"The True Reaper" (Nature)

=Chapter 12: The True Reaper= As Zach continued to wave at Elliot who was behind a sniper rifle in the distance, Reed was tide down on a bed in the gazebo; gagged as well. He tried breaking free as much as he could, but his restraints were too tight.

“Zach, please. Help me out here buddy!” Reed pleaded with Zach, but he didn’t respond. “Zach, please. Zach!” Reed tried again, but Zach continued to wave at Elliot. “Answer me dammit! Zach! Don’t you remember me? It’s Reed…”

Now, Zach ceased waving, and turned around. “Zach? Who is… Zach?” He sounded like an adult baby speaking his first words, as though he had been completely brainwashed. “My name is Drone-02…”

With Zach looking the other way, Elliot made a break for it. Lugging the rifle in one hand and the medical kit in the other, he dashed back towards Sonia, resting the rifle against the rock formation the two were hiding behind.

“Try to think of happy thoughts. Think about puppies. You like dogs?” Elliot tried to distract her, but she shook her head, “Christ no! My own dog bit me when I was just five!” Elliot sighed, “Well then… Just think about anything that isn’t to do with the here and now…” Elliot tried calming her as she took deep breaths.

“This is gonna sting a little bit,” He produced a mini alcohol bottle from the bag. “Not sure if you put this in here to drink or to use as a medical supply, but I’m using it for the latter.” He unscrewed the lid, and splashed it all over Sonia’s arm. She screamed out in agony for several moments, but then got a grip of herself. Elliot grabbed the first bandage, wrapping it around the entry wound. “Looks like Erica’s lessons really did come in handy after all,” He remarked.

Speaking of whom, Erica, Tina, Jacob and Arthur were still travelling through the woods. Eventually, they reached a long stretch of road.

“Oh for Christ sake!” Erica was fed up by this point. “Alright fine, we’ll rest now!” Upon saying this, Jacob and Arthur dropped to the ground to rest.

Tina however walked over to Erica, “Hey… Agnes was never going to make it. If we didn’t leave her behind, neither were we… It’s the same with Peter. He was much too noble to leave his friend behind. Remember, Agnes was the one who comforted him after his parents’ deaths. All he wanted was to repay that favour. You understand that though, don’t you?”

Erica couldn’t look at Tina. Partially because she was still catching her breath, but partially because she had had enough of people dying at this point. “So the only reason why he stayed with her, is so that he could end up just like his parents? Just so that he could die? Peter was an idiot in the most respectful way. He’d only known Agnes for a couple months, and yet he chose to stay with her anyway…”

Tina nodded, understanding Erica’s point, but then reminded her of their own first encounter. “Remember Day Zero? Remember when I first met you and Olivia? How about when we realised just how much we had in common? For example, we’re both nurses obviously. We both revealed we were bisexual to each other... Neither of us even realised just how horrific the apocalypse was until people began dying. Do you remember that? We knew people were dying all over the world, but we didn’t see it for ourselves until that man committed suicide. Remember that? Do you remember Price?”

Erica shivered at the mention of his name, “Crikey… I haven’t thought about him in a long time… His death was just as pointless though. He died because of a stupid group of vengeful losers who came back for Annabelle…” Then, she suddenly remembered something else.

“Cora…” Her daughter sprang back into her mind, “Cora’s still out there, Tina!” Her face lit up again. “Erica, no, stop this,” Tina knew where this was going, “We can’t get back to London, we don’t even know where we are!” She reiterated.

“I… I know,” Despite this, Erica still looked happy and upbeat. “It’s just… Knowing that she’s still out there somewhere. It makes me a lot happier. My daughter is just like me. I bet she’s surviving out there at this very moment. I hope she found Beth again. It would be a shame if Keith’s dying wish never came true,” And then again, she remembered another old friend who was now dead.

“People keep dying, Tina. One day, you’re going to die as well,” Her eyes became bloodshot and watery. “I don’t think I’ll be able to handle that,”

Tina cradled Erica’s head, bringing it in to her shoulder. “I’m not going to die. Ever. You hear me, Erica? Look at me,” Tina lowered her own head to look into Erica’s eyes, “I’ll not die on you…”

“I don’t believe it!” A masculine voice interrupted, appearing through the trees on the other side of the road. “Erica and Tina. The Nurse couple! How delightful to see you again!” It was Tobin, his group all behind him – Though their stances and expressions indicated there was some level of internal conflict going on.

