Zanvis: ALIVE. (Part two of Apocalypse AU!)

Chapter Two: Zane.

"Aphmau? What's wrong? How is he? Can I see him? How long has he been awake? Is everything alright?"
Zane held the doorknob and cracked the door open slightly to speak into the dark room. There was a hissed "shh!" from Aphmau and a low groan from Travis.
"He's trying to sleep!"
"I didn't know! Can't I see him?"
"Shh! I'm coming over in a second. Just.. calm down. I'm coming."
"Calm down? Calm down?! I'll-"
Then she was in front of him, staring through the cracked door. She jerked it open and stepped through, closing it softly behind her. Once she was satisfied with the safety of the door, she whirled around and pushed Zane backwards with a shove to the chest. "I said to shush! It's very important that he sleeps now!" She rolled her eyes. "You're lucky Aaron missed."
Zane's eyes flickered back and forth as he scanned her face. "I'm lucky?! Travis could have been stabbed in the head and I'm the lucky one?!"
"Just hush-"
"Stop telling me to hush! I'm more concerned about his safety than anyone else, and I don't understand why I'm the one who doesn't get to know anything about how he's feeling!"
"He needs to sleep-"
"They why can you and Aaron go in there and talk to him so much?!"
Her eyes were round, dark pools of anger. "He doesn't need that right now!"
"What is that supposed to mean?!"
"He's not ready to see you yet!"
"But he's been talking to you this whole time! Me seeing him would be better for him than you guys!"
"You aren't ready to see him!"
Zane stared at her, his breathing deep and ragged. She stood tall, though her fingers twitched nervously at her sides.
"Whatever!" he snapped. "I'm going out." He turned around and stomped over to the table by the door.
"Zane, get back over here! You aren't going anywhere!"
"Then what am I doing right now?!" His hand hovered over Travis's gas mask on the table for a moment, then grabbed it and slipped it over his face.
"Put the mask down!"
"You aren't the boss around here! Travis is! And since he's not here, that means I'm the boss!" His voice was muffled.
"I'll- I don't-" Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find words.
"Shut up. If Travis asks, tell him I'll be back soon." Zane stalked over to the door, glancing out the crack in the boards on the window briefly before jerking the door open. Uncomfortable warmth greeted him.
"Get back here!"
He stepped back and grabbed a knife and his pistol. He glanced around the room and then stepped through the door and closed it behind him. He saw Aphmau's wide eyes peering through the crack in the boards.
I'll have to fix those boards later. It's way too noticeable when someone looks outside.
Zane gripped his knife tightly in his left hand and his pistol in the other. He walked along the old, cracked street and tossed his hair.
     I can't believe I let her tell me what I can and can't do. She's not even in charge. I am.
     He let out a soft sigh. The town no longer seemed like a terrifying maze of death and disease. It was now a familiar place- and it was like a home now. His home.
     Zane's quiet footsteps halted at the sound of something he couldn't quite hear. It reminded him of a cry for help, and he couldn't help but let out a low laugh.
I'm going insane.
     The few birds that existed in this town had weird calls. He shouldn't have been surprised that some mocked the sound of someone dying. It was a very common sound to be heard.
     As he resumed his abnormally calm stroll, his eyes flicked up to the sky above him. It appeared to be close to night time, and he reluctantly decided that he should start heading back soon. But he wasn't done storming off yet.
     Again, his footsteps paused at the sound of a floor creaking in the building beside him. A glance through the window revealed that it was just a small animal, searching for food.
Sorry, friend. Good luck finding food in a world like this.

