Dead Rising: Hoof, Camera, Action!

Chapter 5:Hard Feelings.

TIME UNTIL HELICOPTER ARRIVA

Hours Minutes

6 2 : 4 0

It was midnight, Franks and his group were at Wonderland Plaza ready to go to the security room but there was something wrong, the zombies looked like they became more active, their eyes were glowing in red, it was clearly not a good sign.

Frank and Greg were now hitting and slashing every zombie that crossed in their way and as Frank predicted they became more aggressive making the trip more difficult but nothing that he and Greg couldn’t handle. After running for a while Otis called Frank, telling him that there was a pair of tourist trapped in that plaza at Sir Book-A-Lot store, the group head to that store and found the tourists who got scared when they saw Frank’s group, the tourists tried to maintain themselves away from them by climbing the bookshelves not knowing the survivor’s intentions, Frank tried to speak to them to later notice that the tourist didn’t speak English but Japanese, Sophie spot a book of English to Japanese laying behind the frontdesk, she pick it up and showed to Frank so he can try to talk with them.

Frank read the book and tried to form a sentence that can make his intentions clear with the tourists. “Matsu! Wa..watashi wa chi..chigau! Sore-ra no da..dare mo! (Wait! I different! No one of them!).” Said Frank in his try to speak Japanese.

The tourists understood what he said even if it was an amateur attempt, but the rest of the survivors, even Featherweight were trying not to laugh at Frank’s clumsy effort to speak Japanese but truth it was comical. After some more amateur Japanese and loud laughs later, Frank successfully convinces the Japanese tourists to go with him to the security room.

The group now resume their way to the security room but Greg told Frank about a shortcut to Central Plaza which was located on the ground floor in the ladies bathroom, Frank and Greg continued their job as bodyguard breaking so zombies skull by Greg’s bat or cutting them in half by Frank’s small chainsaw when they tried to caught them, leading the group towards the bathrooms Greg point to the air duct above the bathroom’s sinks, one by one entered the duct, the ponies had less trouble to move since they were small, the rest in the other hand not much.

They had arrive at the Central Plaza’s bathrooms, Frank lead the group again fortunately there wasn’t much zombies around so there was no need to fight them all, Frank took Featherweight to Cam’s Camera to show him how to recharge the camera since it was getting low in batteries, once the camera was fully charge the group entered to the warehouse passing and killing some zombies that were in their way, Frank told the group to stand far from the elevator, when he call the elevator the doors opened revealing a big crowd of zombies inside it, Frank was expecting them so pulling out his handgun he did some headshots before the gun ran out of bullets, he then opened a nearby box that contained a sledgehammer and start smashing the zombies in the head or by swinging the hammer towards their body until there wasn’t any sign of movement. Everyone was impressed by Frank’s fighting skills but Mayor Mare was impacted, this level of violence is almost inexistence in her world and the quantity of blood is unimaginable something that nopony could tolerate but they need to survive, they need to fight against these monsters if they want to live and see the daylight again.

The group entered in the elevator, going up to the roof to enter another air duct and finally reach the security room.

“Otis! You’re OK! Thank God!” Greg said.

“It's good to see you alive too Greg.” replied Otis while giving a quick hug to Greg.

“Well, this sure seems like a secure place.” said Mayor Mare looking around.

“There is more room inside and food, so you can go and get some rest.” Frank said to the group, the survivors went inside but Featherweight was still standing next to him. “You too little buddy, it's your bedtime.” he tapped his watch to Featherweight to justify his point.

“What are you going to do Mr. West?” said Featherweight, curious as to why Frank is not coming with them.

“I’m going to check out if there are any survivors left, maybe find somebody that can share more information of what happened here.” Frank said while kneeling. “So, I will need my camera back.” He extended his hand to Featherweight which in return moved the camera away from his hands.

“Please no Mr. West!” Featherweight replied. “I can still go! I don’t feel sleepy at all, I can still help you by taking shots or throwing stuff but please, if you go then I want to go too, please!” He was pleading to Frank while using his hooves to hold his leg and making sad puppy eyes.

Frank cannot believe how cute but shameless this pony was by using that kind of tactic against him, he wanted to say no, he was going to say it but, when he looked at his side he spotted Jessie standing up, watching at them with a small smile on the other side of the window.

Frank knew what that smile meant, she would use Featherweight personal life against him, so he didn’t have other options. “SIGH. Okay Featherweight, you can come along.” Frank said, making the little pegasus happy. “But after this trip I want you to go straight to bed, deal?”

“Yes Mr. West, I won’t disappoint you!” Featherweight said with determination and a full smile on his face.

