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topazy · 11 months

Text

Inside, outside

Pairings: 10k x reader, Addy Carver × sister reader

Warnings: Swearing, minor violence

Chapter: 4.11

“You look like a kid on Christmas morning,” Sarge states. She watches confused as you kiss him on the cheek, thanking him for what he just gave you. “Can someone explain what’s so special about a bow?”

Doc pats her on the back, chuckling, “A bow was Astra’s choice of weapon at the start of the apocalypse.”

“I can’t remember the last time I used one of these,” you line the arrow up with no intention of firing it. You roll your eyes when Murphy dramatically drops to the ground, acting as if you were going to shoot him.

“It’s sentimental,” Warren says teasingly.

Looking at the weapon in your hands as Sarge continues to argue that guns are the better weapon choice, you smile. She sounded just like Mack did.

The group continues to have random conversations as you approach abandoned cars outside Mount Weather, which was your intended location full of Z’s, including the president's husband. 10k, Sarge, and Warren make quick work of taking all the Z’s out within minutes. Warren tried to use the president's husband's ID, but it didn’t work.

“What’s wrong, chief?” Doc asks.

“There’s also a retina scanner,” she sighs. “He needs to look at it while swiping the card.”

You scrunch your nose up and say, “Thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yep,” Doc replies. He pulls out a spinner from his pocket and goes inside the car to scoop the man’s eyeball out.

“That’s disgusting,” Murphy snorts.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Doc successfully retrieves the eye and uses it to unlock the door along with the keycard. When the doors open, you step inside, making sure to bring the ID with you in case you need it again. Being so close to the Oval Office was a surreal feeling; it felt like you’d stepped into a TV show or film set.

You search every room you come across for any sign of life but fail to find any. At the end of the hallway, you find a roomful of the undead. Former congressmen and women who appear to have turned at some point early on during the apocalypse When the Z’s start to growl and grab for you, your group swings into action and shows them mercy one by one. The building had a stale smell to it, and the hallways were full of what you assumed was once confident paperwork.

“Well, I think we just killed the last of the US government,” Murphy says while flicking zombie guts off of his jacket and onto the floor.

As Warren tries to come up with a plan, Sarge points behind her and says, “More Z’s coming from behind.”

All of this seemed like a lot of effort to just get a thumbprint. Sighing, you raise your arms and get ready to shoot, but lower your bow when you notice the way the Z’s are walking and say, “That’s not the dead.”

The men get closer and point their guns in your direction. “Freeze! Secret service.”

After a brief back and forth with the secret service and Murphy giving them sarcastic answers about shooting instead of voting, Warren steps in and introduces herself. “I’m Lieutenant Robert Warren, national guard. We’re on a special mission to save humanity. It is imperative that we see the president.”

One of the men lowers his gun and introduces himself, “I’m agent Johnson.” He lets out a deep sigh and looks at the man beside him. “And that’s agent Johnson.”

“Before you ask, no, we’re not related. And yes, it’s weird that we are both named Johnson.”

“Do you always have to say that?” The first agent Johnson asks. “It undermines our authority.”

Both agents let out dark laughs as they asked Warren what he said about saving humanity. It was clear that neither of these men had interacted with other people for a long time, if they were so easily amused.

Warren rolls her eyes and says, “Look, we have reason to believe someone intends to launch some kind of biological attack on all surviving humans and zombies in order to cleanse the world and repopulate it with their genetically modified offspring.”

The first agent looks confused at her, while the second keeps his gun aimed at her. “And you’ve got a problem with this?” He asks before laughing again.

“Can I just speak to the president?” Warren finally snaps.

“We can’t just let everybody who thinks they have an emergency speak to the president. She’s never gotten anything done.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she’s pretty backed up these days.” You shake your head while pulling the president's husband's ID from your back pocket. “Does she know her husband is dead?”

“Yes,” a woman says, walking up behind the agents while carrying a cardboard box in her arms. “I know he’s dead.” She places the box down, then brushes the agents aside to stand directly in front of Warren and ask, “What’s going on?”

“Intruders. It’s under control, ma’am.”

Warren takes the ID from you and hands it to the president. “I’m sorry, but we really need your help.”

