Fantasy World Creations

[spoiler]This roleplay is to get both Rina Goodsworth, and Sebastian Zweigart into the Edge Hotel RP as staff instead of travelers.[/spoiler]

The situation had been turning for the best since the Jameson group had stumbled on the third-party research on the zombifying infection. Their own work on a cure had skyrocketed in progress with the information. That alone would have been worth celebrating if not for the sacrifices made to get the this point; the Jameson staff was half of what it used to be, Rina and Sebastian being some of the few remaining members. They'd managed to set up a base lab on a forested hill near a substation, redirecting power from the station to power equipment and electrify fences in case of a sudden passing zombie horde. The cure research was progressing quickly, with recent batches showing some forms of symptom reversal. Without a doubt, it was close to completion. But things were never that easy up until now, and simply by the laws of nature, nor would they continue to be. A passing squall of a storm had caused a power outage, leaving the lab inoperable. They had no choice but to lay low and quiet in order to not attract attention and defend from stray zombies. But they needed to regain power as soon as possible. The cause was most likely some sort of damage to the substation.

"I vill go check on ze station. I have some mechanical knowledge, and zahs have a goot chance of restoring ze pover. I can't risk having ze doctor, nor any ozer researchers risk themselves out zere. And ve still need personnel here for security. Vith ze current situation, I am the only able free-hand available. You all vait here, I'll be sure to succeed."

Jared, the head butler, stood up and approached Sebastian before anyone could raise complaints or thoughts. "Sebastian, can I have a word with you a moment."

Sebastian was surprised, and took a moment to nod and set aside with the man.

"It has been a long trial that we have gone through together thus far, both before and during this apocalyptic event. we have never truly seen eye-to-eye, and have been at odds more often than not. But a good portion of that has been due to my pride, my stubbornness. I have recognized for a long while that you've acted well and rightly since the beginning of this disaster, and my pride kept me from admitting your accomplishments. I...was envious of you. Your flexibility. It is an ability so foreign to me, and one I'd looked down upon for so long, I did no accept its usefulness. Yes, I am flexible to, but not in the same way. Your reactionary decisions are what has kept a good portion of us alive until now. Seeing you go off on another dire task, I wanted to take the chance to...thank you. To express my thoughts. You have my respect, Sebastian."

Sebastian was stunned speechless, and could only stand there and listen. "Jared, I...no, zank you as vell. Yes, I have talent in reactionary decisions, but we would not have survived vith just zat. You always cautioned my lack of discipline, and truly, had I been in charge, ve very vell may have fallen apart. You are STABLE, Jared. It is vhy you are ze head butler, and no vone else. It is your discipline and leadership that has held zis group together. Yes, I had multiple moments of heroism, but you are ze leader. I could not have done it vithout knowing zings vould not fall apart vhile I acted. So zank you, Jared. You have my respect as vell."

The two of them, smiled and quickly gave each other a firm handshake. Collecting himself, Jared spoke, "Well, It would be best if I did not keep you. Time is of the essence. I trust you shall complete your assigned duty, as a Jameson butler?"

"You need not worry, head butler. You may leave it to me." Sebastian gathered himself as well while stating this, then properly nodded understanding. He walked to the other side of the room, grabbing a flashlight, then checked that he had both his combat knife and pistols in order before heading toward the door.

When Sebastion first spoke offering to be the one to head to the power plant, the suggestion had caught her by surprise. But in some ways, it was the only logical conclusion left. They were down to less than half of their original staff, and those that could wield and use weapons were simply too valuable. The research, the data, and the doctors and researchers they protected were far too important to have left unguarded. With the power out, even their electrified fences and security doors would not function to the best of their ability. They were defenseless. The storm that had passed caused a great deal of damage, and though the makeshift back-up generator was working, it wasn't enough to simply support all the equipment and defenses their crew had quickly assembled. It was a cruel winter, and the cold would still seep in. It wouldn't be long until the dead came bursting through their gates like so many times in the past. Every time they were forced to evacuate, something bad had happened.

No no no. First Eugene. Esmelda. My parents... She choked a bit as some tears welled up in her eyes; she couldn't bring herself to think of the others.

Be strong Rina. Like what mom told me. Strong. Her mom wouldn't be able to tell her those words anymore, but Rina took them to heart. I'm not going to lose any more people! A-and I can be brave! I can save people too! It was at this time when Sebastion had began preparing to head out the door.

He's about to leave! I shouldn't let him go. I can't let him go. I won't let him go!

"Wait!" Rina said loud and clear, her usual hesitance, soft-spokeness, and slower speech non-existent in that outburst. She drew a few curious glances toward her, but she continued. "... Let me help. I know I can do this."

The head butler was taken aback from Rina's outburst, though he responded before anyone else could interrupt or comment.

"Leave this matter to Sebastion, Rina." He spoke with his usual, if not, aggravating, authority. "Sebastion is capable enough for this, and there is no sense in putting you further into danger."




Rina would have usually simply let it go at that. She never confronted Jared, and took to his words much as if it had come from their Mr. or Mrs. Jameson themselves. But once in her life, did she finally make a stand.

"... No..." Her response was soft, almost inaudible. But she continued a moment later, her tone of voice slightly louder.

"No!" She responded more forcefully. "Everyone has tried so hard. Everyone is doing their best. Mom told me to be strong, and that's what I'm going to be! And-and..." She gulped, ignoring the wetness in her eyes.

"I'm going whether you like it or not!" Her last words echoed in the room. And for a few drawn out moments that felt like eternity, all was silent.

