Logbook #035 - The Crossing

[A tape is placed into a cassette player as it starts to rotate. A screen glows in static as a video slowly emerges onto the screen]

"Hey, get up. Now's enough time to move." An elderly woman pats the user of the recorder as she slowly gains consciousness.

"Huh? We're moving?" The familiar voice belonging to Shin-ae replies as she pushes herself up and straps her robes tightly before summoning her rifle. "Alright, I'm up now."

"Alright, so here's the plan." The elderly woman calls out as she reads a small map pamphlet. "From here, the garden store, we will then take an escalator upstairs after we go through those sickening hordes. By then, we can take a right and boom, we will reach the supermarket."

Trying up her long hair, Shanina nods slowly as she bit onto a scrunchie.

"Are you sure, we can do this, Miss Bridgette? I feel a little off after fighting the ones at the entrance." Demonica holding onto her gas mask makes a worried face as she lost her strength to carry her sledgehammer around and her other equipment.

"How about disposing your huge amounts of equipment on you. I don't think we are capable of using all of those explosives and heck, your sledgehammer is going to slow you down." Bridget's replies as she then crushes the map pamphlet and inserts it into her free vest pocket.

"But... But...Fine." Muttering in sadness, Demonica then slowly pulls out her grenade launcher and her other few handguns she had on her before placing them onto the small table-top nearby. Keeping the extra ammunition, she then just holds onto her sledgehammer after putting on her gas mask. "I will not leave my hammer. The guns are fine to leave behind."

"Well, it's your choice." Shanina sighs out as she looks through the blinders covering their safehouse door. "It's safe now. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Captain," Demonica replies as she holds her sledge in a prepared position. "You two?"

"Always prepared for the next fight, I suppose," Bridgette replies as she holds onto her M4 rifle with her custom attachments she fixed upon it.

Shin-ae thumbs up as Shanina nods slowly at her before pushing the door slowly as its lock was slowly unlatched. "Let's go. Don't make so much noise like last time. Can't afford to call upon a horde here." Shanina says calmly.

Walking through rummage and a few metal and glass bits laying about everywhere, the four tip-toed their way through thick and thin in the many narrow corridors that awaited them.

Within a few seconds of their journey, they started hearing odd garbles and moans. An Infected awaited them as a host suffered slowly as the parasite took over her.

"Shh, shh. You hear that?" Demonica mumbles as she peers through a corner, noticing the host bumping onto walls and empty carton boxes as it cried in pain. "It's a fresh one. Meaning it may try to ask for help from us but in exchange call the others with the help of the Bio-thing."

"The parasite, you mean," Bridgette replies as she checks her magazine capacity.

Nodding slowly, Captain then gestured them to pass by the Infected slowly without revealing their location. Pressing themselves onto a bloody white wall, they slowly shuffled as they skip from one side to another.

Off-balance from the wooden sandals she wore, Shin-ae's shoes made a clank of a sound as she finished her hop. Surprised and afraid she may have awakened the so-called zombie, she froze and stood still as she made a grinning face.

"Stay still, don't move," Shanina warned as she held her gun towards her chest, aiming towards the Infected that wasn't actually alerted and was minding its own business still. "It's fine, you three move on, let me finish it first."

Following her orders, they slowly walked away to the railways as they neared the escalators. Breathing slowly, Shanina quickly aims and takes a breath before taking a shot.

Piercing through the skull of the infected, she seemed it collapse to the floor motionless before keeping up with her gang. Sighing, she waves to them as she mumbles under her breath.

"Es tut mir leid, Miss. You may now rest in peace."

Demonica slowly taking steps onto the escalator, she took her chances to be the frontline of the team as she was the only one capable of handling most things solo with just a melee weapon. Not to say, she's also the demolitionist in her division which makes her the highest priority in a defensive position.

"Ey, what's up with you? You are usually so blood lusted and most aggressive. Why are you so, ugh?..timid suddenly?" Shin-ae asks as her ears followed the sounds of nearby stumbles and grunts of the surrounding Infecteds as she watched the back of Demonica who was walking forward and bludgeoning off a pitiful individual as it blocked their path. "Nevermind..."

"What ne- nevermind? I am glad you ask. I am just a little worried that we may screw ourselves over but don't mind me. I am just doing my best." Stuttering in her words, the three could notice something was different in Damonica's behaviour. Whether it was intentional or some sort of mental dysfunction who knows.

"Are you sure you are alright, if you want we can take a break right here," Bridgette replies as she looks left and right as she aimed down her gun, looking through its scope? "Some of them are pretty far to notice us."

"No, no. No rest. As I said, don't mind me." Demonica insisted as she then stumbles on a metal can before quoting on quote accidentally smashing a spine of another Infected, causing it to fall over and hit face-first onto the pavement, seeping a small pool of blood. "So close, so close..." She mumbles as she tries to calm herself down by breathing a few times slowly.

