Kim Crawford's eyes fluttered open as she emerged from her fitful night's sleep. Her eyes roamed in a dazed fashion across the tall ceiling before a panicked and confused light flashed into her eyes. Shooting up into a sharp sitting position, Kim's gaze darted around the large room before realization dawned on her and she slouched slightly with a defeated sigh.

Kim was sitting in the gymnasium of Seaford High School. She had been sleeping an old sleeping bag that she had used ages ago on a family camping trip to the mountains. Now it was her bed every night.

Five weeks ago, Seaford had been taken into the grip of something that was widely known as the ZV-virus. It was a nasty epidemic that broke the will of even the strongest soldier. The virus was spread through physical contact. If an infected victim scratched you, you were done for. The virus, once inside of your system, would slowly start to bend you will and break your humanity and driving you towards cannibalistic tendencies. Ultimately, it turned you into a blood-sucking zombie.

When the virus had struck, there were some lucky ones who escaped the city and fled to the country, therefore getting out of reach of the virus and taking on the responsibility of not letting it spread into that part of the country. Anyone else who hadn't become infected was left behind to survive by whatever means possible.

The majority of the population that couldn't escape had gathered at Seaford High, the largest space available that could be easily defended and monitored. Unfortunately for them, it was mostly teenagers and some children that had been left behind. The virus had struck when most people were still in school. Adults had abandoned their children for their own safety and teachers had abandoned their students to try and escape with what remained of their families.

Kim sighed as she recalled all that had taken place in such short time as she stretched and rolled up her sleeping bag. Making her way across the gym, she glanced over at the other six figures that were sleeping in a clump not far off. They had all been on the late night watch patrol with her and she decided to let them sleep while they still could.

Kim pushed open the locker room door and headed over to her locker. The blonde exchanged her sleeping bag for her bow and her belt of weapons. Her personal arsenal included her bow and quiver full of arrows, a shotgun, a katana, and a dagger that she concealed on her calf.

Kim shut her locker as she fastened her belt around her waist and made her way over towards the sink. Kim quickly brushed her teeth and combed out her slightly tangled hair. Once she was satisfied with her work, Kim scraped her hair back into a ponytail, securing it quickly and stashing away her toiletries before making her way out of the locker room and into the hallway.

Kim worked her way through the deserted, darkened hallways, not being able to suppress the memories of brighter times when pep rally posters hung from the ways in extravagant colors and large groups of students wandered through the halls chattering with friends when their biggest fear in life was the grade they were to receive on a particularly difficult exam. Kim couldn't help the tug of longing in her chest for the simpler days that she knew no one could ever have again. The hallways she now walked were haunted with the ghosts and shadows of that past life, overtaken by the darkness of this new, terrible life. Kim shook away the thoughts and quickened her pace.

Kim trotted quickly down the staircase that led to the lower level of the school, her footsteps echoing slightly through the hall. Kim's boots gave a soft click as she stepped onto the bottom floor of her school. Making her way down the slightly less darkened hallway, Kim headed for the auditorium doors.

With a heavy heart, Kim passed the old trophy case. This had once held all the physical manifestations of the crowning moments of her school's history. Now, it was an emergency stash of weapons that was filled with dangerous tools, tools that teenagers should never even dream of wielding.

Sighing heavily, Kim reached out for the handle of the auditorium door, only to find it no longer there as the door was yanked inwards. Kim looked up, startled as a slightly taller boy almost collided with her. The boy stumbled to a halt and gave a short yelp of surprise.

"Kim! I was just coming to find you!" the boy hastily saluted her, standing aside at the same time to let her pass.

Kim waved her hand dismissively. "At ease, Jerry. I've told you several times before that you don't have to salute me."

Jerry lowered his hand and gave her a short shrug. "And I've told you, that since you took on the leadership role, and seeing as this is a war, that I feel it only necessary. Besides, you don't complain when the trainees or the other soldiers salute you."

