lucetilogs | There'll be trouble when the kidz come out

[The shamblers vacate the house once Rogue's cocktails hit it, but that just means there's more for Rogue, Storm and Hawkeye to fight through just to get to the door. It takes some time - Storm is prepared to fight without powers, but it took some getting used to. She's got a bo staff with her, knocking several zombies down and out of the way, then smashing their kneecaps for good measure. It clears the quickest path she can manage to the house without killing them, thankfully.

By the time she gets to the door, only a few zombies remain. Thinking that Clint and Rogue can take care of them, she goes ahead and nudges the door open.]

... Billy? Billy, Teddy? Are you in here? It's Storm. Please, answer me. Are you both all right?

[And then there's the voice. Even that doesn't really register quite yet, as Teddy's only become dimly aware of the fact that his arm is still bleeding pretty heavily.

He'd just been looking down at it when it finally does register, and he looks at the door with wide eyes. What? What's going on? Who -

That's Ororo. Storm. She's here. What is she - For help. She's here to help.

Teddy blinks hard, then cringes as he pulls himself up, mostly using that makeshift bo staff to do so. After that, he moves down the hallway, despite the fact that he can be seen from the door, and leans heavily against the weapon he made.]

Storm? Storm... we're here.

[Ororo isn't completely unscathed either, sporting cuts and bruises and a torn, dirty uniform. She's not even wearing her cape. But Teddy - bleeding profusely from his arm, swollen wrist, leaning heavily on a staff - is so much worse off that she rushes forward. She helps him up as best as she can, mindful of his injuries, and of the blood.]

Teddy. Are you all right? Where is Billy?

[Teddy winces anyway; those aren't the only wounds he has, after all, just the worst ones. And it's such a welcome relief to see help arrive and feel warm hands on him that he at least moves his head over to lean it against her shoulder. He'd hug her if he could, but his right arm is bad off and he's still holding his weapon like a lifeline.]

Billy's - He's in the closet. There. Had to lock him in. He - He turned, Storm. I had to... He's out. Knocked out.

[He glances down at his bleeding arm.] And he... got me, too.

[Ororo helps him to sit, clearly he isn't well enough to keep standing, but strokes his hair comfortingly when he leans against her shoulder. When he mentions that both he and Billy have been infected she pauses, but only for a second.

She draws away, and places a gloved hand on his arm, above the wound.]

It's all right, Teddy. It'll be fine. There's talk of a cure finally being developed. We'll make sure you and Billy will be all right. [She lifts a hand to his hair again and gives him a tired but kind smile.]

[Billy had told him as much - That they were working on a cure, but to hear that it's being developed, that it might be close to being finished... Teddy lets out a long sigh and shuts his eyes, head pressed to her shoulder, trying to hold back the hiss when she places her hand above the wound.

He'd been so scared - still is, really, for Billy. He'd turned, and Teddy didn't know what to do. He couldn't kill him, could never do that, but to let him harm anyone else - and then he himself - he can already feel the virus setting in, making his head hurt and his throat dry. At least he's not hungry for anything yet.

But it's... reassuring, so reassuring, to hear that they'll both be all right, and to feel her stroke his hair and let him lean.

It's almost like his -

God, his mom.]

I promised - I told him I'd get us both out. That's why - why I put him in there - I didn't want them getting him, not unless they went through me, and...

[He's babbling, he knows it - Maybe he's scared, maybe he's relieved, maybe he's hurt and delirious, maybe she reminds him of someone dear to him whom he's lost recently, maybe it's just everything.]

[She's careful in holding him, knowing he wasn't in the best shape, but it takes all she has not to pull him closer. It's been such a painfully long week and she's seen some truly terrible things on this draft, but Billy and Teddy are far too young in her mind to be exposed to such things. Feeling him tremble from the stress and trauma of the week just underscores that thought in her mind.

Ororo's voice drops to a hush as she continues to hold him. It's been a long time since she's had to do something like this - part of her misses Evan with a sharp pang, though it's been years since she needed to be strong for him - but stroking Teddy's back and speaking to him in low, soft and soothing tones is instinctual, and natural.]

