Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm



We managed to make good time back to the base, but that was the end of my luck for the day. I made us stop the ATV just outside of eyesight from the base so that I could put it back into my space. I didn't want them to know exactly what I was storing in there in case they started to have ideas about my supplies.  And let's face it… that would be a death sentence.

We walked up to the main gates at the base, completely freezing. The sun was starting to go down and whatever little warmth it offered was starting to leave with it. Standing there with my teeth chattering, Chen Zi Han approached the guard house that was located on this side of the gate. We were all done for the day and just wanted to go somewhere warm for some hot chocolate and a place to sleep.

Unfortunately for us, the guard just stared at us, his gun out but not pointing at us, yet. He said a few words to Chen Zi Han and I could see him getting pissed off. Turning around, he started to walk toward where Liu Yu Zeng and I were standing, waiting.  "They won't let us in. Said that we were not part of Country K's military and as such, do not have permission to step foot onto the base," said Chen Zi Han as he pulled me into his chest so that my face would be out of the wind and cold.

Peachy.

I mean, I have to admit that I saw this coming, it's not like I went out of my way to make friends, but still, I thought that Wang Chao and Liu Wei would not let this happen.  Stretching my neck from side to side while still buried in his warmth, I thought about what our next step was going to be.

I could bring the others into my space for the night, but that really did not solve anything except for a place to sleep. Even then, after spending a night in my space, it would only be a second of the normal time, so we would be stuck in this exact position and time when we came out.

'Is this your way of breaking up with me?' I said inside my mind and tried to direct my thoughts to Wang Chao.  I didn't know his range for telepathy, but I was sure that I was still within hearing distance. I tried to keep my tone light, somewhat joking, but I also knew that I was failing spectacularly at it.

However, I was too cold and tired to really care anymore.

'What?!' shouted Wang Chao inside my head. Even just hearing his voice caused me to be able to relax deeper into Chen Zi Han's embrace.

'So it wasn't your idea to lock us out?' I asked, knowing full well that it wasn't. But I was in a bitchy mood and if anyone could yell at Rear Admiral Zhou Gang Jia and get away with it it was Wang Chao.

'Give me a second. Liu Wei is coming out now to let you in,' came the clipped response as Wang Chao's temper rose.  I was happy about that. I was getting colder and colder by the second as the wind started to pick up, and I would not be in the mood to yell at stupid people when I finally got inside. Wang Chao was more than welcome to do that for me.

We waited about five minutes before we saw Liu Wei striding out of the building in front of us and up to the guard house. I could practically see the waves of fury coming off of the man.  I let out a small chuckle, "I've never seen him that pissed before," I admitted to the men beside me.

"I only saw it once," admitted his brother, looking over at the man on the other side of the gates. "And it turned into a blood bath," he continued as we watched Liu Wei clock a guy in the face without even breaking a stride. The guard fell down to the ground completely unconscious, but Liu Wei didn't even spare him a look.

Walking into the guard house, he pulled the second guard out of the building and took out his gun.  As the second guard pleaded for his life, Liu Wei simply shot him in the face, not even flinching as the blood and brain splatter decorated his face and the snow around him. 

Returning to the guard house, there were two more shots before I heard the sound of the gates opening. 

Liu Wei didn't even bother to wait until the gates were fully opened before he strolled out to where the three of us stood.  Pulling me away from Chen Zi Han, Liu Wei dropped his head and gave me a deep, hard kiss on the lips, the taste of blood mixing in with the taste of him.

"I will kill anyone and everyone that tries to keep you from me," he said as he rested his forehead against mine.  I simply nodded, my head and senses still reeling from that kiss.  It was my first real kiss in three lifetimes, the kisses to the forehead and cheeks that the boys were giving me before not counting.

My brain still fried, I felt Liu Wei picking me up, "Let's go get you warmed up," he said to me before he looked over his shoulder to the two men behind him. "Wang Chao will meet us in our apartment later. He has a few things to deal with."

Chen Zi Han and Liu Yu Zeng simply nodded in response as the three of them strode through the opened gate and into the base. Chen Zi Han quickly darted into the guard house to close the gate. Stepping over the dead bodies, he pulled the lever and quickly followed after the rest of us as soon as the gates started to close again.

"Are the dead bodies going to be a problem?" he asked looking at me.  I thought about it for a second as Liu Wei's steps brought us further and further from the entrance.

"Not sure," I said honestly. "I mean, the zombies don't like the taste of dead people. Ironic I know, but it might attract them enough to discover that there are living people here too." My decision was made, I quickly sent out my purple flame and watches as it engulfed all the bodies I could and could not see as well as the blood in the snow.

I briefly felt the eyes on me again, but just as I stiffened in fear, the feeling left again leaving me weak and shaken.

I didn't like not knowing what was going on. I had no idea who or what was staring at me, and to follow me from that second gas station to the base? It was more complicated than a zombie looking for a meal.

But I was definitely feeling hunted and I did not like that one bit.

"We need to talk when we get inside," I confessed. As much as I wanted to say that I could deal with whatever was stalking me, I knew that it would be better to have the boys up to date on the situation. That way if something were to happen, they would not be in the dark.

Liu Wei only grunted in acknowledgment as Liu Yu Zeng quickly opened the door to the apartment complex on base and allowed Liu Wei (and me) inside the building without having to stop.  I have to admit, I never knew that Liu Wei was in such good shape as he made it up the stairs without panting and with me still in his arms.

But I could feel the swirling of emotions in him as I rested my head on his shoulder. "It's okay," I whispered into his ear.  He stumbled for a quick second before righting himself and continuing his path to our rooms.  "I am right here," I assured him as I felt his arms tighten around me.

I was getting hot now, dressed from head to toe in snow gear, but I was not going to ask Liu Wei to put me down. I could get undressed when we got to the room… or whenever he decided to let me go. But with the fine tremor going through his body, I didn't think that was going to happen any time soon.

"You have to know we had nothing to do with that," he said as soon as we got into room 1373 and the door closed behind us.

"Of course I know," I reassured him. And I did. As much as I might have joked with Wang Chao about using this as a way to break up with me, I knew that that was never going to happen. We were only whole when the five of us were together. I felt it and I knew that the boys did too. That was why there were no demands made between us to define relationships or anything like that. I was as much a part of the boys as they were a part of me. It was as natural as breathing.

You could ask me to choose only one, but that would be like asking me to pick between the air that kept me alive or my heart that did the same. Either way, the choice would kill me. I needed all four of them to stay alive.

I did not care about how our relationship looked to the outside world. This was something just for us, something special and different as much as we were special and different.

And I would tear down the world if something happened to any of them or if someone tried to keep us apart. The Rear Admiral would pay for his role in keeping us apart.

That was if Wang Chao didn't get to him first.