The Day The Monsters Arrived! (Part 2)

Why did I even open my mouth? I should've known that by now, the world has it out for me. It'd only been an hour since Miku and I came down off the roof and went to class...and all this shit started happening...fuck.

I thought this as I took a few deep breaths, my breathing echoing through the bathroom stall I was in. A small yelp came from next to me and I quickly covered Miku's mouth with my hand, looking down at her with a serious gaze as I shook my head.

'Be quiet,' I mouthed to her, hoping she'd at least listen to me. Fortunately for the both of us, she did.

*Step...step...step...*

We both froze as wet footsteps echoed through the boys restroom, the squelching sound making my blood run cold because I knew where it was coming from. It...it was coming from the pools of blood that had been collecting in the halls ever since 'that' happened. Miku went rigid and I steadied her in my embrace as I held my breath.

"Are...you...my...friend?" a deep and hollow voice asked to no one in particular, the voice sounding twisted as the squelching footsteps continued.

I felt my heart pounding in my head. I heard the blood rushing past my ears. I felt my stomach rolling over itself as I felt fear and panic I never thought I'd feel again, grip me by the throat. It was like my instincts were screaming at me to run.

But I knew better. Cradling my throbbing side, I nodded to myself - to go up against those...things, is suicide unless you get the drop on them. Otherwise, they'll rip you apart.

...I've seen it, after all. How those things tear through people. Looking down at the pale and trembling Miku, I felt relieved that she didn't see that. If she had...I don't think she would've been able to follow my orders. Like any other normal person, like the people who got torn apart after seeing those things, she'd have gone catatonic.

*Step...step...step...*

I continued to hear it's steps as it walked past each stall in the toilets. Closing my eyes, I let out a quiet breath before calming myself as my training kicked in. Instantly, my heart rate began to calm down and my fear and anxiety started to fade. Replacing it was a calm that was eerie, given the situation.

The thing suddenly stopped in front of the stall we were in and I felt my focus and concentration focus to a razor sharp edge.

I was ready. If it burst in here, I'd hold it off while Miku escaped. I couldn't beat it but I could keep it occupied before escaping to go after Miku.

Opposed to how I felt earlier, with my heart banging in my ears and my stomach doing flips in my stomach, right now, all I felt was calm and focused. Determined, even. My vision was slowly tunneling as I guessed a bunch of adrenaline was being dumped into my system as my flight or fight instinct was kicking in.

*Step...step...step...*

But it all seemed for naught as the steps continued, walking passed our stall and further into the restroom. We were in one of the first stalls, which is why I felt confident in trying what I was about to do.

Slowly unlocking the door to the stall, I pulled it inward as quietly as possible as I picked up Miku who had gone limp. Peeking my head round the side, I saw the thing that had just been in front of the stall.

It didn't have any skin. Human skin, at least. It was red in color and seemed fat--huge, even. But it was the type of fat you'd see in a sumo wrestler - fat hiding muscle.

The thing's arms alone looked like they belonged on a professional boxer. No...they even made profession boxers look scrawny.

Even being 6'4", I was still a few inches shorter than whatever that thing was, so while I could, I silently backed my way out of the toilet, just in time as well, as the fatso thing turned and spewed a greenish red liquid over all the toilets stalls...melting them.

...What the fuck is actually happening?

But squashing any questions and panic inside me, I quickly began to jog toward where I needed to go:

The nurse's office. For both personal and legitimate reasons, of course.

My steps squelched in the blood that covered the floor and for once, I was glad that I'd kept my boots in my bag rather than putting them in the shoe locker. If not, I'd have no doubt slipped over by running on the slick red substance with my school shoes on.

Catching the sight of a body that was mangled beyond recognition, I tore my eyes away and focused on the path in front of me. I had to get to the nurse's office, my side throbbing in pain as if to agree with me.

Whether I was lucky or something had called them all away to somewhere else, there weren't any of those monstrous things around and I soon made it to the nurse's office.

Not wanting to risk drawing any of them near with a knock, I slid the door open silently only to have a bloodied bokken in my face, inches away from poking my eye out. My adrenaline-fueled reflexes allowed me to move my head out of the way as I stared at the person using the bokken, and seeing her purple hair, I sighed at the sight of a familiar 'friend' before pushing my way into the room, despite my sides complaints about the exertion.

"Busujima-san, do I look like one of those things to you?" I hissed in a whisper as I walked into the nurse's office and placed Miku down on one of the nearby beds. Miku, despite being dazed from what happened in the toilet, had seen what I'd seen in the hall and had gone pale, so she didn't react to the presence of the beautiful girl next to us.

The purple-haired girl looked to me with a slightly guilty expression as her blue eyes narrowed at me, "You can never be too cautious...Tenma-kun," she awkwardly spoke before her guilty expression vanished for a far more serious one, "If you were one of those monsters, I couldn't afford to strike second. I had to get the first hit," she reasoned, and while I could see her reasoning was sound, it didn't mean I was okay with nearly having my head bashed in.

