#harris brecken fanfic

[winchesterszvonecek]

Chiaroscuro 18+

Chapter 1 - Last Hope

Word Count: 7368

Series Masterlist | Full Masterlist

The streets outside were all but full of zombies and yet, for Lexi, the strangest thing was that she was riding in an elevator. It just didn’t seem like it should at all be possible. For there to even be such a luxury when the world beyond the Tower walls was in shambles blew her mind completely and the higher up the building she ascended, the less this entire situation made sense to her.

There was even music playing. As faint as it was, she could still make out the soft melody over the worrying, screeching sound of metal grinding against metal. It was almost… soothing, honestly. Allowing her a small touch of relaxation amidst the nightmares that lay beyond the doors below. She’d only been in Harran for five days and she was already done with it.

For the duration of those undeniably unreal feeling hours she’d succumbed to the worst experiences possible and yet as she stood there, focusing on the tune with her eyes firmly closed, it was almost like she was back in the real world. Back home. Where the dead stayed dead and the only thing for a woman to fear about the darkness was men. She kind of missed that: the normality of regular life. She knew she’d only been out of it for less than a week, but to her it almost felt like it had been years.

Time seemed to move slower in Harran, especially at night. It was almost as though the universe was throwing another big, blazing fuck you right on top of that which it had already dumped all over the city. As if the virus wasn’t bad enough. As if wiping out the majority of the population and forcing those who’d managed to survive into quarantine wasn’t already a shitty move, it just had to go and make the days feel longer too — fucker. 

“How is it only 4pm?” Lexi sighed in annoyance, dropping her watch-covered wrist down to her side and throwing her head back against the wall, watching impatiently as the flickering lights of the elevator continued to climb with each abandoned floor they passed. “I feel like I’ve been up for days.”

“That’s because you don’t usually surface until noon,” Kyle said casually, his fingers tapping absently against the railing as they grew closer to their floor. He could just about see Lexi nod reluctantly in agreement out of the corner of his eye and he chuckled. At least she was honest enough to agree with him. “ And you were up all night, weren't you?”

“I couldn’t have slept even if I wanted to,” Lexi said, pushing off the wall and making for the door as it quietly dinged, the latch popping open onto the nineteenth floor. They made their way out, passing two shopping carts full of equipment no one ever seemed to use and quickly rounding the corner towards headquarters — with Lexi still complaining about her temporary abode from the night before, “That place was damp. It smelled like pee… and I’m pretty sure a sleeping bag atop a thin mattress doesn’t make a bed.” 

As they approached the familiar green door of apartment 190, Kyle scoffed, “What do you expect? Four posters and duck feather pillows?” 

“Oh, if only,” Lexi exhaled, swatting at one of the rather large moths that always seemed to flutter around the light above the door. God, she hated them. Disgusting little creatures. She was almost tempted to whip up a makeshift flamethrower and sort out the sudden infestation had Jade not appeared in front of them. She pulled them both aside rather quickly, stopping their movements from going any further beyond the headquarters outer door. “Jade? What’s going on?” 

“It’s Brecken,” Jade replied quietly, glancing over her shoulder as though checking her surroundings. “He took a group of runners after an airdrop last night and things went bad… He lost the entire team to biters and then Rais’s men ambushed him, beat him to a pulp and stole the drop.” 

“Jesus,” Lexi muttered. Perhaps there was a lot more she had to worry about in this world than where she was going to spend the night. She folded her arms, pity flashing across her face, “How’s Brecken doing?” 

“Not good,” Jade said grimly, once again glancing behind her. Guess she didn’t want Brecken to end up hearing any of this, which in hindsight was probably for the best as Lexi can’t imagine that it would have been any good for what remained of the poor leader’s dignity. “He can barely stand upright and yet he wants to go after the next drop himself… But we can’t let him. And I need you both to back me up on that, okay?” 

Though hesitant, both siblings still nodded in agreement and made their move to follow Jade towards the double doors that led into headquarters. They could hear a muffled voice coming from behind them, partially raised and if you listened carefully enough, it was almost like that of a parent scolding a child. 

Guess someone was already trying to give Brecken the how to on staying alive, so here’s hoping that the addition of three more mouths helped get the message across. 

“Okay, we’re going in,” Jade said, pushing the wooden door open a crack before pausing to add, “Act confident.” 

Lexi couldn’t help but scoff quietly to herself. That was a hell of a lot easier said than it was done given how their first day in the city had played out. It had been a shitshow since the moment they crash landed in the murky depths of the Slums. Kyle had been bitten, Lexi almost lost an arm to an unnaturally large man with a machete and, oh yeah, they’d gotten the man who helped save them from a pack of virals killed — the “ perfect”start to their adventures in Harran. 

Still, regardless of all their journey had entailed and the guilt she felt over Amir’s death, Lexi did what she was told and straightened her back, lifting her shoulders as high as they could go without popping. She followed closely behind Kyle, sucking in a rather nauseating breath and slipping through the doors after him and Jade, acting about as confidently as one could force themselves to be in a situation such as this one. 

Lena was already inside, looking as furious as any doctor could as she finished up in bandaging the still bloodied head of the Tower’s leader, Brecken. Or at least, that’s who Lexi assumed he was as he was the only other person present inside the room and given the tale she’d been told about his ambushed mission last night that left him looking like a punching bag, there wasn’t much speculation left to be had as to his identity. 

