บท 72: 2.41
"Wake up," System jolted my body awake, forcing me to sit abruptly, hitting my head on the bunk above me.
"What?" I groggily rubbed my head, looking around the dimly lit cabin for danger.
Everyone was still asleep, except Noah and Will who were on watch.
"System, why are you waking me up at this ungodly hour?"
System adjusted my eyes to show the radar, in the distance I saw strong concentrations of the virus next to Will and Noah.
"Fuck," my hands instinctively reached for my swords and harness, attaching them swiftly. Behind me, Alex was stirring awake.
"What's wrong?" he asked, looking just as reluctant as I to wake up.
"Wake everyone up and barricade the door," I instructed quickly before fleeing so he could not stop me.
A few zombies weren't anything to be too worried about. However, the lingering thought of what happened to the previous occupants of this campsite made me unable to stay put, especially when it was Will and my daughter's father under attack.
As my eyes slowly adjusted to the near pitch black surroundings I ran, blades drawn and ready to strike. Only to find myself completely stumped when the sources of the virus came into view.
Wolves. An entire pack of mutated wolves surrounded Noah and Will, teeth bared.
Even if Alex obeyed my instructions and barricaded the door, nothing would keep out these monstrosities. Twice the size of normal wolves, eyes glowing green, teeth glistening sharp as the torch lights Will and Noah held ran past them.
Eventually, the light rested on me. Though System could do its best to minimise my presence I was not invisible.
"Hannah," Will exclaimed, almost dropping the torch. My smile was wide and awkward, as I nodded my head in response, not wanting to draw any more attention to myself.
Distracted by me Will did not notice an opportunistic wolf near him from behind.
"Focus on yourself," I frustratedly growled, before running to climb atop a dumpster, then jumping to pull myself on top of a cabin roof, feeling a spring in my step courtesy of System.
Feeling secure now I was out of the wolves' reach I glanced back down to the men, who were currently in another stand-off after firing a few rounds and wounding them. Their hides looked thick, the bullets barely making a dent. Just enough to make the wolves wary.
My eyes scanned the surroundings once more, trying to focus my gifts on the nearest trees. Once I felt the familiar tug of them relinquishing control I aimed for the strongest sources of the virus, feeling the trees hunger like my own as the roots broke through the surface of the soil, wrapping around their paws.
Panicked yelps came out of their snouts as they danced around the floor, trying to avoid the bindings. For too many, it was too late, as the trees dragged them slowly under the soil to bury them alive.
Just over half of the pack was gone, just like that, their brethren left behind in panic to attack Will and Noah in anger.
The scent of charred fur and flesh assaulted my nose as I slumped down to catch my breath. That had taken a lot more out of me than I'd intended. Still, I felt the tug of the trees as they enclosed the still alive and fighting wolves in makeshift coffins.
"Hannah," this time Noah called up at me, his combat knife firmly pressed in a wolf's eye that he pressed under him.
I frowned in confusion, pushing myself to stand again.
He rose his assault rifle to aim right at me and fired so fast I could only let out a weird yelp, much like the wolves had done only moments before.
A heavyweight knocked into my back, winding me, as both I and the sneaking wolf tumbled to the ground. I landed on its soft fur with a thud.
My swords scattered during the fall I only had my fists and hidden blades to defend myself as the still living, but bleeding, wolf, turned to snap its fangs at me.
Another bullet fired, narrowly missing its snout, making the wolf shake me off instead to make a defensive stance. Behind me, I heard the snarl of another wolf drawing close. I could swear there were more than before.
"There are, whilst you were fighting the rest of the pack entered," System, oh so helpfully, let me know.
I groaned internally whilst searching frantically for my blades. The trees nearby were all otherwise occupied and that energy reserve was completely drained to call upon more.
To my left, I spotted Ivory glistening in the faint moonlight.
With a quick drop and roll, I grabbed its hilt and plunged it in the direction of the pouncing wolf, striking it in the chest, then kicking it away with my feet, drawing the blade back and spraying blood all over my face and chest. Cautious I forced myself to stand ready to strike again. The wolf whined its last breaths, lying on its side, as the blood seeped out onto the soil.
Chest heaving, I steadied my stumbling feet to take note of where the other wolf was now. It laid under Noah's foot, charcoaled to a crisp.
"Coast is clear Host," System announced, withdrawing all support.
My aching calves and trembling knees couldn't hold me up any longer, forcing me into an awkward kneel in the bloodied dirt.
Ringing filled my ears as I heard the sound of many footsteps and Will cursing and shouting beside me. The blood trickling down my face itched.
"Han, Han, listen to me, are you okay?" Will asked, grabbing my shoulders roughly.
I nodded, giving an enthusiastic smile, the adrenaline still making my heart beat wildly.
"What were you thinking you, idiot?" He half-laughed, half-scolded, "what will I do if I lose you both?"
Both. The baby.
"She's fine," System sleepily replied.
"We're fine," I shrugged him off and forced myself to stand, noticing there were rips in my top from claws, starting at the upper back and ending at the lower side. My blood stained the shirt, but all signs of wounds on my skin had healed. No wonder System was tired.
"Fuck, Han," Will gripped onto my top, noticing it with the warm glow of fire the others brought.
"I'm fine," my attempts to pull it out of his grip were futile as he lifted the top to try and examine me, only finding the scars left behind by their dear old dad.
"H-how?" Finally, his grip loosened, enabling me to break away from him and use the broken, bloodied top to clean Ivory. Then I glanced around for Ebony, finding it in Noah's grip.
When I reached out to take it from him, his free hand gripped my wrist so tight it almost broke, "never do that again."
"What?" I tried to pull free, but his grip only tightened.
"Even if it's not Izzy in there," his lips were so close to my ear as he spoke through gritted teeth, "there's a chance it's mine, so you take better care of this one."
The blade was firmly pressed into my palm before he left my bewildered self-standing and watching his back as he walked to talk to the other soldiers.
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