Oh boy! I hope my ride came here in time if we want to get out of this one! Frank thought. “Okay, go get something to eat before we get going. I’m heading to the bathroom, I see you here in a moment.” Frank said, Featherweight nod and both went inside to the storage room.

Featherweight was sitting peacefully on the green couch with Frank’s camera besides him, eating a zucchini and drinking some orange juice. I must be more brave, I can’t put myself in danger again. Thought Featherweight, worried. Mr. West would need my help like before, but what else can I do besides throwing things? I don’t have my Cutie Mark yet. SIGH. If only I could fly. Featherweight was sad, he wanted to do more for Frank but he is more weak and thin then the average foal and that made him depressed.

“What is making you feel down my little pony?” said Mayor Mare, walking towards Featherweight.

“Oh, it’s nothing, its- it's just that… I… ” Featherweight was having problems to reply.

“Please, you can talk to me, after all it's still my job to take care of my citizens' problems.” Mayor Mare said in a calm and caring tone while getting close to Featherweight to comfort him.

Featherweight, feeling more calm he shared his problem. “I am currently helping Mr. West covering the story of what happened here by taking photos and helping survivors but…” Featherweight lowered his head. “I almost got myself killed for not telling him that I am unable to fly since I don’t have my Cutie Mark and… Mr. West was going to send me back here, fired me for not being prudent on my flying disability.” He raises his head and makes eye contact with Mayor Mare. “I want to learn from him, to get my Cutie Mark for helping Mr. West and any survivor that we can save, I just… I don't want to disappoint him.”

Mayor Mare was concerned about his feelings for getting a Cutie Mark and how he seemed to respect Frank. “Tell me Featherweight, did you arrive here alone or your parents are looking for you?” She asked, making Featherweight sad.

“I never met my parents.” He said, making Mayor Mare feel dumb for touching a sensitive subject.

“Oh! I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to be rude! Is just that…” she tried to finish her sentence but Featherweight interrupted her.

“It's Ok, I am used to it.” he said with a sad but calm expression. “I grew up in Ponyville’s orphanage together with others colts and fillies, when I was five years old I asked the caretakers about my parents, they told me that one night the janitor heard loud knocks on the hallway when he was mopping the floor, he went to the door entrance to answer it but when he opened the doors nopony was around but me inside a basket with a note with no name on it that said ‘Please take care of him, we were young and foolish, not able to rise him so please for Faust sake! Take care of him in our place.’ Later the janitor finished reading the note he took me in and called the other keepers, from there I was admitted to the orphanage by the name of Featherweight since I as a baby was thin and light then the average foal. After that I was raised by the caretakers, made friends with the other foals in the orphanage, entered school to study and waited to the day somepony would adopt me.” Mayor mare was feeling sorry for the colt’s tragedy, imagine all this pony had to experience all his foalhood. “But I don't let that bother me, after all not everypony has everything in life right?” Featherweight said with a small smile, trying to convince the mare that he is fine, but she knew that in reality it was difficult for a foal of his age to cope with it.

Then Mayor Mare returned him a smile. “You know, you are a very brave pony and very kind too for putting yourself in danger to help others. I don’t know what kind of parents could abandon a foal like you.” Featherweight was going to lower his head but Mayor Mare put her hoof under his chin and raised it. “But if I had a colt like you I would be the proudest Mare of all and I think Mr. West thinks the same about you, I can assure you that.” She finishes and gives Featherweight a warm smile.

Featherweight jumps off the couch and hugs her. “Thank you so much, I really am.” Mayor Mare returned the gesture by wrapping a hoof around him, seconds later they broke the hug. “Well, I better go and wait for Frank. After all we journalists have to bring the facts of the current events to the public, bye and thank you again.” Featherweight said while taking and putting the camera’s band on and running to the A/C.

Mayor Mare was happy to help one of her citizens, she later returned to her room but unknowing Frank was behind the bathroom’s door, he heard all the conversation and was now feeling bad for the little pegasus, He never had anybody by his side. Frank thought. Maybe after we get outta here I can take the kid to a fair or an aquarium or somethin’ he really deserves it. He then made his way out of the bathroom and towards the A/C.

When Frank entered the A/C room he noticed Brad holding a box from the vent with supplies in it, “Yo, Frank! Gimme a hand here.” said Brad.

Frank reaches Brad and grabs a can of soda from the box but Brad holds Frank's arm that holds the beverage. “Wh-What give?” Frank said while Brad took the soda from his hands.

“Consider the helicopter and all, we have to work together.” Brad explains while taking four steps away. “But that doesn’t mean we have to tell you everything. And everything we do tell you, can’t necessarily be printed.”