“Brecken. Lena,” Jade greeted amicably, drawing the immediate attention of the pair towards them. 

“Jade, I’m glad you’re here,” Lena huffed out, grabbing her medical bag from atop the messy table. “Maybe you can get through to him.” 

Knocking Lexi’s shoulder lightly as she passed, Lena stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her, leaving a light, but highly noticable, tension building in the near-musty air around them. 

“Jade,” Brecken said with a nod, his British accent taking the Crane’s by surprise as he pushed off the table and peered over at Kyle, giving him a quick, almost satisfied, once over before directing his hardened gaze towards Lexi. He looked her up and down attentively, unable to stop his eyebrow from raising as his gaze softened a little. Pretty, he thought to himself. A little too pretty to be standing before him clad in runner’s gear and splattered in blood, guts and God knows what else. “Who are your friends?” 

“Kyle Crane,” Kyle said, shuffling to the side a little and forcing Lexi to fall in line with him rather than try to hide behind him. “This is my sister, Lexi.” 

Before Lexi could say anything, let alone flash Brecken a proper smile or give him thanks for allowing them to stay here, he’d already brushed off the far from pleasant introductions and made his move towards a fridge at the back of the room. She didn’t hold it against him, though. He’d just been to hell and back within the space of a few hours so she could easily forgive him for not wanting to be overly nice to the new names and faces being thrown at him. 

“Look, Brecken,” Jade said, leading the way as the three of them trailed after Brecken and his stained yellow t-shirt. “The last thing we need is for you to go back out there… I know we need more Antizin, but we can figure out another way— A safer way. Without jeopardising you, right guys?” 

As Jade turned eagerly towards them in hopes of agreement, Kyle was the first one to speak up in affirmation, “I’ll do it. I’ll go after the next drop.” 

“Right! Yes,” Jade agreed, thankfully, “Crane will do it. He’ll be happy to.” 

Before the words even had time to settle in the air, Brecken slammed the fridge door closed and leaned his arm against it, muttering a few choice phrases under his breath before turning back around to face them. 

“No offense, friend,” He said, yet his tone was anything but friendly. “But you’re about as green as grass and to send you out there alone…” 

“He won’t be alone,” Lexi interrupted, folding her arms and stepping forward as she kept her attention fixated coldly on the so-called leader before her. “I’ll be going with him.” 

“Is that so,” Brecken mused, once again drawing his doubt-filled eyes up and down the length of Lexi’s lean body. “Because no offense…” 

Lexi held up her hand, quietening him instantly, “I swear to God if you follow up that phrase with something offensive, you and I are gonna have problems.” 

“Easy, Lex, he’s just being cautious,” Kyle said, placing his hand on Lexi’s shoulder should he need to hold her back, as she always could get a little testy around people in places of authority. He shifted his focus back towards Brecken, curiosity sparking deep inside him at the small smile which tugged on the leader's lips. Strange. Most people didn’t seem to take too kindly to Lexi once she opened her mouth like that, let alone smile at it. “Look, Brecken, my sister may seem like she’s incapable of surviving out there, but trust me… There’s no one else I’d rather have by my side than her.” 

Though the doubt still sung loudly in the back of his mind over the word of this…stranger, Brecken pondered the option for a mere handful of seconds before he agreed with Kyle, albeit reluctantly. He hated to say it but Lexi didn’t look like she was anything more than another innocent civilian. One who shouldn’t be allowed to leave the sanctity of the Tower without being heavily, heavily protected. 

Brecken normally didn’t like to judge someone based solely on looks alone but when it came to Lexi, part of him just couldn’t seem to help it. For starters, she was short. She was barely passing five feet, and he’d bet real money that she wouldn't reach a hundred pounds soaking wet. And sure, Jade was shorter than most and relatively slim too, but she was a professional fighter. She had that little bit of extra meat on her bones in comparison to Lexi, who honestly looked like she’d be swept away in one harsh gust of wind. 

To be brutally honest she looked like she belonged in a Disney movie , not out doing runs in a world as dangerous as the one they lived in. Brecken definitely had his doubts about Lexi and her capability to withstand life outside, that much he knew for sure, but he also knew that he was in no condition to go back out there himself. He was dizzy and lightheaded. He couldn’t even see straight, and the very last thing he wanted was to risk anyone else’s life should they have to come to his rescue when he inevitably passed out from exhaustion. 

It would be a bold move sending Lexi and Kyle out there, he knew that. It was risky sending just about anyone let alone these two rookies, but if it meant giving him and his people a fighting chance at scoring some Antizin then he knew he had to take it. He didn’t want to have to give in and go begging at Rais’s doorstep for supplies and if this is what it took to prevent that from happening… then so be it.

“If you two are serious about going out there, then we need to get you better equipped,” Brecken said, motioning for the siblings to follow him over to a small crate in the corner of the room after Jade left them — something about her needing to go deal with Rahim and his own obsessive need to find some explosives. “That rusty old pipe you have on your belt ain’t gonna do you much good if you get swarmed out there.” 

“Thank God,” Lexi mumbled, unhooking said pipe and tossing it aside. “That thing is useless.” 

“No surprise there,” Brecken said, kneeling down and lifting the heavy lid from atop the crate. He set it aside with a clunk and began to fumble inside it, muttering to himself as he pulled out all kinds of weapons, tools and pretty much anything else he could think of that might come in handy. He then straightened, laying each item out onto the small coffee table next to him. “It’s a dangerous world out there now. Better to be over prepared than under.” 

