SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
Chapter 5: Tireless
“Attention all Umamusume,” Crackles echoed between each sound. “This is Symboli Rudolf, UDGP Representative and President. We have acquired an infected Umamusume and are safely investigating the infection.”
The three Umamusume huddled around the radio looked towards each other, their faces trickled with skepticism.
“We have named the infection Caballus Cellulitis Mutation A, or CACE-A. Through observations, we have found that the areas most affected are the Umamusume's legs. Specific symptoms are yet to be discovered, but-”
The short Umamusume stood up, kicking the radio and sending it to the wall with a loud smash. Another chuckled.
“What a load of utter horseshit. Horseshit, I tell you...” The two Umamusume still sitting stood up, one picking up the shaky radio.
“Taishin I agree, however was that really necessary?”
“Hayahide! I bet they're trying to cover up something with this whole organisation. It's all so sketchy!”
Biwa Hayahide let out a long sigh, turning to the Umamusume holding the radio.
“I hear you, but we cannot jump to conclusions just yet. UDGP could be a genuine organisation if we gave it a chance.”
Narita Taishin's brows furrowed.
“Why would we give a suspicious government organisation a chance? They're over here painting themselves as the 'heroines to our rescue' that can do no wrong? Who knows what'll happen further down the line!”
The third Umamusume, Winning Ticket, let out a long sigh laced with sadness.
“Just- stop! Everyone! There's an infection going on, we can't spend our time worrying about this!”
Taishin let out a scoff before tensely walking towards the door.
“Just know I am not listening to those... fuckwits...” Her last declaration trailed quietly as she stormed out. Ticket let out a weak sniffle.
“She's clearly not in a good mood.” Hayahide looked back at Ticket, whose eyes were squinting from the tears welling up. “Let's not pester her anymore. She's stubborn.”
Ticket looked up to Hayahide, noticing her dishevelled glasses that she should've replaced ages ago.
“Let's go and see if Super Creek needs any help. She's been working incredibly hard lately, protecting the others.”
Ticket nodded, sparking a small smile in response. The two Umamusume walked out of the gloomy room into the much more vibrant hallway.
They spotted a hurried Umamusume, carrying a large container of various supplies.
“Ah, King Halo!” Hayahide's welcoming words brightened up King's strained face.
“Hayahide! What do you need from a first-rate Umamusume like me?” Beads of sweat tricked down her neck, blowing her nonchalant cover.
“Would you like a hand with those boxes?” King Halo's sly smirk cracked as she scoffed.
“Hmph! What makes you think a first rate Umamusume-”
Without enough time to finish her sentence, Winning Ticket and Biwa Hayahide stabilised King Halo by grabbing the side of the box. King's gaze shifted towards the hardwood floor.
“Where are you bringing these?” Winning Ticket's energetic smile got to Halo, who locked back at Ticket.
“The kitchen...” The three of them looked at each other and started making their way down to the kitchen.
Winning Ticket grunted, sweat pooling down her neck.
“This is heavy! What did you need to bring..?”
King Halo scoffed, trying not to let her struggling show.
“Just some emergency equipment. Super Creek wanted it for easy access because of the infection and if anyone ends up hurt or needing attention.”
Both Umamusume helping King smiled slightly.
“Super Creek has been working really hard to protect us all, huh...” The three carried on down the hallway, seeing the kitchen and a busy Super Creek in sight.
Rolls of various materials were nestled underneath her shoulder while she was laying out an assortment of signs and emergency supplies on the bench.
“Ah, King! Looks like you've brought some others with you too~” Creek's sweet, calming voice contrasted from the stressful and busy situation she was in.
“We thought you might need some help. You've been working exceptionally hard.” Hayahide's gaze drifted up to Creek, who was wiping sweat from her forehead.
“Thank you, but I'm almost done. I appreciate the thought~”
The three other Umamusume looked down towards the various things scattered all over the bench. Many large posters stapled onto wooden signs were stacked on each other, the words “UMA-CENTERED TREATING FACILITY. FREE SHELTER FOR UMAMUSUME WE PROVIDE FOOD, SHELTER AND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE” painted in bold letters. Some signs had arrows, presumably to guide Umamusume to the secured basement that many other Umamusume were already taking shelter in before the infection.
“Are these signs done? Me and Ticket can put them up outside if you need.” Super Creek shot back a loving smile, sliding the pile of signs towards the three Umamusume.
“I would love that! Thank you!” King Halo walked around the counter to help Super Creek with any other last errands as Hayahide and Ticket picked up the signs.
Before the two could start walking, Creek lifted a box cutter towards them.
