Call of Duty Stories

Chapter 1 - Bus Depot

Stehulinger opened his eyes, putting a hand on his throbbing head. He stood immediately, scuffling to his feet as he came to.

Where am I?

He looked at his surroundings. Debris was stacked in corners, mold crawling out from the cracks, mud and dirt staining the walls, along with something red that Stehuling didn't want to think about. A large sign sat in the middle of the building, with a map of a bus route. Windows were barricaded, along with the bathrooms. The floor was cracked, lava seeping from underneath.

Stehulinger noticed someone else towards the door, who he recognized as Misty. He turned, hearing Marlton complain about his back.

"Guys?" Stehulinger called. Misty turned to him, as if she just noticed he was there.

"You're finally up," she said. "Hearing voices again or some'mn?"

"What?" Stehulinger shook his head. "No . . . haven't heard him . . . since . . ." He trailed off, unable to remember.

"It doesn't matter," Misty shook her head dismissively. "We found some wall guns while you were conked out; here, take one."

Stehulinger took an Olympia from her hands. "Yeah . . . thanks. Where are we, exactly?"

"You really were out of it, weren't you?" Misty rolled her eyes. "We're at that bus station. Look at the map. 'T says the bus should be here any minute."

Stehulinger's sense of annoyance came back. He shrugged in response, noticing Russman trying to build something, and clearly struggling with it.

"Tell Marlton I said the bus'll be here soon." Misty said. Stehulinger didn't have time to reply before she walked off, so he muttered something to himself and turned to where he had heard Marlton.

He noticed him a ways off, occupied with a barrier. He walked over to him.

"Misty said the bus'll be here any minute," he said.

Marlton looked nervous, it seemed. His hands were shaking. "Yeah," he said, firing a few shots at a zombie before gathering towards Misty at the entrance. Stehulinger decided he'd might as well rebuild the barrier while he was over there.

"I see the bus," Misty said after a moment. Stehulinger could hear it honking in the distance, before it stopped at the bus station. The doors opened, revealing something Stehulinger could only describe as Satan.

"All aboard the bus! Please keep your arms, legs, and other appendages inside the bus at all times!" The robotic bus driver, TEDD called. I'd rather do anything else, Stehulinger thought.

"Alrighty now, there's no need for that turbine then, Russman. Let's head out!" Misty said, opening the double doors and heading outside.

Marlton followed, getting onto the bus quickly as if there were someone after him.

"You coming, boy?" Russman asked, looking back at Stehulinger.

"Oh. Yeah." Stehulinger muttered as he climbed aboard the bus. The doors closed, and the bus steadily began to roll out of the bus stop.

                                                                           ***

"We need to head for the lab," Marlton said matter-of-factly. He looked up in surprise at the wall buy on the ceiling.

"Why?" Russman asked.

"Because, there's apparently some sort of time machine there," Marlton replied. "It'll be able to take us to our next destination."