“Agreed,” Lexi said, a partial chuckle leaving her lips as she glanced at her brother, who shared the same questionable look as she did at the huge mass of items littering the surface. ”But uh… Where do you expect us to put all of this?” 

Brecken narrowed his eyes, “What’dya mean?” 

“Well for starters, there’s four machetes and three swords…” Lexi pointed out, to which Brecken simply nodded in an embarrassed understanding and Kyle chuckled. “Not to mention the ten flares, the two guns, the… one… two… three… eight throwing axes, five flashlights, the pile of firecrackers and is this…” She lifted the item from the table, her eyes wide, “Is this a grappling hook? Who am I? Batman?”  

With a frown, Brecken reached out and took the hook from her, “Alright, I’ll admit… It might be a bit much.” 

“You think?” Lexi couldn’t help but scoff, to which Kyle elbowed her lightly and widened his eyes, mentally telling her to play nice. She then rolled her own and mumbled, “I’m just saying.” 

“What my sister meant to say is we appreciate the help, Brecken… Don’t we Lexi?” Kyle said emphatically, causing Lexi to nod half-assedly in agreement as she briefly examined a machete with a line of green paint covering the edge. “But all we really need is a few basics.” 

“Right,” Brecken cleared his throat, taking no offence to Lexi’s attitude. He kind of liked it, actually. It was almost like a refresher from all the bad-temperedness and angst that surrounded him on a daily basis. “Sorry, it’s just… After last night, I want to make sure I have you both as prepared as I can.” 

“So long as we have a blade… We’ll be fine,” Lexi said assuringly — softly, as she seemed to momentarily forget what Brecken had been through last night. What he’d lost. “But if it makes you feel better I’ll take a gun for backup… And a flare… And as many of these firecrackers as I can shove into my ordinary woman sized pockets.” 

As Lexi wouldn’t lie, those firecrackers? Incredibly handy when you’re in a tight spot. 

“You know, you are wearing cargo pants,” Brecken pointed out, folding his arms across his chest and watching as Lexi secured a single flare to the belt she had slung over her shoulder. She then glanced up at him, her brow a little furrowed as she tilted her head in question, prompting him to elaborate, “They tend to have more pockets than normal.” 

“Not women's ones,” Lexi said, dropping her hands to her thighs and tugging at the flaps of the so-called pockets that lay there. “See… Fake. Because according to clothing manufacturers women don’t need pockets.” 

At that Brecken simply chuckled whilst Kyle muttered exasperatedly under his breath, earning a hardened glare from Lexi as he filled his very realpockets with more firecrackers than she could carry in hers. She had complained about those fake pockets the entire duration of the plane ride over here and if he had to hear about it one more time… he was going to let himself turn. 

“Shall I get you a handbag for your throwing axes then?” Brecken teased, holding two axes up by either side of his head and wiggling them a little. 

Lexi frowned, reaching out to snatch them from his grasp before pointing one at him — blade side up, “Don’t make me cut you.” 

“Easy tiger, I’m only messing,” Brecken said, struggling rather hard to stifle the smile that wanted to rise on his lips. He managed, though. Barely. It only took a quick glance towards Kyle — who honestly felt a little uncomfortable right now, not to mention invisible — for it to fall from his face. He then cleared his throat, “Goodness knows we could use a few laughs around here.” 

Humming in agreement, as the Tower did seem pretty glum and it wasn’t all that surprising, Lexi secured the two throwing axes to her waistband, already able to feel the uncomfortably harsh tug on her belt from the weight of the metal. Oh, she didn’t particularly like that. It made it seem like her pants were falling down and that’s not exactly something she needed whilst traversing the dangerous city surrounding her. It was bad enough worrying about the dead, let alone whether or not she was going to end up accidentally flashing the nearest settlement. 

Therefore, Lexi quickly changed her mind about the axes and unhooked them, tossing them back onto the table to join the rest of the weapons she’d deemed unnecessary. It’s not like she’d even use them, anyway. It was a hassle she didn’t need: having to run to collect them again and besides… She already had a preference in using one-handed weapons, as it was far easier to take down the infected that way, so there was really no point in wasting space in her limited real-life inventory with items she knew for a fact she wouldn’t be using. 

Anyway, with the internal deliberations now finished and their belts full of more useful equipment, Lexi and Kyle were finally ready for their first proper exploration into the murky depths of the city. And sure, they’d both been out once before setting traps and securing a few safe zones for Spike, but they'd never actually had the chance to fully take in the atmospheric, and rather beautiful, surroundings that made up the city of Harran. 

“Remember: try not to use your guns unless absolutely necessary,” Brecken said, as the three of them entered the elevator and began their slow descent of the building. “And if you run into any of Rais’s men, do not engage. Those bastards are savages and they won’t hesitate to kill you… Or in some cases, take you.” 

Lexi shivered profusely, “God, I don’t even want to know why you looked at me when you said that.”

“No… No, you do not,” Brecken muttered, catching the way in which Kyle’s fist clenched tightly by his side. Clearly he was thinking about the sole reason as to why Rais’s soldiers would kill men but kidnap women, so here’s hoping that little detail might help lift his guard up just a little higher in order to ensure safe Lexi’s return. “But if you’d rather, we have masks downstairs. Some of the runners like to wear them to stop the scouts from recognising them.” 

