The Apocalypse

Chapter 2: Cafeteria mission

(Y/N)

"Actually, I may have a suggestion..." said Charles. We all looked at him, beckoning him to go on. Charles said nothing, but pointed upwards to the air vent at the ceiling of the council office. My eyes sparkled, once I realized where the American Prince was getting at. "So you're suggesting we go through the vents instead of walking outside?" asked Gion. "Yes. This is a much safer way to keep ourselves hidden from the zombies, and those who will be climbing through the vent can take their phones for communication and film the situation for us." said Charles. We all nodded in approval of the American Prince's wits. "Wait, but how should we know the layout of the passages through the vents?" asked Leon. "I know them." said Livio, making us look at him with puzzled looks. But I soon quickly caught on. As Gion's aide and bodyguard, he'd naturally know things that we didn't. "Okay, so Livio can be one of those who goes. We'd need two others." said Gion. "We need to other two lightest people among us." he then added on. Immediately, everyone turned to look at Alex and I. Alex's eyes widened with fear and realization. "Wait, you want Y/N/N and I to go?" Alex squeaked. Gion nodded, and the rest could only look to the ground grimly. "It's for the best. This is the only way to ensure we all get the needed living supplies." Gion said, not even batting a eye. "I agree. Brother, this is to ensure all our survivals. We'll be fine okay, Livio's with us, and we won't be harmed okay?" I reassured, placing my hands on my brother's shoulders as I looked at him with warm eyes. Alex's tear filled blue eyes met a pair of my own, as he nodded, his body shaking. I pulled him into a hug. "I promise. That we'll all survive this, and get back to Dad and Mama safely, okay?" Upon hearing me say this, the tears in Alex's eyes started to fall. "Wait! Dad and Mr Godfreg are still in the office!" Alex exclaimed, before pushing me away and running to the doors. "Alexis wait! It's dangerous. And trust Dad to keep himself and Mr Godfreg safe! He survived on an island without any food and water for a month! He'll survive for sure!" At this point, I didn't know whether I was reassuring Alex or myself. The dreadful realization loomed over me like storm clouds, and the worry in my heart grew. But as a survivor in this ordeal, I had to shake away all feelings and emotions, and gather the needed supplies. "Done with your pity party yet?" drawled Gion. I glared at the Italian prince for being so heartless, before gesturing for Alex to come closer as Leon and Charles set up a chair for us to climb to the vent. Livio went first, taking off the vent's cover and pulling himself up with ease. I went next, standing on the chair as Livio grabbed my hand and pulled me up. Soon, only Alex was left. I could see Alex taking a gulp, before walking towards the chair and hoisting himself up, reaching out his two arms for Livio and I to grab, before yanking him up.

Alex's eyes widened as he looked around the squeezed yet spacious metal corridor the three of us were in. "I've never been in the vents befor-" Livio and I clamped our hands over his mouth, before gesturing to the living dead that trudged around lifelessly below us. I whipped out my phone and scrolled to the notes app, before typing out a message for Alex to see. "Sound echoes in the vents. Don't say a word." 

Soon, the three of us found ourselves in the air vent above the kitchens. Below us, the head chef groaned as he slouched around the kitchen, a rolling pin in one hand. Alex took out his own phone and typed a message for Livio and I to see. "He's armed! I guarantee you when we make an appearance, he'll start waving that thing around like crazy. We'll need to face the risk of the pin hitting us, but also attracting other zombies' attention! What do we do?!" My brain was already sent into overdrive by this stressful situation, making me unable to think properly. I too, like my brother, was at a loss of what to do. I guess both twins' brains shut down at the exact same time. Both of us helplessly turned to look at Livio, who was thinking intently. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he crawled in the opposite direction, back to the main dining area of the cafeteria. "What on earth is Livio doing?!" Alex and I both thought at the same time, panicked by the fact that if Livio were to mess up, everything would be over. However, I had a sense of reassurance. Livio never acted without thinking, he's not stupid, he's one of the most analytical people I know. He'll help us and himself to survive. 

Livio crawled and stopped until he was in the vent right above the cafeteria dining area. He then dug around in his pockets and pulled out a coin. He dropped the coin through the slits of the metal vent cover, and upon hearing the metal clink of the coin, the zombies reacted wildly, immediately causing commotion beneath us. The commotion also caught the attention of the zombie head chef, as we heard the doors to the kitchen slam open, and the burly zombie head chef rush out to join the rest of his fellow zombies. Alex and I flashed a thumbs up at Livio as he gave us a grin and crawled back to the kitchen vents. 

"Easy does it..." I thought to myself as Livio caught Alex as he ascended down onto the cold, tiled floors of the kitchens. After successfully ridding the kitchen of any zombies, Livio, Alex and I had made our merry way to the kitchens to perform our main mission; get food and water. I silently made my way towards the kitchen doors and locked it, making sure that zombies had no way of accessing the kitchens. The three of us then started our silent raid for food, carefully upturning cupboards and drawers, getting all the food and drinks we could find. Just then, I chanced upon the kitchen's knife block. "Should we take the knives and other useful cutlery as protection?" I whispered to the other two. They nodded, and we filled the bags given by Gion with our supplies. 

"I think that should be it..." Livio whispered to Alex and I as we cleared out the kitchen of it's weapons, foods and drinks. "Then let's go." replied Alex in a whisper and I nodded. Upon receiving no confirmation from Livio, Alex and I turned to him with puzzled expressions. Livio was staring at his phone, his face pale and sweaty, and his brows knit together tightly. "What? What's wrong?" I mouthed to him as I tapped him on the shoulder, getting his attention. Livio showed Alex and I the text he just received from Albert. "Gion and Leon are in the hallways alone, heading to the medical room to get medical supplies."