"Woah Woah, steady," Bridgette whispers as she ends her staircase trip, passing by Demonica, she holsters her rifle and pulls out her silenced handgun as she then shoots the other two zombies that were disturbing their journey. "Let me guide you guys, take care of Monica."

"It's Demonica, not Monica." The holder of the name answers as she then hides behind Captain Shanina. "Sorry, Captain. I am just thinking too much suddenly."

"What's with you suddenly? Are you worried about William or something or just having some sort of depression?" Shanina roughly whispers to her as she walks normally looking left and right.

"Maybe, I am. I don't know. But yes, I am worried about William. One day we were just taking care of searching " Vulture" and the next thing was this, this change made my brain a little confused." Demonica replies as she follows the three slowly.

"It's nothing to worry about seriously. After all, we can contact Will once we finish this job. He probably can help us with Intel gathering unless he fully turns. Wait, don't tell me." Shanina suddenly struck a bulb as she realises something. "Have you got feelings for him? Wow."

"No, it's nothing like that Captain," Demonica replies as her timid face slowly blushes in embarrassment. "Maybe, just a little, yes."

"I could sense from your behaviour. I suppose your bloodlust was suddenly dampened when you notice him in that pathetic state. Maybe now, you fear his bloodlust, I suppose." Shanina replies as she watches Shin-ae and Bridgette dismantling a metal detector to remove its alarm. "It's fine, to be honest, it's normal for someone to fall in love with another even if it's the same or opposite gender. But after he recovers, I don't want you to contact the Infection too."

"Wait, you don't mind? You?" Demonica whispers as she slowly passes by Shanina to carry away the metal detector for the two.

Returning, they then group up once more and walked into the store. It was still lit up and there was still fresh supply here and there. Though some packages scattered and random corpses here and there, there was still fresh produce that could be used for food, beverage and even other uses.

Separating in a count of three, they simultaneously turned on their walkie-talkie before heading to stock up on supplies for both themselves and the shop. Each venturing to a specific corner of the store, they looked around as they took an early shot towards corpses in case they ever "wake up".

Bridgette in the kitchen supplies section made use of taking certain chemicals such as detergent and other cleaning liquids which could be turned into some sort of lubricant or even explosive fuel if possible. Snatching a few plastic pipes, she borrows a saw off the shelf and cuts into smaller bits before filling it up with the detergent powder she found. Capping it with a piece of rubber from gloves and other more discreet material, she then sticks a piece of flammable sticks into it before pushing her creations into her small sack bag beside her ammo pouch.

Other than that, she kept herself a few set of kitchen knives and a few sticks from mops and brooms before strapping them up beside her backpack.

Meanwhile, in the produce section, Shin-ae stocked up as much as possible canned foods and bottled water and other snacks which were still healthily edible. Using her keen sense of smell, she could ensure the food wasn't laced with the parasites or even the blood of past victims.

Using a pink cube as her storage compartment, she shoves anything she could find into its unlimited space before de-summoning it to space and somehow transporting it to the clothes shop, with surprise, the temporary residents there were shocked to see food suddenly appearing out of thin air in front of them as they chose their way of relieve.

Feeling it was enough for now, she sneaks her hand onto a few packets of gummies as she chewed onto them with extra squeezed together between her bosoms alongside the recorder and between her robes as if holsters.

"Just a little extra for later." She tells herself with a teasing tone. Making sure there's nothing else she missed, she then walks a full u-turn back to the entrance of the shop, where she met Bridgette who waited for the others return.

In the drugs and healthcare section, Shanina shoved tons of painkillers and other assortments of pills into her backpack. Making sure no druggies were hiding around with possible arms on them, she tried to be as quick and silent as possible. Here and there, she went as she inspected what medicine did before zipping her bag slowly.

Noticing an Infected crawling on the ground towards her, she makes a disgusted face before stepping on its head hard before pulling out her gun and finishing it off with a shot. A small "phew" sound could be heard from the barrel which went throughout the store, confusing the others who were still either waiting or searching about.

"What was that?" Shin-ae asked as she swallows her gummy before her ears suddenly gained attention and raised themselves.

"Probably a gunshot or some sort of electrical dysfunction," Bridgette replies as she looks at her watch. "Why are those two taking so long? Are they alright?"

"Since they in the medicine and accessories section of the place, I think it may take a while, to recognise what is needed," Shin-ae replies as she tosses the empty packaging onto the floor.

"Hey, I have to ask. Why do you have so many snacks on you?" Bridgette raises her eyebrow as she inspects Shin-ae who was empty-handed and had her cleavage and her clothing filled with packages. "Also I realised, where are your supplies? Yes, you summon your weapons but where are your uniform and other stuff?"