“Agent Johnson, put your weapon down.” She steps back and addresses all of you. “Jane Carlson, 234th president of the United States We’re a little short of help here.”

“How many survivors are there?”

“You’re looking at them.”

In disbelief, you ask, “There are only three of you left alive in office.”

“There were four of us. Most of what was left of the government evacuated to NewMerica a few weeks ago. We were supposed to follow them, but we’ve run into a few obstacles.”

“Yeah, well, we just killed a few obstacles for you back there,” Murphy says in a matter-of-fact tone, resulting in you muttering for him to shut up before lightly nudging him in the back of the leg.

“And thank you for that,” she says, amused. “The last of Congress. Not much of a loss; they were dead a week before anybody realized.”

“Madam President, time is of the essence,” Warren says more softly than normal. “We are on a mission to find a secret government weapon, and we need your help to access it.”

“What can I do?”

“We’re going to need your thumbprint.”

The moment the words slip from Warren’s mouth, both agents aim their guns at her head. Raising your hands, you take a step back, unsure of why her words triggered such a reaction.

“My thumbprint?”

“Yeah, I know it sounds crazy.”

The president removes her red leather gloves, showing that she had no thumbs; they had been removed. She urges you to follow her to her office while explaining that a man arrived a few days prior and drugged her, then removed her thumb prints. It turned out Dr. Teller had left a creepy cartoon video about Project Rainbow for Warren to find when she arrived at Mount Weather. It also turned out you needed to travel 25 levels down to find the zombified corpse of the man who was the last president before the world turned to shite.

—

“I don’t trust her,” you whisper.

10k stares at the agent’s suspicious expression, while Doc leans in to ask you both, “Why? She seems nice enough and is helping us.”

“She knew about the black rainbow and intended to do nothing, plus she wants us to call her Jane. It’s weird; it’s like she’s trying to lure us into a false sense of security.” There was a falseness in the sudden offer to help your group in their search that you couldn’t trust.

“Good point, anyone called Jane is crazy,” Doc winks at you before stepping into the elevator to join everyone else.

You share a concerned look with 10k as you are the last two to enter the lift before it starts to lower to the ground. You all remain silent until the elevator doors open up as a horde of Z’s attempt to barge their way in. Chaos quickly follows, and your group is separated among the herd of zombies. When you notice Warren is still standing in the elevator, you turn back, not wanting to leave her behind. She quickly hits the button, taking you two to a different floor.

“Now what?”

“We find another way back to our people.”

—

“Well, hello, Mr. President,” Warren says while opening a door to a small office. Confused, you follow her into it and see the former president duck-taped to a chair.

Sighing, you walk behind the chair and say, “I’ll push if you clear a path.”

She nods. You were grateful that it hadn’t taken you long to stumble upon him; I meant you could get out of the Oval Office a lot quicker. Nervously, you go back the way you came, but to your surprise, the hallway that was flooded with Z’s before is now empty.

“Where did they all go?”

You shrug and say, “Either the Z’s were all shown mercy or led somewhere else.”

“Hmm, keep alert just in case.”

You followed behind while struggling to push the chair forward; one of the wheels was broken and constantly spun as you walked. “For god's sake, do you hear that? It sounds like Murphy.”

You turn the chair around and go down a different corridor, which smells of rotten flesh. Just as you reached a door at the end of it, Doc swung it open and said, “Warren!” He says surprised as he looks past her and smiles, “Hey kid.”

“Astra!” 10k practically runs by them, not paying any mind to Warren or the Z, wrapping his arms around you. He breathes into your neck, “Don’t ever go off like that again. I thought—I thought I’d lost you.”

“You didn’t; I’m right here.”

—

Things quickly turn sour when you reach the top floor again. Your initial gut instinct was right; the president wasn’t to be trusted. When she realized Warren was serious about stopping Black Rainbow, Jane ordered the agents to take you all prisoner. The president was smart and knew how to get another person on her side by playing on Sarge’s emotions by pulling the ranking officer card.

“Don’t listen to her,” Warren orders.

Noticing the hesitation on Sarge's face, you stare her down and say, “Don’t do it. Don’t listen to her.”

