Chapter 1

A shrill shriek pierced through the sounds of the apocalypse that filled the cool morning air. The sounds of fire, car alarms, inexplicable spraying water and the incessant moans of the walking dead were all drowned out by the scream of a young heiress pushing the pedal of her fabulous BMW coupe convertible to the floor for the first time. She always had the horsepower, but never the opportunity.

"Woo!" she belted.

The small suburban homes went whizzing by as she went silent. She reached over and turned her stereo all the way up; she was blasting her favorite CD. Weiss was pissed off and tired. She had spent the last two days holed up in her room, listening to the constant pounding and the endless moan of her former servants bashing on her door. Weiss knew that the help always wanted to kill her, and thanks to this disease they really were going to. She never would have built up the courage to leap from her window if the hunger hadn't got the better of her.

A quick dart across the lawn to her car got her away from the Schnee Estate. For the first time in her life she engorged herself on junk food at the local gas station. The little snack cakes were much tastier than she feared they'd be, but most still didn't measure up to the five star desserts her private chef made. But that guy was busy trying to scrape his way into her room, so she knew she had to make due.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting her ponytail whip in the wind. It felt unbelievably good to go that fast. Even with the world collapsing around her, she couldn't help but think that nothing in life was better than fast cars– but she had to admit Twinkies were amazing.

It is of course very inadvisable to drive with your eyes shut. Her eyes shot open when she heard crunch that sent a zombie rolling across the side of her car. She quickly cranked the wheel, but she was already out of control when she clipped a park car and was sent into a spin.

Her whole body jerked as she came to a stop. She had never been in a car accident before, couldn't believe just how much her neck hurt. The only other thought running through her head was that her daddy was right– she should have bought a nice, safe sedan with some side curtain airbags. It seemed silly that the dead walking around and trying to eat her but her closest brush to death so far was from a car.

The smell of smoke burned her nostrils and choked her lungs. The car had stopped spinning the world hadn't. Weiss could barely tell what was happening, but she knew that she had to get out of the car. It took several tries for her to release her seatbelt because it seemed to teeter totter away from her. When she finally got herself free, she pushed her body against the door. It sent a jolt of pain up her spine and into her head that she just realized was throbbing.

She glanced over the door, and even in the odd milky haze that had pervaded the world she could see her door was pinned against a mailbox.

Her primary focus was still escaping the car, so she crawled over the console and pried open the passenger door. Her attempt to crawl out was met with disaster and she spilled out onto the hard asphalt. She hissed and pressed a hand to her knee as she rolled onto her back. Then she saw it.

There was a moment she was just staring into its eyes before it even registered what it was. A gaping, drooling maw hung over her face and the stench of death wafted down over her. As it dropped down she let out an ear shattering shriek so loud that she couldn't hear the loud pop, the stomach sickening sound of shattering bone, or the splatter of blood as it fell to the road.

Weiss continued to scream for a few moments when the once again lifeless body fell on top of her. After a few moments the dead weight was pulled off and she could hear a shushing noise. She finally relaxed, staring up at a pair of reassuring gray eyes. A hand was extended; she took it and was pulled up off the ground with a grunt.

Weiss found herself face to face with a short, redheaded girl. Her rescuer gave her a cute smile before shushing her again. "Let's get off the road, more will be coming," she whispered.

Weiss nodded, struggling to walk.

The other girl stepped closer and slung Weiss's arm over her shoulder. "I've got you." the redhead glanced around and squeezed tighter.

Weiss's eyes finally settled and she realized there were three undead barely more than an arm's length away. She felt herself lifted off her feet and her body hefted oddly. She was swept off her feet so quick she instinctively shot her arms out to stabilize herself and found them wrapped around the back of the other girl's neck.

The girl smiled. "Let's get out of here."

Weiss was shocked to suddenly be being carried like a newlywed bride, but was a little more surprised that the girl only took off in a brisk walk. "Shouldn't we be going a little faster?" Weiss glanced back and saw that their attackers had barely even managed to turn to chase them.

"They aren't exactly quick, and you're not exactly light."

"What was that!" Weiss nearly screamed.

"Nothing, nothing, and shush. They react to sound."

"How dare you! I am as light as a feather! There is not an ounce of fat on me!"

"I didn't mean it like that, now be quiet." The girl ignored her and focused on the path in front of them, setting Weiss down at the door of a nearby home. "Let's get inside."

Weiss finally relaxed when the door closed behind her. She finally took a good look at her rescuer. The girl was a little shorter than herself and probably a year or two younger. She had a cute round face that was still childish; it didn't really go well with the blood splattered on it. It did match the bloody little pick axe thing and the redwood hunting rifle slung over her shoulder. The girl stuck her hand out. "My name is Ruby."

"Weiss Schnee," she responded. She just stood staring at Ruby, who was smiling at her, despite the situation. "Is this your home?"

"No, I was just passing through when you blew past me and crashed. But before you get comfy, I'm going to make sure we're alone."

