Mark Clodi - Undead Advantage, a Zombie Chronicles Novel

The kid behind him yelled, "No!" as Dave twisted sideways and pulled the sword hilt out of his hands with his body's weight. Then Dave lifted his hand up and deflected the sword by hitting the flat of the blade, which bent the weapon slightly. Continuing his twist he backhanded the shorter youth, knocking him to the ground. Dave briefly saw Nuke fighting with the kid on the ground and he turned full circle and and stood facing the the taller kid once again. Dave spread his arms wide, ducked briefly to let another arrow fly past his head and then leaped on top of the youth, knocking him down and landing on top of him.

In a classic bully on the school yard method Dave pulled himself and the blade of the sword up the kid's body and then sat on his stomach and delivered another volley of fists to his head, stunning or knocking him unconscious, Dave could not pause to find out. Reinforcements were arriving in the form of one of the girls who had hung back and the other, young kid who had been checking on the guy Dave had shot.

Quickly standing and putting the new combatants between himself and the archer Dave stretched, then reached up and casually tore the arrow out of his throat, followed by removing the other arrow from his shoulder. Rotating his shoulders and clearing his throat Dave tried to talk, his damaged throat would not allow it yet, though his leg seemed to be completely better. Cracking his knuckles Dave then reached behind him, grasping for the hilt of the sword under his left shoulder blade with his right hand. It was a tight reach, until Dave used his left hand to push the blade back through his body, making the hilt stick out a little more and easier to grab.

Clearing his throat again, Dave wondered at why they were not jumping him, instead they seemed to be watching him, waiting to see what he would do. Glancing quickly sideways he saw Nuke pinned under the bike with the other brat on top of him, pistol whipping Nuke with the Glock! Well there was nothing Dave could do for him now, he would live or wouldn't. Shrugging his shoulders and clearing his throat yet again, Dave found he could speak again, albeit his voice was rough, "Wh-hat are you waghting for?" he asked them.

The girl, who had a smaller shield on her arm and a long sword, answered him, "You."

"What? Why?" he asked.

"It is the damage moron, the more you use your body to heal up damage the slower you become, you lose your reflexes, we've seen it before.", she answered smugly.

'Huh?', thought Dave, he hadn't really noticed that, though it made sense, still he had gone into this fight well fed and was sure he was still stronger than he had ever been. He tried a feint with the sword, the woman didn't even flinch. Instead she said, "Oh please, you are not even in reach of me yet!"

Snorting, Dave lunged into reach and stabbed at her, using his speed to take her by surprise, only she was not where he stabbed, she had sidestepped and delivered a sharp thrust to the side of his head above his ear. A thrust which he barely was able to pull back from before it shattered his skull! Further her companion, had stepped forward and slashed at Dave's legs from behind, cutting through his denim into his calves! He almost went down, instead staggering forward and beyond the reach of their swords. Turning he put his back to the archer, and watched them intently, when he heard the arrow released he stepped right, to the other two it was as if he had just disappeared and reappeared two feet to the left of where he had been, the arrow, unimpeded, smacked into the boy's shield.

Casting the boy a sidelong glance the young woman said, "Ron, you better let me handle him."

"You sure Whitney?" said Ron.

She nodded which was enough for Ron, he then stepped back behind her, saw the little kid still pistol whipping Nuke and then stab his another dagger into Nuke's head. Nuke's back arched lifting the whole motorcycle off the ground momentarily, then he stopped moving. Dave got pissed, Nuke was his, his, well just his, no one else got to kill him. Only Dave got to do that. Leering he moved up towards Whitney, "You'll handle me? You'll handle me? What makes you think so? You cocky, young bitch?" Gripping his sword in two hands Dave strode forward on unhealed legs and started beating on Whitney.

For her part she managed to dodge some of his blows and took the rest on her small shield, until the shield started to come apart in her hand. Then she realized she was going to have to fight back, not wear her opponent down, she went on the offense and Dave was amazed, where as the young men were all brute strength and force, she was agile and did not telegraph her moves, making it harder for Dave to dodge her blows. They traded blows, with Dave nicking her thigh and Whitney opening up Dave's stomach, his entrails spilled out over his legs and almost by mutual consent they both spun away to drier ground. Guts hanging around his legs like an obscene kilt Dave and Whitney fought on. Dave started to get tired, Whitney was also breathing heavily. Dave knew any breaks in the fight would only serve to give her time to rest and, if she had told the truth, make him slower as his body healed up any damage he had already taken. He kept the fight up, jumping right back into combat with her, at a pivotal moment Whitney and he crossed blades. Dave pressed in close, both hands on the hilt of his weapon and his body pressed up against hers. His strength was winning the contest, pressing her downward, seeing an opportunity he swept out with one foot sweeping her off of her feet, at the same time she 'gave', shoving the hilt of her weapon into his face, breaking his nose and causing him to lose vision in one eye, both stumbled and fell backwards to the ground. He was quicker to regain his feet and slashed his sword across her torso as she rose. The blade did not seem to penetrate her chain armor shirt, but it threw her back to the ground, as he raised his sword over his head for a possibly killing blow he felt a sword slash to the side of his head, clipping the bottom of his ear off. As he had raised his own sword it had inadvertently blocked the blow from Ron, who had sneaked up behind him.

As he fell sideways away from the blow Dave snapped his foot out, catching Ron in the groin with enough force to actually lift the young man off of the ground. Rolling sideways Dave sat up on the ground and got his bearings. He still held onto his sword. Ron was throwing up off to one side, Whitney was climbing wearily to her feet, the bow woman had an arrow drawn and pointing toward him, but was not firing, that left…..

"Ow! Goddamn it!" the kid hit him over the head with the Glock, the pistol shattered as it hit Dave's head. Dave reached back and grabbed the kid as he was trying to backpedal. "No, fucking no! Sonny Jim! I have about had it with you guys." Holding the boy with on hand clamped like iron around his leg, Dave struggled to his feet. As he stood up he pulled the boy's leg with him, jerking him easily off his feet. He pulled the kid up through his guts and used his other hand to lift the kid above his head. Once he hand him there, he took an arrow in the chest, wheezing he threw the kid at Whitney, knocking them both down hard, plucking at the arrow he turned towards the young woman with the bow.

"You missy, are getting on my fucking nerves!" Dave stomped towards her as she calmly drew arrows and fired at him, Dave ducked the arrow that would have hit his head, knocked one aside with his sword and took one to his thigh before he reached her. Stepping on top of the guy he had shot as he made his way towards her, Dave continued his tirade, "I mean come fucking on, how many zombies have you killed with your goddamn bow?" she continued to fire as he stepped off the guy, "For fuck's sake girl, his gun" he pointed at the slightly moving body on the ground, to the ax and revolver laying beside it, "is right fucking there!" She had spunk, Dave had to give her that, she fired another arrow almost right into his face, he barely deflected it with the sword hilt. Swinging the sword around viscously, she blocked with the only thing she had in her hand, her bow, which was cut into two parts. Panting heavily, Dave yelled into her face, "His gun is right fucking there!", he then pushed her backwards trying to knock her over.