Erica looked at every member of the group carefully, remembering the early days of the apocalypse.

“Five…” She stepped away from Tina who had a look of caution on her face. “Erica, Tina, Olivia, Steven and Price…” Her eyes dropped as she was once again thrown back to Day Zero, “That’s who it was… The original London group… The only ones who made it through all two years… Gone. All of them. Price, shot by a Bandit. Steven, stabbed by a Bandit… And poor, poor, Olivia. Dying in Elliot’s arms… All I can ever do is sit there and watch…” She felt extreme remorse.

“It’s unfair… Five of you!” She screamed out loud, as they all jumped back from her slightly. “Erica, listen… I’m not here to hurt you. I want to save you, ok? I possess no ill will towards you and Tina… Please, calm down.” He put his hands out, but Erica was still slowly drawing out her knife from up her sleeve.

“Five… Just as I have suffered… Five must become Two…” She looked up into Tobin’s eyes, as he put his arms out, “Everyone, step back… Now…” He advised his group, as they edged slowly backwards towards the trees.

“Five must become two!” She shouted in repetition as she ran towards Gisela. Tobin grabbed her, but Erica was rabid. As she raised his knife at him, he let go – but this was a fatal mistake.

Erica stabbed Gisela directly in her heart, as she winced. Suddenly, her ears drowned out, as she snapped back to normal. She pulled the knife out instantly – but it was too late. Gisela fell back, collapsing to the ground.

“No!” James angrily screamed as he pulled out his pistol. Understanding, Erica’s state, Tobin tried to grab the pistol off of James – but his efforts were in vain.

Tina swooped in, grabbing Erica and dragging her back into the trees, she watched as Gisela continued to bleed to death on the ground – She was too shocked at her own actions to even react to this sight.

James punched Tobin in the face, pushing him to the ground. He regained control of the pistol, aiming it towards Erica and Tina.

“I’m sorry!” Emilia pre-emptively informed James, before hacking into his side with an axe.

Even Ellie was startled by this as she backed away from the commotion, helping her father back onto his feet.

As Emilia pulled the axe back out again, James spun around, unable to speak. His throat clicked, as blood poured out of it. His eyes rolled back, as did the rest of his body.

James and Gisela twizzled their heads to face each other directly in their eyes. As they looked upon each other one last time, they succumbed to their injuries and passed away together…

Back at Camp Hackley, Sonia was finally beginning to feel better. Annabelle and Bertie were watching movement at the gate. Elliot was testing several radio frequencies, trying to ‘accidentally’ come across a radio channel being used by the soldiers inside.

Eventually, he came across a channel with a voice on it – Though it wasn’t a soldier, the voice faintly rang a few bells in his mind.

“''I currently find myself on a desolate road in Southern France. That’s why I’ve been so absent recently. Done quite a few miles in just a few days. I don’t think I’m too far away from that camp I was talking about now.”''

The woman sounded American, though Elliot for some reason suspected that this accent was fake.

“I don’t even know why I still do these broadcasts,” the woman sighed, ''“Truth be told, I’m just a woman looking for her two kids. They think I’m dead… I let my own daughter believe that I was dead. And my stepson… He became a god damn crook!”''

Now, it was obvious to Elliot who the woman really was. Quickly, he opened the channel on his end, “Gwen!” Elliot called down it quietly. But then, there was static. “Gwen? Mum?” His eyes flickered, desperate for an answer. Then, there was silence – the channel had completely closed. “Dammit!” Elliot whacked the car, before lowering the radio again.

“Elliot! We’ve got incoming!” Annabelle called over to him, as he rolled his eyes. He checked his pistol clip to make sure it was loaded – it was. He tucked it behind him underneath his shirt, then exposed himself from cover. To his surprise, Zach was approaching him with a huge grin on his face.

They met in the middle of the road, but kept a few metres distance from each other. Their encounter was tense.

