley, though she didn't grab her. "Hayley, Hayley wait!"

Hayley turned and wenr into the bedroom, looking for her clothes.
"I just want to be left in peace." She sobbed. "Why did they do that Sam?"

Hibiki growled. "Give me the tank keyes and find out."

Sighing, James moved to Hibiki and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Hibiki they're afraid. We've all done stupid things when we're afraid."

"I don't know," Sam said honestly. "Maybe they wanted someone to blame for the attack. I just don't know."

Hayley looked at Sam. "C...can i have some new clothes please?" She finally askes.

Hibiki shook. "How long until they terrorize our children? Drag us out of bed and beat us? Till rapes occur? Fear twists." She kicked the ground, angry.

"As long as they have reason to be afraid," James said. "And in this world, there's so much to fear. The dead, the living. It's a wonder they haven't done this sooner."

"Sure thing," Sam said, grabbing the clothes from the drawer and handing them to Hayley.

Hayley got dressed. "Um...so...is...Ella lesbian?"

Hibimi growled. "If they touch my family again..."

"Then I'll help," James said flatly, hugging her. "Hibiki any harm done to you or Eve is harm done to me. And I will make sure that no harm comes to any of us."

Sam blinked. "Uh....okay out of the blue there, but yeah I think she is. Why?"

"The way she talked to me a few times i guess. Just wondering." Hayley said.

Hibiki hugged him. "I know. I know."

(Please erase this kthx)

"Ah. Well, not much else I can tell you. James didn't talk about her much, they were old friends is all I know," Sam said. "You gonna be okay?"

Gently, James rocked back and forth with Hibiki in his arms. "Gotta say.....you are still scary as fuck sometimes."

Hayley nodded. "I will be."

Hibiki laughed softly. "I know."

"So, guessing we stick to locking our doors and staying inside for now?" James asked her, and the concept felt absurd. They should have to lock their doors because of the undead now, not because of the living.

"Okay. I'll be downstairs if you need anything," Sam said as she left.

Hayley nodded. "Be down soon...and Sam? Thank you."

Hibiki growled. "Yep."

"Sure thing," Sam said as she finally left, and returned to the living room. "So.....shall we kick some ass?" she asked.

"On the bright side....probably gives us more indoor time, if you catch my drift," James said, though before Hibiki answered he heard Sam ask about kicking ass.

"Angry sex? I can get down with that." Hibiki said.

Eve looked up. "Sounds like a plan. Im down."

"Ha....not sure I'd survive it," James said.

"First we need to know who's ass to kick," Sam responded.

"You survived in St. Louis." Hibiki reminded.

Eve sighed. "Well. We could abscond to our room and just cuddle."


Hayley came down and sat next to Ella. "Your leg ok? Nothing put of place during that event?" She fell silent. "Thank you. For covering me up you guys."

"Leg's doing fine," Ella said as she curled up a bit to make some room "Doubt I'll be running marathons anytime soon.....but thanks, I should be fine. And no problem, it was the right thing to do."

Sam rolled her eyes at Eve, not happy with the response. "Eve, they pulled us out of our home and tried to kick us to the curb. Now's not the time for intimacy, now's the time fatalities."

James, who was listening in from the kitchen, walked into the room. "No. We're not killing anyone, and we're definitely not retaliating over this. We are going to stay put, and rob those people of the response they want."

"So everyone have sex and spite them." Hibiki joked.

Eve chuckled. "I just wanted cuddles."

Hayley blushed. "Great. Alone together i guess Ella?"

James glowered at Hibiki, not amused. "Other than that option.....we hunker down for now. I'll talk to Clara and Marcus later, bring Andrew along so I have some extra muscle." He grinned, apologetically, at Hibiki. "Sorry....but you may have muscle, but you're not quite as muscled as Andrew. I need a thug."

"I guess," Ella said in response to Hayley. "Don't expect much conversation, odds are I'll pass out at some point."

"No worries Ella. I'll catch you." She smiled. "Just be careful. I cant resist a 'falling for me' joke."

Hibiki sighed. "Bring them all. Estel and Aidan can share a bed. Hayley can sleep on the floor in Eve and Sam's room and Ella can take the empty bunk. Andrew and his family can use the couch and chairs. Sound good James?"

"Hibiki.....there are spare houses. Andrew and his family can stay in their own house, though I'm more worried about Book. Doubt anyone will harm him, but I'm not sure." "Book?" Ella said from the couch, and James realized she never met him. "He's a priest we met along the way, and.....bit of a friend. I trust him." Ella nodded, saying "Ah....okay. And Hayely......I'm already on the couch. I may just sleep here."

"I know Ella. I know James. But there is safety in numbers, and...I just want everone safe." Hibiki finished.

Hayley poked Ella's cheek. "I'll be close. Cant have you hurting yourself."

Andrew came in with Sarah back into the house, locking the deadbolt. He then cast a wary eye outside, more than irritated at the state of the crowd outside. He muttered a curse as Sarah sat down on the couch, her face white with fear. She held her knees against her chest, feeling like she was seven again.

Andrew went into the bedroom, a slight bit of irritation lining his voice. "This is the thanks we get after saving their asses? I felt like I was about to get lynched with how they were acting."

