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Author's Chapter Notes:

HEY, so I am back with another chapter. 321wriley the title is meant to be Rouge; its who the gang will be looking for in this tale. 

 

This chapter is longer; hope you enjoy!




Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


 

Flashback from the Chozen;

“What the hell is going on? Who are you looking for?” I piped in. Miriam rejected my request, while Sage just looked at Michael; he stared at the diagram. “They used you, too. You’re the father,” I spoke, too quiet for the others to hear, but loud enough to reach him. 

“I’m not the father, Celeste.” Finally, Michael spoke.

I pointed to the screen. “You are. Your face was above the words.”

“Celeste, I’m not the father…”he pressed, but I lost it.

“Don’t lie to me, stop!”…and he did. He stopped everything and looked at me, approached.

“Before we get ourselves killed, Celeste, that…was…not…me. That’s not me when I was younger. That’s not me a couple of years ago. I was never apart of Karen’s sick plan. I was never thought of. Pull up the fucking photo!” His voice thundered through the room. Fingers under my chin, he directed me back toward the monitor. “My eyes are blue, he’s are brown; my hair is light, he’s are dark. That’s not me, that’s the president’s son.”

“You are the president’s son,” I uttered, disbelief written across my face. Ironically, he smiled.

“I don’t matter, never had. He’s the only one people see. Henri’s the only one that people know.”

“So he’s the father?” my voice was unrecognizable.

“I don’t know….”

End Flashback

******

The rain poured harder as the smell of death left the windows foggy and humid. I watched Jasper through my own eyes, now devouring the rest of the hunt. He was an animal, ripped bloody tendons with his teeth and chewed on the bone. While disgusted with his appetite, I couldn’t look down at my lap.

Warm blood lingered on my lips and fingers, while bone and ligaments littered my lap. The smell which was once as intoxicating as a filet mignon, now promised the results of vomit. Whatever took over, now sat deep in the bowels of my belly, satiated and calm. Its heartbeat was back, normal and well-paced. I watched as my stomach expanded slightly, full of another’s being blood.

All the while, Michael still watched. “How long are you going to keep that gun on me?” I asked, this time my voice was familiar. I heard the click of the safety, Michael’s hand withdrew. “When did you start feeding him?”

Silence greeted me, and I raised my eyes toward him. “That’s the reason Karen allowed me to go hunting,” Michael answered.

“So you knew that they did this to him,” I accused.

“I knew that they needed fresh meat,” Michael snapped back; his shut down any room to retort.

Eyes narrowed at him, I was uncomfortable with his anger. For an escape from his scrutinizing frown, I ended up with my eyes in my lap, and for the first time I acknowledge what I did. “How often will I need to…do this,” I barked with the same disgust I felt for Jasper.

“Don’t know, but I’m assuming for the next nine months,” and the van was hit with a wall of silence. Hiding was no longer an option, nor was time travel. Pregnancy was a sure way to die in this world, you became slower, more impulsive; how the hell could I fight during the last trimester? Obviously, Karen would’ve kept me locked away from any danger, but what safety could this group provide.

The rain picked up. A small cluster of hail began to follow, but it proved no danger to the van. Its metal frame didn’t bulge under nature’s strength, as we were all in deep thought. Where were the others? If I was safe inside of here, then they must have found shelter, as well. However, Michael didn’t trust me, so it was pointless to ask, instead I said demanded something else. “I need to see the doctor.”

“We can get him to come in a few days…”

“Now,” I interrupted and Michael cursed.

“What don’t you get? No one fucking trusts you, not even him.” He glanced at Jasper. “This, feeding thing…what if it doesn’t work and that monster comes out again. What if you actually succeed in hurting someone?”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” I yelled; my emotions reached their limit. Quickly, I gathered the evidence of my meal, ropes still attached to my wrists.

“Where are you going?” Finally, Jasper was no longer consumed with his breakfast and paid attention to us; his eyes were back to brown.

“I’m going to see the doctor.” I hop over the back seat and went right up to Michael. “Unlock the door, or I will kick in every window until I get out.”  I was close enough that his scent overpowered the smell of blood in the car. Its familiarity called to something deep within my chest and for a second, there was an ache. I would lie to say I didn’t have feelings for Michael, more than I had for any other man. However, all of that changed now; I’m sure he wants nothing to do with me anymore.

I watched him closely; he masked what fear still exists, and the sulfur was gone. He didn’t move, neither did his gun, as he watched me approach. Michael stood his ground; eyes looked down from a couple of inches above me. “Please,” I whispered, with the creature at bay, there was no mistaken who had the upper-hand.

