revivalproject | What do vegan zombies eat?

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What do vegan zombies eat?

WHO: Leo and YOU
WHERE: all around Temba
WHAT: zombie invasion
WHEN: zombie invasion
WARNINGS: zombie invasion (...likely some gore and violence)

A: Early Invasion

In a way, Leo is almost... relieved. Okay, so that's a weird thing to feel when there are literally undead monsters walking around, but the thing is, zombies are a simple problem. He doesn't have to worry about zombies betraying him, or debating him about innocent until proven guilty, or any other moral quandaries. Zombies want brains. Leo doesn't want his brain to get eaten. This math is simple.

And while it's more than a little disconcerting now to be suddenly cut off from his powers, it doesn't slow down Leo that much. Well, maybe in the literal sense, now that he can no longer teleport, but for actual fighting, Leo has always depended more on his swords and his martial arts than his magic. So cutting zombies down isn't really an issue for him, especially when they're the slow, shambling kind.

It is, however, pretty gross. Leo cringes as he brushes some rotting flesh bits off his arm.

He's here because he heard someone calling for help, or because he saw someone fighting the good fight. Either way, he's here to help!

(And also look for Donnie, because of course they got separated again. But hey, kill two birds with one stone!)

"Need a little help?" he calls out, approaching. "These guys are a little too awake, huh? Never heard that phrase about sleeping when your dead."

B: Late Invasion (cw: tied up zombie brother)

Leo shouldn't be out here. He should be sheltering in the mines, like everyone else.

But here he is, moving with ninja speed and stealth toward one of the abandoned houses. He has a rope slung over his shoulder, and casts furtive glances around to see if he's being followed.

He's pretty good at catching when he is being followed, but with all these zombies around, it's possible to avoid his detection and see what he's up to.

Which is, admittedly, pretty suspicious. What is he doing?

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"Wow, we're going there? -not that I can really argue the point but still!"

His tone's however bright as he gives his gun a spin. "Watch and learn, kid!" he says, rushing right on forward, shots picking off a few of the zombies further away while he jumps to apply a heavy boot into the face of a closer one, snapping its head to the side. Zombies make for poor leverage, but he still pulls off his first jump, and without touching anything, adds to his height with another in midair. Yet one more has him truly airborne as he flips and fires off the rest of his rounds, loading up again with practiced ease as he heads back down again.

"Whoooaaaa..."

Okay, Leo has to admit to himself: that was sick. The way Cayde jumped off that zombie's head? And then going up into the air like that!? It's not exactly Lou Jitsu's style, but it definitely has a flashiness that reminds Leo of him.

"Alright, my turn," he declares once Cayde is back down. He whips his swords around and gears up, waiting until a few zombies get close enough together.

Then he tosses one of his swords, then with a flash of lighting disappears and reappears to catch it. He runs fast around the zombies, his sword dragging along the ground as he draws out one big portal - not strictly necessary, but the sparks as he goes are flashy.

The zombies disappear into the circle of blue, then fall out of another portal in the sky. Leo flashes up into the sky again, and cuts the zombies down midair.

"Aaaand land safely," he crows as he lands back on the ground.

"Eyyuuugh, I hope this washes off..!" Cayde grimaces as he lands rather wetly on another zombie. Exos may be light on their feet when they want to be but...they really aren't all that light in general.

He looks back over at Leo, eager to see what the kid's got. And he isn't disappointed as he watches the turtle go at it, literally rounding up zombies.

His applause is cut short as he dances off to the side to avoid raining limbs.

"Very nice! Definite style points!" the Hunter laughs. "And now for my favorite trick-!"

He raises his gun to the sky, suddenly igniting himself in golden flames. With a fluid spin he starts fanning the hammer on his Ace of Spades, each fiery shot instantly incinerating its target and other zombies unfortunate enough to be close enough.

"Hoo! Been a while!" he grins, rolling back his shoulders as the flames around him begin to gut out.

"Whoa!"

Leo has to duck to avoid getting singed, but he is obviously impressed and in awe of the spectacle. He runs over when Cayde is done, practically vibrating in place as he comes up to the exo.

"Duuuude. You have to teach me how to do that."

If it's even possible. He wants to believe!

Cayde taps his gun against his shoulder, chuckling.

"Would that the requirements weren't so specific," he says, and he means it because Leo'd probably make a great Hunter for how nimble he is. It's just too bad the Guardian shebang requires dying first.