Mira sat beside Sarah, kissing her hair. "Calm down Sarah...calm down..."

"Been hurt for two years, I'm used to it," Ella said.

"Hibiki, I understand but confining everyone won't help. Hell it'll make us a tempting target for a molotov," James stated flatly.

"And hiding will be good?" Hibiki retorted.

"Yeah well. Stop hurting yourself. What are you going to do when i have to remove your shirt?" Hayley joked.

"Well Hibiki we certainly can't go out there and confront the problem. That might provoke a shootout," James said in a stern voice, and Sam pitched in. "James, we can't hide because they know where we are and they'll just come for us again. We need to confront them, deal with the problem now before it gets out of hand."

"Hayley if that happens I'll probably turn as red as a beetroot," Ella responded, though she grinned a bit.

"James. Go to Clara before we start killing." Hibiki said.

Hayley giggled. "I'd love to see that."

Sarah's face was still white, and she made hiccuping sobs, feeling like her nightmares had been brought to life. She felt like she had just been tortured again by Abernathy, being put in the closet 'for her own good.'

She said softly, "It felt...like...like I was seeing one of my nightmares." Her voice was soft, "I...I felt like they were going to kill me."

Mira hugged Sarah, kissing her hair. "It's ok Sarah. Its ok I promise. No one is going to hurt you. You're safe. I promise."

Ella blinked at the timing of Hayley's comment, considering what Hibiki said. "You are a very sick, twisted girl," she said.

James shrugged his shoulders, debating on whether he would actually talk with Clara and Marcus. Well, right at the moment; he was certain Clara was busy chewing out the people who tried to kill them all. "Maybe in a bit, once they've had their fill of of the mobs entrails."

Hayley looked...ashamed. "I apologize. I didnt meant to come off as such." She looked away.

"Then find Marcus. Im ready to slash heads off for what they did to my daughter."

"You don't think I'm ready to do that myself?" James asked, a little offended. "What if they came after you, or somehow hurt our baby? I don't care who's in this town, I would have burned it down to the ground," he growled out, though Ella actually surprised him when she removed her shoe and tossed it at him. "Don't you dare even say that James," she said, somewhere between angry and afraid. "Bandits sure. Shepherds definitely. But not people, who are simply afraid! Their home, their friends and family are at risk here the same as yours. They would be willing to go above and beyond for them, the same way you are clearly willing to."

Hibiki threw her arms up. "Last i checked i can deice a tank. I get those keys and those assholes are fucking doomed."

Hayley scooted away from the foot. "Um. Lets not fight, please...infighting just means they win."

"She's right," Ella said in response to Hayley. "We start arguing with each other, we'll be too divided when we need to be standing together." James looked at Ella.....then at his feet, slightly ashamed. "You have a point," he said. "Both of you."

Hibiki hugged James while Hayley sighed.
"It happens."

"Damn right I do," Ella said, before she winced a bit. "Crap.....first time I've had my shoe off long enough to feel how cramped it is. Dammit..."

Hayley gently lrobee the foot with her fingers. "Yep." She worked the sock off. "Here..." Hayley began to gently massage Ella's foot, trying to work out the cramp.

Ella was about to stop her.....but then the cramp actually started to vanish, and she felt really good around her foot. "Oh wow....that actually works." She leaned back a bit, stretching out on the sofa and even surprised James when she actually groaned in pleasure and relief. "Oh man, that feels good. My foot has never felt this good in two years," she said, and it made Jason cough. "Do you two need a room?" he asked.

"Uh. No. Just doing my best to uelp her get comfy. Aint gonna heal twitching at a cramp." Hayley said. She applied a bit more pressure. "Feeling better i guess?"

Sarah closed her eyes, still hugging her knees to her chest, "It just felt...they were going...to call me out...for what I was." Her tone was full of sadness, "I...just don't want be alone right now..." Her face was streaked wet with tears as they continued to roll down her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Andrew kept close vigilance on the door, his right hand resting on the Colt .45. If the crowd decided to attack, he'd have no qualms about putting a bullet through them.

Sorry...but if they do, I'm not letting them lay finger on my family. I swear it.

"Much," Ella groaned, wiggling her toes and testing out how relaxed her foot felt. "Thanks for that, not sure how much longer I could have taken that." She pulled her foot back from Hayley, looking to James now. "While you're talking to Clara.....we should also consider a back-up plan. If things go south and we have to leave......where do we go?"

James considered it, though in a way he didn't want to. They had been on the run non-stop, for a month. It was time for that to end yes......but he needed to accept the reality of the situation. "If it comes to that......we leave, but for another area in Owensboro. Fight to stake a claim, secure it. We're not going out on the road again."

Eve stayed silent, as did Hayley.

Hibiki sighed very softly. "I wouldnt want to be close to people that are on the verge of lynching."

Mira hugged Sarah closer. "You never will be alone again. I promise."

Sarah took the hug, her face still wet from her crying. A smile appeared on her face as she returned the hug, "I'll hold you, Andrew, and everyone else to that promise," She her head settle on Mira's shoulder, "Thank you."

Her tone then shifted as she said, "I suppose... that this might be a bad time to tell you that I'm a lesbian." The silence that followed the statement was as palpable as it was slightly awkward.