     The sun was low and casting red streaks across the sky by the time Zane was ready to head back. He had cooled off and was eager to get back in hopes of seeing Travis.
    As he turned around and started back down the sidewalk, the "cry for help" sounded again, but a lot closer. Curiosity made him turn back around and search for the source.
     Zane knew it was a bad idea, but he still knew he would be curious forever if he didn't investigate.
     The cries became more frequent, ringing out across the town. Zane silently cursed whoever it was for drawing so much attention to themselves and broke into a light jog. The voice.. it seemed familiar. He shook off that feeling and sped up.
"Help! Someone! /Anyone!/" the deep voice called, their voice heavy with sobs.
Oh, Irene. What am I getting myself into? Why didn't I notice them come into the town? He rolled his eyes at himself. Probably because I've been too worried about Travis. But, I am right to be worried...
"Help!"
Mother of Irene, their voice is familiar! It can't be anyone I know. Everyone I know died when this mess started.
He blocked the thoughts out. He didn't need to think about death or people in his past. Someone needed help.
The loud call came from the building across the street. Thoughts crowded into his mind, like the whole thing being a setup or the sounds just being an annoying bird.
Or if he was finally going insane.
He held his pistol out in front of him as he crossed the street, a quiet voice in the back of his head telling him to look both ways and check for cars.
"Someone.. please! Anyon—" The voice cut itself off. Zane wondered if that was because they noticed him or if something went wrong.
He drew closer and closer to the building, finally getting close enough to peer in through the window. In the corner of the room, two figures huddled in the corner. It was too dark to make out any features, but the sharp smell of blood was clear.
"H-hello?" the voice called out to Zane, very shaky now. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't think- I don't- I need help- my b- my friend— my leg—"
"Shush. You'll let them know you're here. Who all is in there with you?" Zane asked softly, squinting into the darkness with his gun and knife ready.
"J-just us!"
"Who is 'us'?"
"M-my friend and I."
"Do you have any weapons?"
"T-two knives a-and a gun."
"What kind of gun?"
"Re-Revolver."
Without announcing himself, he walked through the cracked door and kept his pistol up. His knife remained ready at his side.
"What's your name?"
"G-Garroth.."
Zane's heart skipped a beat.
"And his?" He forced his shock out of his voice.
"Laurence.."
I really found- how did I- both of them- I thought they- why aren't they-
"Okay. Can you tell me what's wrong now?"
"There.. there were people..."
"Where were they?"
"A long while that way.." Through the darkness, Garroth motioned south, the way that Zane was heading on his way here. Turning his head just a little bit added to the dizziness that came from his disbelief.
"And what did they do?"
"They.. they shot my leg.. and.. and they shot Laurence..."
"Where was he shot?"
Garroth wiped his eyes. "In.. in the stomach... and the shoulder.."
"How is he now?" Hesitantly, Zane stepped further into the building.
"He lost a lot of blood... he's passed out..."
"How well can you walk?"
"I came all the way over here carrying Laurence.. so pretty well, I guess.. well... not now... my entire leg is numb." Garroth added a soft chuckle to the end of his sentence.
"Alright. Do you have anyone else? Like Vylad?"
Through the shadows, he saw Garroth's jaw drop. "How do you—"
"Okay. I'll explain at the base. Stand up."
He watched Garroth slowly release Laurence and use the small table beside him to push himself to his feet. He winced and kept one leg up a bit.
"At least you can stand.." Zane sighed. He kept the pistol up- just in case -and approached them. "Think you can walk if I carry Laurence?"
"Probably... if not, just leave me. Take him. I'll... I'll crawl if I have to."
"I'm not leaving you anywhere. Especially here. The walkers had to have heard you yelling like that."
     Garroth's expression shifted to a guarded one. "I got help, didn't I?"
     "..I guess you did."
     "You guess?"
     Zane remained silent, staring at Garroth through the part of the mask that shielded his eyes.
      "Who are you?"
     The question kind of caught Zane off guard. He shook his head and moved forward to inspect Laurence's barely moving body on the floor. "Can't you guess from my voice?"
     "Unless that's your actual voice, your mask is really warping it."
    I forgot that happened.
     "I can't carry Laurence and a gun at the same time," Zane mumbled, changing the subject. "Can you shoot a pistol?" He knew very well that Garroth could.
     "I mean... I guess. I won't be very fast...I-" Zane shoved the pistol into his hands and bent down to grab Laurence. As gently as he could, he lifted him up in a fireman's carry without moving him too much. He grunted with the effort.
     "Neither will I."