Apocalyptic Dream

4 - Familiar Place

"What is with you and trying to drive?!" Techno grumbled at Seven, who was seated beside him in one of the ATVs, the former driving in the lead of five other vehicles.

Seven stuck his tongue out at the other, looking out of the small, glassless window, the trees whipping by. Cooper and Joko were slumped on each other, sleeping. A radio rested on the center console of the vehicle, ready to call out issues or sights on the way. Seven had tried to fight with his companion about driving, but seeing as he wasn't healed all that well, there wasn't much he could do. He knew he had been in worse pain, however that was a long time ago, his tolerance now lower.

"Techno, do you know where you're headed?" Tommy's voice teased from a connection. "You'e taking an awful lot of swerves."

"Just me beating the shit out of him." Seven replied, seeing as the one driving was too focused "Either that or he's just shit at driving."

"He's like the children." Phil sighed over the line, Seven hearing loud curses coming from two vehicles behind them

"How much longer?" Ranboo questioned with a yawn

"Eh? You growing tired, Ranboo?" Tommy teased

"We'll be there by nightfall, if Techno doesn't wreck us." Seven replied "It's a wonder why you lot let him drive."

"You were shot, mate!" Phil replied

"Yeah yeah, whatever Phil." Seven yawned "I'll live."

As he said that, Techno hit a root, jarring the ATV, Seven almost hitting his head on the window sill.

"Woah woah woah!" Cooper yelped as he hit heads with Joko "What was that about?!"

"Techno can't fucking drive!" Seven yelled, frustrated that he had punched his head instead "WHY DO YOUR SKILLS SUCK?!"

"I DIDN'T DRIVE BEFORE!" Techno replied, glancing down at the radio that was connected

"OBVIOUSLY!" Tubbo hooted as Seven caught sight of something in front of them, his eyes widening.

"Techno... You may want to see this..." Seven said, Techno following the other's gaze before stopping abruptly.

"WOAH WOAH- woah..." Tommy started shouting before catching a sight at the destruction in front of them.

"You're joking." Joko breathed

"What the fuck!" One of the others that had been saved, a blonde with glasses named Carson, shouted

They had managed to find the edge of the forest, spotting a large city, if it could even be called that anymore. Large buildings had holes in them and some were toppled over into the wide streets, large spatters of blood marking the walls, charred spots in the city showing where some houses used to be. Zombies crawled all over the main streets, staying away from certain areas, areas that Seven knew.

Seven was back in his home town.

~<^>~

"Why didn't he go around?!" Seven heard from a radio strapped to his chest, the quiet voices murmuring as he snuck though the more deserted areas of the streets and alleyways "Why did we stop here?"

"We stopped here because Seven has history he doesn't want to leave, apparently." Techno's monotone, while usually sounded like he was bored, had small cues of worry hidden below the surface that Seven could pick up on. "I don't control what that idiot does, Dream."

"You wish you could so you could have made me bring the crutches." Seven replied, no doubt making all parties jump "And let's just say that I'm not keen on leaving something behind."

As he made it through around most of the houses, it would seem that where he was going was going to be harder. rotting bodies crammed together, so much that anyone alive would have been suffocated. Seven sucked in a breath as he pulled out a homemade bomb, something tat would explode with enough force if he wasn't careful. He had made two as a test, actually using one to see if it worked, and after that was urged to get rid of the second. This was the perfect opportunity.

Using his uninjured arm, he threw the bomb as far away as he could, the explosion rocking several buildings over and making it almost fall, zombies turning to move toward that area. as they crowded out, Seven ran to a larger house with blood stained walls, entering through the gut-strewn doorway. It looked like how he had left it last, surprisingly nothing had seemed to get in, though he knew better than to hope. Most didn't touch the antiques his parents had acquired, probably going for the better stuff in the back, and yet the house seemed clean enough, no dust and no blood, which was also concerning. Had someone been cleaning?

As Seven walked through the next door, he felt a snap at his feet, looking down to see he had stepped on a rope that as pulled tightly at the bottom of the doorway. Looking up, he was met with a log that hung down to his chest speeding toward him, knocking him back with a sickening crunch, a startled and pained yell leaving his lips.

"huh?"

Seven lay there for a second, not registering when something spoke

"Is anyone there?! Show yourself!"

Seven couldn't breathe properly, trying to cough up something to help him breath better.

"Shit! Aw no!" Scrambling was heard as the creaking of the large, polished log that was once a part of the stair way railing being pushed out of the way. "No no no!"

"What is it?!" Another voice called "Was it another zombie you recognized? Beef, I swear you can't keep-"

"No! This is a guy!" The other shouted as Seven kept coughing "He's coughing up blood! What do I do?!"

"Ah, shit."