“I’ll take my chances,” Lexi exhaled, yet she could easily feel the nausea build in her stomach again as now that she was thinking about it…. Back when they first landed? When they were ambushed by that big guy with a machete? He wasn’t trying to cut her… He was trying to lift her and God knows where she’d be now if it hadn’t been Jade and Amir. “But uh… Maybe I’ll rub some dirt on my face and tie up my hair… You know, just in case.” 

“You don’t have to go with me, Lex,” Kyle said softly, turning to face his sister as she began to scoop up the chestnut strands of her hair in her hands. “I’m perfectly capable of handling this myself.” 

“I’m going, ” Lexi said sternly, fixing her hair into a ponytail and giving it a gentle tug to tighten it. “I’m not just gonna sit around here whilst you go out there alone, okay? I won’t.” 

“Alright,” Kyle breathed out reluctantly, running his hand over his chin and glancing towards Brecken, who simply pressed his lips together apologetically and chose to say nothing. 

Kyle didn't like this. It was bad enough dealing with the infected out there, but knowing that they also ran the risk of being ambushed by Rais’s men… And that if they caught them, they’d simply kill him and take Lexi to do God knows what to her, it made him furious. It made him… scared, actually. For the first time in his life he was genuinely afraid, and he was very tempted to simply lock Lexi up somewhere if it meant it would keep her safe. 

It didn’t matter that she knew enough moves to fill a book. That he’d personally trained her in hand-to-hand combat and that she was perfectly able to fend off whatever may come to her, if they got taken by surprise… If they got jumped by more than four guys, he knew there was a slim to none chance of survival. But he also knew it was useless trying to argue with her. Lexi was as stubborn as the day was long, and if she was thishellbent on going outside with him, then he’d just have to take a little extra care to make sure that he protected her. 

“Brecken, you know anyone with a taser?” Kyle asked, just as they landed on the ground floor. 

“Yeah, I might do, actually,” Brecken said knowingly, stepping out of the elevator and holding open the door, allowing the siblings to exit. He then clicked it shut, glancing behind him and picking up the faint whistle of machinery. “Just give us a sec and I’ll go check with Alfie.” 

“Alright, thanks,” Kyle nodded appreciatively, watching as Brecken disappeared around the corner. It was only then did he feel a rather blunt point dig harshly into his side, sending a rippling pain shooting up the length of his torso. He recoiled a little, catching the last motion of Lexi pulling her elbow back towards her, “What the fuck was that for?” 

“A taser? Really, Kyle? What good is a taser going to do other than satisfy my very eager curiosity to know what it feels like to lick one?” 

“Do not lick the taser,” Kyle said, his brow deeply furrowed as he couldn’t believe he even had to say those words together. He then took a gentle hold of her arm as his face shifted, growing serious as he pulled her closer in order to whisper, “Look, I know you’re trained in combat. And I know the GRE wouldn’t have sent you here if they didn’t think you could handle it but Lex you’ve seen it out there. It’s a whole different world, far worsethan we could have ever anticipated. And these people… These thugs… They’re the kind who take what they want without caring who they hurt in the process. Now tell me, do you really want to end up in that position?” 

“I…”

“You’re in luck. Alfie had one working taser left in his supply,” Brecken’s growing voice soon forced the siblings to part abruptly as he approached, his motions then slowing by the askew dartboard that hung on the wall facing them as his face grew tight, “Shit. I’m interrupting something, aren’t I?” 

“No,” Lexi said quickly, clearing her throat and forcing a smile. “No, we’re all good.” 

“Good,” Brecken was blatantly unconvinced by that, but he let it slide. It was clearly personal and absolutely none of his business so instead he simply stepped closer, placing one hand on his hip as he held out the other, showcasing the black cased taser with it. “You still want this?” 

“I, um…”

Pausing, Lexi glanced momentarily at Kyle, easily picking up the desperation he tried so hard to mask behind the cocky confidence he had over knowing he was right. And shit, as much as it truly pained her to admit, he really did make a rather valid point. She was vulnerable out there to a hell of a lot more than the infected. They were highly predictable, after all. And slow. They only ever had one sole agenda and that was to kill, but when it came to people? There really wasn’t a clear motive with them sometimes and with the world the way it was, that risk of things turning ugly fast was a lot higher than with a simple brainless biter. She’d seen it plenty of times in her life: how easily the wolves would come out when things went awry and if a single taser helped put Kyle’s mind at ease, even just that small bit more, then what harm could it really do for her to take it? 

“Fine. If it’ll keep you happy, I’ll take it,” Lexi mumbled, sighing in minor annoyance as she reached out to take that tiny box of electricity. “Thanks Brecken.” 

“You can thank me when you get back,” Brecken said, making a move towards the drop down point of the Tower’s exit. “And do me a favour… Make sure you come back.” 

“We will.” Lexi tried her best to sound convincing as she hooked the taser to a loop on her pant leg, but even she knew the odds of returning were far lower than those of dying… Or disappearing. “We’ll stick to the high ground and be back with that Antizin before you know it.” 

“Don’t you go jinxing it now,” Brecken joked… sort of. “We haven’t had much luck with these Antizin drops lately.” 

“Well, that’s about to change,” Lexi said, carefully lowering herself down the drop and landing with a soft thud in the rubble. She unsheathed her machete in one quick swipe the moment her feet hit the ground, glancing back up at Brecken with a playful smile on her face. “As I can be very, very lucky when I want to be.” 

