Ashes to Ashes

By Hellie Ace

Warnings: Omegaverse, violence, gore, swearing, and sexual content.

Summary: Omegaverse, Usuk. On the brink of extinction, most human civilians have been reduced to flesh-eating monsters. The zombie plague has decimated most, but as the US government collapses, Alfred F. Jones finds himself alone in the new hellish world. That is, until he meets an Omega named Arthur Kirkland, who claims to lead the most powerful human faction left alive: the CIA.

A/N: Based a bit on the Call of Duty: Zombies universe. However, you don't need to play the game to understand anything. It's purely motivational. And some of the environments are borrowed from the games, though they're also inspirational.

Chapter 1

It had come so unexpectedly. Three massive explosions that had torn the entire planet asunder, leaving fire and brimstone across so much of the infected landscape. Alfred could remember cowering inside a crumpled fallout shelter when he felt the entire Earth shake to its very core. The Alpha had hidden down there months ago. His neighbors had told him to hide, and not come back out until they returned. A stranger had found their quiet town, stumbling in the zombie plague sweltering his skin. They'd gone to take care of the problem.

Only they hadn't returned.

He didn't dare peek his head above the surface until his shriveled stomach had finally won over, and the man knew he needed food to live another day. It had taken weeks of burning through dried rations and specially sanitized water to drive Alfred from his hole. He just didn't want to end up like his family.

What he saw though had taken his breath away and was impossible to fully comprehend. Twisters born of raging winds and unquenching fires slashed across the burnt earth. Houses were leveled or hollow, ashen husks of their former selves. The shadows of creatures and people alike had been scarred black into the ground, their silhouettes the only testament to their former existence. Even the sky seemed destroyed. The sun was gone, blotted out save for a few futile rays by enormous clouds of sulfur and dust.

Smoke lingered around Alfred's feet as he took his first step into this new world of fire and emptiness. The silence under the whirl of the poisoned wind was almost deafening, and Alfred couldn't help the tears that fell.

This world... This place was Hell on Earth.

There was nothing across the barren world as far as he could see. Only a few houses of his old neighborhood even stood, and most didn't look as if that fact would last long. But he had to do something. He didn't know where there would be food in a place like this, or even water.

But the first place he was drawn too was no more than a few feet from the shelter he'd hid himself away in. Standing before his own home, gazing up at the broken windows and collapsed roof, gave him chills. His parents and brother were long gone, having succombed to the zombie infection and gone mad long ago. He'd lived alone in the home with the help of friendly neighbors for quite some time. And while he was grateful he hadn't gone on that vacation to Virginia so many years ago where his family had been infected, Alfred still missed them.

Now though, not even the neighbors that had cared for him remained, it seemed. It was too quiet for living things to be here. He'd subconsciously known it the moment he stepped into the home, and saw the absolute destruction that the explosion days ago had caused. No one could have survived this.

Sinking to his knees, Alfred simply gazed down at the sooty floor with teary eyes. What was there really left for him to do? His family was gone, his neighbors were gone, the world was in shambles, the zombie infection so rampant that world governments were being toppled by it. And now this. Alfred wasn't even sure where the explosion had originated from, but its aftershock had leveled everything he still cared about.

There had always been some foolish hope that their town could have lived in peace. Everyone had talked about it. The zombie infection hadn't reached them in decades, and maybe it never would. The town had lived in peace since Alfred had been born, after all. No one bothered them out here, in the middle-of-nowhere, USA. But the havoc all around brought that ridiculous fantasy crashing down on the young survivor like the collapsed roof above him.

It was only upon hearing an unfamiliar noise that Alfred startled from his mental cocoon. Shaking like a frightened rabbit, he made his way to the nearest window - or what had once been a window. Now it was just a tattered hole in the wall with shards of jagged glass lining the sill

Nothing stirred outside though. But he kept hearing that noise. It was loud, explosive and came in rattling bursts that echoed through the cul-de-sac. It frightened Alfred, and just as he made to retreat from the shattered window, a figure rushed past the opening. Alfred couldn't help the startled scream he loosed. He scrambled back from the window, slipping and landing with a hard thud.

Heart pounding and eyes wide, the survivor darted his gaze about, terrified of whatever that thing was and the sound it kept making. The thunder of the noise kept coming louder and louder, closer as it shook the air and more frequent than ever. It was like it was coming from everywhere, and Alfred shook in such palpable fear that he curled up, back to the wall.

It grew so loud, assaulting his ears and making him cry out. He suddenly bolted up trying to get away from the sound. And he barreled right into something - or someone, judging by the startled noise that was was made. But Alfred was too panicked to notice as he crashed to the floor. He heard something metal skitter across the cracked tiles, halting as it grazed his fingers. His blue gaze alighted on the object: a gun.

