Holy shit. So, this is just over a year old. Both the art and the story, but I thought I'd upload it here since I do plan to continue it. I know the title and little tagline thing suck, but here goes nothing. Maybe one of you will enjoy it. I intend for it to get... gorier. I'm actually a little embarrassed about posting it but tbh, I'm still kind of happy with how it's starting out.

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L4D2 - Highschool Horror
Silence, Exterminations in progress

"They're still not back" Rochelle muttered, standing by the heavy red metal door with her arms folded over her pink shirt. Chewing her lip nervously, worry etched across her brow she looked over her shoulder as a door creaked and Nick closed the cabinet on the far side of the safe room after bagging whatever came in handy, needless to say leaving few items for the next group who might pass through. He didn't care, as usual he was looking out for number one.
"Who?" He grunted, pulling the bag strap over his shoulder after stuffing a red pouch of medical supplies inside of it until it bulged as if the seams threatened to unthread. Rochelle frowned, turning to face the suited man with a disapproving look,
"You know who." She said, a slight sternness in her voice. Nick looked over to her almost casually, "Oh." he said plainly, fixing himself up as if it were just another day at home.
"C'mon Nick" She walked over to him, her expression now more asking than irritated. "This isn't going to work if we can't all get along"
"What's not going to work?" he interrupted, "Do you seriously think working with some oil stained hillbilly and a fat ass ex-teacher is going to fix everything? They the cure? Because if they are I'll happily cooperate."
"Stop it!" Rochelle snapped, striding over to him boldly and lifting a finger in annoyance, "Coach and Ellis are our friends! We have to stick together, I remember you saying something simular when we-"
"Yeah well, I was stupid." He pushed in again -
"Do you think you can make it out there on your own?"

Silence. The air stirred into a thick tension that could be sliced with a butter knife. Nick turned away stubbornly,
"I didn't think so." Rochelle said, her voice somewhat gentle once again. She headed over to a table layed out with an assortment of loaded weapons, another gift left behind by the mysterious CEDA who seemed yet to prove themselves any use other than shooting anyone who got too close, be they a 'zombie' or not. By the amount of bullet ridden piles of bodies they'd passed so far it looked like CEDA weren't taking any chances. If you're not proven immune, you're just another threat. Even in the small 'safe room' there were blood smears across the floor as if struggling bodies had been dragged and tossed out like garbage to feed the twisted carriers. Probably just motivating them to continue persuing anything that wasn't a groaning, stumbling shell, like tossing scraps to stray dogs only to have them keep turning up in the same place again and again for the chance of more. Nick leant against the far end of the table, his back to Rochelle as his eyes scanned over the wall, painted with marker, comments and more R.I.P messages one could care to count for. Rochelle looked in the same direction for a moment, clicking the gun as she reloaded it from the ever shrinking pile of ammunition on the floor in the cabinet and strewn across the table.
"It's a shame, isn't it." she said, strapping the gun across her back, prepped and ready to move on when Ellis and Coach returned. Hopefully with good news. Her idle banter didn't seem to shift the awkward weight. "I said it's a shame, isn't it?" she repeated, telling herself that he just didn't hear her rather than the fact that he's just a dick in a $300 suit. Funded by his gambling addiction that he denied having, now torn and stained with blood, dirt and all sorts of revolting combinations. Again, nothing. "Being ignorant isn't going to-"
"Nothing is going to help, Rochelle." He spoke at last, with words Rochelle would have rather not heard. If Coach were here he'd have something more uplifting to say, Ellis would have some story about his friend Kieth that'd bring a smile to everyones faces for a while, even Nick... sometimes.


Neither knew how long had passed, the clock on the wall had said 2:00pm for the past three hours so it was apparent that it wasn't going to provide much use from here on, Nick had lost his watch in the mad dash to the safe room door earlier, much to his dismay, and everyone elses with his ranting about how expensive it was, a unique brand and all that. They'd listened and agree'd to keep him happy, it was just a shame that he never cared to return the favor. Rochelles cell phone had run out of battery a while back, even if she did have the charger for it the fact that the electricity was down proved quite a set back. It was doubtful that Ellis even knew how to use a cell phone or if Coach had ever even seen one before. This being from Nicks point of view, of course, being such a team player and all. Rochelle had since given up trying to ignite a conversation, clearly Nick wasn't having any of it.
"Those two better get their asses back before I shoot you." She grumbled, loud enough for herself despite her words being aimed... elsewhere. The mild hope that he'd have overheard the comment and it had sparked a responce was extinguished when Nick sighed heavily and shifted, pushing himself away from the table and heading to the other side of the room where he leant against the wall instead restlessly.