And with that shimmering spark of hope now left lingering with those in the Tower, Lexi and Kyle quickly disappeared from sight and began their harrowing journey into the deep, dark depths of the city. Their first stop was the Cauldron, a relatively condensed part of town that was easily crossable given its flattened sheet roofs, many of which lay covered with a rather thick, blue tarp that seemed to add a little extra slip protection. 

In fact, now that she was paying attention, the whole city appeared to have been made that little bit easier for those left inside to traverse. There were arrows guiding them. Bags of trash or strategically placed mattresses littering the streets should they fall. And many of the buildings even had wooden planks connecting them, meaning there was far less chance of Lexi breaking her ankles by jumping them. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure who was responsible for all this glorious help, but Lexi did have a sneaking suspicion that many of Brecken’s runners, perhaps even Brecken himself, might have had a hand in setting things up like this. 

It would have been rather odd and one hell of a coincidence had they not, as it was simply far too effortless for them to make their way across the ridged rooftops and towards their destination. Someone had to have made it that way on purpose, and Lexi especially liked the conveniently placed ramps that they’d scattered around the place, offering her that little extra momentum she needed to make it up the slightly taller buildings that stood around her. 

Unfortunately though, even with the Cauldron’s easy accessibility, the only airdrop to have landed in that area was empty when Kyle and Lexi got there, forcing them to backtrack on themselves and head off in the direction of the second drop that fell no more than a few minutes later.

However, despite their smooth sailing across town once again, that hope they’d left with the people of the Tower was slowly becoming that of a fool's at this point. The second drop was already taken over by Rais’s men by the time they practically parkoured there, that dark green attire they wore and painted orange logo all but unmissable in the softening light of the approaching dusk. 

It didn’t feel great, having to leave that open crate of Antizin when it was so far within their reach. Inside the safe zone they personally helped activate. They could practically see it: the vials, just sitting out in the open whilst Rais’s men looted the surrounding area. They could hear them arguing. Bickering back and forth like a couple of rowdy kids, and making it seem incredibly easy for Lexi to simply sneak over the fence and shove as many vials as she could into her limited amount of womanly pockets. 

But both she and Kyle knew that would be a bold move. A risky one. A potentially fatal one should a soldier happen to look over at the exact wrong time and spot them. There were too many of them for Kyle and Lexi to handle on their own, as much as it pained them to admit, so instead, despite how hard it was to force themselves to leave the area without that Antizin, all they could do was carry on across town and pray that that third and final drop had landed somewhere within their reach. 

And as though the God’s were surprisingly on their side for once, it did. It had dropped ridiculously close to their current location and, like two bats out of Hell, Lexi and Kyle began to leap across building after building in hopes of being the first ones to make it there. 

“ Guys, you need to turn back,” Jade’s voice soon crackled softly through the radio, startling Lexi momentarily as she kicked a zombie off the roof, an amused smile tugging at her lips as she watched it splat over the ground in a deep shade of murky red. “ It’s getting too close to sunset!” 

“We’re almost at the third drop,” Kyle replied, his voice a little strained as he leapt furiously across a small gap between two neighbouring rooftops, continuing to lead the way towards the red smoke that was fading out in the distance. “We can do this.” 

Landing with a quiet thud next to her brother on the thin, metal sheet that was the houses roof, Lexi couldn’t help but glance over at the sun that was slowly disappearing amidst the clouds in the West, already able to feel the winding rope that forever lingered in her stomach begin to tighten itself immensely. She knew well of what lurked through the city once the darkness rolled in. She had heard them. Back when she and Kyle took refuge in an old boiler room after fixing some traps for Spike, she hadn’t slept a wink due to the blood curdling roars of the fearless monsters who tread through the streets under the cover of night. 

They were unlike anything her own mind could ever think to dream up and the mere thought of being stranded outside with them armed with nothing more than a machete, a taser and a pistol filled with a handful of bullets, terrified her right down to her very core. But she knew she had no choice in the matter. If they didn’t get to that last drop right fucking now then Rais’s men would beat them to it and Lexi simply couldn’t allow that to happen again. 

Kyle was infected . He was slowly succumbing to the virus eating away at him from the inside and until they could figure out a cure to end this hellish nightmare for good, then they needed all the Antizin they could get their hands on. Not to mention that getting there and securing the drop before Rais’s men would be the ultimate fuck you to that greedy prick — and something told her that the people of the Tower might care more about that , than the actual drop itself.

Of course, that was utter nonsense though as there was nothing more important than those precious vials of Antizin, but still… If Lexi could give not only the Tower’s occupants, but herself, and Brecken, the satisfaction of knowing they’d screwed over Rais, then she would. Here’s to hoping it wasn’t at the loss of her own life, however, as that wouldn’t exactly be making a good first impression to the Tower’s rather fearless and doubt-filled British leader. 

“Look alive, Lex,” Kyle said, pulling Lexi from her mind and forcing her right back into the harshness of her reality. “There’s some infected down there.” 

Peering over the edge of the parachute-covered roof that loomed above the airdrop, Lexi couldn’t help but frown at the sight that awaited her, “Dammit Kyle, you got me excited for nothing.” 

“The hell are you talking about?” 

“I’m talking about the two measly infected that are rotting away down there,” Lexi scoffed, gesturing down to the ground as she drew herself away from the edge. Last thing she needed was to lose her footing and topple over — especially when there was nothing but a pile of dirty garbage bags down there to break her fall. “You made it seem like there were more.” 

“You know, this excitement you have over killing these things… It worries me.” 