His first instinct was to grab it, suddenly swinging it around. The sharp crack of the gun against something solid and a loud yelp startled him though. Scrambling back, gun clutched to his chest as he gasped and panted in fear.

Laying on the ground, moaning in pain was a slight man in a polished black suit. His hair was shaggy and bright blond, though Alfred could see streaks of blood dimming his locks. And damn, did he smell amazing, Alfred realized. It wasn't like cologne, or any kind of perfume. Even with the scent of soot and gunpowder in the air, Alfred could still scent that underlying pheromone that instinctively told him the man was an Omega.

It was only upon shaking that fact off and further inspection, that he found the man's attire wasn't as spotless as he'd assumed. It was torn in a few places, and dust grimed what Alfred assumed had once been a very expensive and custom-made suit. But what really frightened the younger survivor was the fact the man had a backpack that had spilled open beside him upon falling.

Guns, ordinances, ammunitions and radios were strewn about him, the bullets still rolling across the tile. The man was practically a walking armory, or he had been before getting bowled over by Alfred.

Alfred was frozen, hands shaking so badly he was almost scared he might set off the gun. It didn't stop him from keeping it held close though. If the man woke up and was angry, Alfred was not about to be caught without a weapon, especially seeing the firepower spilled across the floor. There were guns Alfred had never imagined in all his sheltered life. Of course he'd seen the old gunslinger movies his parents had watched as kids, but the DVDs were very mild. Nothing more than a flash off long-barreled revolvers, and the occasional police-issued handgun. These were very different. They had long bodies and stocks, huge magazines and strange barrels. They looked like something out of a dystopian nightmare. Who would have such things? This man meant trouble, and Alfred's gut knew it by the way it twisted up.

As if on cue, the man shifted, getting his arms under him to lift himself up. Blinking in confusion, the man quickly alighted his gaze on Alfred. But those eyes stole Alfred's breath away. Alfred had never seen eyes quite like that. His irises were bright emerald, like green-glass lanterns. They were entirely captivating, a perfect image of those little fires in such lamps.

Alfred didn't exactly get much of a chance to admire those incredible emerald orbs, since the man had a gun in hand before Alfred could blink.

"Drop it!" he shouted, and Alfred marvelled at the strange way the man talked. It was like his words were drawled in some kind of slower, thicker tone. He had know idea what the man meant, but the accent was intriguing. And his scent just about dazed Alfred into stupidity.

When the gun was nearly shoved in his face, Alfred cried out, clutching his small handgun closer in fear. The massive weapon in the strange man's hand was terrifying to stare down the long barrel of. He whimpered pathetically, pleading on a choked sob.

"Please! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to run into you! Please, get that away from me!"

"Drop the goddamn gun, kid!" the Omega shouted again, ramming the barrel of his gun into Alfred's chest. Alfred instantly dropped his small sidearm, sobbing in terror. How the hell was this happening to him? What even was happening to him? This man had come out of nowhere, and now was pointing a huge assault rifle at him, the barrel jabbing into his collar bone.

"Now back up!" the man ordered. Alfred obeyed without question, scared for his life. He scrambled back until he was well out of range of the handgun and his back mashed against the wall.

"Please! I'm sorry, what did I do?"

"Nothing yet, kid. It had better stay that way," said the other blond, lowering the gun and letting it rest by his side. He went on his knees, grabbing Alfred's chin. Alfred whimpered, but was frozen in sheer terror. The man scrutinized his face, pulling at his eyelids, tugging on his lip to see his gums, even patting the survivor down for weapons.

"You're clean, civilian," the man grumbled. "First I've seen here."

"First? Y-you mean, there's no one else?" Alfred knew the truth, but it was so hard to admit. The confirmation from this stranger left his heart plummeting at the staggering reality. Everyone really was gone. It was just him and this aggressive man in his suit.

"Just the freaks in their hazmats," the man grunted, clearly not amused by whoever these people were.

"Hazmat?" Alfred parroted, the word foreign to him.

"Hazardous material," the Omega explained, looking at Alfred skeptically. Alfred felt childish under his gaze, like the man was judging him for his ignorance. He tried to change the subject, hoping he could avoid looking like a fool. it was even worse knowing the man was an Omega. The last he could do was not blather and cry anymore as an Alpha. He'd already broken down and cried in front of a total stranger, and his pride was rather sore.

"So who are you even?"

"Agent Arthur Kirkland, CIA."

"What! Why is the CIA here?" Alfred babbled in shock.