"I'm thinking we've been doing some good work around here though. You wanna take these last guys?"

Noooo! Sooo unfair...

Leo is only momentarily fazed by the disappointment, though, turning his attention back to the last of the zombies. He grins, brandishing his swords again.

"Yeah, I got it."

He does a portal trick again, running around them and knocking them back until they're once again in a tight group and then opening a portal beneath them. This time, though, the portal's pair is situated right above it, and the zombies begin to fall endlessly, reaching terminal velocity.

This is the same as the trick Leo showed Cayde back when they first met, only on a bigger scale. Once the zombies are going as fast as they can, Leo tips his first portal at an angle, sending them shooting away from the duo like they've been shot out of a cannon. They'll splat somewhere against the road, some hundred yards away or more.

"There we go! Zombies taken care of!"

"Ha!" Cayde laughs, putting a hand to his brow as he tries to track the flight of the zombies, but they're well and gone somewhere past the other buildings.

"Nice one, kid!"

One day, he really needs to try it himself to see how far Leo can launch him.

That would definitely be a fun science experiment. Might even get Leo interested in physics (doubtful, though).

The praise is enough to make Leo smile bigger and wider than he normally lets himself, caught off-guard by the rush of pride and warmth it gives him. His faceman facade is gone, leaving a young teenager who's just really happy to hear he did a good job.

"Not too shabby yourself," he says.

The Exo grins, keeping an eye out in case anything else starts stumbling their way. He snorts a laugh at Leo's reply.

"Eh, I try. We definitely needa try that portal trick when there aren't things trying to claw our faces off. Bet you can launch me from the beach clear to the islands out there!"

He glances towards the skies for all the good it does, the ever-present fog not making much of a difference. "Guess the only good part about the storms lately is that they aren't as consistent with the power blocks. We should probably keep moving, either way. You two figure out a place to meet in emergencies?"

"Oh, it is on!" he agrees, pumping his fist. That sounds like a wild time!

Unfortunately, it can't happen yet, and Cayde's suggestion brings Leo back to the present, and the immediate problem.

"Uuuh... No." He grimaces meekly. "Weee probably should have done that."

He watches for anything moving, starting to move again. "I guess I should check back at the warehouse again... ooor maybe the diner is better...?"

"I doubt anyone really has, and some of us have no excuse since we've been here longer," Cayde chuckles. "Something for the list I guess."

He tilts his head. "Warehouse? That's where you two stay, right? Guess it'd make sense. Diner and the places around the city square are probably the most frequented- wonder if the welcome center's still safe. Was for most storms but things've been changing." He throws a glare somewhere skywards.

"I think Tony's fortified the university and the library. So if you need a breather, you go there."

So no one really knows... Well, that's a bummer.

Leo nods at the question of where he and Donnie stay. He doesn't know if the welcome center is safe, either; he doesn't go there very often, especially during the storms. It doesn't sound like a very promising lead...

And then Cayde suggests that, and Leo's lip curls.

"Pass."

Which is maybe not the way he should be in an emergency, but seriously, why Tony? The only thing worse would be Wesker.

"I'd check the places people usually frequent, 'specially the ones that mean something to you two if there's more than the warehouse," the Hunter suggests.

That shift in Leo's expression is certainly telling.

"...wow, that sure is a reaction!" Buddy though Tony may be, Cayde knows he can be an acquired taste. "Should I ask?"

Leo considers that. The only other important place to either of them is the garden, but surely Donnie wouldn't go all the way over there in the middle of this?

...For his plant babies, maybe. Ugh. He's gonna have to check, isn't he?

But that plan is on hold at the question. Leo can't help but scowl.

"I just don't get why everyone thinks he's so great," says Leo hotly. "He's not impressive. Who knows if the university is even really safe."

Cayde listens. The kid's giving him an answer, so it'd be rude not to. His metal features somehow convey a crooked smile.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that not everyone thinks he's great. Times, he can be a pain in the ass," he says with a brief laugh. "He's stubborn, he can be pretty blunt sometimes, or just plain confusing the next. Can't get what he wants to say out, and then when he does he expects you to understand what he meant without having actually said that part." The Exo shakes his head, chuckling.

"But he tries. And if there's one thing I know he is, it's that he's an overachiever who tries to bear the weight of the world on his stupid shoulders. You know he's tried to protect me from getting hurt? Me, when I'm the one made of metal and we're falling from several stories like he won't break a bone- he did by the way, idiot."

