⋮ ⌗ ┆Phighting Zombie AU ּ ֶָ֢.

The coldness of the forest struck your body mercilessly, utterly indifferent to the way you trembled beneath the blankets.

The freezing air seemed to seep through every crack and crevice of the small shelter, settling into the walls and making the entire room feel as though it had been abandoned to winter itself. Outside, the wind whispered through the endless trees, carrying with it the distant rustling of leaves and branches.

Since the apocalypse had begun, everything had become unbearably difficult.

Food was scarce. Supplies were even scarcer. There were barely any other Inphernals left who had managed to survive the initial attack, and those who remained were scattered throughout whatever safe areas they could find. Beyond your zone, the forests were crawling with zombies, making every journey outside a gamble that most people simply couldn't afford to take.

Still, you considered yourself fortunate.

At least you were safe. And, perhaps more importantly, you weren't alone.

You slowly stirred beneath the covers, your body aching from the uncomfortable night's sleep. A shiver traveled down your spine as you gradually pushed yourself upright, the mattress creaking quietly beneath you. For a few seconds, you simply sat there, trying to convince yourself that getting out of bed was actually worth it.

Eventually, your eyes wandered toward the window.

Trees. Nothing but fucking trees.

The endless forest stretched beyond the glass, dark and dense, with towering trunks disappearing into the distance. Their branches intertwined overhead, blocking out whatever remained of the sky. The faint morning light struggled to make its way through the thick canopy.

You missed the sunlight. You missed it more than you cared to admit.

You missed waking up to a bright sky, feeling warmth against your skin, and seeing something other than an endless sea of dark green and gray.

You had only just woken up, yet you already felt exhausted.

Unfortunately, exhaustion wasn't something you could afford anymore.

You had to keep moving.

Slowly, you pushed yourself out of bed. The moment your feet touched the cold floor, another shiver ran through you. Your legs felt strangely weak, as though they hadn't quite recovered from yesterday, but you ignored the sensation and forced yourself upright.

The bathroom was only a short distance away.

You shuffled inside and stared at your reflection in the mirror.

For a moment, you simply looked at yourself.

You looked tired. Really tired.

With a quiet sigh, you reached for your toothbrush and began brushing your teeth, allowing the familiar routine to occupy your thoughts. It was strange how something so ordinary could feel almost comforting in a world that had become anything but ordinary.

Afterward, you stepped into the shower.

The water was cold.

Not freezing, thankfully, but nowhere near warm enough to be comforting.

It almost felt as though the water itself was mocking you.

You stood beneath it for a moment, shoulders hunched as you tried to endure the chill. In another life, you probably would've simply adjusted the temperature and waited for the water to become warm.

But this wasn't another life. Fuel and electricity were precious now. You couldn't simply waste them because you were uncomfortable.

So you endured it.

When you finally finished, you dried yourself off, got dressed, and returned to your room.

The exhaustion immediately returned.

You practically collapsed onto the bed, pulling the blankets around yourself once again. It was still far too early for anyone else to be awake. The shelter remained quiet, with only the faint sounds of the forest reaching through the walls.

Although...

There was always the possibility that Medkit had another night terror. If that had happened, there was a good chance he hadn't slept at all.

You decided not to think about it.

Instead, you slowly pulled the covers higher and curled up beneath them, hoping that perhaps you could steal another few minutes of warmth before the day truly began.

Your eyes drifted back toward the window.

Still the same trees.

Their leaves swayed gently with the movement of the wind, dancing in the direction of the invisible airflow. Every now and then, a few loose leaves detached from their branches and drifted lazily toward the ground.

It was almost peaceful.

Almost.

You sighed again.

There was no point in lying there.

Eventually, you forced yourself out of bed once more and made your way toward the small collection of supplies you kept nearby. Among them was your little portable heater—nothing impressive, but useful enough for warming small amounts of food or drink.

You placed your cup over it and carefully prepared yourself some hot milk.

Then you waited.

And waited.

You sat quietly, staring at the cup as the heater slowly did its job. The warmth gradually spread through the container, and eventually, you decided that it was ready.

You picked it up carefully, letting the heat seep into your cold hands.

For the first time that morning, you felt a little bit of warmth.

You took a slow sip.

It wasn't much.

Just a simple cup of hot milk in the middle of a frozen forest, but right now, it was enough.

You remained there for a while, quietly drinking as you stared through the window.

The trees continued to sway, The wind continued to howl. And somewhere beyond the shelter, the ruined world continued to exist.

But for those few quiet moments, you allowed yourself to forget about it.

The biting chill of the forest seeped straight through your clothes the moment you stepped beneath the thick, suffocating canopy.

