Movie night pt2

"So, three intersections straight, then two up." I whisper as I look at the intersection ahead of us, a couple of corpses aimlessly wandering around it.

(No cars around this intersection. Almost as if everybody managed to escape to the bridge behind us. Or, nobody made it this far...)

"Have a plan?" Saeko, who was right next to me, asks after a few seconds.

"Uhh, the right side looks less populated, we can just, blitz through. I see what, four corpses spread out around the right part of the intersection. I could just shoot them and be done with it, but that would make the corpses on the road ahead to start moving towards us. And as it's the road we need to take, I'd rather have the corpses there stand still while we pass." I turn to Saeko as I speak. And, just as I finish speaking, Saeko draws her sword, and licks her lips with a slight smirk...

"So then you will not mind? If I am the one to deal with this!" And her smirk turns into a full-blown grin as she charges straight towards the nearest corpses to the right, not really waiting for any sort of response from me...

(I suppose this was a, rhetorical question? Seeing that she didn't wait for my answer. Uhh, I guess she really does not want to miss her chance to 'let loose'...)

The moment Saeko closed in on the first corpse, she took a running swing at its neck, decapitating it in one clean sweep. Using the momentum of her first swing, she hunches her body forward and makes a small 'dash jump' forward, closing in to the next corpse. Which didn't even manage to turn around before its head was also rolling in the air. With her body still hunched forward, in a semi crouched position, she leaped again, towards the third corpse. Landing her boot's heel square flat in its face, an audible 'crack' as the corpse hit the ground head first, while she used said head to spring herself back, landing a few meters back. After she quickly glanced around, spotting the fourth, and last corpse in our 'way', she casually turned around to walk towards it. With a smirk on her face, she took a couple of steps towards it, before making a horizontal swing with one hand, causing the blade in her hand to make yet another head fly. All that, while I was trying to reach her…

(...Did I ever mention how it feels like I'm using cheat codes when Saeko is around?...)

The smirk still on her face, she turns her head slightly towards me. I motion her with my hand to keep moving forward to the next street. She nods and turns to charge ahead. To the nearest lone sorry corpse that happened to be on the street ahead of us. I, don't need to mention how the thing ended up becoming headless, before it could even realize who was next to it...

(...At least she's not screaming that she's wet right now...)

The road ahead was thankfully clear enough, even without Saeko 'letting loose'...

So like that, we reached the next intersection. Or to be more precise, I chased Saeko to the next intersection, who stopped right before it.

"Straight, again?" She asks as she turns to me. Her face visibly flushed as she took short, quick breaths.

"Yea two more intersections straight. Try no..." She responds to me with a nod and starts running ahead again, before I could finish…

(...And she blasted off, again…)

-Ten minutes later-

(This must have been the quickest trip towards a location post-outbreak so far…)

"The cinema should be on the street you are on. Do you see it? " Saya asks as I and Saeko keep running, with Saeko now next to me. Who thankfully, seemed to have 'calmed down'...

"Yea. There, to our left, the big whiteboard a couple of meters down." I speak up as I keep running...

"I see it." Saeko also responds as she nods.

"So? Is the front door open?" Saya asks right after.

"Give me a sec. We're not there yet." I answer.

"Alright, be careful." I hear Saya reply.

(Huh, I sort of expected something among the lines 'then hurry up you idiot'. Mark me surprised.)

And while I was thinking that, Saeko stops running, her sight aimed towards the cinema's front door.

"The front doors are wide open." She adds as I also stop and turn to look towards the cinema's entrance.

(Looks clear inside too. From here at least.)

"Alright, let's go. Standing still here ain't going to help us figure out how the insides are. We're going in, and closing the doors behind us." I say as I glance at Saeko and start moving ahead of her. Without responding, Saeko starts running behind me.

After running past a few shambling corpses, we reached the cinema's ticket booth which was on the sidewalk in front of the cinema. After running past it, we headed inside the cinema.

"Close the doors, I'll find something to block it." I point at the big double door we just entered before moving deeper inside the main room...

A spacious rectangle-shaped room, extending to the left and right. Ahead of me, to the other side of the room, a counter that used to sell popcorn, drinks, and sweets. Probably at exorbitant 'cinema' prices. On the left and right ends of the wall behind the counter, the start of two relatively wide-looking hallways, a thick red carpet visible where said hallways started. Between me and the counter, a few metal pylons that connected to each other with long, thin ropes. Creating a 'path' that led to the counter's open cash register.