“But, Why not?” Featherweight said, not understanding the political background of the story.

“Because you can’t period.” Brad said dryly to the pony, then he turned to Frank. “I just want both of you to appreciate the situation.”

“Well, we’re up to our neck with zombies, and soon with ponies. So yeah, I think we appreciate the situation just fine.” Frank said in a mocking way, making Featherweight smile a little.

Brad was thoughtful for a moment. “Zombies… I still can’t believe all this, you know? And now with talking ponies… is like a weird dream.” Brad said in a calm tone, but still unable to believe that he is actually experiencing this weird problem.

Brad passed the can of soda to Frank, he opened it and drank from it while Brad carried the box to the Janitor's room. “You alright there?” Frank asked Brad.

“Yeah, I got it.” Brad replied, Frank made a thumbs up and finished his soda.

“Okay kid let's head back to the Mall.” Frank said.

“Yes, sir.” Featherweight replied while doing a salute with his wing, Frank chuckled a little and they went out to the Mall.

Frank and Featherweight were now standing on the mall’s roof. “Alright kid, like before I want you to stick with me when we travel through the mall and run if things turn ugly, understood?”

“Yes Mr. West, I will!” Featherweight replied with a smile on his face while adjusting the camera. “By the way Mr. West, where are we going?”

“Well, since we already explored Wonderland Plaza I was thinking that our next destination will be North Plaza.” Frank explains. “I expect that there will be more survivors.”

Frank grabs a baseball bat that was laying next to a shelf on the floor, Featherweight knows what he is going to do and waits. After a bloody elevator fight, Frank and Featherweight make their way through the Warehouse to Central Plaza, the mall was dark since the power was cut off by the automated electrical system that preserves the use of energy and somehow still works. Frank bashes some zombies whose eyes still glow in red while guiding Featherweight to the bathrooms to use the air duct as a safe traveling shortcut. Now standing in Wonderland Plaza’s bathroom Frank again was making a path to cross between the zombies, for some reason there was a big crowd of zombies around the entrance of the next plaza, fortunately there were railings surrounding a giant pink statue bunny, Frank grab Featherweight to cross the railings and avoiding to get grab by the zombies, thanks to Featherweight’s… weight it was easy to pass by them and entered the next plaza.

It was dark but Frank and Featherweight were able to see far enough the long hallway that was infested with zombies and a row of two pairs of moving walkway (for those lazy who preferred not to walk much) two on the left and the others on the right. The transceiver ring, Frank answered and was Otis telling him that there are some places that are still in maintenance and the only stores operating there were a Supermarket, a Gunshop, CD shop and Home Center. Otis hung out but Frank’s eyes went wide for hearing about the Gunshop. Now we are talking. Frank thought, putting a hand on his chin. We are going to need weapons if we want to survive this nightmare.

“What happened Mr. West? Did Otis find another survivor?” Featherweight asked, Frank then looked at him.

“No, but he mentioned some stores that can help us, and we are heading to one of them.” Frank said, with a smile on his face. “C’mon kid! Let's move, something tells me that we aren’t the only ones with the same idea.” Both start to run avoiding and killing zombies.

Frank need to go to the other side of the plaza if he want to reach the gunshop, he then saw the platforms standing outside the stores that were under constructions they were high enough to be away from the zombies reach it, without thinking twice he carry Featherweight and himself on the platforms and start marching to avoid the large crowd of undead, some zombies where standing on the platform but Frank deal with them easily.

“Why there are so many zombies Mr. West?” Featherweight asked, looking to the crow of zombies walking around the plaza under construction.

“They all came outside from the town.” said Frank. “On my way here I could see how all the residents became zombies and started chasing the people that were still human to eat them.”

Featherweight was shocked. “But how do they become monsters if they lived here like normal humans Mr.West?”

“I don’t know kid, the only lead that I have are Jessie, Brad and the old man that won’t come out from Entrance Plaza’s Book Store, from that I had nothing more.” Frank said, thinking in a way to obtain more information out of the agents. “

When they reach the end of the platform Frank finds a coffee creamer that was laying there and took it, they both jump off the platform and enter a small hall that leads them to the Gunshop but it was blocked by zombies that were standing and walking in there.

“Kid, I want you behind me.” Frank said, then he went with his bat in hand and started smashing all the zombies he could, left to right. The hall was so narrow that the zombies were practically next to each other, the only open spaces where the stores under construction ahead of them so there wasn’t enough space to escape in case they get surrounded, suddenly one zombie grab Frank, he was struggling with it maintaining its mouth away from his face, quickly Frank kick the zombie off of him making it fall, he take out the survival knife and start cutting every zombie in their way, some died others fall to the ground. “Let’s go kid while they are down!” Frank said to Featherweight. They run towards the gun store Featherweight making sure to avoid being grabbed by the zombies while reaching the store entrance with Frank.