“I'm done using this. Be careful outside.” Hayahide smiled back towards Creek, laced with hints of skepticism but nevertheless grateful that Creek was still as motherly as ever in the midst of an apocalypse.
Ticket grabbed the staple gun on the bench and Hayahide gently took the box cutter from Creek and set off outside.
As the two walked up the stairs, a familiar face snuck up behind them.
“What are we doing?”
Narita Taishin's voice startled Ticket, causing her to jump while Hayahide looked behind to see Taishin.
“Are you willing to help us put up these signs outside?” Taishin's scornful look had not faltered from earlier that day, but her temperament seemed to have calmed.
“I have nothing better to do, may as well make myself useful.” Taishin grabbed the staple gun that Ticket was juggling with the signs, lifting a weight off of her shoulders.
“Thank you, Taishin...”
With much more ease than before, the three Umamusume carried on making their way outside.
“Where exactly do we put these signs..?” Winning Ticket looked over to Biwa Hayahide, who was scanning the trees around the area.
“We aren't situated in the most visible area. Good thing Super Creek used fluorescent paint, she must've had the same thought,” Hayahide muttered. “Do we have a chainsaw? We could probably cut down some trees around here to make it easier to navigate and find us...”
Ticket grabbed the other half of the signs from Hayahide, adding onto her pile.
“Why don't you go back and find a chainsaw? Me and Taishin can put up these signs no problem!”
Hayahide cracked a small grin at Ticket's enthusiasm. “Alright.”
Her pale, large hair was all Taishin and Ticket could see of Hayahide as she headed back down the stairs to what was now the Uma-Centered Treating Facility.
“Ticket, you put them around the left and front and I'll cover the other sides.” Ticket turned the other way to shoot a quick nod towards Taishin, but she had already left to put up the signs.
“Well, I guess I'll staple some to the trees then...” Ticket sighed, preparing for what would be a physically draining task. She couldn't imagine how spent Creek would be after doing all this work for the newly-founded facility. Ticket grinned at the thought.
Clutching the staple gun, she approached a nearby tree and gently placed the pile of signs next to it, holding one with an arrow and positioning it so it pointed towards the facility entrance.
Ga-dunk, Ga-dunk.
Slightly shaken by the surprising amount of recoil from the staple gun, Ticket picked up the pile of signs and continued stapling them to nearby trees, slowly illuminating the forest with fluorescent signs.
Ga-dunk, Ga-dunk.
Ticket leaned her sweat-drenched forehead against the last sign hanging up on the tree.
“That's the last one...”
She caught her breath in the hot sun, listening to her heartbeat slow down. The scorching sun made the task of hanging up those signs a lot more difficult than it needed to be.
The only things she could hear were the sound of her breaths, the rustling of leaves behind her and footsteps growing closer.
“Taishin, did you finish too-”
Ticket turned around expecting to see Taishin having finished putting up her signs, but she saw two different Umamusume instead.
“Ticket! Oh my goddesses, I'm so glad we found you! Are you a part of the treating facility?”
Winning Ticket's body paralysed at the sight of the two dirt-ridden Umamusume, wearing rags that were a stark contrast to what Ticket had seen them in last.
“Eishin Flash, Smart Falcon!” Tears started to well up in Ticket's eyes from the pure shock of seeing two Umamusume already using the signs that she had just put up.
“H-how do you already know about this place? I only just heard about it now when I helped Super Creek put up these signs.”
Eishin Flash's calm demeanor shifted to a more light-hearted one. “Last night she managed to send radio communications after UDGP's memorial broadcast for Mejiro Dober. She then sent out smoke signals and fireworks and we realised that we were pretty close, and since we haven't had a permanent place to stay in a while we decided to come here.”
Ticket wiped her eyes between sobs. “W-wait, I have so many questions, I'm so behind...”
Smart Falcon chuckled. “Have you not been listening to UDGP's daily broadcasts?”
Ticket clenched her teeth tensely. “Not really, me and the other members of BNW are a bit suspicious of the whole organisation...”
“Hm? How so?”
“We just... have a bit of a bad feeling about the whole thing. The radio is our only way to communicate with other Umamusume, so it just feels a bit weird that all of a sudden UDGP has formed and is helping us all when we only just realised what's going on? I don't know.”
Flash tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “That's fair enough. This whole situation is really overwhelming right now.”
Comfortable silence filled the air, a warm breeze blanketing the three Umamusume.
Trees rustled in the distance, growing closer and closer. More steps added to the rustling.
“Oh, is Taishin finally done?”
The three turned around to see another Umamusume.
Her short, pastel hair was matted beyond belief. Red patches of irritated, flaky skin stuck to her ears and knees, boils coating the Umamusume.
“Hiyahhhhh...” Slurred words came out from the Umamusume's mouth, sending shivers down their spines. They all became paralysed.