Kim sighed and walked past Jerry into the auditorium. "Yes, but that's because they aren't in the Council of Five like you are." Kim nudged her friend as he pulled up next to her, matching her stride. "And can we please not refer to a group of children and teenagers as soldiers? It just, doesn't feel right." Kim hugged her elbows and looked down at her feet as they walked.

"Kim, I consider myself the least valuable member of the Council for numerous reasons, so I act as I will around those superior to myself." Jerry stopped and rested a hand on Kim's shoulder, causing her to look up at him. She was startled to see a weary darkness lighting his normally bright and alert eyes. "And even though I completely agree that it seems wrong to call this and army," he said gesturing to the auditorium filled with teens and younger children. "We are at war, Kim, whether we want to be or not. It's a war for our survival and for everyone else here. There's nothing we can do but fight."

Kim was silent for a moment as she pondered Jerry's words. He hadn't said anything she already knew, but hearing him say the last part with such confidence and determination, it gave her newfound strength. Kim looked up at her friend and rested her hand on his shoulder as well.

"And that Jerry, is exactly why you are part of the Council. What you just did there? That gave me strength and hope and that's what we need in this kind of time. So do me a favor and don't ever doubt yourself again."

Kim smiled at Jerry's startled look and gave him a pat on the shoulder before starting off towards the stage where a group of her soldiers were gathered since they were on for a training session at the moment.

The training took place in the cafeteria since, next to the gymnasium, it had the most open space. The trainees, who were pretty much everyone besides Kim and her friends that had taken karate, were taught enough basic martial arts so that if needed, they could defend themselves. There was a handful that had adapted quickly to the basic training and was then selected to be taught slightly more advanced moves that could be used to not only defend against the infected, were they being attacked by them, but also take down the infected. If someone had reached that level in their training, they were also taught how to use the weapons currently at their disposal. This included an arsenal of guns, bows and arrows, swords, bo staffs, an other various items.

Anyone who learned all of this was categorized into a group known as the Reconnaissance Corporation, or the Recon Corps for short. This was an elite team of the best warriors the teens and children of Seaford had to offer and their missions mainly consisted of going out into the now deserted and infected city, getting a status report of the boundaries, rounding up stray people who hadn't been infected and had somehow managed to survive so long alone, and taking out as many infected victims as they could before trying to make it back in one piece.

Kim was pulled from her thoughts as a sudden notion struck her. Turning to Jerry, she said, "By the way, what was it you were coming to get me for?"

Jerry's face seemed to pale slightly, dread taking over his features. His eyes seemed to lose their ability to look at her as they dropped to the floor. Kim noticed Jerry's hands clenching and unclenching into fists, a habit that emerged when he was nervous or worried.

"Jerry?" Kim asked softly. "What happened?"

Jerry spoke softly, almost as if he were afraid she was going to become upset with his report. "A member of Recon Corp One just came in with a message. He was alone."

Kim's entire body went rigid. She stared at Jerry with wide, disbelieving eyes. Kim tried to mentally calm herself down. She needed all the facts before she could freak out. She was the leader and she needed to maintain her cool, she wasn't allowed to lose it, especially not in the middle of the auditorium when half of her soldiers were around her.

"What was the report, Jerry?" Kim whispered hoarsely. She waited with baited breath, praying that it wouldn't be as bad as her over active imagination had jumped to it being.

"Two injured, two MIA, and one dead," Jerry reported in a low voice, still not able to meet Kim's terror filled eyes.

Kim started to shake, desperately fighting for control of herself. But it was a lost battle. Kim broke into a run, flying past Jerry, back into the empty halls that she had just left. She turned and sprinted full out down towards the infirmary. The sound of her echoing footsteps being doubled told her that Jerry had followed quickly behind her. Kim had a vague, distant thought of having to explain this situation later to everyone, knowing she couldn't try to hide it now, what with one dead and her previous actions no doubt turning heads in the auditorium.