Ssssh... It's all right. It's all right, Teddy. You did it. Billy will be fine, as will you. You are safe now. Both of you are. Rogue and Clint and I will make sure of that, all right?

[The last of the zombies fall; they were pretty far gone anyway, slow and shamboling, practically falling apart under their own weight. Just as persistent though, and their bites were no less dangerous. Clint took a moment to catch his breath, glancing over at Rogue to check that she was alright, and then retrieved his arrows before heading into the shack.

He felt a pang of guilt when he saw Teddy there with Storm. He should have protected them like he'd said he would. They were just kids.]

Hey. We're clear outside.

[He sees the blood, the bite on his arm, and the fear in his voice, and softens his expression, giving a small smile.]

We'll get you home, both of you.

[It's tempting to just stay right there; everything hurts, and he can't just say it'll all heal, not until they get out of here. He's never felt pain or exhaustion for this long before, never. But now the zombies are gone, help has arrived, he and Billy will be safe. The adrenaline is starting to wear away, which is making the pain worse and makes him set his face in a cringe and pull his right arm over his body, though he opens his eyes once he hears Clint's voice.

Right, they're clear for now. They should go while it's still clear, even though moving is kind of the last thing he wants to do right now. They have to go, for everyone's sake, Billy's especially.

So he shifts in Ororo's grip, biting his lip when that makes pain flare in his arm, and turns enough to look down the hallway and at the locked door where Billy is.]

Billy's in there. He's turned - help him, please.

[He feels a stab of guilt when he hears about Billy. Damn it, they were kids and they should have been kept safe.

He nods and grabs a couple of things out of his supplies before he heads over there. No sound, so he assumes Billy is unconscious.]

I'll carry him back. I'll get him there and we'll help him.

[He pulls open the closet door and it hurts to see the kid lying there, unconscious, the signs of the infection still obvious. Clint's glad that he'd worn his jacket since it'll keep him from getting scratched.]

This is horrible, but I'm gonna gag him.

[Rogue had stayed behind to guard the door. It made sense - Ororo had gotten in first, and Clint had strength on her. If anything needed to be done in terms of carrying or knocking out, he was a better choice.

Meanwhile, she was left to fend off hordes of zombies with a very, very limited amount of ammunition.

Hordes of zombies that were starting to come back.]

Any time now, people! [Rogue shouted into the house.] Preferably while we're still young an' pretty!

[They had maybe thirty seconds left before she was going to have to start firing again. That wouldn't bode well for their run out of here.]

[Ororo calls back,] We'll be right there, Rogue.

[Ororo collapses her staff and tucks it into her belt. She nods in Clint's direction.]

Do what you need to, short of outright hurting him. Sedate him if you have to, we don't want the virus spreading to us now, after all.

[She turns to Teddy.] I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer before we can have these looked at Teddy. Can you stand? We will have to leave and find a more defensible position.

Yeah. I'm okay. I can fight if you need me to.

[With that, he grips the staff he's still clutching and pulls himself up, his teeth grit. His legs protest; he wants to just sit back down and not get up again. But not when they still have more to do. Not when Billy's counting on him.

Blood drips down his arm and fingers still, but it's not like he knows what to do with it. He's never really had a bleeding injury like this. So instead of wrapping it up or anything, he starts to head for the door, though he looks back to see what Clint's doing. He'd like to go back and actually help him and even carry Billy again; even if Billy woke up and bit him again, it's not like it'd make a difference. But he's just too tired, and he knows that Billy's in more capable hands now.]

[Great, more of them.]

I can do that.

[He grabbed a roll of bandages from his bag and wrapped it quickly around Billy's head into a makeshift gag, then used the rest to tie his wrists and ankles. Not the most secure way of doing it, but it would keep him from threashing when he woke. Next, he grabbed one of the little sedative syringes he'd taken earlier and injected it into his arm. He didn't want to risk more damage if he woke up and tried to attack them.]

I'm ready. Rogue, you can take my spare gun if you need it.

[He hosted Billy up over his shoulder, one arm wrapped tightly around him to hold him in place. It left him free to shoot if he needed to, although it would be awkward.]