“Zach… It’s, good to see you again, I guess.” Elliot was wary of the fact that Zach’s chest was fully metallic. “Good, is a commonly misused word. Good implies something positive. Yet hear we are, the criminal and the future, meeting on an empty road,” he spoke rather quickly as well as cryptically.

“Listen Zach, I don’t wanna waste our time. Just tell me what the deal with your chest is already.” He looked down, and then emotionlessly looked back up at Elliot.

“Everyone keeps on calling me Zach today… I am Drone-02. I am a Human-Reaper hybrid owned by Major Anderson of the British Military. I am the future. I am the way the forward. The key to survival.” These words didn’t even sound like Zach’s.

“So, you’re the true Reaper then, I take it. Never mind all this weird business with the drones, I’m far more frightened of what you’ve become. Where’s your heart?” Zach looked confused, “Heart? Why would I have a heart? A heart is an animal organ. I am Part-Reaper. What use would I have for a heart?”

Tears began to form in Elliot’s eyes, as he brushed his face with his hand. “Zach, do you even remember when we first met? Do you remember the Air field? And Foxtrot? And Seymour’s group? Do you even remember saving me?” Elliot asked as many questions as possible – He needed to know that the Zach he knew was still somewhere underneath ‘Drone-02’.

“I have already told you, my name is not Zach. My name is Drone-02.” He still had an emotionless expression on his face, as Elliot once again brushed his eyes with hand.

He turned around to glance over at Annabelle, “Forgive me, sister…” His tears began to increase, confusing Annabelle and Bertie.

“What’s he up to?” Bertie whispered, Annabelle merely shrugged in response. “Christ knows.”

Elliot turned back to face Zach. Unnoticed, he slowly slipped out his pistol from the back of his trousers.

“Wait…” It all made sense to Annabelle now as her eyes widened, “Oh my god,” She mumbled to herself. “What? What is it?” Bertie was desperate to know.

As Sonia came fully back around, she turned to her side, noticing Annabelle and Bertie looking at something distressfully.

Out of curiosity, she spun her entire body around to catch a glimpse. She saw Elliot pointing a gun at a teenage boy – Little did she know the truth about Zach, or Drone-02.

“Zach, please,” Elliot’s hand was shaking as he gazed on at an emotionless and fearless Drone-02, “Please just give me a sign. Tell me there’s still hope. Tell me whatever ‘Major Anderson’ has done to you is reversible… Please.”

Zach titled his head slightly, “I do not understand. Why are you crying? Are you crying tears of joy? I share your excitement my friend! Having a heart of steel is the future. It is wonderful to finally accept that, is it not?”

Elliot got a grip of his pistol. Despite his teary-eyes, he held his weapon firmly. “You might have a heart of steel; you might have robotic lungs. But you’re just a hybrid. You still have the brain of a human…”

With those parting words, Elliot reluctantly squeezed the trigger. The bullet went straight through Zach’s head, as the blood squirted out the other side.

Annabelle’s eyes widened, as she covered her mouth – She couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed.

The gunshot echoed out across the land. Erica and Tina paused upon hearing it.

Ellie and Emilia hopped out of the car, rushing to Tobin’s side.

Arthur and Jacob were awoken all of a sudden by the sound.

Agnes and Peter were still awaiting their deaths on the moor.

Reed ceased yanking at his restraints, hearing the gunshot.

Major Anderson took a deep breath, gesturing for Moriah to step outside. He looked onwards at the three men stood in front of him, “Leroy, Robert, and Cassidy… I do apologise for how brutal your operations were,” he gazed at their metal chests, “But now, you are mine. Do you obey, Drone-03, Drone-04 and Drone-05?” He asked.

Like ventriloquist dummies, they slowly raised their hands into a salute. Anderson grinned devilishly…

-Death of Zach.
 * Zach is the seventh main character to die.
 * As of his death, Celeste is the only character introduced in Season 2 confirmed to still be alive.
 * Interestingly, the original intention for Zach was to have him be a long-time survivor, and later end up viewing Elliot as a paternal figure; thus making him an adoptive grandson for Gwen in some respect. However, his subsequent death has obviously rendered this path no longer possible.