Kim burst into the infirmary, her heart pounding wildly in her chest and her pulse thudding against her temples. Kim's breath hitched in her throat as her desperate gaze raked over the two newly occupied beds of the injured Recon Corp members. It was true that they were injured, but at a glance, Kim could tell they would recover. Somehow though, since they weren't already mad with cannibal cravings, Kim guessed that they hadn't received their wounds from the hands of the infected.

Kim registered through her haze that neither of the injured bore the face of the person she was searching for. Looking over at a bed with the curtains drawn tightly shut not to far down the aisle; Kim slowly started to make her way over. The gazes of the medics and the injured followed her heavily, her entrance obviously drawing the attention to her. Distantly, she heard the voice of Jerry gently but firmly commanding the medics to get back to tending the wounded.

Kim stopped by the bedside of the covered cot, her heart hammering against her rib cage, making it rather hard for her to breath properly. Kim took hold of the division between the curtains and hesitated for a heartbeat, taking a sharp breath before pulling apart the drapes.

Kim's eyes scoured across the mauled body of the dead soldier. The body was badly damaged, one leg having been mauled far beyond repair and showing a significant amount of bone. The wound extended from the top of the knee to the hip and was still oozing blood. The chest and arms were also both covered in blood and gore with one arm twisted at an unnatural angle that wasn't pleasant to look at. Kim took a steadying breath and moved her eyes to rest on the face of the victim. Although the face was as terrible and disgustingly mauled as the rest of the body, the person was still identifiable. Kim let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding when she had confirmed that it was not the person she had been looking for.

The stench and the overwhelming amount of blood suddenly hit Kim now that her anxiety wasn't blocking out all of her other senses. The sudden onslaught caused Kim to lose her will and she had to turn away before things became even messier. Kim covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to suppress her vertigo. Jerry and a spare medic were by her side instantly. Jerry yanked the curtains shut again as the medic rubbed her back soothingly and asked if she needed to sit down.

Kim waved off the medic with a short thank you for her concern before turning to Jerry. A tug of grief reminded Kim that she would have to announce the fallen later tonight and console the family and friends. But at the moment, Kim had to focus on something else.

"Jerry, where's the last member of this Recon Corp, the one who brought in the message?" Kim asked quickly.

Jerry seemed startled by Kim's sudden turn around from the moment before, but he answered her anyway. "He went off to clean up and try to collect himself mentally."

Kim nodded. "Alright, and he said that the other two who belong to this group were MIA, correct?"

Jerry nodded in affirmation.

Kim beckoned Jerry to follow her out of the infirmary, nodding to the medics and the injured as they left. Jerry trotted quickly after Kim, confusion evident on his face.

"Kim, just what are you planning on doing?"

Kim stopped at the base of the stairs and turned to Jerry. "I want you to go and find that soldier. Ask him where he last saw the two missing members of his group and then report back to me. Understand?"

Jerry nodded. As Kim turned to leave, Jerry reached out and took hold of her sleeve, stopping her.

"Kim, what are you going to do?"

Kim stood silently for a moment before turning to look back at Jerry.

"I'm going to gather my Recon Corp and we are going to go find those two soldiers and bring them home. And before you even try, you can't stop me Jerry. I won't abandon two of my soldiers out there when they obviously can't get back."

Jerry took in Kim's tense stance and stony eyes, her determination obvious to anyone. Sighing, he released her arm and parted ways with her, leaving a sentence behind him.

"Just be careful and come back alive, alright?"

"I will," she promised quietly.

Kim watched Jerry ascend the stairs before turning and rushing off towards the auditorium to gather her Corp. They had some soldiers to rescue.

A/N: Okay guys...don't judge me for this. I wrote this at like one in morning and I've had this idea for ages and I decided I would try it. SO, please don't be upset if it sucks (which it will). But still, R&R and tell me what you think. Thanks as always!