"We were looking for survivors, but the damn CDC showed up and opened fire on us."

"The Center for Disease Control?"

Arthur simply nodded.

"Why would they attack you though? Don't you all work for the government?"

"Kid, what rock have you been living under? It's survival of the fittest. The government is disbanded. The armed forces and the alphabets split."

Alfred was entirely dumbfounded. His neighbors had never spoken of such things. They'd always told him that the US would never fall. Weaker nations and unstable governments fell to the zombie plague, not world superpowers. And what the hell did he mean by alphabets? It was just such a ludicrous idea that Alfred just couldn't believe it. Whoever heard of such a thing? This man had to be lying to him. He wasn't trustworthy to begin with, what with his war weapons and threats.

"I don't believe you!"

Arthur scoffed coldly, the sneer on his visage was twisted in utter contempt.

"Look around you, kid! What do you see? This is the new world, and you'd better get used to it. Denying it is going to get you killed. Are you interested in dying? I've got plenty of cures for that ailment."

"No!" Alfred instantly amended, waving his hands as if he could fend off death. "I don't want to die! But this is insanity!"

"It's reality, kid," Arthur corrected, starting to look rather bored with the conversation. It made Alfred nervous, figuring that if Arthur didn't see a need for him, even if it was just blathering, the younger wouldn't be around much longer. The man had yet to put down his assault rifle, after all.

The sound of gunshots suddenly stole Arthur's attention. He tensed up, bringing his gun to his shoulder, the stock eased against the trained muscle as he peeked around the wall. A volley of bullets struck the wall, and Arthur ducked back around. His eyes were narrowed in a ferocity that frightened the survivor still on the floor. It was like the man had changed modes entirely, and watching him come back around the corner to fire the assault rifle was strange and terrifying.

Alfred had never seen men trained like that. Arthur was a whole other breed, a kind that knew killing and knew how to do it well. The cries of pain and ceasefire after Arthur had emptied a load of bullets into whoever was attacking made that very obvious. He felt sickened, thinking of the poor soul that had just fallen victim to this supposed CIA agent.

"Did- did you just kill someone?" Alfred asked, shaking like a leaf. He flinched when Arthur glared back at him.

"No. I just made him a cup of tea and asked him to dinner," he growled sarcastically. Alfred made the stupid move of cocking his head in confusion. It just seemed to piss the Omega off.

"Of course I killed him! Are you that stupid?" Arthur growled.

"No!" the terrified Alpha protested. "B-but, you could have just knocked him out! There's no need to kill!"

Arthur paused, lowering his gun. He looked solemn for a moment, his emerald gaze flicking out to the hellscape in the street.

"No need to kill, huh?"

"My dad always told me that killing is wrong. That that's the reason the world was so messed up. People were being so violent and hurting one another."

Arthur kept silent as he removed the gun's magazine and checked the bullet count. Slotting it back in, Alfred was surprised to hear the sound the Omega made. At first he thought it might have been a sob, but he was quick to understand as the man's shoulders began to shake. The sound was unmistakable; Arthur was laughing.

He had to lean against the wall to keep from falling over as he practically howled in sick amusement. This kid, who couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen, was beyond sheltered. Killing was what broke the world? No. Killing was what had kept the Omega and his elite team alive all these years. What had destroyed the Earth had been corrupt governments, twisted science, a zombie plague, nuclear fallout and mass lies spewed to the ignorant. Killing had saved the few survivors.

"Don't delude yourself. I told you, denial gets you killed."

"But it's true!"

Arthur whirled, teeth barred as he marched up to Alfred. He grabbed him by the collar, easily hoisting him off his feet. The Alpha was both surprised and terrified. The man looked so slight, but every inch of him had to be pure muscle to have this kind of strength.

"Yeah, and where has your supposed truth gotten you? You're alone, in some ramshackle house, crying like a baby! You think the CDC would have listened to your bullshit?"

Alfred simply quivered, too choked in fear to answer. Arthur gave him a rough shake.

"They wouldn't, kid, believe me. I just saved your life by listening to all this drivel instead of popping a cap in your head. You've been fed a load of bullshit if you think my killing someone out for my life is what caused all of this. Get it together!"

"I'm sorry," Alfred tried to amend, putting his hands up in a universal sign of surrender. Arthur dropped him, stepping back as he landed on his ass rather ungracefully.

A bombardment of shots rattled the house again, a few sailing through the open window, sending rubble showering on Alfred's back. He instantly scrambled to Arthur, grabbing the man to haul himself up. The Omega sneered, seeing the kid shake and quiver like a rabbit, but didn't protest to be his handicap as he stumbled to his feet.