(Looks clear. But no time to check more thoroughly right now. No corpses standing 'guard', so it'll do till we block the door.)

I head to the nearest pilon and grab it. Shaking it slightly to make sure it was not bolted on the ground before lifting it. Then head to the first pilon it was connected to.

(Could use the rope too.)

I look at the second pilon in order to find a way to release the rope it was holding...

(Uhh, fuck it…)

But end up just cutting it with my blade instead. I then run back to the door, which was now closed by Saeko.

"The central part of the doors looks to be some sort of glass. You think it will be able to hold the corpses off?" Saeko asks as I start tying the rope through the door handles.

"Uhh, not if they charge at it en masse. But I only see one, maybe two corpses coming towards the door. Hmm, better if we don't risk it though." I nod as I turn to look around the room again. My sight stopping at what seemed to be a small lounge area on the right side of the room. Several tables with cozy-looking armchairs lined up around them. Along with a few two-seater sofas.

"Let's push the sofas up against the door." I point to my right as I look at Saeko. She just nods, and we both run-up to the lounge area.

"I'm going to assume that the cinema is abandoned with how you found the doors open?" I hear Saya speak up.

"Yea, no corpses in the first room either, no idea what's deeper in though..." I respond as I turn to look towards the hallway with the carpet floor that was now to my left, and stop dead in my tracks...

(Oh holy shit. Hello darkness my old friend?)

"Naier? Is something wrong?" Saeko asks after a few seconds of silence. Turning to her, I find her looking at me from behind one of the sofas, slightly bending over with her arms stretched, ready to push said sofa.

"Uhh sorry. Just noticed that the cinema might not have windows deeper in, it's pitch black deeper in…" I respond as I move towards the same sofa, keeping my eyes towards the pitch-black hallway. Saeko tilts her head and turns to look at the hallway as well, letting out a small 'oh' in response.

"No matter, I have the flashlight, we should be fine." I shake my head as I go next to Saeko and get ready to push the couch...

"What, you're scared of the dark?" I hear a cheeky voice ask through the earbud.

"I should be, we all should be. Corpses can't see. Pitch black darkness does nothing to hinder them, it only makes it harder for us." I respond as we start pushing.

"I agree, a single bite can mean our end. If we get caught by surprise and they manage to get to us before we realize it, it can become our death sentence. Especially in a building." Saeko adds after me.

"O, ok ok, I get it. I was just joking, you don't have to hound me…" Saya responds with a slight whine.

And with that, we push the sofa in front of the door, then push a second one as well for good measure, and place two tables against it as well...

"Alright. Saya, the front entrance is blocked off, it's no longer a viable entry, or exit point." I say as we finish setting the barricade, then turn to look at the room once more with a slight sigh.

"Mhm, ok." I hear Saya respond.

"Also, for the map I mentioned before. Can you note some stuff down?" I ask right after.

"Tell me." Saya replies flatly.

"The first room seems to be a wide rectangular, we have two hallways on the wall ahead of the entrance, to the left and right corners. Uhh, I see two doors with bathroom signs on the left wall of the room, the right side has a small lounge. On the wall at the opposite side of the entrance there's also a long counter that sold snacks and crap. A door behind it as well." I respond as I start looking around the room…

And after a minute or so.

"Anything else?" Saya asks again.

"Hmm, let's see…" I whisper as I look around the room again.

(There are a couple of potted plants around, the floor is also a relative mess with snack packages...)

I walk up to the counter, and lean behind it.

(Clear. And, the counter still has edible stuff, both on it, and on the glass display under it. The popcorn machine is empty, though there's a giant ass sack of what I suppose is filled corn kernels next to it. Everything else probably needs electricity to work, like the soda dispenser, and what I think is a small oven? Wait, why is there an oven here? Cooked marshmallows?)

"The room seems clear of corpses, the counter still has packaged snacks and sweets you normally find in cinemas. Along with a small oven, soda dispenser and popcorn machine, no idea if they will still function if you can supply them with electricity. And a sack of corn kernels. I suspect the door behind the counter has more supplies. And if that's the case, I then hope the soldiers like corn, because it's probably going to be on the menu for a long time..." I chuckle as I lean away from the counter.

"Want us to check?" I ask right after.

"If possible, I'd like to have all the information I can for when I go to papa to show him what we found…" Saya responds.

"Aight." I nod, and turn to Saeko, who nods back at me.