Sebastian was just as shocked as the rest of them at Rina's outburst. But he figured that one response from Jared would be enough to sort out the impulsiveness. That was when his jaw dropped wide open, as Rina blatantly refused to let him go alone. Sebastian was touched, and honestly impressed. But there was no way he could agree to this, even if having someone watch his back would be helpful. He couldn't risk Rina by letting her tag along. Sebastian stepped forward.

"Rina, dear girl, zere's no need to endanger yourself by heading to ze substation viz me. If anyzing you have proven your strength in your action just now! But ve certainly do need you doing your best. I'm sure everyone else could use your help managing work here. You don't need to strain yourself so!" Hoping that got the sentiment through, Sebastian, turned toward the door once more. "Now zen, I'll be back soon. I VILL get the pover back on. But if I get...hung up, do not risk yourselves to find me. Focus on ze cure." He looked back with a near-demanding glare, making sure none followed him out.

Once that was done, he hiked up his coat and stepped out into the cold, with one of the others following, "Be sure to lock up tight behind me. Getting power vould be pointless if zey got in here." The one beside him nodded solemnly. once outside, he gave a final wave before trouncing into the snow.

"There is no sense on arguing about this further Rina. My decision stands and it is final. You are to remain here and wait until power is back online and Sebastian is amongst us again. Don't forget that we are the Jameson staff." The head butler nodded, but proceeded to head out of the room, not waiting to hear any response from Rina.

There was an awkward silence as he left, though, when he was finally out of ear shot and sight from anyone else, he leaned against a wall. His age showed then, his years of leading the Jameson staff had been a wonderful one, but even he, with his firm handle on the staff and gruff outlook of life, had become weary of the events that had since transpired. He more than anyone knew how Rina felt. The staff was his responsibility, and though he never showed it to any of the staff in any circumstance, each loss was hard.

"It's for your own good child." The head butler said, though of course, no one was there to hear.


Ian had followed Sebastion out the door, nodding solemnly at the more senior butler's words

"You can count on me to keep them safe. You come back in one piece you hear?"

He watched silently as Sebastian waved one last time, and disappeared into the night and into the snow. The wind blew against Ian, but the cold didn't bother him. He had been an employee for just a bit less than a year, but he had been coached and guided well by Sebastian. He was now a Jameson butler in the truest sense of the word, and he won't let Sebastian down.

No matter what it took.


More than anything Jared has ever done or said, his words stung her deeply. As the head butler proceeded out of the room, those left could hear Rina quietly sobbing to herself. Ian had come and had given her a slight hug, though Rina refused to respond to it, locked away was she in her own thoughts.

What a jerk. What a jerk. He didn't have to be so forceful. I just wanted to help. I just... needed to. Her mind raced with other thoughts as well, thinking about those who she had lost since last year on the month of December. Her birthday that last year had been one of the saddest ones, she at first refused to celebrate it. What right was there to be happy, when everything was going so very wrong. But that didn't stop the others though. Ian had personally played a song for her, a composition of his own. It was beautiful sounding, and their old music teacher would have probably been jealous.

Her thoughts darkened again at the mention of the music teacher, but she proceeded to recount her birthday. Even Sebastian had managed to somehow procure a small cake too. From where he got it, Rina could only guess. He never did say where, or if he made it himself, Rina wasn't quite sure.

And now... and now Sebastian is gone. It always happens like this. You leave them alone one moment, and the next time you're there... they're not. She vaguely noticed Ian attempting to comfort her, and though Rina would have blushed in such a situation, this time she pushed him away. Without looking at him, or any of the other Jameson staff, Rina took off the opposite direction of where Jared disappeared off to. She needed time alone, time to think.

For the next ten minutes she did just this. Alone in a small room in the lab used for storage, she sat on the floor, her back against the cool hard wall. Occasionally tears would well up, and if one had been listening, would have heard stifled sobbing. She didn't know what had come on then. But the more she had thought about things, the more determined she was in her course of action.

I'll protect him myself. I can't lose anyone else! T-this is a promise I made to mom. Without saying anything else, she headed to their own storage area. Luckily no one was there and she proceeded on taking out a flashlight. She grabbed a few spare batteries, though feeling bad about it, decided to put most of them back. She knew just how much the others needed them. That done, she grabbed a spare blanket and draped it on herself as well as grabbing a broom that had been lying on the corner. She would have preferred her coat rather than a blanket, but there was still too many people at the main room to grab it from the rack.

She breathed in deeply as she prepared herself.

Then she bolted. Reaching the nearest window, she opened it wide. The cold wind blew in, but she gritted her teeth as she stepped out and stumbled out into the snow, turning on her flashlight in the same movement. Once she was out, she heaved on the window, closing it shut. In that moment it felt as if time had stopped. All she heard was her own heavy breathing and the stillness of night.

There was no turning back now. With Sebastian in her thoughts, she bolted off into the night, following the footsteps Sebastian had made in the snow. She had a quick pace. She knew full well that the dead were still around.

The snowfall made everything silent around him, which Sebastian considered both pleasant and uncomfortable. It brought him a sense of peace he rarely felt nowadays, but at the same time only heightened his awareness and caution. They were close to a town, even if on the outskirts. in the not-to-distant past, there should have been noise; there should have been life. But now, nothing, or at least very little. Most were dead of infected, so it was dangerous to even make noise, or cause light. The butler moved as quietly as he could, staying off the well-beaten path a little so he wasn't easily seen by passing 'individuals'. They still sent him into a cold sweat from a simple glance, since that very first encounter at the mansion. The malice and bloodlust was too much, almost oppressive. He only could pray he didn't encounter any of them tonight.

