We Almost Left Her Behind

"We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're going to die."

"Huff, Huff, Huff, Huff"

Predictably, Spencer was about to pass out and Jenny was rocking herself in the fetal position, having a panic attack. Usually, introductions and an explanation of whats wrong with this woman would be in order, but the ragtag band of survivors were interrupted by a spontaneously appearing orb that glowed with a soft yellow light in the center of the room.

Jason looked at the two survivors that helped them get away from the horde of zombies and noticed that their eyes were drawn to the orb while their jaws were dropped in the same way.

System-kun did it again, Jason thought. It would be way harder to explain items popping out of thin air without the orb visible to the non-players.

"Interesting. I would have never suspected that the R.O.B. would show its power to NPCs," Spencer remarked.

Jason sighed, the fatty was never too tired to add his two cents, "Leave it to you, to be a complete fucking idiot, didn't you read the pop-up laws? We are just ordinary people in another world."

"Yes, but they aren't players, so technically, they are..."

"Shut up, kid," the old man interrupted with a tone of finality.

Jason noticed that Deshawn mouthed, "Thank God," as he lied against the wall while he was reloading his handgun.

The old man ignored him, "You four obviously know something, so tell us. What is going on here?"

"Just touch the orb and you'll see." Wanting to get this show on the road, Jason skipped the inevitable dialogue of mistrust and tapped the orb himself.

[Status]

=>[Jason Howl, Human(Homo sapien), 22]

===>[Strength: 1.2]

===>[Endurance: 1.1]

===>[Agility: 0.8] >>> 1.0

===>[Perception: 0.7] >>>0.8

[Hint: Stats are easy to increase to the level of an average human, but what's wrong with your eyes?]

[Checkpoint Summary]

[Regular zombie kills (non head shots): 46]

===>[+11.5 points]

[Regular zombie kills (head shots): 21]

===>[+10.5 points]

[Special zombie kills: 3]

===>[+3 points]

[Hidden Objectives Completed!]

[Bringing Dead Weight Home, carry an allied player with 0 kills, players applied: 1 (Spencer)]

===>[+2 points]

[Save Comrade From a Special Zombie Lock, players applied: 1 (Deshawn)]

===>[+1 poin]

[Total Gain for Situation 1, Checkpoint 1]

===>[+28 points]

[Current Point Balance]

===>[28 points]

"Lose points because friendly fire without a confirmed kill, that's bullshit!" Spencer cried out.

Deshawn found a piece of rubble on the ground and threw it at him in response. Jason, on the other hand, was more interested in "without a confirmed kill," portion that Spencer mentioned. System-kun rewards murder.

Of course it rewards murder, they've been murdering zombies who only wish to have enough food to live as they made their way here.

"Congratulations on finding out your existence is meaningless," the new woman read.

Zoey was her name, Jason definitely remembered that right. The old man's name escapes him, but the dark haired woman looked and carried herself like a total badass. Compared to the whimpering Jenny, was there any contest in the first place?

She continued on, "You do not have access to everything players do, but you gain points for your actions and can access the shop. Please enjoy 2 free ones." She looks away from the orb, "Well?"

Spencer lifts his glasses, coughs, and begins to explain before a laugh interrupts him.

The old man is excitedly opening up a carton of cigarettes that just appeared out of thin air. "I believe it now, not like it changes much anyway." He fumbles for his lighter and the rest of the party ignored him.

"Well," Spencer clears his throat, "AS I WAS SAYING, we were all kidnapped and brought here to a world that existed as a video game in our universe where we have to beat this level. I must say, you are as beautiful as I imagined when I played you, Zoey."

"Its almost as crazy as night of the living dead, I guess," the old man mumbles.

"See, Bill believes me!" Spencer yelled.

"Look," Zoey said, trying her best to ignore how creepy this guy was. "I don't care how you know our names or this... thing in the room, but that's ridiculous."

Deshawn finishes eating some canned food he found and chucked the trash at Spencer's head. He was about to yell at him for it, but was cut off with a glare.

"It is ridiculous," he said calmly. "But look at that mess in the corner."

He pointed at Jenny, who was still saying that they were going to die over and over again. "That's what happens when you don't accept it. More importantly, that guy is as full of shit as a boomer. We have no clue about the who or why."

"Just that there's a multiverse and someone or something has people travel across it for some reason," Jason adds.

"Mhm, its the way it is," Spencer cheerily declares. "Besides, Jenny, we are surrounded by zombies so you don't need to worry, the black man always dies first."

The room went silent.