With that, we move past the counter, and to the single closed door behind it.

"Big chance the insides are pitch black here." I say as I open the flashlight on my helmet, grabbing the door's handle in the process.

And then, I slowly twist the door handle, before lightly pushing the door, making it silently slide open.

(And yep, pitch-black alright…)

The only thing I could see, was that the room continued on for quite a bit. Metal, three-layer shelves separating the room into narrow hallways. On the shelves, boxes, sacks, and equipment such as cleaning tools, repair tools, and what I suspect to be older appliances that the counter used, seeing that they had a thick coat of dust on them, or were cannibalized for parts.

I turn to Saeko and motion her to be silent with my hand, then point to move inside. She nods with a serious expression before entering the room with me.

Shield on the ready, I start scanning the insides as we move deeper in.

(I don't hear groaning, munching, or smell anything. I can't see any corpses or blood either. Looks like this place is clear…)

"I'm going to slam my hand on a shelf to see if anything will react, can you close the door behind us for a sec? Don't want the sound to echo throughout the whole building." I whisper.

"Alright." Saeko replies.

And as I said, the moment the room turned even darker, after Saeko closed the door and snuffed out the only light source other than my flashlight. I free my 'sword arm' by holding the blade with the same hand that had the shield on, and slap my hand on a shelf next to me. But not very loudly, in order to avoid causing unnecessary noise.

"Alright. Open the door and stay next to it." I speak up as I take a few steps back, until I was next to the purple-haired samurai, who did as I asked.

We then waited for a few seconds, the seconds then turning to a minute.

"Hmm, don't see anything reacting, think we're good." I whisper as I turn to look behind me.

"Could really fucking help if we had actual lighting though." I add as I look back inside the dark room.

"Alright, I'll note it down as food storage?" Saya asks right after.

"Yea," I nod as I turn to Saeko, then motion her with my head to move back out.

Closing the door behind us, we head back to the center of the main room.

"Where to next?" Saeko asks.

"Let's check the bathrooms, just to make sure." I respond as I point at the two doors to our right side of the room. Saeko nods at me, and starts moving towards said doors.

While heading over there myself, I glance at the hallway on the right corner of the room...

(As dark as the other one huh…)

Once I got next to the girl's bathroom door, which Saeko was aiming to open. She nodded, and swung the door open. And we both ended up, staring...

(...)

"Uhh, pervert alert?" I whisper as I tilt my head slightly, looking at the lone, male corpse. Pants down to its knees. Its arms covered with some sort of makeshift armor made from magazines. And seeing how I didn't see any magazines around, he either got here post-outbreak, or looted every single magazine in the building…

"Such an unsightly view." Saeko narrows her eyes slightly as she casually enters the bathroom, heading straight towards the corpse, which was now turning to head towards us…

"What?" Saya asks right after with a questioning tone…

And well, I did say it was heading towards us. But, it ended up tripping on its own pants the moment it tried to move, ending up headfirst on the floor with a loud 'thud'. Not losing the chance, Saeko walks up next to it and jams the tip of her blade on the back of its head.

She, must have been a bit 'too' into it too, as she failed to see that the bathroom stall next to her, the one that the corpse was standing next to, was starting to slide open. Bloody hand marks on the inside part of the door becoming visible as the door silently slid open…

(Huh? Blood marks on the inside of the door? Oh shit!)

I quickly close in to Saeko, who was still looking at the corpse on the floor, and grab her by the shoulder. The moment I tried to pull her back, a single female corpse jumped out of the stall, straight towards Saeko. And, other than the sound of, fabric ripping? It thankfully charged right past her, slamming itself on the mirror that was right over the sinks, cracking it into pieces before slightly bending over as it slid its head inside the sink with a groan…

Before it could stand back up completely. I quickly walk up behind it, and slam its head on the corner of the sink. Pulling the combat knife as I held it down, and stabbing it on the backside of its neck. The corpse turning limb shortly after…

"Well, that escalated quickly…" I whisper as I look at the corpse, my sight stopping at its hand. A black ribbon in its grip…

"Huh? Weird thing to be holding, did she turn while dressing up?" I peel the ribbon off its hand as I glance at the rest of the room, then turn to Saeko…

(...Still, I get the feeling I seen th...Oh...)