[Rogue fired off a careful round, barely glancing behind her.]

They're thinnest ta the left--[She sensed a presence behind her and risked a glance back.]

Teddy, what the hell do ya think you're doin'? Bind that wound up, are ya tryin' ta-- [the pieces clicked into place. Billy infected. No zombies inside. Teddy bleeding, looking like he's got a bad case of shock. Shit.] --aww, shit.

[She glanced ahead and fired another round into the -- used to be a person, just like Billy, just like Teddy, and Pepper, and Logan -- zombie horde, just befuckingcause.

When Hawkeye came by, Rogue braced her gun against her shoulder and dipped her free hand to where he kept his spare gun. She had to get them out of here. No leading them into a trap for them all to die. She could almost hear Logan's voice in her head--

Keep it together, Rogue--

But that was impossible because all her psyches were as gone gone gone as her powers and God damn it all.]

[Fortunately Ororo could sense Rogue's thoughts. She meets the younger girl's eyes, gives her a grim look of encouragement. They'll get through this. They've faced too much for this to fall through.]

There's no time; we'll see to his injuries as soon as we can afford to. But right now we must move.

[Ororo shifts so that she can support Teddy's weight as much as she can - it was a good thing she was taller than him, even without the heeled boots - and checks that Clint has Billy secured. Then she takes a gun from where she'd tucked it into her belt. It's one she'd barely used all draft, but being that she could hardly fight any other way now, she didn't have much choice.]

Rogue, take point if you please. I have Teddy, and Hawkeye has Billy secure - we leave as soon as the coast is clear.

[He pauses long enough to let Rogue grab the spare, and slides his own sidearm out of the holster on his thigh. he can see the infected starting to gather again, attracted to large groups.]

I'm ready. I'll take the rear.

[He shifted Billy's weight a little to sit more comfortably.]

And I swear Billy, if you wake up and try to bite my ass I will drop you on your head.

[Rogue, already at point and moving, made a sound of acknowledgement.]

Keep pressure on it.

[The last thing she needs is Teddy bleeding out.]

We go left. They're not smart enough for that ta be a feint.

[And then she began clearing the way.]

[Ororo helps Teddy along, quiet except for the occasional murmur of encouragement for the younger boy, trusting Rogue to lead them in the right direction. In one hand she grips a handgun that she uses sparingly. Ammo was scarce, and she didn't want to waste what little she had left before they even got away to relative safety.]

[Teddy gave Hawkeye a look at that comment, knowing it was supposed to be a joke, but man, if you drop his boyfriend on his head...

But before he can do anything else, he's being pulled along, and with Rogue's advice, he tries to keep his other arm tight against the wound. He is pretty out of it, though, and so every now and then he stops, teeth grit and his eyes narrowed, makeshift staff gripped in his hand. He has to fight. He has to. The rest of the group need him, Billy needs him, and he was already completely useless before, he can't do that again...

Soon, though, with a nudge from Ororo, he's back to trying to get away. Right. Right, this is what he needs to do. Use this opportunity to get out and find somewhere to bandage up this wound and figure out what to do, away from the zombies.]

Sorry. [He says quietly to Ororo as he moves again. Both for how he's acting and for this whole mess.]

[He gives Teddy a look in return, perhaps a little apologetic but far from contrite, because if you can't joke about this stuff while zombie hordes are on your tail, when can you?

And then there's no time to be doing much except walking and watching for anything coming up on their flanks. He takes out a few of the zombies that get a little too close for comfort, making sure that every shot counts.]

[Fortunately, they'd cut a pretty clear path in getting to Billy and Teddy. It left the route back relatively clear as soon as they got through the swarm who'd come and surrounded the house. Smaller zombie parties, a few surprise attackers, but they were focused - and just as Rogue was forced to spend her last round, the Med Center was once again in sight.]

Y'all ready ta make a break for it?

[Because you should run and she should stay right here to keep them off your back. She holsters the gun, draws the tonfas. She's the only one not carrying somebody; she's got this.]

There'll be trouble when the kidz come out

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