I faltered under his scrutiny, turned my face from his and hid my growing despair. “She’ll die without his help,” the words slipped before I caught them, and piqued his interest.

“Who will?” He whispered, but I stayed mum. Part of me was shocked, completely thrown by my own logic, while the other part, somewhere deep felt dread from what I revealed. “Who is she?” Michael asked again, his hot breath fogged around my face.

Instantly, his left hand reached out and gripped my chin. When I didn’t resist, he pulled until our eyes connected. Michael lowered himself, analyzed until he was convinced that I was truly the one speaking. “You think it’s a girl?” He whispered, almost sincerely, and I shivered back from his sudden change in attitude.

“I don’t know what it is,” I answered, intimidated by his closeness. “That’s why I need to see the doctor. If anything, just to make sure…” I felt protective of the baby.  “Maybe I am delusional of the thing, but it was still a part of me. Karen still used me.”

“She did, didn’t she…” Michael whispered, and right when I thought he would just leave me in the van, he dropped his handgun on the driver’s seat and reached out for me. His fingers found my zipper and went up. My heart raced under the sweater, threatened to betray my confidence. Michael kept going up, even after the doors of the van unlocked. Jasper moved, shifted the weight in the van.

“Come on; we better go before someone comes sniffing,” his said and opened the rear door with his knife. Slowly, the metal creaked against the cold; all it needed was Jasper’s hard foot against it before it slid like butter. I heard his boot clad feet hit the fresh snow and broke through some of the frozen dirt. He looked back into the van, at us, and gestured toward the front door.

Michael was the first to move between us. As soon as Jasper pulled the latch for the passenger door, he unfolded from the cramp area and made way for me. The cold wind slapped at my face, while flurries blew inside. The boys were quick to pull up their hoods and weapons, and waited for me.

“Ya coming?” Jasper started with a lazy grin, his eyes held a jovial light. For instant, I felt like we were back together, like we were before this craziness started. A light smile came to my face, and I moved forward to exit. However, I didn’t step one foot out of the van before Jasper tensed up. His grin was gone and head snapped to his right; concentrated directly in front of the van.

“What is it?” Michael asked suddenly, as I hurried outside. My feet hit the soil like a young deer, wobbly from the lack of use. Michael’s arm swung out to catch me, but I dismissed his advance.

“I’m fine,” I snapped and sniffed the air. If Jasper smelt danger, than I should, too? However, all I smelt was pure testosterone mixed with nature, dirt, and sweat of a man. “You’re too close,” I said, and pushed away from Michael. I began to walk closer to the front of the car, matched Jasper’s stance, when it hit me too.

“One,” I stated but Jasper’s nose was more developed than mine.

“Two; one is trailing behind the first…but why?”

“Let’s just find out.” With one foot forward, I made to move but Michael caught me.

“You should stay behind,” Michael demanded more than offered advice.

“There’s more than we thought; we might need her,” Jasper interjected and walked to the tree line. Michael’s grip didn’t loosen, instead it tightened.

“He may believe that feeding you helped, but I can’t forget. Don’t do anything stupid,” he whispered, made sure his eyes expressed his serious intent. I nodded, and made sure I understood how much he changed, how much my change scared him. “Good,” he said after a while and then let go. The van’s locks were engaged and then Michael pointed toward Jasper with his rifle.

Against the wind, I lowered my hood, and took off my gloves. Even though outside was below freezing, my body temperature was higher and I felt comfortably warm. Michael caught my strange response to the weather but said nothing of it; he’s eyes never left me.

Soon, we had all went into a strange formation. I was stood in the middle, while Jasper led the group. I smelt the undead, was able to trace their every move, but what I lacked was identifying how many. Jasper seemed to hone his skills while I was out. He was able to point toward one and located the other.

As we navigated the dead trees and used the snow storm for coverage, I found myself standing taller, the hairs on my neck stood and something sunk in my gut. Instantly, I stopped and felt Michael walked straight up behind me. My eyes went to Jasper, who, too, stopped and had already looked to our left. Through the brisk wind and thick snow, I made out the shapes of the two Z’s we smelt back at the van; their malnourished bodies struggled against the storm, making them an easy target, however an attack felt wrong.

