bakerstreet | stay hungry stay free ( do the best you can )

stay hungry stay free ( do the best you can )

THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE MEME
inspired by the Left 4 Dead games, The Walking Dead, and various other zombie-related media.

It's a scenario that needs little introduction: the dead have risen to feast upon the living.
In the beginning there were evacuations, emergency broadcasts, reassurances from the government and the media.
It was hoped that things would return to normal sooner rather than later. But eventually, all that's left are the shambling hordes.
So take up that baseball bat, or your father's shotgun. Cling tight to your memories of the better times, or your faith, or whatever keeps you going.
The odds aren't stacked in your favor....but maybe you'll survive.

WHAT.
a productive survivor is a happy survivor.

1) Scavenge/Search: The end of civilization as we know it also means the end of all things convenient, up to and including hot water, electricity and McDonald's. Whether it's ammo or edibles, you're looking for any salvageable supplies. This option is also for if you're trying to find a familiar face somewhere among all the destruction and danger.
2) Fight: Not for your right to party, but for survival. Whether against a lone zombie, an entire horde or a fellow human being, there's nothing else to do but try and come out of the encounter alive.
3) Barricade: There's nowhere to run, but you can at least hide out and hunker down for awhile. Hopefully being cooped up won't drive you stir-crazy.
4) Escape: There comes a time when the only thing to do is run. Is there a horde on your tail? A final evacuation helicopter waiting just ahead? Whatever the reason, better hope you don't stumble.
5) Scout: Charging ahead blindly is an easy way to get killed. A little reconnaissance can prove to be the wisest decision.
6) Relax: Seems like an out of place choice, doesn't it? But sometimes, peace is just as important as safety. You've managed to secure a little while to breathe, to forget the horror you've just gone through.

WHERE.
location, location, location.

1) City/Neighborhood: These places used to be bustling with life. Now they're silent, littered with wreckage and likely crawling with foes.
2) Farmstead/Mill/Lighthouse: Isolated, secluded buildings out in the sticks.
3) Sewers/Subway/Rooftops: If you're heading through these areas, you're likely just trying to get to someplace better. Here's hoping nothing gets the jump on you.
4) Hospital/Army Base/Evacuation Center: These places once offered hope and protection. There might still be firepower and supplies stocked somewhere within.
5) Woods/Swamp/Coast/General Outdoors: Nature hasn't gotten any kinder, but it might just provide needed cover or a place to gather food the old-fashioned way.

WHEN.
at what stage of the world's end do you find yourself?

1) Initial Outbreak: This awful reality is new and frightening. There's chaos and panic everywhere you turn.
2) Two Weeks Later: The horror isn't quite so fresh, or maybe you're just starting to get a little numb to it.
3) Two Months Later: Some of the dust has settled on what remains of society. How have you been holding up?
4) ???: Specific time of your choosing.

WHO.
humanity's numbers have thinned dramatically, but you aren't alone.

1) Family: In this world, kin may be all you have left, or those who are as good as.
2) Friends: Better to be in the company of those you know and trust than those you don't, right?
3) Lovers: This isn't exactly the time or place for a honeymoon, but you're lucky enough to have found your spouse/romantic partner/fuckbuddy/whatever.
4) Strangers: You don't know this person and they don't know you. In any other situation, your paths might never have crossed. But here the two of you are anyway, like it or not.
5) Enemies: Perhaps you were at each other's throats long before this world went to hell. Maybe you just ended up that way over time, or due to the stressful circumstances at work.
6) Guardian: It could be that you don't even like this other person, but you feel responsible for them anyway.

EXTRA.
feel free to add these at your own discretion.

A) Power Loss: Immortality? Gone. Magic? Nixed. You're just an ordinary person now, for better or worse.
B) Infection: You've been bitten, or scratched, or maybe you're grappling with a sickness that has the same eventual end. You can resist the symptoms for awhile, but the only "cure" to be found is a bullet to the head.
C) Injury: Unlike the option above, you aren't hurt because of a zombie. How badly have you been knocked around?

AS ALWAYS, if there isn't a prompt that suits your needs, you're free to make up your own scene.

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[The kitchen is ransacked, but fortunately whoever last looted the place made sure to bar the back door behind them. Besides a bathroom and storage, there didn't seem to be much to the back of the shop except for a fire door that connected to the store next to them and a stairwell. If it doesn't lead to the roof, Bucky decides he'll have to make his own path up. Hopefully it won't come to that.

He listens to Rochelle's descriptions of her friends and plays them back against any of the bodies he saw lying around town. Fortunately for her, none of them sound familiar.]

You're the first living person I've seen in town. Not a lot of good places to hide in flat suburbs.

[If humanity survives this, that whole ugly stratum of society that cropped up while he was locked away would probably be torn up from its roots and redrawn completely.

Bucky opens the fire door just as the zombies outside start breaking through the glass storefront. The things he and Rochelle blocked the entrance with would last for a while, but now they're running on a timetable.]