Sebastian reached the edge of the bushes along the park he'd been cutting through, crouching behind them as he peaked through. He could see the substation towers in the distance, maybe a few blocks. Looks like I'm around half vay zer. I only hope the damage is minor and easy to repair... He thought to himself. After carefully scanning his surroundings, he pressed on. Luck was on his side, there were none of the atrocious infected in sight. None yet. He cautioned himself.

"That child!" Jared said as he started making his way to the lab's storage area. Everyone had been in a fright. It wasn't long until the inhabitants and survivors realized Rina was no longer among them. Jared had been one of the first ones to know, and the head butler began barking out orders.

"Check around the facility! Use a flashlight and try to make as little noise as possible. She may just be hiding! You, you, and you, make a quick check of the perimeter, and look for any obvious signs!" Jared hustled over to the various shelves as he began pulling out supplies. He called out again. "Double check all the storage facilities and the basement!"  Though he had given all those orders, deep in his heart he knew what Rina had done. It was obvious from her reaction, and her uncharacteristic outburst that occurred not half an hour ago. The look in his eyes were intense, and even those who had just briefly passed him by just moments before knew that Jared was exceptionally bothered by the disappearance. The head butler pulled out a case of bullets, as he began reloading one of his guns.

"This isn't like you." A voice said, coming from the doorway. It was Ian. He had his arms crossed, with his rifle strapped to his back.

"It is the duty of the Jameson butlers to protect our staff Ian, do not forget that." Jared replied, his voice low and full intensity, ready to explode.

"Did you not always stand in the back, while you gave orders to the rest of us? We lost many in futile searches just like this, and here you are... stuffing your pockets with cartridges as if you'd venture out into danger without a care in the world." Ian shot back, firing words at an already volatile subject.

"How can you understand!" Jared eyes were full of anger, and the butler grabbed the collars around Ian's suit, and pushed him against the wall unceremoniously. "A vagabond like you. You have no right to criticize what I can or cannot do. How can you know!" The man's fury was loud, his voice echoing throughout most of the installation. Those near had even drew closer to see what the hassle was about.

"I do know Jared." Ian said, his voice strangely calm. "I know what it's like to feel as if you're losing someone close to you. To feel as if you could have done something more, but try as you might, they slip through your fingers." Ian's eyes held steady with the head butler's own. "You blame yourself for the death of Rina's mother, Pamela, don't you." Rather than a question, it was a statement.

There was no response from Jared. But the head butler loosened his grip slightly, letting go a few moments after that.

"I'll take care of it, old man." Ian said as soon as he broke free from Jared's grasp. Jared however, remained silent. Ian took that as his cue to leave, but just as he stepped past the doorway, the head butler spoke.

"Take this with you." The head butler said, and as Ian turned around, a pocket watch flew towards him. Ian of course deftly caught it. It was Jared's pocket watch, that the head butler had always kept on his person.

[spoiler=The pocketwatch][/spoiler]

"May I?" Ian asked, glancing at the pocket watch. Jared nodded in affirmation. At that, Ian opened it, always curious was he about what was inside. On one side was the actual watch, but on the other was a picture of Pamela, Rina's mother. Ian switched his gaze back at the butler.

"Pamela was like a daughter to me. I've been with the Jamesons for many years, and have trained and looked over that girl since she was first taken in as a child." The head butler continued, his eyes pleading and sincere. "Show Rina that, and remind her that she still has family here. Bring her back."

Ian closed the pocket watch, stuffing the item into one of his pockets. He nodded in agreement, and as he prepared to head out he spoke a few last words.

"Of course I will. I'm a Jameson butler, aren't I?" Ian said matter-of-factly. It took a few moments, but Jared replied with a single word just when Ian had begun leaving the storage area.

"Indeed."


The night was cold, and the blanket she draped around her continued to sway in the wind.

Cold so cold. So cold! I must get to Sebastian soon. She followed the footsteps, with her flashlight leading the way. She would occasionally hear rustling around her, but as she pointed her flashlight to the direction, it would have usually been a light breeze of wind moving a piece of trash in the desolate streets.

Don't run into any of them. Please don't run into any of them. She told herself over and over. Every slight movement and sound she jumped. Her wits were at her ends, but she continued to push herself. She felt fear rise up like bile, but she continued to follow the tracks. She locked herself onto finding Sebastian, making sure he was alright, and doing her best to help him turn on the power to that section of the city as well as their lab. That thought alone kept her feet moving, and her fears at bay.

Unlike Sebastian who had done his best to be stealthy, Rina wasn't as nimble nor silent. Her continued use of her flashlight marked her an easy target. She was an easy target for the restless, and it didn't take long until the first group appeared in front of her. Their eyes stared deeply at her, with their mouths hanging far too low and wide to be humanly possible.


Rina screamed.

Right as he was crossing the way from the bushes he'd been in, Sebastian heard a scream. One he'd heard many times due to the timidity of its owner. RINA!? She ran after me!? Mein Gott!! Sebastian quickly jumps back into the brush before he's seen, then quickly runs back toward the source of the scream. His legs had only gained strength since the start of their trials, and thus he made good time. Just in time to see three infected surrounding the poor maid. Good, only three. I can do zat much.

