Cooperatio

"Okay, we are moving together now. Where are we going?"

"We should go to my house; it is in a safe distance from downtown. There are fewer zombies and fewer people than here. It is a good choice for a safe house."

"Okay! Let's go then!"

Mattias started the car and drove off. As they got away from the dojo, Tsuyoshi's eyes became glued to it, even watering up a bit. Mattias didn't say anything as he understood his feelings. Leaving a sentimental place is hard, especially under these circumstances.

Mattias drove towards his neighborhood. They looked and looted the grocery stores and drug stores on their way. Avoiding zombies when they could and getting out and fighting them when they had to, the duo made their way towards their first safe house in this dangerous world.

They calmly drove into the neighborhood without any problems. Tsuyoshi was looking around in wonder and Mattias was calmly driving. It was a calm noon for them.

'Too calm.'

"Why did we stop?"

Mattias stopped the car and looked around the street. It was unusually safe.

"There were more zombies the other day. This is weird."

"Isn't it fine? Maybe someone came and cleaned up!"

"There's nothing here in particular. If you don't know here then you wouldn't come here in this situation. This doesn't feel right."

He got out the car after speaking and looked around. Mattias knew something was up but couldn't put his finger on it. He walked around for a while and froze on the spot in front of the car. He slowly turned his head towards a street on the left and looked with fear.

"What happened man? You o-"

"Shh."

Tsuyoshi got out the car holding the katana on his waist, prepared to draw any moment. Mattias thought he heard something and he hoped he didn't hear anything dangerous. He slowly walked towards the street while telling Tsuyoshi to stay put.

He neared the corner and poked his head over to look. He saw a creature that is exactly like what he saw in downtown, a fast one. It was currently chewing on a zombie. This was the monster that Mattias encountered at the shop the other day. But it underwent some changes: Its skin was more ash like and its veins were glowing a sickly green while its teeth became sharper. Its claws were currently inside the gut of another zombie and it was feasting. That was probably why it didn't hear the sound of the engine.

Mattias slowly backed away towards the car while gesturing Tsuyoshi to be quiet.

"What happened bro?"

"Be extremely quiet and take everything you can from the car. We have to walk to the house."

"What is it?"

"Just do as I say and remember; if you make a sound, we are dead."

He then proceeded to take food and medicine as well as some more weapons from the trunk. Tsuyoshi too, proceeded to take the same as well as two naginatas just in case.

They then turned around and while being as silent as possible, made their way to Mattias' house taking a roundabout way. His house was near there and they could reach there within the minute by walking but just to be extra safe Mattias chose a more less-direct way through back alleys.

Tsuyoshi wanted to ask what was up but Mattias stubbornly shut him up and just told him to keep moving. They finally reached the house after a 10 minute walk. Mattias hurried inside and after Tsuyoshi got in locked the door and put the sofa behind it. He then sat down and let out a sigh of relief.

Tsuyoshi was getting impatient and after dropping everything on him asked Mattias.

"Bro what was that? Why were you insistent of being that quiet? And your house is this close to where we were a minute ago so why did we take a more roundabout way?"

"Tsuyoshi, there was a special kind of monster in that street. If you went to the downtown maybe you saw some of them. They have slim bodies and limbs, they have no eyes but their hearing is comparable to bats and they are extremely fast."

"So?"

"It would've heard the sound of the engine starting. If that happened, it wouldn't leave our trail. If we want to live here for a while we'll have to kill it."

Mattias then started thinking. He was looking in the distance and was silent throughout his thinking session. Tsuyoshi looked around while he was like that but still gave his input on the situation.

"If we have to kill it, why don't we just fight it directly?"

But Mattias didn't seem to hear him as he didn't answer or look his way. After a couple of seconds, he spoke.

"How about pushing it into the river?"

"River?"

"Yes. Remember the downpour yesterday? There's a river near here. I'm sure it is full to its brim now and I remember it being quite wild after a small typhoon. It should be going crazy!"

"How are we going to do it?"

"Easy. We'll ambush it on the bridge."

"Huh?"

"Just follow me. And get something durable, a wooden sword should work."