“Whatever,” Lexi rolled her eyes and waved him off. “Let's just do this before the real nightmare begins. Otherwise, you’ll get to see just how quickly my excitement ceases.” 

“You think we’ll make it back to the Tower in time?” Kyle asked, a small lick of worry rolling off his tongue as he made his move to drop down onto the lower platform below them. He’d barely managed to glance back up just as Lexi followed behind, her lean build causing nothing more than a light scuff against the cement beneath their feet. He then surveyed the condensed area surrounding them, his brow slightly pinched as he ran his hand over the back of his neck, “I didn’t see a safe house anywhere nearby, did you?”

“No,” Lexi swallowed thickly, her gaze drawing itself absently towards the orange glow that still lingered in the distance, casting the last faint rays of that warm, peaceful light across the surrounding neighbourhood. Any other time, she’d have found it beautiful… Mesmerising, actually, if it hadn’t been about to disappear in a matter of a few minutes and unleash utter hell onto those still left amongst the darkness. “We should get a move on… Then hopefully we can find somewhere to hunker down for the night.”

With a brief, yet uncertain, nod Kyle led the way and hopped over the edge of the small balcony below them, making sure to bend his knees as he landed roughly on the ground. He straightened just as Lexi joined him, a soft grunt leaving her lips as she managed to steady herself against the wall of the house. 

She wasn’t as well equipped in the wide world of parkour as Kyle, Rahim and the others were. She knew how to do it, obviously, otherwise she’d never have agreed to this mission. However, she much preferred using her skill of sneaking to get around the place, as not only was it far easier in the general sense of things, but it was also much, much more of a relief for her poor knees and ankles. 

Without wasting any more of the precious light they had left Kyle and Lexi then trekked on, hopping over the fence and easily taking out the two infected that hovered around the drop zone. The flare was dying out as Lexi came to kneel before the crate, the last wisp of that red mixing almost beautifully in the air with the smoke from the flaming barrel next to her as she flicked open the latches, firing her brother the same hope-filled glance she’d done far too many times today for her liking. 

Lifting the lid anxiously, as though there may be a bomb hidden beneath it, Lexi couldn’t describe the pure relief that then coursed through every fibre of her being at the sight of the five full cases of Antizin that lay nestled inside the crate’s foam interior. She almost couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t had much faith that there’d be anything left inside this crate, but given the time of day… And despite all of the bad luck they had experienced over the duration of their journey through Harran, it seemed like the odds were finally, and graciously, within their favour.

“Shit,” She breathed out, leaning forward onto her knees and lifting one of the cases out of the crate. She popped open the lid, a breathy chuckle leaving her smiling lips at the presence of those small vials sitting within it. “There’s enough Antizin here to last the Tower weeks before they’d need to look for more.” 

Glancing back over her shoulder, Lexi’s gleeful smile dropped a hell of a lot quicker than it had formed at the sudden deflation that washed over every inch of Kyle’s posture. She stood up, inching her way towards him and easily making out the anger… The pure frustration that masked his once cheerful expression, pooling deep in the lines of his face that were illuminated by the faint light of the flashlight on his shoulder. He’d been talking with the GRE only seconds ago, informing them of their current situation and by the tight grip he now had on that pasty yellow satellite phone, it didn’t appear as though the response was anything less than what she’d feared. 

“We have to destroy it.”

“Destroy it?” Lexi exclaimed, unable to believe she’d just heard those words pass through his lips. “Kyle, those people need this Antizin. You need this Antizin. If you think I’m going to allow you to destroy it then you’re out of your fucking mind.” 

“I don’t like this anymore than you do,” Kyle defended, moving forward as Lexi slowly backed up towards the crate. “But if we take this back to the Tower then Brecken will never let me go to Rais and we need to confirm whether or not he’s Kadir Suleiman.” 

“Fuck Kadir Suleiman,” Lexi gritted, “I don’t give a damn about him. And I sure as hell don’t give a damn about any stolen file, alright? We’re talking about risking lives here, Kyle. Innocent lives… Not to mention your own.” 

“I know,” Kyle said regretfully, softly, “And if it makes you feel better, we’ll take a few vials with us in case we need to. But Lex,” He stepped closer, placing his hands on her outer arms to stop her from tapping her hands anxiously against them. “We have to do this. That file is too important not to.” 

“So they say,” Lexi murmured, raising her eyes to the darkened sky above her. “For all we know it could be nothing but a bunch of blacked out pages with a big fuck you written on the back.”

“Lexi.” 

“I know,” Lexi sighed, her shoulders sinking as she shuddered internally at the motherly tone in which Kyle had said her name. 

She didn’t like this. She didn’t… Fuck. This was all kinds of messed up, but Kyle was right. The information in that file was important and she knew there was no way Brecken would let them go anywhere near Rais if they weren’t so desperate for Antizin, but that still didn’t mean she had to like it. 

It made her sick, honestly. Having to screw over the people who had helped her. The people who had saved her life. Who had saved Kyle’s life, it didn’t feel right and burning that Antizin… Living with that guilt… That burden of knowing people might die without it, it was horrible… It churned so deep inside her that she could feel that rope in her stomach escape, tying itself so tightly around her chest that she almost felt like she was about to explode. 

“I can’t do it, Kyle, I can’t…” Lexi shook her head, swallowing the harsh lump that rose in her throat. “After everything those people have done for us, how can we do this? How can we burn their last hope for the simple sake of a handful of paper?” 