He had no time to think, shaking off his fear and letting instinct take over, circling around to make sure Rina wasn't in the line of fire. At that, Sebastian took the first shot, aiming so that it would nab two through the head. To his amazement, it worked, and both targets collapsed. I'll never be able to make a shot like zat again... He thought to himself. The noise made the third hesitate, allowing the butler to rush forward with his knife and stab directly through the skull with and over-the-head, pounding motion. The blood splatter was all over his clothes, which were already plenty grime-crusted at this point. Not pausing for a moment, he grabs Rina's arm without a word and pulls her into the bushes. He could see she was shaken, and he knew more would come. Experience stated it was best to lay low and wait for them to pass. He'd already holstered and sheathed his weapons so his hands were free, and was cupping Rina's mouth for the time being to make sure she stayed silent. It was a good decision.

The second wave, after hearing both a scream and a gunshot, began creeping out of the foliage, one literally walking right past where they hid. His heartbeat was loud in his ears, from both fear and adrenaline, and he could feel Rina's shuddering and tense breathing. But all they had to do was wait for them to disperse. For as long as it took. The infected were slowly gathering around to corpses of the fallen, and in the confusion of it all, began eating. Sebastian quickly turned Rina toward his chest to block the sight, looking away a moment himself. But he realized he needed to be aware, and thus steeled himself, turning back to watch for unwanted movement.

It took everything he had not to wretch.

Sebastian... Sebastian... Rina kept thinking to herself when the man had appeared. He had quickly took care of the three walking corpses, and before Rina could say something, the butler had pulled her into the bushes and cupped her mouth. The dead were still fresh in her mind, and Rina's nerves were still shaken. Seeing her friend had calmed her slightly, though when another one had appeared literally passing by right next to them, it took every bit of will to not cry out or run from fear. Too many times  has she encountered the dead; slamming behind closed doors, shambling past as they hid in lockers, chasing her through alleyways and hallways. Each time was frightening, and Rina never truly handled fear all too well.

Sebastian's quick thinking probably would have saved them both, her one loud scream was enough to draw out all the dead within the current vicinity, to any within ear shot. This would have been the best time to flee. But they were close, far too close for them. Any sudden movement on their part or sounds would alert the dead of their presence. Sebastian had covered her sight, but that didn't stop the sound. She could hear as the creatures took bites into their fallen comrades which sounded akin to chomping and tearing off something leathery. She heard a variety of sounds that sounded like slurping, but try as she might she couldn't block out the sounds. She dared not think about what could have caused the sound, and closing her eyes didn't help, but she did so anyways, trying to push her mind to think and to hear something else. She grabbed hold of Sebastian's suit, covering her face into the dark velvety material. Her hands trembled, but she couldn't help it.

I hate them! I hate them so much!

There was one thing she feared, but was powerless to do anything about:

More would be coming.

It had been 15 minutes before the group had finished their 'feast' and left the general vicinity, and Sebastian could tell it had pushed Rina to wits end throughout the entire affair. Not that it hadn't done the same to him; he still had no idea how he was not vomiting right now. Though he was rather jaded to the undead at this point, it was not often that he needed to watch them eat each other. About half-way through, the mob size nearly doubled as a second wave approached, leading to being surrounded by an echoing groaning. Sebastian was convinced that this was hell on Earth, if he had not been convinced before already. It took a moment for him to calm his own shuddering so that they weren't found out while the scores of zombies before them began to disperse through the park. Rina and Sebastian had survived, but they were far from safe. Movement would be much more difficult now that the park was more populated.

For now, they needed to think and stay as quiet as possible. Sebastian slowly removed his arms from around Rina's head, letting her know there was no more reason to hide herself. But he still motioned that they needed to stay quiet. She was still shaking madly, though was at least somewhat calmer than during the latest instance.

"Goodness, Rina...vhy did you follow me out here? Are you unharmed? He whispers, starting to look her over, making sure there are no serious wounds. It seemed she was untouched, and Sebastian let out a sigh in relief. "Vell, ve are in position to get you back to camp, so you are to stay viz me. Zings vill be tense, now, so keep your vits about you, and make as little sound as possible. Can you stand?" Sebastian stands up quietly, then offers the girl his hand for help. They had to move.

Suddenly they heard a motor, which of course meant the zombies did, too. Sebastian quickly ducked down with Rina again and waited a little while. Zombies began wandering toward the source, which was moving fast around the park. It started as dangerous, but Sebastian realized that it was actually drawing the zombies away and misdirecting them, allowing the two of them to push onward without nearly as much trouble. Quickly he jumped up and got Rina to her feet so they could head to the station.

---

He'd heard the the scream, then the gunshot, and immediately began heading toward his bike. Ian knew it must be Rina and Sebastian, and that they were in trouble, so there was no point in being quiet, nor taking it slow to find them. Minutes later, Ian was tearing out of the base on his motorcycle, following their tracks and generally heading toward the source of the gunshot. It took around 10 minutes to get to wear the duo were, but Ian quickly realized it was within the park, and that the park was now filled with zombies. And those zombies were running toward him.

"Damn it! They must be surrounded by now. Please be alive!" Ian shouted as he started driving off to avoid the infected.

Ian decided the best thing to do would be to circle the park a few times to draw out the undead, giving the two inside the park a chance to move, assuming they were alive. As much as he wanted to dive head-on into the woods, he knew it would likely put himself in danger, as well as the two he was trying to save. The best chance to their survival was with him as a distraction. "I'll give it two laps before heading off and drawing them away. Get out of there while you can. I'll come back afterward. Ian said to himself, as though instructing Sebastian and Rina, were they in front of him.