Teary-eyed, she slowly turns, her gun now facing the direction of your group. At first, you hoped it was some kind of trick, but it wasn’t. “Actually, I do; I’m sorry. I took an oath. I’m a Marine; she’s my commander in chief.”

You felt as if you'd been stabbed in the heart; even Murphy looked taken aback by the sudden betrayal. Is this what real betrayal looks like? In the form of someone you thought of as a friend?

Smugly, the present says, “Why don’t we all go back to my office?”

Reluctantly, you all begin to follow, biting your tongue until you notice Sarge pointing her gun at 10k’s back. You see red. Not thinking of the consequences, you point your own gun at the back of her head. Sensing movement behind him. 10k looks back and freezes upon seeing what you're doing; his mouth is slightly agape until he notices the gun still pointing at his own body. A look of deep hurt crosses his features.

“Sarge!” Her name is like venom dripping from your tongue. “Unless you want to die right now, drop the gun before something really fucking bad happens.”

Your words catch the attention of everyone else, who is now staring back. “Astra, don’t do it,” Doc says, stepping forward. “I know you're mad, but if you shoot her, they shoot all of us.”

Memories of everyone you’d lost during the different missions flash before your eyes. Sure, you’d made plenty of mistakes, some worse than others, but you’d never deliberately put any one of them in danger for the sake of pride. You shake your head. “We treated you like family.”

Sarge’s voice breaks when she says, “I know, I’m sorry.”

“Astra, lower your weapon,” Warren says sternly.

Even Murphy tried to talk you into lowering the gun, but you refused, saying, “Not until she lowers hers first.”

“Do you really think I’d shoot 10k?”

You scoff at her words, fighting to hold back your own tears of anger. “With you? Who knows. I never thought you’d turn on us, but here we are.”

Sarge looks to the president for permission before dropping her arms to her sides. You lower your weapon while staring Sarge down. How could she betray you after everything you had been through?

“Astra,” 10k says softly, “you need to give them to me.”

Without explicitly explaining what he meant, you handed him all of your weapons. Once you had done so, the president allowed your group to continue the walk back to her office.

—

“I’m not apologizing to her.”

“I’m not asking you too.” 10k rests his chin on your shoulder. “But that wasn’t just about Sarge, was it?”

When the president revealed her plan to go to Zona while the rest of the world died, Sarge decided to switch sides again and shot both agents and the president, giving you all the chance to escape. Still, the way she turned on you so quickly hurt.

“I don’t know…” you lie, not wanting to admit the betrayal of a friend made you think of Cassandra. It reminded you of what you did to her and how the guilt of it still weighed heavily on you. “We should probably head back to the rest of the group before they send out a search party.”

As you start to walk away from the tree line and towards the main road, 10k calls after you, “I know your gun was empty; you were never going to hurt her.”

Thinking back on your actions, you do feel ashamed that you acted so harshly, but at that moment, you weren’t sure if Sarge would shoot him or not. Without looking back, you say, “Tommy, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” 10k says, wrapping his arm around your shoulders as a single tear falls from your cheek. “I would have done the exact same thing.”

Hearing him say that made you feel a little better, although you still dreaded the days to come. The sooner this mission was over, the better.

#z nation #10k x reader #10k x you #10k z nation #inside outside #z nation fanfiction #z nation fandom #z nation x reader #z nation warren #murphy z nation #z nation 10k #doc z nation #sarge z nation #10k #10k/you #10k/reader

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topazy · 1 year

Text

Inside, outside

Pairings: 10k x reader, Addy Carver x sister reader

Warnings: Blood, violence and swearing

Chapter: 4.05

“Why does the apocalypse always have to be so hot?” Murphy groans.

Usually you’d roll your eyes at his moaning, but he was right. You could all feel the sun burning your backs or your scalps and necks, and you didn’t have much water left. “Probably the global warming thing everyone used to talk about pre-apocalypse.”

“Don’t sass me,” he huffs. “If this were pre-apocalyptic days, you’d be paying for my therapy.”

You and Warren share a curious look. You shrug, “I’ll bite, what the hell are you talking about, Murphy?”

“You two,” he points accusingly at you and 10K. “I overheard the two of you last night... fornicating and when you thought everyone else was asleep.”