Deshawn took in a few deep breaths and clenched his fists, "Maybe... maybe if dumb motherfuckers didn't shoot me, I wouldn't die first."

Spencer seemed to have retarded levels of an EQ so he ignored Deshawn as he waddled over to the orb. In the meantime, Jason was reminded how hungry he was from the can that hit the fatty in the head earlier.

While he found some pre-made chicken and canned rice and calm ate it, everyone watched Spencer pull a UMP 45 and some ammunition out of thin air.

"Just like COD. This is what greatness feels like," he said as he rubbed his new baby.

"Nope," Deshawn said as he popped the 'p' in the most exaggerated way he could.

Jason flashed a wide smile, "There's no way you could have afforded that without some kind of pacifist bonus from being dead weight, as System-kun put it. You aren't allowed."

"What?" Spencer asked.

Zoey decided she was done with the bullshit and messed with a radio in the room, Bill happily smoked away, Deshawn held out his hand for Spencer to give him his new gun, and Jenny hadn't moved from the corner where she remained sobbing into her arms.

Jason figured it was past time to spend his points and tapped the orb.

[Recommended Items]

[Player Servitude Ticket] [50 points]

===>[If a player accepts, they lose their rights as a player and becomes a companion to the ticket owner where they follow the player for all future Scenarios.]

[Companion Ticket] [100 points]

===>[Bring one being with you to join your future Scenarios. They will gain points and can make purchases on their own. However, you have to convince them to join your dimensional hopping fun first!]

[Hint: It's easier if you pick someone from a world where they have no chance at a better life. Like, for instance, a world with a zombie apocalypse!]

While interesting, none of those options appealed to him. He wasn't going to ask Zoey on a romantic dimensional tour just because she's hot and a badass. Also, he's definitely not going to ask Bill. Even though he's a badass vet, he's still an old man. He needs... he needs to work on himself first. Just like his ex told him last year when they broke up.

Jason flicked through the menus and viewed the weapon upgrades. Unlimited ammo for his pistol was 30 points, but he knew that more special zombies would make it less useful, it was a better idea to get a skill that would help him out.

"Yo, Deshawn?" Jason asked. "What did you pick at the start of this thing for ten points?"

"I didn't pick well enough, that's for sure," he exclaimed. "I went with [Melee Instinct], said it made face to face fighting more natural. Worked when I sticked motherfuckers with table legs, though."

"Hmm, I guess I could go with that one," Jason pondered. "The undead don't react to noise enough to force a stealthy approach, so melee fighting isn't as big of a deal as I'd think."

He flicked through the menu's a couple more times, looking for anything to do with ranged weapons and found what he was looking for and spent 25 of his 28 points. He figured he would upgrade a better weapon he found next and then save up for an actual power or bloodline that will help his future growth.

[Vital Aim Correction: Minor]

===>[Your shots with firearms instinctually draw towards known vital points on your targets.]

===>[i.e those mushy zombie brains]

"All done, you all ready?" Jason asked.

"Ready for what? Zoey wondered as she continued messing with the radio. "We've been cooped up here because there isn't anywhere to go."

Spencer, now weaponless again, explained, "Ahem," he coughed. "In this level of Left 4 Dead, the characters made their way through a subway tunnel then found a pawn shop to go through after they made it above ground. After that, they went through a shipping building and after a quick jaunt through the sewers, they arrived at Mercy Hospital where they received a helicopter evacuation from the roof."

"That's ridiculous, I haven't heard of any survivors in over a week, let alone a helicopter evacuation!" Zoey yelled.

She was starting to lose her temper, actually. Jason thought to himself about it. Why haven't they killed Spencer yet? Was it human decency? Its not like the person was a decent human though. Would it be a slippery slope if he started murdering people? Zombies die easily enough that it made him wonder.

"Shhhhk Shhhhk," static rang from the radio that Zoey conviently finished fixing. "Attention all survivors. Attention all survivors. This is Louis Bennet. A helicopter evacuation will pass by Mercy Hospital near morning. Attention all survivors. You have less than 5 hours to get to the roof of Mercy Hospital for evacuation. Shhhk. Shhhhhhhhhhhk."

"Oh for fucks sake!" Zoey exclaimed.

"See girl,' Deshawn grinned as he wiped some leftover boomer off his pants. "Just accept the crazy and move on. 'Sides, the zombies die easily enough."

The group of 5 survivors were in a rush for time, so they got ready to go. After everyone was ready, Jason pulled Jenny out of her crying mess, stood her up, and led the way out the door.

She wasn't completely useless, she has more kills than Spencer from when the two were alone in the apartment.