Saeko was standing completely still, staring down at her own shirt. Or, to be more precise, staring at her own bra which was now in full view for the world, as her shirt decided it was time for it to stop doing its job. Giving me a pretty good view of, what's normally underneath it…

"Uhh, I think this is yours?" I speak up as I turn to look at my left, only to end up looking at the now cracked mirror. And at Saeko, again…

Saeko, seemingly snapping out of whatever trance she was in, tries to button up her shirt again, a slight blush appearing on her face…

"...Ahh, most of the buttons got, ripped off…" She adds after a few seconds with a soft tone…

"Hey! Will you tell me what's going on already?" Saya asks again with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Uhh, a corpse just ripped Saeko's shirt." I respond casually.

"Wha? And why are you so calm about it you pervert!" Saya shouts back in my ear.

(Because I have seen her in way more provocative clothes? Because she has said way more provocative things in these provocative clothes? We're also in a hostile location...)

"Are you hurt?" I ask as I take off my shield, then start to take off my jacket.

"Umm, no, it just managed to get the ribbon and part of my shirt…" Saeko responds as she keeps her shirt closed with one hand, averting to look straight at me as she speaks.

"Here, doubt it's your size though. Uhh, time I found to have no spare clothes in my bag..." I reply as I extend my arm, my jacket on it.

"I am sorry. I, lost my focus…" Saeko lowers her head slightly, taking the jacket off my arm, her face still flushed as she turns her back to me.

"Don't even think of doing anything creepy to her you hear!" Saya then barks at my ear.

"What? I wouldn't do something like that." I respond as I fold my arms, turning to look around the rest of the stalls once more, Saya letting out a sigh.

"I mean we found corpses here, that means we're in an overrun building right now…" I add.

"Ohh? So if the building was no longer overrun you, would?" I hear Saeko ask while she was still with her back turned to me, whatever embarrassment she 'probably' had seemingly been thrown out the window…

"D, don't feed his pervertedness Saeko!" Saya shouts right after…

"...Did you just shout that in a room full of people Saya?..." I ask as I fold my arms.

"O, of course not! I'm in a room by myself…" She quickly responds .

(Just hope that room has good sound insulation, or I'll get arrested for sexual harassment because of her…)

"Hmm, I think this is the best I can do for now. I will have to ask somebody to fix it after we return…" Saeko then speaks up as she turns to me…

The black jacket's front zipper closed up to right under her chest, where her white school shirt then took over, or at least. It party took over, as there was still a gap where I could still clearly see her bra, and cleavage…

(...Now 'I' will have problems focusing…)

A few seconds passed in silence…

"P, please do not stare so much…" Saeko speaks up as she tries to close the gap on her shirt with her hand. Her sentence getting followed by some incomprehensible 'sounds' made by Saya...

(Oh, 'now' you're acting embarrassed again...)

I take a deep breath before letting out a sigh.

"Ask a fat kid to ignore an ice cream cake on a scorching hot day would you…" I whisper as I start walking towards the exit. Motioning Saeko with my head, who just responded by questionably tilting her head. The 'gap' in her shirt popping up again the moment she let go of her shirt…

"Ok, uhh. Let's check the other bathroom, then head towards the hallway. Hopefully, without any more wardrobe malfunctions…" I say as I walk out of the girls bathroom.

"S,shut up you pervert." Saya responds with a rather whiny tone.

(How am 'I' the pervert in all of this? I didn't even really 'do' anything…)

Without responding, I head to the men's door. And open it…

(Clear…)

I then kneel down to look through the stall's gap…

(Also clear…)

"Bathrooms are clear." I say with a flat tone…

"Now. Hallway…" I add as I turn my head towards the dark hallway…

(Looking from here, the walls also look, carpety. Guess for better sound insulation?)

"Hmm, as I am the only one with a flashlight, stay either next, or behind me. Don't attack anything that might be ahead of us." I say as I glance at Saeko…

(Head on head level, Naier. You need to stay focused, and provocatively posing Saeko's swimming through your head is not the type of focused you need right now…)

"Very well. I will watch our rear. The light coming from here should let me see any corpse silhouette if they end up behind us." She responds with a nod.

"Uhh, ok then. Pitch black hallway time, what could possibly go wrong…" I whisper as I start walking, getting a small chuckle as a response from Saeko…

I stop at the edge of the dark hallway, letting the flashlight shine a dim light deeper inside…

(I don't see anything moving. But, ughh. The whole hallway has a deep red color because of the carpet, even the damn ceiling is like that. And freak factor aside, that also means I can't make out any blood on the floor, if there is any.)