“That’s impossible; we were nowhere even near camp last,” 10k argues.

Your cheeks blush as you avoid making eye contact with anyone.

“Yeah, well, that may be true, but I went for a walk so I could pee in privacy and got traumatized instead.”

Warren shakes her head and tells him to shut up just as Sarge stops in front of you and motions to a large truck that’s parked in the middle of the road. “What do you think? I say we check it out.”

“I dunno, it seems easy. Nobody just leaves vehicles like that behind.”

“You’re right, so let’s move in easy,” Warren says. “Sarge and I will check it out, Murphy watch Lucy. 10k and Doc, you guys cover us, and Astra, you watch over Murphy and Lucy.”

Murphy scrunches his face up at her comment. Warren and Sarge checked the front of the truck and cleared it so Lucy could check it for Z’s.

“If anyone’s in there, they aren’t dead,” she says, walking around the truck.

A vague feeling of deja vu comes over you as you think back to all the traps you’ve fallen into before. “I don’t like this, I think we should keep walking.”

Before anyone could reply, the truck's engine turned on, apparently by itself. Somehow someone was controlling it remotely. You, 10k, Sarge, and Doc all aim their guns towards the front screen of the truck.

“Lower your weapons,” Warren says. “Let’s keep going by foot.”

You all start to walk silently, remaining on the road, until Lucy spins around and points at the truck that is following you, “Look!”

Every time your group walked up the road, a vehicle followed. Someone was stalking you.

“I think we should run towards the tree line over to our left,” you say, pointing to a forest area that was only a five-minute walk away as the truck's engine revs louder. “The houses would block it from following us, so we would have enough time to hide from whoever this is.”

Warren shakes her head, “no, I’m going in.” She marches towards the truck, saying, “Doc, Astra, and 10k cover the cab. Sarge, if anything bad happens, shoot the tyres first, then the engine. Murphy, stay with Lucy! Nobody shoots until I say.”

Reluctantly, you raise your gun and follow her orders, even though your gut tells you to run.

Warren slowly opens the side of the door, and a loud screeching sound fills the air, causing everyone to clasp their hands over their ears before falling to the ground.

—

Frantically, you start to search every inch of the morgue for your friends, who were hiding from an oncoming horde of Z’s.

“They aren’t here,” a soft voice says from behind you.

You look over your shoulder and let out a little gasp at the sight of Cassandra, who is smiling at you. You feel tears rise to your eyes as she walks towards you, looking like she did before she was bitten. before the virus spread across the world. She looked healthy.

She sits down at a table and makes motions for you to do the same thing. You plop down in the chair across from her and immediately hear laughter.

“What are you remembering?” She asks.

“We took shelter here to hide from a horde of Z’s,” you feel your warm tears run down your cheeks. “We sat around this table laughing and eating all the food Murphy found.”

She smiles fondly at the memory. “Meeting you guys was the best thing that happened to me in the apocalypse. I know what it means now to be truly a part of something good.”

“You died.”

“I know.”

“I hit you over the head with a rock.”

“I know.”

“I killed you.”

Cassandra’s shiny, dark hair moved softly as she shook her head. She reaches her hand out for yours and says, “No, you didn't. I was already dead.”

“I’m sorry,” you tighten the grip on her hand. “I’m so sorry, I never meant to hurt you. Please forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive,” she said tearfully. “I was glad it was you in the end who showed me mercy. Tommy would never have been able to do it. I would have killed one of my friends without meaning it, which would have been much worse because he’s still human.”

You scoff lightly and wipe at his eyes, saying, “Mostly anyway, Murphy bit him, then he died and came back. It's a long story.”

“I know,” her brown eyes welled up. “I’ve been with you every step of the way, I never truly left you guys.”

You completely let your emotions go and sobbed into the back of your hand, “I wish this was real.”

“Who says it’s not?”

You awaken with a start and feel a tightness when you struggle to move. You were trapped inside a wooden box that was positioned upright, so you were tightened.

You try to force the wooden panel open but it doesn’t work, “oh shit, shit, shit.”

“Don’t force it or they’ll start setting off the alarm.”

“Murphy?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” he sighs. “We’re the only ones here.”