"I found an antibiotic for your knee," Ruby said as she finally strode back into the room. She smiled at the silver-haired girl that she had just rescued.

Ruby thought Weiss was the coolest, prettiest girl she had ever seen. She was so cute, even with the bad-ass looking scar that ran over her left eye. She also had a sweet car, even if she didn't seem like the best driver.

Weiss had her arms crossed, and was sitting on the arm of the couch in the living room. "I forgot to say it earlier. Thank you, for rescuing me."

"Oh of course, not like I could just leave you there. That was some accident. So, um, this may sting." Ruby leaned down, examining the girl's knee. There were some scrapes, so she began to spray the antibiotic on. One of her hands slid behind the Weiss's leg. Ruby hadn't handled a lot of fine things, with the way her life had always been. She didn't have anything she could compare Weiss's skin to; all she knew is it sent weird tingles through her and she wanted to touch it more. "Uh– uhm– is anything else hurt?"

"My neck is sore. I think I'm just a little shaken." Once Ruby was finished, Weiss popped off the couch and started to walk around the room.

Ruby walked over to the window and just barely peeled the curtain back. Weiss's car was crashed next to a burning building, and the stereo was still blaring some terrible pop music. There were at least twenty zombies piling into it. "Yeah, they're attracted to sound. They're all over your car."

Weiss darted over and looked out too. She released a deep groan. "They're going to get their disgusting zombie juices all over my car's interior."

"Yeah, I don't think it's going anywhere anyway."

Weiss sighed and walked away from the window with a grimace.

Ruby watched the other girl as she took long strides around the room. One foot fell in front of the other giving her body a cute little wiggle. She held her hands together behind her back and drawn into a slight stretch that made her chest stick out a little. There wasn't a lot there, but the stance made the lines of her body stand out. 'Bad girl, don't stare.'

"How tacky." Weiss said, "I'd fire whatever decorator created this disaster" she added, prodding at an ugly, neon green ceramic owl.

"I don't think they had one," Ruby said, her eyes darting around the room. Everything matched with the little owl, which didn't exactly create a pleasant atmosphere. But she considered the place homely; sure the knick knacks were odd and the furniture was old and worn, but they were there. Her own home was always bare and empty.

"Well they should get one," Weiss responded while putting her hands on her hips.

"Honestly don't think they care so much anymore."

Ruby gulped when Weiss stopped, turned, and appeared to begin to examine her. She was admiring the older girl's body before; she wasn't sure how she missed those gorgeous pale blue eyes. It felt like she was a child again, sitting on the high branch of a tree and staring up at a clear blue sky while a soft spring breeze cooled her skin. They had an odd effect on Ruby. She involuntarily began to bite at her lip and rub her knees together.

"How does a girl like you learn to use that," Weiss finally asked, pointing at the rifle.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Ruby swung the rifle about, holding it in a firm grip. "My uncle taught me how to shoot. He– he is a firm believer that the world is going to end. Bit of a nut, but he was a good hunter. He always took me and my sister on hunting trips, especially since I started living with him."

"That's just plain weird."

Ruby furrowed her brow and glared at the girl. "Not really, the world is ending– and look who's prepared," she said pointing a thumb at herself.

"I don't– huh. I guess you're right. So you know all about this survival stuff?"

"Yes," Ruby smiled, getting a little excited to explain to the pretty older girl all the awesome skills she had. "I can hunt and trap, start fires, camp, build survival shelters, track in forests, climb," she pulled out and pointed to her climbing axe for a moment. "I've also watched every zombie movie known to man."

"So you didn't have a life?"

'Okay,' she drew out in her own mind, 'I guess she isn't impressed.' Ruby shook her head. "Huh? What, no, I just told you, I've been learning all of those things."

"Yeah, but that isn't the same as having a life." Weiss sat back down in the couch and crossed her legs. "Why don't you put those survival skills to work and hunt down something for us to eat."

The girl was pretty, but she was rude. Ruby huffed, but turned away and headed for the kitchen anyway. There were a few cans of this and that and a bag of chocolate chip cookies. She would make sure to take with her when she left. She settled for her second favorite food.

A few minutes later, Ruby emerged with two bowls of beans. "Fresh out of the can."

Weiss took the bowl, lifting a spoonful and letting it drop back down. "Gross."

Ruby already had a mouthful of beans and made a muffled hum. She took a deep swallow then coughed. "What?"

"Do you really eat things like this?"

"Well yeah, almost always. My uncle only ever kept canned food around." The enthusiasm finally dropped from Ruby's voice.

Weiss just watched her cautiously. "Sorry. I am grateful. I'm not sure what I would be doing on my own." She took a couple bites and then began to dig into the food, all but shoveling it into her mouth.

"Whoa. I thought you didn't like baked beans."

Weiss took a few deep breaths, looking embarrassed for a moment before nodding. "I can't say that I do, I've never had them before. They were fine. Actually I was trapped in my room for two days; I stopped for some food at a gas station but I haven't eaten anything substantial."