If you wanna stay that way, we need to move.

[Rochelle frowns deeper at his answer. Okay. She'd have to find them when they got out of this. With or without Bucky. Being alone in a zombie apocalypse was one of the dumbest things you could do and she knew it, but. Hell, she didn't know what his plans were. If Bucky eventually decided to go his own way, she might have to.

But then that last remark got her attention. A pause later, she gave him a look and immediately picked up her feet.]

Sweetie, don't give me that. This isn't my first rodeo either.

You been through the apocalypse more than once?

[Bucky bolts the door behind Rochelle and continues to run up the stairs with almost suspicious speed. With that momentum, he easily charges through the locked door to the roof.

It would be a relief to resurface into fresh air, but the building isn't tall enough to escape the smell of death and ash in the air. From over the edge of the roof, Bucky can see the zombies still pushing to get into the pizza shop.]

Kinda boxed in here.

I dunno, have you?

[Oh, and Rochelle catches that speed. And the fact that he can slam himself into a locked door without breaking his arm. She wants to ask. She REALLY wants to ask. But the moaning and groaning behind her was first priority.

She doesn't say anything as she follows Bucky's eyes. It was sad to know that she was used to the smell by this point. Even after being puked on more than once. She looks around. There's a latter into the back alley, but that would just put them back in the crows. Then she nods to the neighboring building. It's a toy store, from what Rochelle could barely see of the sign from here, and an uncomfortable jump from here to there.]

I don't know what you're made of, but I'm guessing you can make that. I'm... pretty sure I could. Mostly. [Kind of.]

Edited 2014-10-17 05:52 (UTC)

[Bucky realizes he's probably not being very subtle about his capabilities, but rousing suspicion in possible allies bothers him a lot less than getting eaten. With the horde in the street, Bucky almost reaches for the grenades tucked in a pouch on his back, prepared to throw it and all pretense away in order to draw the crowd towards the sound of the explosion.

Luckily, he follows Rochelle's eyes to the next roof, and saves that plan for a rainy day. Whether she's joking or not, the leap really wouldn't be a problem for him. As for her, a fall from this height wouldn't kill her, but she'd be in no condition to escape the zombies, no matter how slow they could move.]

Need a lift?

[Whether he's joking or not is more difficult to discern.]

[She turns to Bucky and opens her mouth to make a quip, but she stops herself. Slowly, she looks him up and down. He could be serious.]

Are you serious, or...?

[I mean, she'd believe it tbh.]

Well, I could throw you, but I don't think that roof is exactly plush carpet.

[That doesn't much help in clarifying, but he smirks all the same. Bucky steps back to make room for a running start, then bends forward slightly to give Rochelle room for climbing onto his shoulders. It wouldn't keep his arm a secret, but there's no time to pull punches.]

[Okay, that kind of sass is getting The Look.

She would have said something to go with it, but Bucky was already ~~bent over and ready~~ ~~assuming the position~~ ~~goddamn I legitimately don't know how to word this~~ waiting for her to climb on. She hesitates for a moment, giving him another "are you serious" look, but... well, it really wasn't the time to pull any punches. She secures her magnum pack in her holster and climbs onto his shoulders.]

Whoah. [She shifts her balance until she's sure she can hold on. One of his arms feels... off. She's still trying to pinpoint what the hell it is.]

[Once Rochelle grabs onto his shoulders, Bucky starts running. Even with the weight of his rifle beneath her, the weight doesn't affect him much. His boots pound against the asphalt, and when he reaches the ledge, Bucky launches across the gap between the roofs like he took off from a coiled spring.

He covers the distance, but a graceful landing with someone on his back proves difficult. Bucky stumbles a bit and trips down on one knee, but saves them from a spill with a loud clang as he slams his left hand onto the ground.]

Mostly. [He echoes Rochelle from earlier and lets out the breath he was holding.]

[Baddest Woman Alive Rochelle tried to cover up the yelp that escapes her mouth as Bucky takes the fuck off, but it's sort of hard. There was about a second and a half of air time to appreciate, though, which she sort of did. So this is what flying through the air on a stranger's back is like. It'd be kind of majestic if it wasn't so bizarre.

The landing interrupts wherever that thought was going to go, though.]

Whoah!

[She clings a little harder until Bucky put his hand out to balance the both of them. She would have said something out the ride just now, but the clang of his hand was suddenly a lot more interesting. Rochelle pauses for a moment, before she finally lets go and gets off him.]

... 98%, I'd say. [Rochelle was a little too distracted to be funny though. She looks at his hand.]

[Bucky stands up straight and dusts himself off, but he feels Rochelle's eyes on him.]

Rude to stare, you know.

[Regardless, he pulls up his tattered left sleeve, revealing his metal arm up to the elbow. He watches her, gauging her reaction.]

This is the only part of me that's immune.

[Oop.