But then, the unexpected happened. Half way through his second lap, he saw Rina and Sebastian at the edge of the woods. THANK GOD! Ian shouted in his mind in relief as he pulled over to meet up with them.

Instead of getting off, he rolled his bike near the two.

"Lucky me to have been able to bump into you like this. Heard the shot get fired. And the dead don't use guns as far as I know." Ian said as he closed the distance between them, throwing in a slight joke. He saw the creatures still around them still a distance away, shambling their way to his bike, and likewise to them. His free use of his bike, and the loud sound of his engine had more than drew the rest of them, and because of the fact he had spun in laps around the park, the dead now clumped together into one thick horde. A horde of vicious eaters and rotting flesh.

"We don't have long until those things catch up. Sebastion I assume you know what I'm here for. Rina, get on the bike now." Time was of the essence, and every few second counted. The dead were surprisingly fast when it came to it, and Ian didn't want to give them an opportunity to get close to them.

"Rina. Quickly." Ian insisted, surprised that the girl still hasn't jumped on his motorcycle.

"I... can't." Rina replied, looking away from Ian.

"There'll be here any second now. Sebastian-" But Ian was cut off. Rina's eyes stared into Ian's. There was no hint of a blush in her features, and a moment later she spoke confidently.

"Ian, I can't. I've always been protected by my parents, you, Sebastian, Jared, and everyone else! Ever since this started I felt like I was useless. All I can do is clean, or wash pots, or make food, or tidy up the mansion, or go grocery shopping. I've mastered all of those, and even gardening that my father taught me, and music for when Diana wanted to listen. B-but... now. A-all of that isn't so important. This is our reality now. So many people I love is dead, and if I can't do anything now, then I would have rather been the one to take their place!" Her eyes had started to water, but she held herself in check. "I don't want to keep being a burden. You and Sebastian risk your lives every day for us, I... want to help."

Ian had stared back, somewhat surprised by Rina. The girl must had been holding it in for so long. Ian took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he began pulling out a handgun from within his suit. Time was up. Even now from the corner of his eye he saw a few of the faster ones from the horde run towards them. He handed the gun to Rina, as he proceeded on taking out his own rifle.

"Remember to use both hands, and prepare for the recoil like we taught you. Don't close your eyes this time." Ian said gently, and Rina nodded a moment after she took the weapon.

"Sebastian, how much ammo do you have left?" With that he tossed a cartridge to the more senior butler. Jared had been generous that night, Ian knew they were running low on bullets, yet the old man had let him part with an extra handgun, and an extra cartridge of bullets. "We better start going. Hop on Rina. Don't worry it's just to get us out of here."

Rina hesitated. A few more seconds until the first of the dead was upon them.

"Rina..." Ian insisted, his tone more urgent.

Sebastian wasn't AS surprised at her outburst as the first time, but that she was this insistent made an impression. He also recognized that he had no right to pitch in his opinion in on their arguement just yet, but he certainly understood the urgency of the situation. He was shocked, though, when she was handed a gun. "Jared gave you an extra gun and ammunition!? Our head butler is slipping." He chuckled, "But zis is no time for jokes, I'm grateful for ze assistance. I've only used a single round so far, so I still have 11 shots. But zank you." He caught the extra magazine and slid it in his pocket. "And Rina, be careful vith zat, and don't panic ven firing. You'll need to practice calm breathing ven ve next hide. It won't solve everyzing, but it's better zan nozing."

Sebastian turned and prepared to hold off any that got close. "Now, get on ze bike. Ve've heard you loud and clear, and vill hear out your desire to help. But zis is not ze place to do it. Ve're relocating. Hurry!" He took the first shot toward one far ahead of the pack, nailing it in the eye and causing it to collapse before them, not 10 feet away. Sebastian started to run toward the substation from where they were, hoping to duck around a corner and take cover so they'll run past.

After that push from Sebastian, did Rina finally hop on the vehicle. Sebastian had already started up ahead, making his way around a corner. Ian would have done the same, but as he rounded the corner he realized that they couldn't escape, at least not all of them. They had made good distance, but if there was anything Ian had found out since the entire thing had happened, was that the dead were more persistent than they seemed.

He gritted his teeth as he considered going against Rina's wishes and simply driving her back to the lab. But the moment he realized his thoughts he shoved them off. That wasn't fair to Rina, and the girl would have never forgiven him for it. He sped his bike some distance in front of Sebastian towards the direction of the substation, there he slammed his brakes, and stopped his vehicle.

"Looks like this will be a short ride this time." Ian said, as he took Rina's hand, and holding her waist, gently pushed her off the bike. It took Ian a moment longer to fish out Jared's pocketwatch, but he handed the item to the girl. Rina herself was perplexed, but she took the item and looked at him expectantly.

"A certain head butler told me you still have family, Rina. Family..." He paused as he met her eyes, Rina shifted uncomfortably under the gaze. He laughed quietly to himself. "I'd like it if you could think of me like that as well. Family." Ian grinned, and he noticed Rina's usual blush.

Behind Sebastian, did the first of the undead appear, chasing after a steady pace.

"It's time for me to-" Ian had started to say, but Rina interrupted him. It was slight, and gentle but before Ian knew it, Rina had leaned up to him and kissed his cheek.

"... I... u-umm..." Rina said, flustered as her cheeks had steadily turned in a slight hue of pink. She closed her eyes, breathed in deeply, and clenched her fists. When she opened her eyes again, she breathed out, and looked slightly more calm.