Jasper’s head tilted in concentration but his eyes squinted. “It’s a trap,” he whispered and quickly, took a step back. He looked at me, before his eyes looked behind us and to the left. “Get down,” he demanded and in a flash everyone was down in the snow. I managed to crawl toward a thicker tree, whose scrawny branches hung low. The sideways spray provided perfect cover, and yet my body was still alarmed. About five feet to my left, Michael flattened himself to the ground, his back against the snow. Powder began to cover him, while the dead bushes and fallen branches gave him immediate concealment. On the other hand, Jasper was to my right, hidden as well, but this time up in a tree. I peered up at him in awe; I was the climber, the hunter, he was the fighter. I watched as his eyes zoned in on any movement, his machete held close against his body.  In that moment, I realized how different he’s become.

As I turned back to the tree, a snap echoed through the trees. The pungent smell of death overwhelmed me and bile crept up my throat. My fingers twitched for an arrow and I reached as if my bow was across my back. “Shit,” I cursed.  Silently, ungloved hand combed the base of the tree for a rock, a stick, anything that could help against an attack. When my fingers touch the coolness of a stone, I sent a silent prayer and picked up the fist-size weapon.

Jasper sent a birdcall, which had me alerted to their closeness. He did it twice to give me coordinates and when he went to do it a third time, it quickly fell short. My eyes found him, to see that he no longer watched, instead he sat with his back against the bark and his fingers tightly around his knife. Fuck, they were close. I took a deep breath and listened.

Boots…heavy boots crushed the fallen snow and anything underneath. They marched in formation, headed toward us. I listened harder, but all I could hear was growling. I sniffed in, and blanched. As the cluster got closer, the smell of the first two were gone, replace by a more potent odor. While the undeads had a uniform scent of death, almost resemblance to fish that sat out in the sun too long; this scent was more of a dying animal. I covered my nose as the stench burned my nostril and sent tears to my eyes. All the while, their footsteps vibrated through the ground, signaled their close proximity.

Another birdcall was sent, but not by Jasper. I snapped toward the man to see urgency in his face. Michael’s fingers wrapped tightly around his hand gun while his head laid on the ground, eyes to the sky. He looked like he was about to….oh, shit. “No,” I whispered. Suddenly, I sent the rock over my head and toward my right. Jasper was safe in the trees, but if they came any closer to me, they would see Michael as well.

A loud thud echoed, alerted everyone and swiftly, the march shifted. A loud roar spread through the air, loud enough to rattle the tree, before feet began to move. Hastily, I picked up another rock and sent it flying in the same direction. I prayed that the snow fall would cover my position.

Confident that all the Zs were occupied, I sent the last birdcall and stood, however my actions came a few moments too fast. As soon as my body straightened, I turned toward Michael, only to feel hands on me. “Celeste,” I heard him yell, but it was too late. I spun around to see black stained teeth and yellow eyes stare back me. With its mouth opened wide, its jaw seemed to disconnect and the skin split at the corner.

“Ahh,” I screamed, as black ooze spilled for the gashes like a waterfall, and the surprise became my downfall. The motherfuck was huge, over six foot and more than three hundred pounds. Immediately, it took advantage and slammed me up against the tree bark. Bloody fingers gripped my mouth, silenced my piercing sound. He pulled my head forward once more and slammed it back against the hard bark. I gasped from the lightning bolt of pain that spread through my cranium. The Z did it again, aimed to knock me unconscious, before an energy exploded within me. The world turned red and almost instantly, my body moved on its own.

My left fist balled, and went flying toward its temple. Whether alive or not, the blow proved affective on anything. The creature faltered.  Which gave me enough time to raise my right arm and dropped it, elbow bent, straight into his forearm. I heard the snap and its grip on my face fell. The creature howled in pain; my eyes widened. “What the fuck?” I whispered.

 

I stepped forward, close the Z. Hands outstretched, I gripped its brawny shoulders and brought my knee up. I continued to knee the fucker until I heard the snap of his pelvis. On the fourth round, I pulled back, sent my knee flying toward his groin and the Z fell, hard. Unable to stand with his pelvis side unattached, I aimed my booted foot for the killing blow to the head, but strong arms wrapped around my waist and lifted. “Shh…we need to run, now,” Jasper demanded in my ear. Michael joined us and placed his hunting knife through the Z’s head. When he stood, something dangerous was in his eyes as he turned toward me.  I wondered if the source of his expression was from the mutant’s fight strategy or my ass-whipping on such a big, heavy bastard. However none of us took the time to ask; instead, we ran.






Chapter End Notes:

Ahh! 

Thanks for reading. Hope the flashback answered some question, maybe I should add more to help the story develop. What do yall think?







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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.