Well shit, Kyle thought to himself, running his hand over his stubble and easily finding himself at odds over what to do. When she puts it like that… So blunt. So harsh as it ripped through the face of reality, he couldn’t help but think she was right. Hell, she was right. There was nothing in the world worth more than helping save these people’s lives and in that moment, as his eyes drank in the desperation that swarmed those of his sister, Kyle knew there was absolutely no way he could ever bring himself to destroy that Antizin.

“We’ll hide it.” 

At that, Lexi perked up visibly, “Wait, what?” 

“You’re right,” Kyle said, much to his own disliking as he tended not to tell Lexi that as she often got far too smug for her own good. “We can’t destroy it. Not after what they… What Jade sacrificed for us. It isn’t right. It isn’t… human… But for the sake of the mission we still need to make contact with Rais so until then, we’ll hide it…” He glanced around him quickly, fully aware of the handful of light they had left to do so. “There. In that dumpster.”

Rushing over to the dumpster, Kyle lifted up the lid as quietly as he could and began to empty it, dropping bags and bags full of trash to the ground by his feet. He found a nearly empty one hiding at the bottom and untied it, finding a small spark of relief blossoming within him when he discovered there was nothing but a few candy wrappers inside of it. 

After emptying it back into the dumpster, so as to avoid drawing attention to it should anyone pass by, Kyle shook out the bag then made his way back to Lexi. She had already plucked all the vials of Antizin out of their slots, pocketing only two before dropping the rest into the light blue garbage bag. Kyle then tied it shut as she kicked the empty crates under a nearby house before making her way towards the dumpster, helping to cover the bag with those that still lay on the ground around them. 

“There,” Kyle squished the bags down one last time before gently closing the lid, dusting off his hands then wiping them on his pants. “The vials should be safe in there until we get a chance to come back for them.” 

“Let’s hope,” Lexi mumbled, before reaching for her radio and clearing her throat. She was about to call through to Jade, to blatantly lie to her about an empty crate when out of nowhere it suddenly dawned on her that the sun had set…

And the nightmares had awoken. 

-> Chapter 2 (coming soon)

[ghostthathaunts]

HOW CAN A MAN FROM A VIDEO GAME BE SO FCKING PERFECT!!!! 😭😭😭 THIS MAN OWNS ME!!! 😈🤤 SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME 😭😭

[thatguyender]

Haphazard (Off the Records) - Toad Camouflage

'Learn how to use dead bodies to camouflage yourself from the Infected.'

Covering yourself in the contents of an Infected does the trick whenever you need to get past a horde undetected. Unfortunately, no one told Layton that using the vile guts of a Toad as camouflage was much like getting sprayed by a skunk.

Read on AO3!

[doghasarrived]

Yo, so I just finished dying light.

why is this fandom so small.

I'm hurting.

if someone can send me/ tag me in a dying light fic master post or something, please do.

P.s: I really ship crane and rahim ugh

[vickie-believe]

Soooo. Yeah. Ahem. This might be a long post but I’m gonna just put a read more after a point.

I redesigned an OC from last year. And this is a major change (I have her old design in one of my art dumps). And it isn’t just that, I did more for her in both writing and character development. I also have more art stuff I did on her past self but gonna put that as a separate post.

Anyhow, this is Mad Jack, the Wild Dog. My Dying Light 30-year-old-plus crazy  OC with a sorta like Chloe Frazer, Rachel from Animorphs and Junkrat mash personality, I created for my fanfic, The Descent.

And you can see a year between different styles, levels of art and all that. So I wanna say that no matter how many years, you’ll get even better. You’ll learn new tricks and techniques, new things every day by keeping at your passion. You’ll get better. Any form you did whether simple, stick-man, anything is still a good art because you’re doing it - you’re not stopping because someone says it’s bad, you’re doing it for yourself. And you keep going and seeing the improvements that prove those people, you can create something awesome. 

So keep drawing. There’s absolutely no stopping, not even for me. I’m still going to improve myself. 

Now then, more on the character. Boring stuff. X’D

SOOOO, the story behind this character creation. I really enjoy Dying Light and I wish the best and all for Techland on their release with Dying Light 2 (and PLEASE GOD BRING THE BROTHER TWINS BACK so that my friend can go “shiiiiit!” X’D I really mean it! He hates them! AHAHAHAHA) and the Following. It was thanks to the ending that got me to start a writing about what happens to Kyle Crane days after the ending. Which means he becomes a sentient zombie in the fic.

What got me into making Mad Jack was two things: one is I realized Crane would need a middleman because you know, he would kill people uncontrollably (and that person needs to be mad enough to even stick with infected Crane) and two, three characters in Dying Light got me thinking of Jack as a common person between them. 

So yeah. Fic’s summary is Crane’s back, he meets an ex-kickboxer from the Outskirts of Harran in the middle of a city named Scanderoon and he learns she and a group called the Ravs are trying to find out why the virus recently spiked up with new mutations, affecting the zombies and the survivors, in hopes that the virus isn’t adapting too fast for a cure to beat it. 

Now the read-more cuz I don’t want you ppl seeing me as a rambling idiot.