Cayde sighs, shrugging his shoulders. "He's a pain, but he always means well, and takes the responsibility four-fold when things don't pan out. I'll agree that I don't know how safe the university might be, but compared to most places around here, if Tony's put some time and effort into it, then it's gotta at least be something." He waves his hand.

"Anyway! I'm not trying to change your mind, you probably have your reasons for what you think. Everyone's got their reasons. Now, since we're together, any place you want to check out? I watch your back, you watch mine."

Leo listens, too, though his expression never loses its unhappy edge. Cayde gives a way longer answer than he expected, and when he says it all like that, Tony does start to sound like someone admirable. Someone he could see his brother calling his "father figure".

But it all falls apart when he remembers Tony in that pod room, turning off the electricity, asking if he hurt Donnie, scoffing when Leo tried to talk to him. If Tony really meant well, if he really wanted to take responsibility, then why couldn't he just take Leo's feelings seriously? Why'd he have to make Donnie feel small and sad?

Leo doesn't understand it. He isn't sure he wants to. It's not like anyone else can fix this... thing between him and Tony, anyway. He went to the man and said his peace. The ball's been in his court for ages now, and Leo feels pretty sure it's one that will never be passed back.

He knows when he isn't wanted. And sometimes, he actually listens.

"...Guess he just doesn't like turtles very much," says Leo in the end. "Or teenagers."

~~Or mutants or ninjas-~~

Whatever. Tony and his weirdness is not the problem here. Zombies are the problem here. And that's an easier problem to deal with!

"Yeah... Can you help me get over to the northwest part of town? Donnie's got a garden there, and if he's not at our place he may be there."

Even if he's not there... Leo doesn't know. Maybe they should do something to secure it.

Cayde would have definitely classified that as part of the whole 'Tony not being able to say what he wants to say.' Overcomplicating things was probably a good part of it too. But he'd said his piece, and he's not trying to win Leo over.

"Nah, I'm sure that's part of the whole idiot thing," he does have to reply.

"Sure thing! ...can't say this is the best time to be gardening but guess it doesn't hurt to have a look!"

Maybe. Leo can’t shake the belief that Tony just doesn’t care much for him, even if he does still care about Donnie. And that’s fine. It’s not like Leo needs it!

“Well, he is pretty dumb,” Leo concedes.

He continues leading Cayde the right direction. “That’s what I think too, but… well, maybe resource gathering is a good thing!”

Who knows how long these zombies will be here for?

Laughing, Cayde claps a hand on the back of Leo's shell as he lets the turtle lead on. He hadn't meant to bring down the mood by mentioning Tony, so surely trying to lighten it at his pal's expense should even things out.

"Maybe? Guess we'll see either way. Any other places you two hang out?"

“Not really… He hasn’t really been into going out recently.”

Less because of the murders and more because he’s dealing with Stuff, but Leo doesn’t want to get into all that with Cayde.

“We both wanted a pool while it was still hot, but it never got finished.” Leo doesn’t think he would go there now, anyway, with fall setting in (and also the zombies).

"Hm."

Stuff does happen, and Cayde doesn't pry. He knows even he's had his days. Part of why he feels the need to go off and roam beyond the woods, if only to remind himself that he's still got responsibilities in the city.

"I'm amazed no one's fixed that thing up by now. Wonder they have any pools over on those islands. -but I guess that's neither here nor now." He shakes his head. "Anyway, at least it means you only have so many places to check out! And I'm sure someone's had to have seen a turtle kid in purple running around here. ...unless he's been sneaking around, I guess."

"Well, we are ninjas," Leo points out, grinning and pointing at his mask. Sneaking around is kind of their thing! Even if they've never really been particularly good at it...

"But he'll come out for sure if he sees me, so let's go!"

"Brightest ninjas I've ever seen," Cayde muses, cocking his head to the side with a smirk. Honestly he wouldn't have put it together by the mask alone- is that a pre-Golden Age ninja standard? Guess he won't have the chance to look that one up.

Snorting lightly in amusement, the Hunter waves him along. "Well, if you say so!"

Don't question it, Cayde. It's better that way.

Off they go on their wild Donnie hunt! Hopefully they don't find more zombies... ~~They will~~.

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What do vegan zombies eat?

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