When Bucky finally reveals it, Rochelle can't help but keep staring. But her expression is less suspicious and more - curious. Her mouth opens, then it closes. Then it opens again, then closes. She's searching for something to say, but she has no idea what. Finally:]

... I can't say I've seen a prosthetic like that before.

[Does that work? Those are words, right?]

I'm a vet. It's military. Experimental.

[That's not a complete lie, and a good enough simplification of a long story Rochelle doesn't need to hear. The arm is covered in scuffs and tiny dents in the shape of bite marks now; the materials he uses for upkeep are hard to come by in the apocalypse.

Bucky watches over the roof as the horde at the door of the parlor they left behind finally breaks through their barricade.]

Should've rigged the ovens.

- Oh.

[Well, what the hell are you supposed to say to that? But that's when the zombies break through. Rochelle looks over their shoulder.]

They're not gonna get us from here. It's the Hunters and Smokers you have to watch out for. The ovens aren't a bad idea though.

[Bucky's lips quirk up into the barest shape of a smile. Maybe the arm would have gotten a bigger reaction before the world went to hell, but he always kept it hidden from people who didn't already know about it. Rochelle's reaction doesn't resemble fear or pity, but that of a normal person. It relieved him, in a way.]

They've got names now?

[Bucky noticed the different types of undead in his travels, but never really thought of them as more than mutations. He reaches into his pocket, still watching the horde.]

Still probably better to take them all out.

[If Rochelle was being honesty, she was used to weird by now. Bucky's arm was... different, but not out of her usual realm of weird. That and it wasn't trying to kill her either, so that was nice. If anything, she was just curious about it. If the military was making things like that, what the hell does that mean for what they did about the virus?

That wasn't Bucky's fault, though, as frustrated as she was about the government's job in this whole mess. But she'd have more time to bitch about that later.]

That's what they call them around here. Either way, they're good at pulling people off roofs. [She shuddered a little. She's been caught by Smokers long, disgusting tongues once too many and she's not ever going to get used to it.] You should save the bullets, the normal ones aren't gonna get us from here.

Then we should keep them away from ours, huh?

[From a pouch in his kevlar vest hidden beneath his coat, Bucky pulls out a small, silver hand grenade. He didn't have many of them, but a horde situation like this called for one.]

Saving a good clip or two this way.

[He pulled the pin with his right hand and lobbed it with his left. The grenade flew past the pizza shop, but close enough to the horde that a good dozen or so blew back from the blast as it torched the building next to it. The rest, attracted by noise, started to shamble over them and towards the flames.]

Wait, with wha--whoah.

[Rochelle had handled hand-made pipe bombs before, but full-blown military grenades were different. She was probably more fascinated by it than she should be - but she jumped and ducked when the explosion actually happened. Then she started laughing, half out of surprise and half out of amazement.]

Holy SHIT!

[Another reaction he doesn't quite expect. The outbreak desensitized whoever survived to violence, but Bucky rarely saw it firsthand. He shouldn't chuckle, but he does anyway.]

That should hold them off for a bit. You think your friends are still around here?

And I thought pipe bombs were fun.

[HOO HOO okay. Rochelle straightens herself out.]

They should be. I know they wouldn't leave without me. [And for once, someone meant that. Believe it or not, there's zombie apocalypse fiction out there where people implicitly trust each other.] Besides, it's hard to survive out here without other people.

[She didn't mean to get metaphorical with that. She MEANT it more in the literal sense - it was a lot easier to fight in a group than it was by yourself, but... hell, she meant it in more ways than one.]

I gotta start looking for them. [She looks to Bucky.] What're your plans?

[She has a point, though it's one Bucky ignored successfully up to this point. Normal people need groups, but he can hardly be called normal.

Still, the idea that Rochelle and her friends are immune to the virus intrigues him. If that's really true, he can't let them die out in the wasteland without using it to humanity's advantage.

He shrugs when she asks about his plans.]

I can help you find them.

[She suddenly brightens at that.]

Really?

[If she was being honest, she wasn't expecting that. Just because groups were better doesn't mean people were always willing to help you out. She was half-prepared to go this alone.]

[Bucky pulls his sleeve back down and covers his arm again. He runs his hand through his hair. Been a long time since he'd done an escort mission.]

Well, I don't think anyone's on a tight schedule these days.

[It's a veiled yes.]

True.

[She's been around Nick enough that she can decipher veiled "yes" answers pretty easily now. She slings her AK-47 back around her shoulder and grips it in her hand.]

Thanks. And hey, if you don't have any plans, you can come with us to New Orleans. The guys aren't gonna protest. Well... Nick might, but. He's just bitchy.

[Bucky really doesn't have much of a plan aside from finding Steve. If he can help get these people safely to a base, he might kill two birds with one stone. One of the cocky, lopsided smiles he rarely sports anymore flashes across his face for a second.]

I've got a fragile ego, but I'll live. Meet you down there.

[With that, he vaults over the side of the roof, his boots soon hitting the ground like he merely hopped a fence.]

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stay hungry stay free ( do the best you can )

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im srry

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