Chapter One: Déjà Vu (Updated)

It was a bright and sunny day in downtown Tokonosu. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the cherry blossoms swayed in the warm spring breeze. Former GRE Operative Kyle Crane took it all in as he went about his business like he did every time he hit the town. The sights of the city never seemed to get old to him, always striking him with the same intensity as they did when he first laid eyes on them. It was one of the many reasons he was always excited to go out. He knew that, among other things, the beautiful scenery would always be there waiting for him. The scenery wasn't the only reason he had decided to go out today, though. Crane was currently making his way to Fujimi Academy, the private school that his nephew attended. He had noticed the boy was feeling pretty down in the dumps lately, so Crane decided to surprise his nephew by meeting him as he left for the day.

They had last spent time together about a week ago when the two of them had made plans to go out for lunch. The day had started well enough: They walked around town, hit up a local arcade, and finally stopped at a local Yakiniku place to silence their rumbling stomachs. They had struck up a conversation as they waited for their food to be ready, and it didn't take long for Takashi's mood to take a turn.

"Man, I'm starving! Who knew playing video games all day could work up such an appetite!" Crane said, putting a hand over his grumbling stomach. Takashi grinned.

"I know, right? That's why this place is so cool. It's right next to the arcade, and beef is juicy as hell! That being said, you sure you're okay with paying for us? I'm not exactly hurting for money right now, and this place can be kinda' pricey…" It was at this point a waitress had brought them their beef, and the two of them gave her a polite smile before they continued their conversation.

Once the server had left to continue her duties, Crane rolled his eyes. "I'm the one who suggested we go out in the first place, remember? It only seems fair that I should be the one to pay the bill. And besides…" He leaned back in his chair before continuing. "It's not like I'm short on funds either, kid."

"Oh yeah, I forgot! You recently went into retirement, right? Congrats!" Takashi cheered, placing a strip of raw meat onto the grill that lied between them.

Kyle's smile wavered as he responded. "Thanks, kid. Truth be told, not many people get to see retirement in my line of work, so I guess I should count myself lucky." Those words held more meaning than the teenager could ever realize, and Crane reflected on them while Takashi eagerly waited for his meat to cook.

For most of his adult life, Kyle Crane had put his life on the line to help save others. From the war-torn country of Iraq to the undead infested streets of Harran, the former gun for hire had been in more life-threatening situations than he cared to admit.

He had lived in that nightmarish hell-scape for two whole years, fearing for his and his friend's lives all the while. Most of his time was spent either running or fighting for his life, having to rely solely on his instincts to get by.

There was never a guarantee that he would make it out of there alive, especially after he had been infected. It had felt as though with each passing day, the odds of his survival would only get worse and worse. More and more of the remaining survivors were torn apart by the infected, only to rise again to join their ranks. Supplies only grew scarcer over time, and going a day or more without eating had become a common occurrence amongst those who still lived. The undead would only grow bolder and bolder as time went on, and the survivors' defenses grew weaker and weaker with each passing night.

But despite how bleak things had looked at the time, despite how high the odds were stacked against him, he had persevered. And after ten more years of horrible dreams and sleepless nights, Kyle had put Harran behind him. He was done surviving. And now it was time for him to live.

"Uncle Kyle?" The sound of Takashi's voice ripped Crane from his inner thoughts, and he felt like smacking himself when he saw the concerned look on his nephew's face. "You okay? You kinda' just started spacing out for a second…"

He waved dismissively as he responded. "Huh? Oh, yeah! Sorry about that kid, I was just… thinking about something. Didn't mean to worry you."

"Uh-huh… Well, if you say so." Takashi grinned before he continued. "Just make sure you don't go senile on me, old man."

"Old man?! I'm thirty-five, you little punk!"