"... You're more than just... family." She finally said, her eyes locking with Ian's. Ian continued to smile, as he revved up his motor.

"Maybe I am a burglar." He grinned. "I have you, don't I?" He said slyly, Rina simply blushed redder and looked away. Ian didn't say anything more however, as he accelerated his vehicle, making a full half-circle and headed back to where the dead were still chasing them from. He called out to Sebastian.

"I have a promise to keep with the old man!" He said as his vehicle passed him. Ian took his rifle, and shot off the gun towards the head of the first incoming corpse. One was down but there were still many left. He yelled out again as he swerved to avoid the incoming crowd, turning so that he would head a different direction in the fork ahead, slowing his vehicle as he did so.

"Both of you come back alive!" With that he fired off his gun again, and another was down. He accelerated again, his tires making skid marks on the run-down road. He would have them escape, and he would be the bait. Sure, it wasn't the most glorious of positions. But for a man with a bounty on his head just a year ago, it was a position worth taking. At least for those who really did mean a lot more than Ian would have first admitted.

Sebastian kept on being surprised by Rina's actions, she'd certainly grown over the past years. It only took a zombie apocalypse, too! He thought to himself in jest, then turned more serious, Zis means ve have to survive. I need to make sure ve survive. I can't imagine zis being vhere our journey ends. Sebastian steeled his resolve, watching Ian leave, then bowed after him. Zank you, Ian. Ve vill not fail. Ve shall live!

Sebastian sees Rina watching after Ian with a conflicted, torn expression. He could understand that much. Walking up beside her, he placed his hand on her shoulder to steady her. "He'll be fine, Rina. Let's not waste the opportunity he's given us. Come, ve must get moving. Zey need zat power." Sebastian gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and as warm a smile as he could manage in the situation, then came out from hiding to look around. It seemed all the infected had ran after Ian. Good.

It was still a few blocks to the substation, so moving stealthily was a must. The last thing they needed was to attract a horde. Thus moving was slow, as Sebastian constantly stopped to check their surrounds before moving across any open area. It took close to 25 minutes to reach the substation entrance, having avoided any zombies that had walked by. "Alright, now ve get to vork. Ve need to figure out vhy zis place has stopped supplying power." He said in a low voice to Rina. "Let's take a quick break before moving on, so our awareness isn't strained." Sebastian said as he noticed an area blocked off by boxes that could be used to hide and rest.

Following Sebastion was easier said than done. They had gone as quietly as they could, but they still kept a good and fast pace. They had reached the electrical substation, and when Sebastion called for a break, Rina readily agreed. The journey had been taxing, both mentally and physically, but the maid was determined to see it through. The chill air did little to ease her drive. It was cold and biting, and whenever Rina breathed in she felt the brisk wind flow into her lungs. She had made her way to the boxes Sebastion had first noticed.

"Do you have any ideas what could be wrong?" Rina asked quietly, her breath forming a cloud every-time she spoke. Even as she said that though, she noticed all the rubble and debris littered at the substation. It looked very much the same as any part of the seemingly abandoned city. There was little maintenance done on the substation, and any single fault in its system could have potentially caused the power outage.

Sebastian was more than happy to be sitting in some sort of shelter, especially one where zombies weren't actively chasing them. It gave him a chance to catch his breath, so for a moment, he closed his eyes. He tried to think back to estate life, though fewer and fewer of those memories were remaining. It seemed to be such a distant past, and that thought pained him, but he pushed those feelings away to better appreciate his memories. It was the one point in his life that he was able to live proudly for others. Not a street rat, not a soldier running to his death, but the reliable man of an established household. He outwardly showed a small smile on his lips when those assurances rushed back into him. But the reminiscent moment was a short lived one as a cold breeze blew across him and he was pulled back to reality. Those times were gone, and he had a job to do now, so that others may have those pleasant experiences in the future. So that that old world was not solely a distant memory, but also a foretelling of times to come.

He opened his eyes to see Rina staring at him. She'd asked the question right as he was coming out of the short daydream, so he'd barely caught it. Sebastian responded to the best of his ability as his wistful expression turned serious, and a second wind of determination filled him. He would not fail. "Vell, zis facility seems quite decrepit; I vould not be surprised if it has not seen maintenance in a year. Zat it has remained functional for so long is a blessing as is. Zough I do not believe it is a failure from the area's structure. Cluttered as it my be, the substation is standing strong. My best guess vould eizer be zat a wire vas damaged from debris, or ze cold caused trouble in ze main transformer. Luckily the main plant zat supplies it is operating vell or ve vould truly be in trouble!" Sebastian looked through the fence to the multiple transformers, switches and large-gauge wires. Everything was still humming loudly with electricity, so it's obvious it wasn't down. There had to be something preventing proper distribution of power. "...Maybe ze breaker, too..." He muttered, then turned back to Rina.

"Vell, let me know vhen you've got your breath back, and ve'll head inside. And don't try to act tough, here. I'm serious, as ve may need to run. If you need help relaxing, I'm happy to talk about ozer zings. You know, to take your mind off." Sebastian said with a comforting smile.

The chill wind made Rina clench her teeth. It was already so bitingly cold. But yet, the fact that they had made it all the way to the substation did a lot to improve Rina's mood. She was still very much worried about Ian, that much was true, but she knew that the man could take care of himself well. The Jameson staff were all marvelously skilled after all, and Ian was no exception. But it was the fact that they were here, the source of the problem, that they are now able to start looking into what may be wrong. This also means that they could potentially fix it as well. That gave her hope, as well as just a bit more of drive in what they were doing.