By now it must have been another two or so hours since Coach and Ellis had left, things were starting to look bad but at least one of the two still remaining had a shred of hope for those yet to return. She couldn't care less about Nicks opinion anymore, she'd just about had enough of his sharp comments and banter but knew she'd have to continue trying to put up with it in order to keep peace in the group. The 'peace' that finally had settled in the room, mixed with the awkward silence was soon shattered when gunshots rang from outside. Even Nick perked up, he looked over to the barred window on the door but didn't shift from his place by the wall, Rochelle however shot straight to the enterance, gripping the bars as she looked through, sure enough she could see the blurred silouette of Coach through the debris caused by the bullets that had missed their targets and hit the walls instead, but from what she could tell only one figure ran toward the safe room door. Her eyes widened and she pulled back, thrusting down the heavy metal handle and pulling the door open for him. Coach ran through, coughing and panting, draped over his shoulder like some wash rag was Ellis, his body was limp but the moans and groans proved him to be alive. Rochelle quickly slammed the door shut and pushed the handle back up, sliding the metal bar that had been propped up beside it through the links to secure it before rushing to Coach's side as he pushed everything off the table and lay Ellis down on it instead. His eyes were barely open,
"What happened!?" Rochelle asked, quickly moving to the table side, resting one hand on Ellis's chest and the other on his cheek, "Oh doll, are you alright?" despite looking like he'd been dragged through a hedge backwards and slammed into a wall Ellis managed a smile,
"Hey Ro'..." he said, lifting a hand in greeting before it fell back to his side, Rochelle looked to Coah with hope of an explination while Nick remained standing by the wall, arms folded, foot propped up, without a care for what went on nor his 'team mate's condition.
"He's alright" Coach said, wiping his glistening brow of the sweat that made it so. "One o' them big guys, a Charger" he explained, "Nothin' broken, but he took quite a hit. He's just disorientated." Thank God they had a medical teacher on hand, sure it was a past profession but he still knew what he was talking about. Rochelle sighed with relief, hauling the worry off her shoulders as she flopped down into the only standing chair beside the table. Ellis lifted his hand to his forehead and sat up, cringing uncomfortably as he did so. He took off his hat and ruffled a hand through his hair before putting it back on,
"Christ that took the wind right outta' me" he rasped, "Reminds me of the time me and my buddy Kieth were-"
"Haven't we heard enough of those stories for one lifetime?" Finally, he speaks. Again with a snide comment that the group could do without, he earned quite the look from Rochelle, Coach simply shook his head but Ellis laughed, albiet awkwardly. "Oh, yeah I guess... Sorry" he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ignore him sweetie" Rochelle said as she turned her attention back to Ellis, "He's just in a bad mood". Nick turned his head away dismissivly, proving her point. Ellis nodded and Coach sat on the end of the table and leant his back against the wall with an exhausted huff once Ellis had moved his legs which now hung over the edge, arms rested tiredly on his knees.
"Nothing." Coach said, now that Ellis was in a safe place and seemed to be orientating himself again Coach moved onto the reason he and Ellis had left in the first place. "Just another pile."
"Are you serious?" Rochelle looked suprised altough who knows why, it wasn't like this was the first time she or the others had heard the same news, it was just the sort of news that never seemed to settle. The sort of news you wish had been delivered unsurely, or to the wrong person. "Are we really the only people out there?"
"Besides from them." Nick suggested, nodding to the door where two of those inhuman creatures were fighting outside, their snarling and growling soon silenced by two gunshots fired from a pistol that Nick then lowered and stuck back in its makeshift holster in his pocket.
"Nice shot" Ellis praised, altough he was ignored. Again.
"I don't think so" Once again it was Coach who returned the conversation to its more civil point, "We found this on the floor near one of the piles." he pulled a bloodstained piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her, "It's the next evac point." he added,
"Now it's just a case a' hopin it hasn't been there too long, or that we'll find another one in the next place" Ellis said, standing up and brushing himself off after a good moments rest, he still felt like shit but holding the group back wouldn't offer him any favors with the others. "Never been a big fan of easter egg hunts m'self, except when..." he trailed off, remembering what had been said a moment ago. Instead he occupied himself by picking up a medical pack and strapping it across his back.
"Well, it's better than nothing" Rochelle said, unfolding the crumpled leaflet.

CEDA: Civil Emergency and Defence Agency

Your next evacuation point is: South Peak High School.



"South Peak High School?" Rochelle read, "That's one hell of a place to put an evac station..."
"You've got to be kidding." Nick huffed, "I'd rather face one of those Hulk things on my own then be torn apart by zombie teenagers."
"No one's stopping you Nick." Rochelle retorted, that certainly shut him up.
"You two..." Coach sighed, "Right. It was pretty dark out there so I'm guessin' its late. Probably best we spend the night here and move out tomorrow, let Ellis rest up a little and maybe Nick'll wake up on the right side of the sleepin' bag, too." He paused for a moment, waiting for a complaint or a sarcastic comment, when none came he clapped his hands together, "It's settled then."

The sleeping bags and tattered blankets were dumped across the floor with dull thuds and clouds of dust. Thanks to having to spend a good few nights in places like this before Nick had finally given up complaining about the state of things and what they might do to his jacket which was beyond help any way. Rochelle and Ellis settled down first in the tetris-shaped complication of makeshift beds, Nick soon followed.
"Not gonna' keep watch with me Nick?" Coach asked, sitting on the table with one of the tattered rugs around his shoulders. Nick simply turned over, his back to Coach who shrugged "A'ight then."

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The art is just an illustration I did after writing the first chapter.

Errrrrm,

Story's mine. Characters and stuff are Valve's.

Enjoy.