I motion Saeko with my hand, and we start walking deeper into the hallway…

(Feels like I'm walking inside an 'organic' cave. Ughh…)

And, after walking a little deeper in...

"I think I see a door to our right. A cinema room if I had to take a guess." I speak up as I point at a closed, heavy-looking double door that was a few meters ahead and to our right.

"Should we check it?" Saeko asks right after.

"Yea, I want to see the size of the room inside. The hallway is not too deep, probably one maybe two more rooms. I also see no doors to our left from here, so there's a good chance that this hallway circles around to the other hallway we saw, and the doors in that hallway either lead to new rooms, or are connected to the same rooms as the doors here." I respond, and turn to Saeko. Flashing the light straight to her face and causing her to close her eyes with a slight wince as she covered her eyes.

"Crap, sorry." I quickly cover the flashlight as I lower my head slightly. My sight, going straight towards her, 'wardrobe malfunction'...

(Purple. Gahh! Focus you retard. No! Don't focus! Unfocus! Boobs! Too late, I am now focused...)

"Very well. Tell me if you need me to do something." Saeko responds as she nods, rubbing one of her eyes slightly with her wrist.

With that, We headed to the door. Other than a long, horizontal bar, which was set at about waist height and extended at the full width of each door. There was nothing else to differentiate the doors from the walls next to them…

(Ok, let's see…)

I grab one handle, and push. The handle moving forward and making a light 'click' sound.

"Alright, seems unlocked." I nod and push the door slightly, the heavy door slowly starting to open towards the inside. And…

Groaning. A symphony of groaning, moaning, shuffling. Along with a really REALLY bad smell…

(O hell nope...)

I silently, and as quickly as I can. Close the door, and silence returns to the hallway…

"Please tell me I'm the only one that heard and smelled that…" I speak up as I turn slightly towards Saeko, keeping my face lowered so I don't end up blinding her, my hand still on the handle of the now closed door.

"I am afraid not. Sounded like a horde was in there…" Saeko answers as she folds her arms, frowning slightly.

"Well. At least the insulation here is the real deal. You can't hear crap while the doors are closed. You could throw a damn party in there and nobody would hear a thing." I let my shoulders drop slightly as I turn to look at the door again.

"The problem now is, how do we deal with the current, uhh, occupants…" I add as I groan slightly.

"Should we open the door enough to see inside first? Maybe there are actually fewer corpses inside than it seemed." Saeko asks as she walks up next to me, taking hold of the other handle.

"Yea. And I won't have to say, but dead silence while the doors are open." I respond, Saeko just nods back at me.

And with the count of three, we opened the doors again. This time enough to see inside. And as the hallway became noisy once again, the flashlight flooded part of the room with a dim light…

(Well, I sort of expected this. But uhh, holy freaking kitsune balls. Somebody please call Ilias and tell her that there's an army of zombie girls running amok here…)

The room, was flooded with corpses, mostly female ones. The place was pretty big too, enough to house in eightly? A hundred people? The door we were at right now was at the back of the room, as we had a wall to our right, two doors on said wall, one next to us, one on the other side of the room. The room then continued with a slope to our left, that's where the seats were also at, making it clear that this was a movie projection room.

I tap Saeko on the shoulder, and the moment she turns to me, I motion her to close the door. And, the moment the doors closed.

"Well, we're fucked…" I speak…

"This situation is indeed, quite bad for us. Too many to take head-on, especially in that room." Saeko adds right after.

"Uhh, let's check the other rooms. Maybe we'll think of something on the way…" I shake my head and take a few steps back. Saeko just nods at me…

"Still, I have a question…" I add as we start walking again. Saeko just lets out a questioning 'Hmm?'.

"What sort of sappy drama was playing in there before the outbreak? I didn't see a single 'guy' among the corpses…

"I, do not know. I never really watched movies…" Saeko responds as she lowers her head slightly.

"Stay focused you idiot, or 'you' will be the next thing they will be watching." Saya adds with a groan.

"Yeaaa, I just hope the next room didn't play the same crap like this one. One horde of crazy fangirls is enough…" I let out a small chuckle as I kept walking.

"Hah, like you would ever have a horde of fangirls." Saya snorts.

"Yea, true. Who needs them anyway. I already have what I need." I respond as I glance slightly towards Saeko.

"S, shut up you idiot…" Saya retorts, her voice sounding a bit, forced.