In all their scuffling and movement, the gun Alfred had once been clutching was now bumped against Arthur's boot. He knelt to pick it up before shoving it rather roughly at the Alpha.

"You got a name, kid?"

"A-Alfred. Alfred F. Jones... sir," Alfred said with a little nod.

"That's better. Now take that gun, and follow me if you want to live. Understand?"

"Y-yes, sir!" Alfred agreed, clutching the gun close.

"Do you know how to shoot?" But the Alpha just shook his head to mean no. Arthur grimaced, but shouldered his assault rifle to correct Alfred's hand position.

"Hold it like this, arms out when you want to shoot. Don't lock your elbows though. Look down this sight marker, and make sure your target lines up with that, alright? Just squeeze the trigger to shoot. It's not complicated, and this gun shouldn't give you much recoil. Just be ready for it to jerk a bit." He clapped Alfred's shoulder, not sure there was much more to explain.

Arthur stepped back, and unclasped his gun. Bringing the assault rifle to level, he pressed himself against the wall, peaking around it. His trained eyes scanned for movement and cover. Alighting on a tall wall, albeit crumbling, he knew that would be the easiest spot to make it to with Alfred in tow.

"Ready?"

"No," Alfred simpered.

"Too bad," was all he said before bolting. Startled, Alfred nearly jumped out of his skin seeing Arthur vanish around the corner. He panicked, chest tightening as he scrambled after. Just about tripping and crying his way to the wall Arthur was firing from behind, he crashed against it upon arrival. Leaning against the wall, he panted, needing its support to keep his trembling legs steady. His knees threatened to buckle as the terrified Alpha squeezed his eyes shut, listening to the deafening rattle of Arthur's assault rifle.

"I can't do this!" he cried out as Arthur finally stopped, having eliminated two CDC agents across the street behind a broken down car. The Omega scoffed, and shoved Alfred against the wall.

"Listen to me, kid! You can do this. Just stay close to me. I won't let you die." Arthur swore his vow so fiercely, that Alfred actually found himself believing it. Despite being a total mess, disheveled and cheeks tear-stained, he wanted to put his faith in this man. He gave the man a nod to assure him that he'd heard.

The emerald-eyed man released his collar with a nod of his own.

Looking out over the wall, he could see the telltale shuffling of feet from behind another vehicle. Crouching down, Arthur crept to the edge of the wall, nearly on his belly as he waited.

"Just watch my back, kid. Don't hesitate to shoot."

"Yes, sir," Alfred agreed, now having to peel his gaze away from the man. But it was beyond difficult now that the Alpha had a moment to breathe. The other's Omega scent was strong from the exertion and perspiration, and Alfred hadn't failed to notice the way the suit accentuated every inch of all that lean muscle. He could see the taut muscles in his back and thighs as he stayed prone, waiting for his victim like the apex predator he was.

"I can feel you staring, kid. When I said watch my back, I didn't mean it literally," Arthur growled back. If this kid got him shot in the back because he couldn't keep his eyes off him, Arthur was not going to be amused.

"S-sorry!" Alfred flushed at being caught, and quickly averted his gaze. His watery blue eyes scanned around, finally alighting on what had once been his old home. It looked forlorn and abandoned as Alfred gazed out at it. The shutters and windows had been destroyed, front door flung wide open and bent on its hinges. The paint was peeled back, and holes had been blasted through it. It didn't even look like a home anymore.

"C'mon, kid. We're moving. I can't get a decent shot from this angle."

Turning back, Arthur was gone, dashing for the next crumpled house to take cover in. Alfred gave his house one last long look before he swallowed hard. He edged to the end of the wall, getting ready to sprint when he saw a flicker of movement.

Arthur was taking shots at the CDC agent behind the car, exchanging close calls as bullets sailed past each of them. He was entirely oblivious to the woman creeping up behind him, her movements muffled by the blast of a shotgun and the rattle of the CIA agent's assault rifle.

Alfred froze. The gun in his hand entirely slipped his mind as he watched the woman edge closer and closer, a massive combat knife in hand. It was only as she raised the blade to plunge in Arthur's back did the Alpha take action.

As if by instinct, the blue-eyed man raised the gun to level. The woman's head lined up with the sights just as Arthur felt his hackles rise, and whirled around. He brought his arms up to protect himself, but found there was no need as she suddenly dropped dead in front of him.

In shock, Arthur saw the entrance wound on her temple, and turned to see Alfred. He was breathing hard, his chest laboring for air as the gun smoked in his hands. The Alpha was just as dazed, his eyes wide and mind brimming with confusion. Had he- had he just killed someone? With a gun? To protect some stranger Omega he knew nothing about?

