tampered | Log; Complete

Log; Complete

When; December 14th, just after sundown
Rating; R, for likely gore
Characters; Zack Fair [

plz_2_b_an_hero] and Cloud Strife [

cloudsinstrife]
Summary; Cloud tracks down a decaying Zack, who had disappeared in a panic the day before.
Log;

He couldn't let himself move. Backed against the base of a tree, glowing eyes wide and repeatedly raking across shadows of branches and leaves, he couldn't quite remember why. Just.

Can't move can't move can't move. Branches clicked together in the relative silence of the forest, shadows long since grown and shadowed by the sunset. Against the darkness, his own rotting visage was barely discernible, save for the sky-blue glow - brighter than usual - of his eyes.

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The city had gone mad. As soon as the sun set, the streets were crawling with rotting people. Cloud ended up wishing he had his bike - at least it moved faster than he did even with the mako enhancements. But the bike had been too loud, attracting a lot of the monsters towards him. Not that he cared, not really.

Ignoring the sharp stab in his left arm, Cloud shook his head, heading deeper into the woods. Zack might be there - he wasn't sure why he knew that, but something about him running off told the blond that his dead friend was not out there trying to eat people. At least not yet.

Faint snapping noises broke the silence, for the first time in... hours? Who knows. Not even the sound of his own breathing had interrupted it, the action being as useless as it was.

When he first caught sight of the bright shock of hair in the moonlight a few yards away, he had equal impulses to attack and retreat. He lurched forward before coming up short, feet planted in dirt that was slowly turning to mud as blood ran like ink from oozing wounds under his clothes.

"Kk--"

The sound died as quickly as it started, expression frantic. A threat a threat a threat he was supposed to be by himself.

The intruder was alive - he could smell it, barely, above his own stench. Why was he hesitating? Why did he have this feeling of recognition? He certainly couldn't remember anything--

Can't move.

He stood, frozen, and just stared.

Cloud looked up at the odd sounds. For a while, he had been thinking that Zack wasn't out here, in this clearing and that maybe Cloud had found a place where he could check out his arm. But no, there was that sound and when he finally spotted Zack, he stopped completely to stare right back.

There was nothing left of the Zack he knew except the eyes. Even with the mako glow, Zack's eyes usually always looked so warm and friendly, even if they now had a film Cloud associated with death. Everything else dripped and peeled from his body in wet bloody ribbons, the stench nearly overwhelming to his senses.

"Zack..." he said, softly, reaching with his covered arm towards his friend.

Edited 2008-12-15 03:43 (UTC)

Zack stumbled back with a snarl, this sound not dying in his throat as he realized (remembered?) he was cornered. Shouldn't move shouldn't move shouldn't... had he told himself that? Or someone else? If he couldn't remember, if he didn't know (he didn't know this prey-- person. he didn't know this person. a threat a threat but not a meal-- even if he was starving--) it wasn't important.

A threat, not a meal. Ambling to the side, stiff from staying in one place for too long, the off gleam in his eyes was aggressive as he regarded this familiar-but-not person. Chopped syllables came from deep in his throat, but it was entirely nonsensical. He could no longer even speak.

Cloud looked at him, trying and hoping that there was something inside of Zack still. The glow was his friend but, the snarling and the noises weren't. He was fighting, but Cloud knew it wouldn't last. Soon, Zack would probably leave the woods in search for something to eat. Cloud dropped his hand, looking up through messy bangs at Zack.

"You're... going to be alright." Another lie. How many times has he lied to his friend since his death? "It will be fine."

...This complete lack of response had Zack at a loss, circling and half-stumbling around this strange person. Fingers twitched and he reached behind himself for something that wasn't there - a reflex of something he couldn't remember.

Helpless helpless helpless. His fingers met nothing but air, and this disappointment was infuriating to him. He'd have to strike first. Drive him out or sate the hunger. It was only rational that this man would get that choice, right?

Not welcome. Leave. Get out with your life or I'll take it for my own.

He lurched forward with an angry cry, swiping his hand towards the other man's throat, eyes still locked in that otherworldly stare.

Zack... Cloud twisted out of the way, reaching up for the hilt of his sword and stopping. He could just kill him - Cloud knew that whatever was happening would only make things worse for his friend. But Cloud couldn't do that. This was Zack and he hoped that this curse thing would be over by now. He couldn't believe that the zombie stuff would last longer than a couple of days.

"C'mon, Zack. I don't want to fight you." He should have brought a rope or something. Cloud wasn't sure if he could knock him out seeing how far gone the rot was. "Don't make me."

Zack jerked his head and looked back over his shoulder, nowhere near as graceful as he was before this all had started. Turning slowly, he straightened, teeth showing in a blackened and bloody snarl.

Even if he had the ability understand Cloud's words at this point, he didn't bother trying to, merely crouching low and lunging again, this time with more purpose than just a threat.

Cloud shifted his stance and sighed softly, his sword already in his hands. He swung at Zack only with the intent to knock him back and off his feet. Maybe if he just could break his limbs, Zack wouldn't be able to move and then...

And then what? Leave him laying there to die anyways? Cloud's expression closed off, his eyes focused on his sword more than on his rotting friend. This isn't what he wanted, not for him. Zack should have been allowed to live here, not catch some disease and made to suffer.

"Damn deities."

Zack was surprisingly silent when the flat of Tsurugi's blade struck him, just a beat of air from his clogged and useless lungs, and a tumble to the side with a sickening crack of weakened bones. Funny that he felt no pain, only fury and frustration, scrabbling at the ground and trying to put himself upright again.

Head hanging as he stood, limp and muck-soaked spikes fell forward and matted over his forehead, hung in his eyes, reproach like a wounded animal's written deep on his face. His legs - or what was left of them - shook when he hoisted himself up again, having only a moment of wary study before throwing himself forward for another reckless attack.

This wasn't Zack. Cloud shifted his grip on his blade, bringing it up and over his shoulder, the edge first. This can't be Zack. He breathed out, moving out of the way of those fingers and snapping teeth. This couldn't be Zack. He ignored the next slash and twisted, bringing his sword around - a clean cut for his neck.

And when the body dropped, Cloud's grip on his sword failed him and he just stood there, looking down at the barely recognizable man in front of him. His knees gave next and he still looked. Maybe he expected something, maybe he didn't but it took the sound of a branch snapping for him to raise his head and look around the clearing. Snatching his blade up, he looked at Zack again, took a deep breath and casted Fire.

Nothing was going to feast on his friend.

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