She honestly wasn't sure how she could help Sebastian, but even if it was just keeping a look out, or holding a light to let him see things, that would still help. She hesitantly felt the handgun which Ian had quickly given her - if anything, she had been taught how to handle a gun sometime before, and though she relatively was still new at it, she decided then that she'd do her best in trying.

"Lead the way Sebastian... y-you can count on me." Her words were spoken ever so softly, but there was a determination in her eyes that burned brightly.

Sebastian nodded, impressed by her determination. He stood up and carefully entered the area, which was enclosed by a chain-link fence. "Alright, let's get to vork." He said in a low voice. There was no telling if more undead were nearby, so he had to be careful. The hum of the electrical equipment should mask most of the noise, though, so it was more about seeing them first rather than causing noise. Sebastian's first target to check was the breaker boxes. If any of those were tripped, it would tell him where he needed to go. After quickly browsing the switches, Sebastian noted two that were off on the main panel. "Hmm...Transformer 1, and...Transformer 3 as vell. He was a little worried at this information. For two of the three main transformers to be causing trouble meant the problem may be serious. He couldn't keep the grim look off his face, but quickly shook himself of his worry. It doesn't matter vat the problem is, ve vill fix it. Ve must.

Sebastian motioned to Rina to follow as he made his way to the smaller transformer, transformer 3. He was grateful that there were still no signs of infected. Maybe the drone of the machinery kept them away? He didn't know. But either way, he was still grateful. The machine before him, however, was a conundrum. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it, from what he could tell. Nothing sounded off balance, and no damage could be seen. It must have responded to a fault from the main transformer. "Nothing wrong here...zat means trouble at ze big one." He looks back to Rina. "Let us check it out. I just hope it's something ve can fix."

On the way to the main transformer, Sebastian began to see tracks left in the snow. Something had been here, most likely another survivor that wanted to fix the power, or someone who once was a survivor. "Zis does not bode vell..." Sebastian muttered. And upon turning the corner, his fears were confirmed in a rather graphic manner. He quickly kept Rina from turning the corner, turning back to her and grasping her shoulders to root her in place. "I'm sorry, Rina, but it's best zat you not come furzer. Just...please, vatever you do, do not look." He waited for her agreement, before slowly removing his hands and turning to head toward the transformer once more.

It was a gruesome sight, but whoever did it had Sebastian's praise. Six infected lay truly dead on the ground, shot through the head. But that wasn't the only sign of injury. A train of blood led toward the wall of the transformer where another body had seemingly tried to crawl to gain stability. From the posture of the corpse, he assumed they'd received a bite to the leg and, realizing they would soon be turned, wanted to kill themselves first. But...by electrocution? Vhy? That was all Sebastian could think. They seemed to have purposely grabbed a high-voltage part of the transformer, their limp and now charred body grounding it. However, their grasping hand had released the equipment after rigor mortis had set in, so there was no way they were causing the problem. Then vat...wait!

"Ze gun! Vhere is ze gun?" Sebastian realized that the weapon used to slay the zombies was missing. So zat is why he electrocuted himself...he was vithout means of killing himself ozervise. But he had no time to mourn the loss of a random stranger, there was a job to do. Sebastian began searching the transformer for any oddities, and this time he found one. It was the gun. "Of all ze luck..." That was all Sebastian could manage as he went speechless from the turn of events. The gun from the scene earlier was now stuck between two cable receiving portions of the transformer, essentially shorting them out. "Vell, at least its ammunition didn't explode, or else ze damage vould be irreparable...Oh! It must have run out of bullets. So zat's why he resorted to it. But how am I supposed to remove zis?" It was quite a dilemma. The gun was essentially the same as a live wire right now, so he couldn't touch it. And if he shut down the transformer there was no guarantee that he could turn it back on properly. Sebastian sighed, "Looks like I'll need to come back here vith a tool."

Sebastian walked back in a hurry to Rina, "Ve need to head to ze control building at ze back of ze station. I need an insulated tool."

When they had started going to the main transformer, Rina only wanted to follow, and see if there was anything she could do to help. Sebastian had turned around however, as they got around to a corner. He placed his hands on her shoulder keeping her in place and asking her not to look any further.

Rina stared blankly, she knew what Sebastian had meant. Before all of this had happened Sebastian's eyes had always been gentle, they still were in that sense, but Rina couldn't help but see a weariness in them. If eyes could speak, his would have a tone of seriousness then, gentle yet firm in his command. The sights Sebastian had shielded her from had been numerous and countless, and Rina had always obeyed.

She stood still, closing her eyes as Sebastian left her then to examine the transformer. She thought of everything that has happened, from the first time they had encountered one of the walking dead, to the events that had transpired leading up to the here and now, alone with Sebastian in the middle of a deserted substation, with the infected potentially appearing from any direction. It was a sobering thought, and the thought of death hanging so close to them put the matter more into perspective.

There was some movement, as footsteps crushed into snow. Sebastian had come by again.

"Ve need to head to ze control building at ze back of ze station. I need an insulated tool." He had said.

"Sebastian..." She started. Instead of answering his question and comment, she looked up cautiously at him, and before he could respond had given her old friend a hug.

"... You can't always be protecting me, and this time I think I need to do this..." Rina said as she pulled away. Taking a hold of Sebastian's sleeve she began to take a step forward. She thought of all the times she had taken steps like these, small ones, cautious ones, as the dead bustled about.