The Alpha suddenly dropped to his knees, retching violently as the reality set in. He'd just murdered, in cold blood. But Arthur was suddenly there, patting his back as he cried miserably.

"First kill is always the hardest to stomach. It won't even faze you one day," he assured before reloading his weapon.

"That's disgusting," Alfred snarled, angry and nauseous. "You're a monster!" he shouted after the burst of gunshot Arthur volleyed off, bringing down the last of the CDC agents. He glanced down at Alfred, and shrugged.

"What's your point?"

Alfred was stunned. What could he say to that? The man didn't care? Wasn't even remotely affected by the fact he was taking lives so violently?

"M-my point?" the Alpha stammered, suddenly gripping for his gun.

"You're the one stuttering, kid, not me," Arthur quipped as he leaned back on the wall. His aloof stance infuriated Alfred, and he found himself pointing the gun at the Omega. The sights were trained directly between his eyes. The emerald-eyed man scoffed.

"Put that down before you hurt yourself."

"No."

Arthur's gaze narrowed, but he said nothing.

"I should get rid of you! You're part of the problem! The reason this Earth suffers!" Alfred screamed, angry at this Omega, but more irate with himself.

"'He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.'"

"Wha- what?" Alfred paused, finding his grip on the firearm waning.

"Kill me, and what does that make you?"

"I- I don't know."

"A killer. You'd be no better than I. You might as well turn that gun on yourself if in your rage, all you can find is the urge to pull the trigger."

"I don't want to be like you," Alfred whimpered, lowering the gun.

"You don't have much of a choice," Arthur said with a shrug before turning his back on the blue-eyed Alpha. "Follow me, if you want to live. If not, that gun is yours to keep. But I advise saving the last round for your own demise. Once you realize this is the only path, I think you'll want it blow your brains out with it."

That said, Arthur leaned his weapon up on his shoulder, and began to walk away. He vanished among the rubble, a black shadow in a bleak world.

Alfred remained where he was, he legs refusing to budge. He looked down at the gun, turning it over in his hand. The sleek metal felt strange in his palm, and it was repulsive to the Alpha. But he knew it to be a lifeline. His survival depended on the weapon, and the Omega ahead of him. There was nothing left out here. He was alone, but he didn't have to be.

"Wait!" he shouted, scrabbling around the debris to catch up to Arthur's retreating back. He pelted after him, but slid to a halt as a multitude of guns were suddenly pointed at him. A large convoy of sable SUVs formed a half circle around what Alfred could only assume was what Arthur had called the CIA. There were also a pair of tankers and a couple semi trucks, but Alfred ignored them to gawk at the agents. Each one of them was armed to the teeth, dressed in mismatched outfits from tailored suits like Arthur's, to camouflage, to scraps of flak jackets and shin guards. The massive weapons they brandished looked like something out of those army documentaries his father had. Or, at least, Alfred assumed so. They had been forbidden from his viewing, seeing as how his father had always preached that peace would keep them safe, not guns.

"Relax, boys. He's with me," Arthur cooed smugly, patting one of the other agent's shoulder. The man was extremely tall, and built like a bull. His dusty brown hair was shaggy and untamed, but his jade eyes were narrowed in trained suspicion. The man looked deadly, and Alfred swallowed the lump in his throat as the group lowered their weapons. In fact, every last one of them looked like a trained killer. Most were smeared in blood and gunpowder, and Alfred crinkled his nose at the overwhelming Alpha scents wafting off the vast majority of them. There were even a few women brandishing light machine guns, though they looked like they could kill Alfred just as efficiently as the men.

"Pardon, they're very protective of me," Arthur explained, leaning up against one of the SUVs. "Let me explain, since I only gave you a tiny bit of information. Alfred, my name is Arthur Kirkland, leader of the mobile CIA faction, and these are my fellow agents. We patrol what remains of this once great nation, searching for fuel, resources, and survivors until we find a zombie free zone to establish order once again. We may be the smallest faction on this side of the world, but we are the fiercest and most elite. And I extend you this gracious offer: join us."

"M-me?"

"Yes, you. That was a remarkable shot back there, and I owe you my life for it. Join us, or you can die out here alone. Your choice. This is a one time offer." The CIA agents raised their guns again, waiting for Alfred's answer.

Swallowing nervously, Alfred made the single most important decision of his life.

"I- I accept."

Arthur grinned wickedly, canines bared in smug triumph.

"Then welcome to the CIA, agent Jones."

A/N: Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy the rest of 'Ashes to Ashes'! :D