A horrifying realization hits you, everyone else could be much worse off, “we need to get out and find our people.”

“What the hell do you think I’ve been doing? I've got a daughter who hates me to save!”

You chuckle, “Caring about others suits you.”

He pauses.

You think you’ve hit a nerve until he starts talking in his normal sarcastic tone, “I know what you're thinking.”

“What’s that?”

“None of this would have happened if Warren had listened to you and we’d gone into the damn woods.”

You roll your eyes before pounding on the wood again. “The thought never even crossed my mind.”

“Sure, sure, play that card.”

You stop pondering and sigh, “Murphy, Lucy doesn’t hate you. Despite being able to talk to dead people, she’s still just a teenage girl.”

He makes a grunting noise in response. Seconds later, the sound of something metal hitting the floor and the room filling with smoke.

—

You sit up confused, despite your last memory of being trapped inside a wooden box breathing in toxic gas, you were now in an open field, surrounded by long grass. You get up and walk until you reach the edge of the hill you're standing on and look down at the Sisters of Mercy camp.

Didn’t it get destroyed? You frown, remembering how twisted the people who run the place were.

“I still hate them too.”

You spin around to see Mack standing behind you; you go up to him and hug him tightly. You suddenly realized whatever was in the gas was making you hallucinate, but you were grateful because you’d now got to see two people whose grief at losing you hadn’t fully come to terms with yet.

“Your sister is not with you?” He asks, stepping back.

“Mack,” you knew by the tone of his voice that he was in an argumentative mood. “Don’t start, I’ve no idea when I’ll wake up.”

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know. She keeps leaving,” you shrug. “You know what Addy’s like more than anyone, she does whatever she wants.”

“Do you miss her?” He asks seriously.

You nod, “all the time. I miss you too.”

“Next time you see her, don’t let her go, you need each other.” Mack pulls you into him again and kisses the top of your head. “I’m so proud of you, Astra; you’ve come so far.”

You rest your head against his chest and try to find the words to thank him for all the times he has saved you, but nothing comes out.

“Also, tell 10K to always treat you right. If not, I have no problem going Freddie Kruger on his ass and strangling him in his sleep.”

You laugh at Mack’s comment before slowly feeling him disappear.

You woke to the sound of coughing nearby, followed by thumping. “Doc? Doc is that you?” Murphy calls out, “Doc, are you alright?”

“Doc’s fine. Just some nerve gas or something,” 10k replies. “I’m fine too, thanks for asking.”

Murphy ignores his comment and yells, “Is Astra with you?! She was with me, but they threw the gas in, and I haven’t heard from her since.”

“No, I've not seen her since we got here,” you could hear the panic in his voice. “How was she? Was she hurt?”

“I never physically saw her, but she sounded drugged out of her mind when I first heard her; she kept rambling the same things.”

“What was she saying?” Doc asks, his voice sounding huskier than normal.

“Something about a rock and forgiveness, the girl wasn’t making much sense then she suddenly snapped out of it.” Astra wanted to escape and find you guys, but we got gassed. “Maybe she got out.”

10k goes silent for a moment before saying, “Doc, help me kick this down.”

Unable to talk from the dryness in your throat from the gas, you find the strength to weakly bang on the side of the wood to let them know you were there.

“Astra? Astra, is that you?” 10k asks, his voice laced with fear.

You manage to croak out a yes. From the distance, you’d guess you were in a separate room from the rest of them.

“I’m glad you're okay,” Warren says. Her voice surprised you since she’d been silent the whole time. “We go to find a way out here or they’re going to kill us one by one.”

“Who’s running this show? What's their problem?” Doc asks, frustrated.

The same screeching sound from the truck fills the room. Warren tells everyone to fight falling asleep, but it’s impossible as you're completely black.

—

You watch as the waves crash into the rocks below and smile as your nostrils are filled with sea air. You feel a presence behind you but don’t need to turn around to know who it is, “things would have been so different if you’d come with us.”

“It is what it is.”

“That’s such a thing you thing to say,” you turn around to face Vasquez.

His face is stern like it was when you first met him. “I was wrong. Love doesn’t make you weak. It gives you strength, something to fight for.”