Every breath you took bloomed into a pale cloud in the damp air, a quiet reminder of how unforgiving the weather had turned.

It had been an exhausting, brutal day. Food reserves back at the sanctuary were down to scraped-clean tins and empty crates, leaving the group with no choice but to assemble an emergency scavenging party. The crew sent into the wilderness was a volatile mix of personalities: You, Ban Hammer, Sword, Rocket, Medkit, and the endlessly bizarre pairing of Darkheart and The Broker.

Ban Hammer took the lead, his towering frame cutting a heavy path through the tangled brush while the rest of you fell into an anxious single file behind him. Darkheart and The Broker kept up a constant, low-volume volley of terrible jokes and cynical banter, their voices floating back through the quiet woods. Medkit walked with his jaw tight, visibly resisting the urge to silence them both, while Rocket trailed along with an indifferent smirk. Sword, however, couldn't quite keep his composure, every few minutes, a stifled giggle slipped out whenever one of the duo’s absurd punchlines actually landed. You just walked alongside them with a very emotionless expression.

Eventually, the dense treeline gave way, opening up to the ghostly skyline of Crossroads. The main city stood utterly derelict—a sprawling, hollow shell of its former self. Skyscraper windows gaped like empty eye sockets, and nature was slowly reclaiming the cracked asphalt. It was deeply unsettling to walk through a place that had once been so vibrant and full of life, now reduced to silent, overgrown ruins by the catastrophe that had wiped it all out.

After navigating several choked intersections littered with rusted frames and debris, you finally spotted the target: a large, surprisingly intact supermarket sitting at the edge of the commercial district.

The strategy was straightforward. You, Sword, Medkit, and Rocket were assigned to clear the interior and load up on supplies, while Ban Hammer, Darkheart, and The Broker stayed in the perimeter to act as a lookout squad, ensuring no wandering zombies caught the group unawares.

Stepping through the shattered automatic doors into the cool gloom of the store, you were met with a astonishing sight. Against all odds, row after row of non-perishable goods remained untouched, free from rain and rot.

"Woah... look at all of this!" Sword gasped, his eyes lighting up like neon lights as he immediately bolted toward the snack aisle, grabbing armfuls of chips, chocolate, and sugary junk.

Medkit pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long, long-suffering sigh. A few aisles over, Rocket was already operating on his own agenda, discreetly slipping high-calorie rations and choice canned goods directly into his jacket pockets. He was clearly securing a personal stash first, intending to hand over whatever was left to the collective stockpile later.

"Sword," Medkit warned, his tone slicing through the quiet store with clinical authority. "Put those back immediately. We need actual nourishment, not empty calories. Our sanctuary houses far too many mouths to sustain on sugar. If you are truly that desperate for candy, we can schedule a luxury run another time."

Sword pouted, muttering a quiet protest under his breath, but under Medkit’s sharp gaze, he begrudgingly began returning the colorful bags to the shelves.

While the two of them bickered, you took the initiative. Grabbing a heavy metal shopping cart, you began systematically working down the central aisles, sweeping high-density essentials—canned meats, preserved vegetables, dried grains, and sealed jugs of purified water—straight into the basket. Realizing the sheer volume of food waiting to be claimed, Medkit, Sword, and Rocket quickly followed your lead, each commandeering their own carts and thoroughly clearing out every shelf in sight.

Before long, all four carts were stacked dangerously high. The four of you pushed the heavy, squeaking carts back out into the open air. Outside, Ban Hammer looked as though he was on the verge of popping a blood vessel. His knuckles were white against his weapon, his face burning red as he endured the relentless, tag-team annoyance of Darkheart and Broker's ceaseless commentary. Yet, to his credit, he held his temper, keeping his eyes glued to the surrounding streets because the mission took priority over his sanity.

The tension shifted instantly when the team turned to push the laden carts back toward the safety of the treeline. From somewhere further down the fog-draped boulevard, a wet, sickening tearing sound echoed off the concrete.

"Now... what do we have here?" The Broker mused. His tone retained its insouciant edge, yet a sharp, dangerous alertness instantly undertoned his voice.

"Everyone, fall back behind me... and Darkheart," Ban Hammer ordered, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly command as he stepped into the center of the street. Darkheart offered a slow, sarcastic eyebrow raise at being casually lumped into front-line guard duty, but he unholstered his sword without a word and fell into a defensive stance beside the giant.

Ban Hammer crept forward with measured, heavy steps, peering around the rusted bumper of an overturned bus.

Just a few yards away in the shadows, a lone, gaunt zombie was hunched over the stained pavement, greedily tearing into the ghastly remains of a deceased Inphernal.

The group had found food.

But apparently, they weren't the only ones searching through the abandoned city.

And now they had a much bigger problem to deal with.