"I don't know, thirty-five seems plenty old to me. Hell, I can already see your hair turning gray…"

A moment of silence passed between them before they both erupted into laughter, the good-natured banter finally getting the better of them. Crane, while a little annoyed at his nephew's teasing, couldn't help but admire how quickly the boy had changed the tone of the conversation they were having. Takashi reminded him more and more of his brother every day, and it was clear that though it hid under a layer of smarminess and sarcasm, he had inherited his father's kindness. The two grilled and ate their meat in silence for a time, enjoying their food and each other's company. Crane wasn't about to take his nephew's teasing lying down, though. He figured it was time to turn the tables.

After swallowing a particularly juicy strip of fried beef, Crane cast his expression downwards, mock sadness written all over his face. He then let out a long, wistful sigh, and spoke.

"You know what, kid? You're right. I am getting pretty old… So surely you wouldn't mind letting a rickety old geezer like myself reminisce to you for a while, right?"

Takashi simply smiled and rolled his eyes in response. "Oh, God. Here we go…"

"Indeed, there are many things I miss from my days as a strapping young lad!" Crane continued, ignoring his nephew's offhand comment.

"The days spent gallivanting around town, having fun without a care in the world…"

"Didn't we just come from the arcade-"

"The nights I spent under the stars with my brothers in arms, helping to bring peace to a war-torn country…

"I thought you said you hated-"

"However, my dear nephew: There is one part of my youth I miss more than any other…"

Takashi raised an eyebrow as his uncle paused for dramatic effect, the silence only serving to annoy him further.

"And that is feeling of young love!"

As soon as the words had left Crane's mouth, Takashi visibly tensed up. Crane took this as a sign of embarrassment and decided to put the final nail in the coffin.

"And speaking of young love… How's Rei, Takashi?"

"…She's fine." The young man said, clearly uncomfortable with the direction their conversation was heading.

Crane smiled at his nephew's obvious discomfort, soaking it all up like a sponge.

"Ah, judging from your reaction, I take it you still haven't told her how you feel? Tell me, what's your excuse this time? "

Takashi gripped his chopsticks tightly.

"She already has a boyfriend."

Needless to say, that was one response Crane was not expecting in the slightest. The cocky smirk he was wearing quickly morphed into an expression of shock before he spoke again.

"Oh… Shit. Really? Since when?"

Takashi lowered his head in shame.

"…Since last week."

"Damn, kid. I'm sorry. I had no idea…"

"It's… fine. You couldn't have known."

…

Another moment of silence passed between them, though this one more awkward than anything else. Crane saw how the sadness and hurt on Takashi's face, and felt a pang of guilt resonate through his very being. In an effort to console his nephew, he'd offer the only thing he could give in a situation such as this: His emotional support.

"That really sucks, Takashi. I know how you feel, trust me. You want to talk about it?"

Takashi seemed to consider it for a moment but then shook his head.

"Thanks, Uncle Kyle... But not really. Not yet."

Crane smiled and nodded understandingly.

"I get it, kid. Just know that when you are ready to talk about it, I'll be here for you."

After their little heart-to-heart, Crane and Takashi had quickly finished their food in silence before saying their goodbyes. While the young man's mood had been slightly improved knowing that he would have someone to talk to, Takashi was still reeling from the fact that his childhood sweetheart had chosen someone else.

And that was why Crane had planned this little surprise visit. Some video games, tasty food, and a break from the pressures of high school would surely do his nephew some good, he figured. Before he could think about other ways to cheer Takashi up however, Crane noticed he was approaching a crosswalk. Almost instinctually, he stopped where the concrete met asphalt and looked both ways. He would've crossed immediately after doing so, but he spotted something on the horizon that gave him further pause. In the distance rose a large plume of smoke, staining the otherwise beautiful blue sky with a pitch-black streak.

Crane whistled in amazement. "Damn. Smoke's pretty thick. The hell happened? A fire? Some kind of explosion?"

He tried to get a better look at its source, but it was impossible due to the elevation of the ground he was on. As he continued looking, however, Crane began to feel a familiar sensation of worry, a nagging at the back of his mind. And although his survival senses had dulled since he had last been forced to use them, he immediately recognized it for what it was.

It was that feeling he got whenever he would take up watch and let one of his squad-mates get some sleep in the deserts of Iraq.