After speaking, Mattias unlocked the door and left the house with Tsuyoshi. They went towards the river that Mattias ran to the other day. He pointed to the bridge and spoke. They were a bit distance away from it but they could clearly hear the sound of the flowing river.

"That's the bridge I'm talking about. Hear the sound? That is the raging waters of the bridge."

"I see… How are we doing it?"

"There's a spot where you can only be seen from a certain angle just at the corner. You'll hide there."

"What about you?"

"I'll be in the car."

"What car?"

"I'll be driving to get its attention and lure it here. I'll be coming from there, the way we came from. I'll honk once to inform you of our arrival so be ready. I want you to send that thing into the river.

Whatever you do, be careful as even a scratch is enough!"

"It's okay bro! I know!"

Tsuyoshi went to the spot that Mattias said and crouched. He could see everywhere around him from there but wasn't seen from every angle. Mattias then went back towards where the creature was.

He was slow and silent as to not attract attention. He looked around the corner and saw that it was still on the same street, feasting on the guts of a zombie.

"You glutton. Let's see if you can keep eating after today!"

He looked around and saw that the road was somewhat clear; he could at least drive safely without hitting another car and stopping. He made sure that the road was clear until the bridge while he was returning, luring any rogue zombie away.

He reached their car and made sure everything was safe and was fixed in position. He got in and started the engine. The monster heard this as it lifted its head up and turned it around. It then started walking around, determining if there was a sound source around it and it found it eventually. There was a consisted roaring sound around it and it walked towards the sound.

Mattias started moving before it was late and while passing the street, he saw the monster was walking towards him so he floored it and went full throttle. Monster was now sure it had a new prey so it followed the sound with disgusting guttural noises. Mattias was maneuvering around the cars and was focused so he wouldn't crash. If he lost his control for an instant he would be dead.

He turned the corner near the supermarket, where he first encountered this creature. The car slid while turning so Mattias was in a tight spot. He boosted his focus and he became aware of what to do. His world was changing a little bit around him and his awareness was a lot better than a second ago.

"From here it's just a straight drive! C'mon you bastard! Chase me!"

He was excited. It was the first time he got to drive like this reckless and it was exhilarating. The monster was still behind him and was faster than he remembered. This made it more threatening of course, all the more reason to kill it.

Mattias went full speed ahead, around the cars and over the occasional zombie that was unfortunate enough. He could see the bridge clearly and the cars were about the end. As he was nearing the bridge, he honked once.

Tsuyoshi saw them approach and when he heard the honk tightened his grip on the wooden sword and took position to run. He neatly missed the honking as the river raged right behind him and it was loud enough for that. The car approached and eventually passed him. Even the engine sounds were suppressed.

Tsuyoshi was looking around for the monster that Mattias talked about but couldn't see it yet. The monster approached fast but when it went on the bridge it slowed down and stopped. This was when Tsuyoshi saw it. It is disgusting; he thought and carefully got his head out. The monster was currently 'looking' around for its prey but the sound of the flowing river was loud enough to suppress every sound around there. The pouring rain was helping that as it was still falling like it was poured form a glass.

Seeing this, Tsuyoshi sighed and walked towards it with confident but silent steps. The monster was getting irritated and began roaring in frustration. It failed to locate its prey. At one point a sound, a yell to be exact, entered its ears.

"Home RUUUUUUUN!"

*Thonk!*

Tsuyoshi swung the wooden sword with tremendous strength. It hit the monsters cheek and it was flung over the guardrails of the bridge. Tsuyoshi was like he was a baseball player at that moment. Mattias was waiting in the car on the other side and when he saw that scene he could only say one word.

"Strong."

From his perspective, the monster flew for about 10 meters in the air and then fell in the water. Its bellows were audible until it hit water and after that point, even its figure couldn't be seen. Tsuyoshi walked towards Mattias with the wooden sword on his shoulder and stopped before the car. With a thumbs up he talked.

"How was it!?"

"That was good Kamijou! Let's go! We should return!"

"Call me Tsuyoshi!"

"Okay Tsuyoshi! Just get in!"

After he got in, Mattias drove the car in the same path towards his home.