"Indeed, you should be careful of what you say Naier. I can't tell how I will really react if you keep telling me such things while we're…" Saeko closed in on me, slowly wrapping her hand with mine.

"Alone in here…" She adds with a whisper.

"W, whawha what are you saying! A, and you're not alone in there, you have corpses! Hordes of corpses!" And Saya started shouting, loudly. Enough to actually make me lean my head away from the microphone in my ear. To no avail, as you know. It's in my ear.

(God this thing is loud, and it's not even on max volume…)

Saeko just giggled as she let go of my arm…

(Uhh, well at least somebody is having fun…)

By the time we were near the second door, we were also past the halfway point of the hallway.

"Ok, I see the second one. And judging from the distance, it must be the last one before the hallway ends." I speak up as I point ahead.

"Let's check it the same way." I add as I glance at Saeko.

And with a nod, we move to the double door, me at the left one, Saeko at the right one…

(God I hope this one ain't a portal to a monster-girl world. Huh, never believed I'd actually say that…)

And as we open the doors slightly. We get greeted by, silence…

(That's a good sign, my nose is also not trying to rip itself off my face…)

Once the doors were open enough to check inside, I looked around the room…

"It's empty, completely empty. Same layout as the last one…" I whisper as I keep looking around while staying by the door.

"Check the room? Maybe you can find some way to deal with the corpses in the other room if they are the same." Saya then speaks up.

"Yea, good idea." I nod slightly, and enter the dark room.

"Uhh. So, what are we looking for?" I asked as I walked up to the center of the walkway that followed on after the door, Saeko following behind me after closing the door.

"Why are you asking me? You're the one who's there." Saya responded with a huff.

"Maybe I 'would' have had an idea. Had you let me come with you." She adds with a smug tone.

(You never miss your chance, do you? And I wonder if 'you' could have handled the pitch blackness here...)

I just shake my head slightly as I keep looking around…

"The room is full of steps and stairs. No way we can fight in here. Best I can think of, is luring them out in small groups. Not that it will be any better, as we'll be in a dark hallway with them, not enough room to move in there either…" I fold my arms as I keep looking around.

"What about these two doors?" Saeko asks as she looks at the door on the wall next to the entrance we used, then the door on the far end of the same wall.

"Hmm, big chance they lead to the projection room. Nothing we can really use up there, as there's no electricity. Nonetheless, let's check it. We do need to make sure everything is clear this place after all." With that, we head to the door on the distant side of the wall.

(Same type of door as the ones we used to enter this room.)

I grab the handle, and push.

"Unlocked. Alright. Let's see…" I open the door with a small nod, and get greeted by a narrow flight of stairs that went up. Which after a few meters, turned towards the right. And then, another door.

"Uhh, why all the doors?..." I tilt my head as I grab the handle of the door, and push it. The door opening with no real problem.

(At least they are unlocked.)

Before going inside I do a quick scan around the room, as it was also, pitch black.

"Emty." I nod and enter it, Saeko following behind me.

Other than a bulky-looking machine right next to the right wall, that I suspect was the projector, as there was a rectangular hole on the wall right in front of the machine. There was also another bulky machine on the opposite wall, this one looking like a computer of some sort, or more precisely, a server. And, one last set of machinery on four layers of metal shelves which were bolted on the wall straight ahead of us. Other than that, two plastic chairs next to the projector, and next to the server, a table with cards, a cigarette tray, cigarette packs, and some cash on it.

"Huh, wait, where are all the reels? Cinemas lied to me. There's no reel here. Only a projector which is a big fat cube that connects to what I think is a server…" I 'frown' as I fold my arms.

"Uhh? Obviously? Cinemas have been digital for decades now. What? Are you still living in the eighties?" Saya scoffs.

"Nineties, the eighties didn't have commercial internet. No wait, make that the two-thousands. The nineties didn't have steam." I respond with a chuckle.

"Steam?" Saeko asks as she tilts her head, arching one eyebrow up.

"Ughh, it's just a gaming platform Saeko. Ignore him, he's being a Nerd." Saya groans.

(Ohh, but you 'do' know what it is ehh?)

"Nerd? Please. It's called a gamer. Not all nerds are that awesome." I chuckle as I look through the hole in front of the projector.

"Hum, whatever. Nerd." Saya responds nonchalantly.