It was that feeling he got whenever he would brave the streets of Harran at night, the pitch blackness serving to camouflage the undead well.

It was a feeling that only someone who stared death in the face could feel, and someone who risked their life regularly could recognize. It was his "sixth-sense", his instincts, his unconscious mind trying desperately tell him that something was wrong. But that was impossible. His time in the armed forces was more than a decade ago, and the same could be said of Harran. What possible reason could there be for him to feel that he was in danger?

Crane inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly.

"Look at me, gettin' all worked up over nothing." He said, mostly to himself.

While the feeling of nervousness was still there, Crane couldn't help but feel a little silly. It was just some smoke, after all. A bit of excitement added to his now peaceful life. It wasn't like him to jump at every little sign of danger. And if it was as serious as it seemed to be, he was sure to hear about it later when he tuned in to the local news or read about it when he was surfing the web. There was no reason for him to be as worried as he was.

Crane let out another sigh, this time to help him clear his mind. He basked in his surroundings, choosing to direct his attention to his senses rather than his inner thoughts. He looked to an un-tainted portion of the sky, seeing that it was just as blue and beautiful as it was when he had started his day. He breathed inwards for a third time, the air feeling cool and tasting crisp as it filled his lungs. He listened calmly as the Sakura trees swayed gently in the wind, as the birds who were nesting in them sang their songs, and as distant screams emanated from the direction he was heading.

…

It didn't take long for Crane to realize what he was hearing, but when he did, he broke into a full sprint towards Fujimi Academy.

A million possibilities raced through Crane's mind as he ran, and none of them were good. Whatever was going on caused too many screams to be some kind of accident. As much as he wished to forget it, Crane knew what a large group of people who were in mortal danger sounded like. It wouldn't be long until he reached his destination though, and after turning one last street corner, the front entrance of the school was in full view.

Fujimi Academy was a private school and a fairly prestigious one at that. Not just anybody could meet the school's strict acceptance standards, as its administrators sought to separate the wheat from the academic chaff. They even went as far as to physically express this, gating off every entrance to the school grounds with bars of thick iron and walls of solid concrete. These gates would remain closed and locked from the beginning of the school day to its end, remaining unlocked until nighttime for students who participated in clubs and other afterschool activities. Crane knew this well as whenever he would visit Takashi, he would always manage to arrive too early to pick him up, and would be forced to wait. He had arrived early today as well, though the gate that usually kept him from seeing his nephew was left wide open, a sight that worried him deeply. He jogged up to the normally restricted entrance and paused as heard himself step in something wet. He looked down and froze when he saw what was now covering his shoe.

Blood. Crane grimaced and kneeled to get a better look at the stuff, being careful not to stain anymore of his clothing. "Hasn't even started to coagulate yet. Shit, this is fresh…"

Any further thoughts he had about the scarlet liquid ceased as he heard an indistinguishable noise from beyond the wall. He kept even his breath silent as he listened for any further sounds, and what he heard next chilled him to the bone. The voice sounded young, which only served to unnerve him even more. It formed no words, only a horrible noise that sounded like a cross between a moan of pain and a gasp for air. Crane shot to his feet and stormed through the entrance, hoping to offer whatever help he could. As he entered the school grounds, he saw the full extent of the grounds for the first time in his life. He still had a ways to go before he could actually get inside the school building itself, though that wasn't his primary focus at the moment. No, what Crane zeroed in on almost immediately were the two people in front of him on the ground. The person closest to him was a high schooler, evident by the black uniform he was wearing. He was kneeling with his back turned to the gate, keeping Crane from seeing his face. The second person, a woman who appeared to be in her thirties, was lying on her back in front of the kid. Both of them were covered in blood, and the kid was the only one who was moving, his small frame swaying gently from side to side. Crane made his way over to them quickly, seeking to perform any first aid that he could before he called an ambulance. However, before the offer to do so even left his mouth, he heard a horribly familiar sound that rooted his feet to the ground and turned his blood to ice.