"Oh. I would have gotten you something earlier if you had told me." Ruby hesitated, but then laid her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You're sort of annoying," Weiss said as she stared at the hand, her voice as blunt as her words, "But I can't thank you enough. I guess it still hasn't registered how close I came to dying."

"Um, you're welcome?" Ruby sat nervously for a moment. This girl was rude, caustic, occasionally nice, and completely lost in this new world; the part of her that always made her attempt to help people in need couldn't just leave her alone. "Where are you headed?"

"I was going into the city; my dad works there."

They were still in the surrounding suburbs of Vale City. Heading into the city proper took an hour or two. Probably less at the pace she had been going. But Ruby had gone in and checked to see if any military evacuation sites were set up. It looked like everything happened too fast for there to be any response.

"Oh, you can't go there, I checked it out already with my binoculars. It's a death trap. Way too many people in way too small a space."

"Oh." Weiss squeezed her hands together.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, I just– it's dangerous. But I'm sure your father is fine."

"Yeah, he works on the top floor and has a helicopter. I'm sure he got out fine." Weiss took a deep sigh and dropped her head. Her legs splayed out a little as she sunk into the couch. "I just didn't know where else to go or what else to do."

"I'm– I'm heading out of town. It's generally safer to get far away from urban places, and I need to find my sister. She was working as a counselor at a summer camp out in Forever Fall. Would you– would you like to come with me?"

"Sure. I have nothing else to do."

Weiss finally smiled at Ruby, and the young girl found it easy to get lost in her eyes. They were deep and Ruby felt like they betrayed a thoughtfulness that the girl's words and actions didn't.

Ruby smiled back. 'Oh crap. I have a crush on her.' Ruby hesitated a moment before sitting down beside her. "So we're going to have to head out. I can probably handle anything we run into on my own, but do you know how to use any weapons?"

Weiss looked at her like she had said the dumbest thing in the world. "No, I'm a normal girl."

"Hey! I'm normal too. I just– I know a few extra things and have a few extra skills." Ruby bit her lip. 'And I'm gay.'

"I guess– I can fence. Would that work?"

Ruby glanced around the room, then popped off the couch and came back with a fireplace stoker. "Can you use this?"

Weiss took it, gripping it between her thumb and forefinger like it was a dirty diaper. After a few moments, she gripped it in her hand and gave it a few thrusts. "It's not exactly the same, but I can probably take one out, right?"

Ruby shrugged and then walked out of the room. She quietly opened the front door, strode across the lawn, and tapped a nearby zombie on the shoulder. Walking backward, she led it back into the room.

"What the hell are you doing!"

"I thought we'd make sure that would work," Ruby said.

"You brought one of those things in here– oh eww, eww, eww. He's missing an eye! You couldn't have found a less ugly one?"

Weiss's voice was shrill and loud. Ruby wasn't even sure why she was crushing on this girl. She was an annoying spoiled brat. She shook her head as she continued to walk the zombie in a circle.

"I got the closest one. Just shut up and kill it!"

"This is a stupid idea! Do you realize how unsafe this is?"

"Please, I did this like six times to test out my weapons," Ruby said, patting her axe. "Just do it already, I can't keep away forever."

"You're only walking, I'd hope you can do that for awhile. It's your own fault for not thinking things through!"

"I've thought it through plenty!"

"Clearly not, we were safe until you lead this thing back in here."

"Weiss just stab him!"

The girl rolled her eyes and took a lunge, jabbing it right in the zombie's good eye with a squelching noise. Weiss shrieked and let go of the stoker and it went down still stuck in the zombie. "Gross, gross, gross! I didn't mean to stab it there!"

"It works!" Ruby said, putting her foot on the zombie's face and jerking the stoker out. She held it up, and Weiss took it with a grimace. "Oh, I've got something else here."

Ruby dug into the tiny satchel hanging on her hip and pulled out a little snub nose revolver. "Now– I almost don't want to give you this after that. It's for emergencies only, too much noise. But if you're going to shriek every time it won't make a difference."

"Thanks, now this is better." Weiss dropped the heavy iron bar and took the gun. She gripped it quickly in one hand and held it out like she was going to fire. "Bang."

Ruby's lips twisted. She bumped Weiss's arm into the proper posture, grabbed the girls free hand and lifted it up to brace the weapon properly. "I'll clean it for you and manage the ammo, at least until you can do it yourself. Uh, it'll be hard to aim. I'd say you should probably just wait til you can put it against their head."

"It's a gun, I think I can figure it out." The girl said, dropping her arms and putting one up onto her hip as she jutted it out.

Ruby rolled her eyes. The girl was probably going to get her killed. And for some reason she just couldn't leave her behind. 'Because you like her, you idiot.'

A/N: Zombies are one of my favorite things, and I've always wanted to write something with them. The RWBY girls seem like the perfect bunch of survivors for a zombie apocalypse. But I've only ever written romance, so you get a romantic comedy with zombies and a tsundere. What else could you possibly want? Enjoy and feel free to let me know what you think!