"Haha, about that." Giggling softly and childishly, Shin-ae ears drooped as she felt a little guilty. "Unlike you guys, my guns don't need to reload and most diseases are immune to me. I also can just use my powers to transport things or contain things within my pocket dimension, so yeah. I have the upper hand when it comes to storage."

"So can I just check in my backpack into your world then? I am an old lady who needs to aid their back. And this bag, ain't helping." Bridgette replies sarcastically as she held onto the bag's strap tightly with a free hand.

"Sure, you guys should have just asked " Shin-ae happily replied as she summons her pink cube. "Here you go, just plop your random things into this cube and walah!" She exclaims.

"Thanks," Shanina replies as she then chucks her bag of medicine into the pocket dimension storage which automatically transported it to the clothing store, confusing the residents once again. "That's a load off."

"Now, we just need to wait for the Monica girl. She's taking her sweet time. Also what's up with her earlier?" Bridgette asks curiously after stretching and massaging her shoulders with a few light rubs.

"She's worried about her crush, William." Shanina snarkily presumes as she smirks and reloads her handgun. "I am surprised he has quite a few fans." Pretending as she never had interacted with him before physically, she acted as a third wheel.

"I suppose when not all females are lesbians or genderless, there are a few who are rather curious both physically and mentally when they realise there is still a male at their hands," Shin-ae explains in a childish her scientifically true way. "I mean my partner does have a few sights which attract your human-kind. Well, same for my species to be honest. Most of the time, he just goes with the flow other times, he just stares in a confused way."

"Quite a womaniser, he is, ey?" Bridgette laughs softly as she sits on a countertop, relaxing. "I guess there is no choice when he is being overpowered by the opposite gender and a little clueless in his young and maturing age. "

"Exactly," Shin-ae replies with a smile. "He is forced to not try to hurt someone's feeling while at the same time following his laws and chivalry in the most honest way possible."

Hearing a subtle wave of energy from a nearby corner, she turns around only to notice Demonica carrying a duffel bag filled to the brim with unknown contents. "That's a lot of stuff, wow! Are you sure you want to carry all of those?" Shin-ae asks in an exasperated way.

"I mean, I won't mind." Demonica squeaks before realising the others have their bags missing. "Where are your bags?"

"In the fox's house," Bridgette replies with a chuckle. "Miss, let this pitiful girl shove her heavy bag in too."

"On it," With a smile and a twirl, Shin-ae bows before summoning out a pink cube out of her palm. "Please deposit your belongings here."

"You gotta be kidding..." Demonica sighs. "You let me leave my weapons and other equipment behind when you could have just stored it in your dimension. How quaint."

Gaining back her aggression, the other slowly realise she was turning back to normal.

"Chill chill, I kept those too when you weren't looking. You can have them back later." Shin-ae answers as she pokes her tongue in a teasing way. With a wink, she approves her message.

"Thank goodness. Thought someone else will take it for themselves. I paid so much for those from my own family's factory." With a relieved sigh, she smiles and adjusts her posture comfortably.

"Anyway, since we're done. Let's get back." Shanina replies as she notices the group is back again. "Ah wait, Cigarettes. Olga asked for cigarettes, I suppose the tobacco shop next?"

"That's done," Demonica replies. "They were in the accessories store behind a drug counter. Enough for a whole month and a black lung with that, haha."

"Why smoked, seriously?" Shin-ae asked. "None of my species do that, well except my mother for habits but isn't it bad for humans due to natural causes?"

"It's a habit, as you say. Some people do it for fun and don't stop and others get addicted to nicotine, a substance in the cigarette. So yeah, habit." Shanina replies. "Since we're done, I suppose we can go then. Send in the stuff, get some intel and then off we go to finish our mission before anything worse happens."

"On it." The three replied as they then slowly prepared themselves to take their leave. Counting they have enough ammunition, they then ventured off, to spot off any straggling Infected wanting to be their next victim or works.

Somehow not stumbling to any specials upon their journey, they were relieved one way or another as they then exited the store.

After a few meters of excess walking, they then knocked onto the clothing shop's entrance as barricades were removed and then allowed to enter.

"Thanks for everything! The others are satisfied." Olga replies as she smiles. "Anything else we might need?"

Opening her cube, Shin-ae out a bag of cigarettes before shoving it towards Olga. "Will these do?" She asks with a curious look.

"Hmm, let's see." Opening the bag, she counts the number of packages and cigars that were available before placing them behind her counter. "Just perfect, alright here, let me tell you where is the place. Come closer."

[ The tape was then removed from its player as the electricity has powered down. ]

"Fuck!" A lad shouts from afar. "I was just enjoying that movie. How did we lose electricity already?"

"I don't know? Perhaps you should pay the bills!" A lass replies towards her partner as she sounds in from a corner of the background. "Go and get a job too."

"Don't tell me what to do! I am still searching for one!" The lad replies before sighing it off. "Fucks sake."