“S-Seiun Sky? Are you okay?” Falcon immediately rushed over to the Umamusume covered in irritated skin, supporting her back. “What's happened to you? Don't tell me you're...”
Before she could finish her sentence, Sky answered it for her.
The pastel Umamusume lunged forward and grabbed a hold of Falcon's head. She fell on her back, her head digging into the ground.
“FALCON!” Flash's curdling scream echoed across the forest, bouncing off the trees. Ticket's eyes began to flood again, unable to do anything else but yell with Flash.
“TAISHIIIN! HELP US!” Ticket frantically looked around, trying to figure out how far she had ventured from the safety of the basement.
Seiun Sky's claws dug into Falcon's face, immobilising her as Sky ripped chunks of flesh and skin from Falcon, her body still struggling despite her mauled face. Small bugs crawling out from Sky's pores climbed into Falcon's exposed flesh.
Ticket's knees gave out, and she fell to the floor in utter shock.
“Ticket, hand me the box cutter.” With both of them shaking from adrenaline, Ticket lifted her hand to give Flash the box cutter. In an instant, she pounced onto Sky's back and plunged the box cutter into her back.
“Get away! Get away from Falcon!” Between each word, she removed the box cutter and impaled Sky with it once more, creating many gashing wounds in her back. Red flooded out, coating Flash's quivering hand that was stabbing Sky in the back as many times as she could.
Mechanical roaring flooded the air. The sound of a chainsaw.
“H-HAYAHIDE!” Ticket's cries alerted all the others, looking around to spot the white-haired Umamusume holding a thundering chainsaw.
“Ticket! F-Flash? Where's Taishin? What's going on? Who- is this why Super Creek wanted us to have the box cutter?” Questions filled Hayahide's confused mind.
Seiun Sky twisted her body around, blood dripping from her mouth and claws. Her beady eyes met Eishin Flash's red, trembling eyes, the box cutter slipping out of her blood-soaked hand.
“No... Sky...” Flash's quiet words came to an end as Sky pierced her nails into Flash's mouth, pulling down on her jaw and dislocating it. Bugs welcomed themselves inside Flash's mouth, sliding down her throat and biting at her skin.
Flash's gagging echoed across the forest, her teary eyes helplessly looking up at Hayahide and her chainsaw that was approaching the struggling Umamusume.
The roaring grew louder and louder. The steel blades shone in the hot sun before shredding through Seiun Sky's shoulders and back.
Sky slumped back and let go of Flash, falling into the chainsaw. Chunks of ruby and white flew from the site, the horrific sounds of bones crunching and the Umamusume gagging flooded their ears.
Hayahide slowly stopped the chainsaw and took off her blood-speckled glasses, wiping the lenses on a clean part of her shirt.
“Ticket...” Hayahide looked back at Winning Ticket, who was trembling and breaking down at the sight. More rapid footsteps could be heard coming their way.
“Ticket! Hayahide!” Narita Taishin ran as fast as she could towards the two, coming to a stop once she saw her blood-covered chainsaw.
“Fuck, was there an infected Umamusume?” Ticket could barely move and all Hayahide could do was nod.
“Shit...” Taishin stood in awe. Three bodies, coated in crimson lay on a pile near a tree. The top one, Flash, was the only one left moving. Her jaw was hanging from her face and the others assumed she wouldn't have much time left.
“I'm sorry.” Hayahide's guilt-filled words, mostly directed to Flash, disrupted the silence in the forest. “I'll cut down the trees and bury them all another day.”
Hayahide's arms loosened, holding the chainsaw closer to her knees. She kneeled down towards Ticket who was sobbing uncontrollably.
“Let's go inside and clean ourselves up, Ticket. Taishin, could you ask Super Creek when dinner is?”
As fast as it had all happened, a saddened BNW walked back down into the facility just as the sun was starting to settle. Blood soaked them all as they braced for what the other Umamusume would think as they walked inside.
-- CONFIRMED ALIVE --
Agnes Tachyon
Mejiro Dober
Mejiro McQueen
Mejiro Ryan
Tokai Teio
Symboli Rudolf
Gold Ship
Sakura Bakushin O
Special Week
Silence Suzuka
Daiwa Scarlet
Vodka
Super Creek
T. M Opera O
Meisho Doto
Rice Shower
Mihono Bourbon
Haru Urara
Matikanefukukitaru
Mayano Top Gun
King Halo
Maruzensky
-- CONFIRMED INFECTED --
Mejiro Palmer
Manhattan Cafe
Seiun Sky
Nishino Flower
-- CONFIRMED DEAD --
Mejiro Dober
-- MISSING --
(N/A)