Alright. Let’s get to the meat. So for one, when I first thought of the fic, I was thinking Crane is, of course, the main protagonist but with a few elements: he’s kinda like the Mother (sorta, I need to make his character design now lol) but as a Night Hunter sort and would still be himself. His character development would be on the verge of struggle and insanity between himself and his other self. So I couldn’t see himself being able to fully control himself without someone helping him, regardless how strong his willpower is after going through everything. So he needed someone to keep him in his grips. Jack in my fic is sorta of a red-herring first protagonist but is actually a  deuteragonist.

There’s also another point that I wanted to tackle his struggles from the main game, that meeting someone who knew the people he met and learning they’re gone would be the ultimate, powerful and bittersweet development for him. Which is about the three persons I said earlier that is what I based around for Jack.

So the three people were Harris Brecken, Jade and Rahim Aldemir. When I first played the game, I always found it strange how protective Brecken was to both of them which made me wonder if they had a backstory before the outbreak. Sure, many could say, Rahim was one of Brecken’s students or Rais was after the Scorpion before Crane came into the picture. A lot of theories anyone of us could think of. I still felt like there was someone in their lives that crossed paths. The first person I went brainstorming more on was Jade and her kickboxing career.

I made Jack, aka Mad Jack, as Jade’s previous rival and opponent for the last martial arts championship. The Scorpion versus the Wild Dog. The professional 3-year world champion versus the rising star until Jade won and Jack retired. And since their first meeting, the two kids have been friends with her with Jack being that kinda guardian looking out for them. I made Harris be, surprisingly, Jack as that unwanted cousin who you both love and hate a lot. Cough. But with whatever happened to all of them in the past gave me a better structure of why Brecken would care more about the kids if they knew someone who cared about them. Not directly but enough that Brecken wouldn’t tell his cousin they’re gone.

An incident did also cause a bit of friction from Jade’s victory, and that’s something I’ll reveal in my fic later on. And it also did change Jack a lot. The current Jack is more ballistic, unhinged, daring, hungry for a fight and uh...kinda scary the more I describe her now that I think of it. She’s still a good person (sorta) who helps those in need because she’s used to it before, being a legend that inspired people in the past. I even had a small idea that she sings a lullaby to calm the Screamers or infected children before killing them. She thinks of wild ideas that don’t often go the way she wants, a trait Rahim picked up, which is what made him decide to blow up the nest. Go Wild or don’t, which is one thing why those two connected well in the past. Jack’s an unlikely character on the search for why the virus had a kickstarter and being Crane’s hired wingman. 

Moreover, it’s a slow trust building between these two. Jack’s philosophy is sorta kinda like Rais and Crane can see that in her. There are also secrets she has that will put that trust to the test but it won’t just be her but Crane testing that trust with his own sins.

What makes this fic so interesting to me the more I write isn’t just Crane’s constant regret that he has to work with this loony woman in a desperate hope of finding that cure and the funny banter development between a sane zombie and a crazy human but the fact Crane’s past will catch up to him and Jack will learn about Jade and Rahim’s fates. And it’s not just Jack herself but others he’ll learn had some connection to someone in Harran. And that moment he can’t keep the lies in anymore and has to tell Jack the truth, that will be something powerful and heartbreaking - that he met a person who knew them and has to give the grim news they’re gone. Because no one had told Jack yet. What’s more, this will reflect on Jack too - that her influence on the two kids was what got them killed like her way of thinking in going big for Rahim and her philosophy in kickboxing got Jade to sacrifice herself.

From there, well, there’s more I have up my sleeve. And hopefully not break these two in the process. :Y

I made Jack for a long of reasons but the one main thing is, I realized after everything Crane’s gone, he really needed someone, an emotional pillar of support for sure. And he hasn’t had that the entire time in Dying Light or the Following - everyone sought him as a hero and never questioned it. Which...I kinda thought was a little sad. So yeah, I made Mad Jack - someone who had fallen from grace and accepted her current self, be that dog of Harran who fully takes in the fact the whole world has gone to hell and has pulled off the chains. Jack’s history, which some parts I won’t go into details, sorta reflects his that she had done a lot and sacrificed a lot before and during the outbreak came. And with Crane being stuck as a monster for good with moments of losing his shit, he’d need support a lot more than ever. The same goes for Jack with her own problems to deal with that Crane decides to help her like he has always done for people in the main game. And how this will all end, I dunno. I know exactly what might be a fitting end for Jack but how all of this will end, that’s something I’m going to have to see towards the end and how Crane would rise back from his descent thanks to Jack. Whether good or bad.

And there you go, Mad Jack. She really had a huge development based on so many people, as well as Crane himself. And I really enjoy pushing that development further into her, to see how far her trials go on her moral and psyche. 

uh....hope you get it. Probably a bore though. :Y I’m open to anything btw if you think it’s silly or bad. Been editing a lot in this character, others and my writing.

If people are interested, there’s already 15 chps, 1 small intermission chp and the next one is being worked on. Here’s the fic.

I feel like a dork...Im gonna draw other DL fanart. Maybe like banter between the Wild Dog and Scorpion in the past or something...

[winchesterszvonecek]

Chiaroscuro 18+

// Harris Brecken x Original Character \\

Summary: Lexi never thought she would want to stay in Harran. But after finding something far more important to her than a single stolen file, she was starting to believe that this broke down city was exactly where she was supposed to be.

Series Masterlist

Full Masterlist | A03 Link

Chapter One: Last Hope

[ghostthathaunts]

BE HONEST Y'ALL! WOULD ANYONE BE INTERESTED IN READING A DYING LIGHT FANFIC? (Aitor x OC) LET ME KNOW! ❤️