"The view from up here is pretty good. I can see the whole room…" I move the projector out of the way, and look back out again, ignoring Saya's little retort. Then pull the rifle and try to aim through the gap…

"Hmm, but I can't aim right under us." I pull the gun back, and look at the magazines on my vest.

"Four, thirty bullets each. Should be enough to clear the whole room if I can somehow manage to get them to stay away from our side…" I tap my helmet a few times as I keep thinking…

"If we had a working phone, or something small which makes constant noise and we can throw…" I fold my arms as I tilt my head.

"You think the earbuds could do?" Saeko asks as she pulls hers out of her ear.

"Well, they are loud, and not even at max output. But they're earbuds, they're not supposed to be 'that' loud..." I shake my head...

And, a few minutes passed in silence. No real ideas coming from anybody...

"Uhh, well, can't think of anything. Let's just check how loud the earbud can get before tossing the plan out the window. We'll go from there…" I sigh as I glance at Saeko. She nods, takes her earbud out, and hands it to me…

(Ok, let's see the earbud is connected to the mic, and I think I saw some volume options on it…)

After looking at the mic for a few seconds, I found two small half-wheel bumps that could turn, one having the volume icon next to it, the other one had nothing.

"Hmm, what does thi…" I start turning the second wheel as I speak.

"AH! Why are you shouting at my ear you idiot!?" Only to get cut off by a flipped-off Saya...

(Huh? I was not shouting. Does this increase the decibels of the mic to make it sound louder?...)

I lower the wheel down again.

"How do I sound now?" I ask.

"Now you sound fine." Saya responds.

I turn the wheel up again, just not as much as before.

"Now?" I ask again.

"Louder." Saya responds.

"Are you using the same microphones as us?" I ask again.

"Uhh, I think so, why?" Saya asks.

"Check the wireless microphone, does it have two 'half wheels'?" I ask yet again. And a few seconds of silence later…

"Yea." Saya answers.

"Hmm, Ok. Turn the one that is not volume to the max" I respond as I pull my own bud out of my ear.

"Like this?" I hear Saya ask from the earbuds that I was now holding in my hand.

"Yea. Now, if I increase the volume…" I turn the 'volume' on my mic to the max…

"Try again." I add as I leave my earbud on the projector.

"Uhh, what am I supposed to say?" Saya asks, her voice still clearly audible from the earbud on the projector…

"Holy crap, I can actually still hear you from this far. This is pretty much a loudspeaker now. I don't know who the hell thought an earbud that could be 'this' loud was a good idea, but it works for us…" I fold my arms as I keep looking at the earbud…

"Well it is loud, but I do not think it is loud enough to actually attract corpses after you have fired a shot." Saeko then speaks up as she comes up next to me.

"Yea. But, we have yet to hear how it'll sound if Saya starts yelling." I respond as I turn to Saeko, lowering the flashlight so it won't shine on her face.

"True." Saeko responds casually.

"What? You can't expect me to just start shouting like an idiot…" Saya grumbles through the earbud…

"You sure?" I ask as I turn to look at the earbud.

"Yes I'm sure." Saya groans back.

(...Hmm, I could just say something among the lines of. 'Saeko I can see your boobs'. High chance to make Saya flip, but uhhh, let's not push our luck...)

"Then, the laptop you found. It should have some default alarms." I respond.

"Uhh, yea. Give me some time then, I need to go get it…" Saya answers, and then turns silent…

(Well, now we wait?…)

"Guess we can take a break now then…" I add as I walk up to one of the chairs, then bring it to the table before sitting down. Saeko taking the second chair to sit next to me as I gathered the cards around the table into one deck

(Hmm, cards are a really good way to spend your time if you have nothing to do. I'm going to take them along. They don't take much space anyway.)

"Want to play something quick while we wait?" I ask as I turn to Saeko. She stares at the cards for a few seconds before turning to me.

"I only know of one game with cards though. That one where you need to reach twenty-one but not pass it. Some of my father's acquaintances used to play it sometimes after they had gathered for a conference or meeting. " Saeko responds as she tilts her head.

"Blackjack? All the better, it's quick and not too complex. And honestly, I don't know many other card games myself…" I respond as I leave the deck on the desk, between me and Saeko…

"Hmm, alright then." Saeko smiles slightly and she nods.

"You want to, bet anything? To make the game a little more, interesting." She asks right after with the same soft tone, the smile still on her face…

(...Blackjack is a game based mostly on luck right? I didn't just, dug myself a grave did I?...)