Before you can react, you feel a sharp pain in your stomach and fall to the ground. Vasquez kneels down beside you with a concerned look on his face. “How is the pain real when none of this is?”

“I don’t know.”

You gulp down as your body starts to tremble with pain, and through gritted teeth you ask, “Did you find your family?”

He finally smiles and says, “I did, and you're about to find yours.”

You let out a loud scream as the piercing pain continued to sweep across your stomach. You open your eyes and see a man with a disfigured face leaning over you, slicing the flesh on your stomach with his knife.

He notices that you're awake and giggles like a child. You lean forward to headbutt him, but he moves fast, and you end up cracking your nose off his skull. He trips you up, and you land on the ground with a thud. The man kicks you in the face, causing your vision to blur. He goes to kick you again, but you extend your foot, kicking him in the balls. The knife falls from his grip, you catch it and stab him in the neck. You gag as his blood sprays across your body.

A hell escapes your lips as his limp body falls on top of you. You manage to pull your arm out from underneath him to move it far enough to stab the knife into his head. The weight of the man, who is much larger than you, begins to crush you, making it hard for you to breathe.

The door to the room swings open, and you mentally prepare yourself to try and fight, even though you’ll most likely die.

“Oh, my lord,” Warren starts to shove the man’s body off you. “She’s in here! Sarge, help me get her up.”

Sarge joins her in pushing the man off you, and you feel oxygen filling your lungs as normal again.

Here, Sarge extends her hand to help you up as footsteps approach faster down the hallway outside. “10k, we’re in here.”

10k runs into the room and freezes. His eyes trace all the blood that covers your body. Not having time to ask any questions, he picks you up in bridal style and starts to run towards a staircase where the others are waiting.

“What happened to her?” Murphy asks while leading the way up the stairs.

“We’ll get to that later,” Warren says sternly before shoving the door open at the top of the stairs leading outside.

10k’s grip on you tightens, “that’s not good.”

With your good eye, you follow his trail of vision and notice seven wooden coffins. The screeching noise pierces the air, and again, 10k falls to the ground with you in his arms.

—

You're only awake for a few moments before the wooden box you're trapped in is opened and you're caught as you fall forward. 10k picks you up again, and Doc shoves a cloth over your stomach to try and stop the bleeding. “Try and hold this kid; we’ll get a proper look at you once we’re out of here and fix you right up.”

“How? We don’t have any supplies.”

“We do now,” Lucy says cheerfully, “not only did Carson save us but he showed me where to find a first aid kit.”

You grip onto 10k’s jacket, “Do you see the Z walking beside us?”

“That’s Carson.”

His answer didn’t make you any less confused. You zone in and out as men try to block the hallway leading to the way out, but Carson attacks them, turning them all into Zs. You weren’t sure if it was a hallucination or not, but you could have sworn you saw Murphy get bitten on the arm by a Z when he pulled his daughter away from them.

—

You and your group make it outside just as the screeching starts again, but everyone runs away and it seems to stop. “Okay, Tommy, you need to put me down before you collapse.”

Reluctantly kneel down so he can fully catch his breath, at the same time, Murphy falls to the ground and starts shaking. “I think he bit me.”

Doc rolls up Murphy's sleeve to reveal a bite mark, “But he’s immune, right?”

“Not anymore, not since he was cured,” Warren confirms.

—

Lucy and Doc help Murphy walk, while 10k helps you. You still needed a probing look over, but from Doc’s quick assessment, he said you’d need the cut on your stomach stitched up and cleaned. You had a possible broken nose and a lump on the side of your head from being kicked from behind.

You let out a sound of disgust as you could see so far down the road and saw the truck again, the only difference was that there was another vehicle and more belongings scattered across the road. “They are still taking people.”

“Those sons of a bitch,” Warren opens the car door for Murphy to get into the back seat, then opens the boot, “it will be easier for Doc to look at the wound if you're laying down.”

You groan as you lean back in the boot. While the others, minus yourself and Murphy, gather the belongings that have been left behind, Warren approaches you and squeezes your shoulder, saying, “For what it’s worth, I should have listened to you. We should have run.”

A smile finds its way onto your lips, “It is what it is.”

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