Looking around and ignoring Busujima, I spotted Shizuka bandaging up a few kids who'd probably had a run-in with one of those monsters.

Missing legs, crushed arms, broken faces...these guys wouldn't survive for long if they didn't get medical assistance from a hospital. Just the possibility of infection alone puts their chances far too low for survival.

Bringing her attention away from the bandaging, Shizuka looked in my direction, the worry on her face obviously telling me she was expecting more hurt students to be stumbling in.

Though when she saw me, her worry instantly intensified as she rushed to me and brought my head down into a hug, pushing my head in her bountiful bust. Any other day and I'd have probably found it nice but right now, I had to keep my head straight if I wanted to survive this. Pushing against Shizuka's shoulders, I looked down at her hazel eyes, "Shizuka-neesan, I need painkillers. As many as you have. Start packing up your things as well, we need to move to the roof. It's the most easily defensible place in the school."

Without waiting for a second, Shizuka nodded. She knew who trained me and she knew this is how I'd react in a sever scenario so she followed my instructions. She knew to trust my decisions because she knew how capable my mother was. When she was in her prime, at least.

While Shizuka was doing that, I turned to Busujima and walked to her, motioning for her to follow me to the far edge of the room so no one else would hear us.

"What?" she asked in a straight-forward manner which I remembered all too well. But suppressing my nostalgia, I answered her in whisper.

"I need to go and gather my friends. I can't leave them behind," I said, a flash of 3 people I used to know going through my head, making my flinch for a single moment. Though a moment the sharp girl in front of me no doubt saw. "I need you to protect Marikawa-sensei and Miku over there," I motioned to the orange-haired girl I'd just got with this morning, "If those monsters break in, get out with those two and leave the others as bait."

I solemnly whispered and Busujima looked at me with raised eyebrows, "That's...remarkably cold of you, Tenma-kun. I thought you'd at least try and get me to fight the monsters off," she said before shrugging.

"I don't care if it's cold or not. I have my priorities in order, that's all," I coldly replied before glancing at Shizuka who was reaching into the medical cupboards, "If Marikawa-sensei doesn't want to leave...use whatever you need to, to get her out. Okay?" I turned back to Busujima who was smiling coyly while looking up at me with her narrowed blue eyes.

"Ordering me around...Oh my, it's just like old times, isn't it? Tenma-sama~" she tried to joke but right now, just like how I couldn't enjoy Shizuka's hug, I kept my focus and ignored her and the nostalgic emotions she brought up in me.

[Oh~? Is someone two-timing their girlfriend~? My oh my, it's only been a few hours since you got with poor Miku and you're already flirting with another girl--an old flame no less~!]

The same twisted voice that had been tormenting me for the last day or two spoke up again and I closed my eyes as I felt a headache coming on. Squeezing the bridge of my nose a few times, I rubbed my eyes before opening them and giving Busujima one last glance before turning around and walking over to Miku, sitting next to her and holding her hand.

"Jin..." she weakly got out, "Jin, what's happening...?" she asked with a fearful voice that shook as she spoke and I felt my heart shake as I looked at her scared expression.

Giving her hand a squeeze, I gave her a reassuring smile before replying, "I'm not sure what's happening, Miku. But I'll make sure we survive this, okay? No matter what," I said before leaning down and planting a kiss on her forehead and then pulling back and carrying on, "Just trust me on this, okay?"

In response to what I said, she nodded her head and her pale face seemed to regain a small modicum of color as she squeezed my hand tightly.

By this point, Shizuka came back with a small smile on her face as she gave me two bottles of pills.

Taking them off of her, I pocketed one of the bottles before opening the other with a crack before taking a handful and downing them dry. Securing the top back on the bottle, I put that one in the same pocket as the other before standing up and letting go of Miku's hand, "I need to go and get my friends. While I'm gone, pack up all the medical supplies you can get, okay?" I asked, looking to Shizuka and then to Miku, "When you feel okay, help Marikawa-sensei pack up the medical stuff," I said before addressing the room, "Keep your voices down and be as quiet as possible. I'm going now," I said before winking at Miku who seemed incredibly uncomfortable with the fact that I was leaving.

But she'd understand, if anyone could, about why I had to go and help Takashi and Hisashi. As if to prove me wrong, she gave me a weak smile and mouthed 'Good luck' before I left.

Busujima didn't say anything and even if she had, I'd have probably had to ignore it.

Silently leaving, I began to run at a slow but silent pace, even the squelching from before being muffled and near-silent with the way I was running. Yet another thing my father taught me and made me practice since I was a child.

As I ran to their classroom, I thought back to how this all started when I got a phone call from Miku.