She took another step, and this time she thought of all her friends and family again as she was prone to always doing. One more step took her just beside Sebastian, companions they were through pain and loss. Another step. She remembered the events that had transpired on the first rainy night. One more step. She thought of the joy and happiness she had in her previous life, it seemed so long ago, almost a fading memory. The full sight of whatever it was at the main transformer was just behind Sebastian, and a simple steady gaze. But she hesitated.

She had her eyes focused on the snow, unintentionally keeping them low as her own inward thoughts raced. But a moment later, she took another step, making her way almost behind Sebastian. Clearing her thoughts she focused on the here and now. Every small step gave her more courage, and every small step had placed closer and closer. It was a gradual change that had started to exert itself upon her since the first loss which culminated in her very desire to be out here with Sebastian; to have courage, to be brave, to be strong. For it wasn't just a single step that does it. In fact, it was many, many little steps.

And to Rina who had only ever done small steps, it was more than enough.

Sebastian turned in acknowledgement to see what it was Rina wanted to say, only to be surprised by a hug. Rina?

"... You can't always be protecting me, and this time I think I need to do this..."

...Ah. Was all he could think, following her slow movement around him toward the scene. He'd overlooked it, her desire to grow. Rina had always been the timid one, so much so others were constantly helping her and protecting her. Without even realizing it, the entire estate had labeled her as 'someone to be babied'. It was never the intention, of course, and no one had even recognized it. But their well-intended care had the adverse effect of suppressing Rina's growth as a person. But now, now she was fighting that label. That was finally apparent.

"You have been fighting more zan just ze infected for a long time now, haven't you?..." Sebastian muttered to himself in appreciation of her resolve. But this was not the time for a discussion like this. It was better saved for when the two of them were safe, and the transformer fixed. He walked up beside Rina once more, and waited until she had seen things as she had meant to, then ushered her along toward the control room, keeping an eye out for any danger. Luckily, no such danger appeared, which Sebastian considered an amazing stroke of luck. Eerily so.

The building itself was a plain, white-walled, black-roofed building that seemed to only be a single room. Snow had piled onto it, as well as around it, so it took a moment of digging to unblock the door. Once inside, dust-covered monitoring equipment, manuals, safety gear and office supplies were seen strewn across the room. The dust was so thick in the air that it was somewhat rough to breathe. But this was their only hope for removing the gun from the machinery, so it was a discomfort that was necessary to bear.

Covering his mouth, Sebastian spoke, "Zere must be somezing here that can help...anyzing zat can act as tongs. Large pliers, bolt cutters, even a wrench. In fact, a set of wrench pliers vould be perfect. He began searching the corners of the room, as well as the storage furniture along the walls. But still nothing. Turning, he addressed his searching partner. "Any luck, Rina?"

The digging wasn't pleasant, but along with Sebastian, Rina helped plow along, moving the snow out of the way of the entrance to the building. Once they uncovered the door, and though they were inside, it was still just as cold. Sebastian went in first, searching the room, and likewise Rina followed suite, searching through the various shelves and storage containers that Sebastian didn't get a chance to look through.

"Any luck, Rina?" Sebastian had asked. Rina reached out and pulled what looked to be a pair of broken rubber gloves, with some holes in various places, the remains of an old plastic mop, and lastly a cord of rope about 15 ft. in length.

"... How about these?" She asked, unsure how the particular pieces of material could aid them. But slowly, an idea popped into her mind. "If we could somehow make a pole out of the mop and the rope, and hook it to the gun... That would work?" She asked Sebastian hopefully.

Sebastian's face lit up. "Yes, zat vill do ze job. Quickly, let's hurry so we can return to ze safehouse." Sebastian gathered the rope coil on his shoulder, and left Rina to carry the mop and gloves as they ran back out into the snow to the transformer. The butler was careful to not run into any of the infected, and there didn't seem to be any traces of new movement in the snow.

"Alright, let's get ze power back on." Since the gloves were not whole, he had to be careful where he grabbed the rope. Since the rope was damp, it could still possibly conduct electricity. He then carefully dropped one end of the rope down behind the gun, then picking that end up and repeating it multiple times. Then he tied the two ends of the rope to the end of the mop and set it down. He then removed the rubber gloves and bundled them around the mop to make a rubber handle. Fully prepared, and using both hands, the butler gripped the mop at one end and jerked the gun from where it was jammed, flinging it behind him into the snow.

Within a few seconds, the substation seemed to resume a more stable operation, but unfortunately one other side effect occurred. The station lights, at least a few of them, turned on. "Damn!" Sebastian cursed under his breath. "Rina, ve must move quickly, zis light is bound to attract ze infected!" Sebastian grabbed her by the wrist, dropping everything he held, and made a run back the way they came.

But as they moved towards the exit, it was already apparent that the infected had arrived. The fence that served as the border between them and the outside world served as meager protection as the light form the now functioning substation shone brightly on both Rina and Sebastian. They were well within sights, and it didn't take long to register that the infected would soon come after them. The gated fence that served as the entrance and exit to the substation had a group of the dead standing beyond it.

Rina had started to scream, but quickly covered her mouth in silent terror. She had begun to start to look towards Sebastian. The butler was always one that the rest of the staff had begun to count on, even depend. Right after Jared, their head butler, Sebastian would have probably been the next person that the rest of the Jameson staff would have followed. But Rina grit her teeth instead, she fetched our the handgun that Ian had given her not so long ago. If it came to it, she'd use it.