When Frank and Featherweight entered the store they found a man with a black shirt arguing with what seem to be the owner of the store, a bearded elder fat man and obviously drunk, he have long hair with a ponytail, wearing a white opened button shirt and blue pants, he was acting crazy and was armed with a shotgun standing behind a L shaped counter.

The man with the black shirt turned for a moment to Frank and Featherweight but didn’t mind them much and put his attention to the owner. “Look mister, If we’re gonna fight these zombies, we need GUNS!”

The owner made a warning shot with his shotgun. “Stay back!” he shouted, he was angry “I trust those damn zombies as far as I can throw ‘em, but I trust people even less!” He was paranoid.

“Don’t shoot! Look… L-Let’s talk this over!” said the black shirt man in an attempt to control the situation while slowly walking towards the owner.

The owner wasn’t buying it. “You can talk to my 12-gauge! Don’t get no closer or I’ll blow y’all to kingdom come!” he warned, Frank and Featherweight were nervous, expecting the worst to happen.

Frank tried to stop the black shirt man but he brushed Frank’s hand away. “Hey, hang on.” he calmly said, making his way to the owner.

Grave mistake, the owner shot his shotgun at the man making him fly back to the doors and out of the store landing on the floor with a hole in his chest with blood bursting out of it, Frank and Featherweight were shocked by the scene and turned their attention to the owner, Frank was angry but Featherweight was scared.

“Now, goddamnit, I warned you…” the owner said while pumping his shotgun, he was now staring at Frank and Featherweight. “In a situation like this, I can’t afford to trust nobody!” he was pointing to both of them.

Featherweight quickly covered himself behind the wooden gun stand that was in the middle of the store while Frank used the accessory display, the owner started to shoot at Frank not minding the little pony, the display was a good cover but some of the shotgun pellets hit Frank causing him to flinch in pain. “AGH! SHIT!” he yelled.

The owner was laughing and coughing like a maniac, Frank decided to use the small chainsaw against the owner to end the battle fast. Frank was now close to the owner and began to slash him as much as he could, blood being splashed over the counter and the owner was screaming in pain, Featherweight poke his head out of the corner of the stand, watching the fight he pulled out the camera to take some shots of Frank against the mad owner PERFECT!!! BRUTALITY. But after cutting many zombies before this fight the small chainsaw broke, the owner used the opportunity to shoot Frank in the chest, sending him across the store and landing on the floor beside the wooden stand grunting in pain.

“MR.WEST!” Featherweight screamed for seen his teacher being sent across the store for the shoot.

“Dammit! I need to be careful or I will end dead sooner.” Frank said to himself. “Take cover kid! I handle this alone.” Featherweight obey him and hide behind the wooden stand.

The owner was celebrating by taking a sip of a bottle of wine, Featherweight took a picture of him while Frank painfully got up and took out his bat to smash the wooden stand’s glass which contain handgun in it, he took one from it and began to aim and shoot at the owner who return the fire at Frank that was trying to dodge most of the owner’s shots “You think you can take my guns away from me!?” said the owner. After four shots more he began recharging his shotgun, Frank took advantage and run towards him, he pull out the sledgehammer and jump over the counter to strike the owner by swingin the hammer at him, the owner was shouting in pain for the blows that landed in his chest, but against all odds the owner grab Frank to later lift him and throw him out of the counter. “This is as far as you can go son!” the owner said while shooting at Frank who was dodging the shots by jumping and rolling.

The owner was going to get another shot of wine but Frank quickly shot at him. How many bottles of wine does he have? Frank thought.

The owner was shooting like a maniac trying to kill Frank. “Zombie or not you ain’t getting my guns!” The owner said, but when he pumped the shotgun to shot again he realized that the weapon was empty, he tried to recharged it as fast as his drunk mind allow him to do, then Frank in a desperate attempt to finish the fight grabs one of the display and with all his strength throws it at the owner, he was hit in the face, the display broke with the impact and the owner began to groan heavily.

Again, everything turns black for a moment. Then the owner was breathing with difficulty, limping walking away from Frank in fear and dropping his weapon. “HUFF. Damn! Damn mister! HUFF. C’mon now!” he was crying while using the counter as support. “HUFF. Wh-What’re you, crazy? HUFF. You want… UGH!. You want guns so bad that y’all are willin’ to kill for ‘em?” The owner crawled under the counter and ran toward the entrance door. “Lemme go!” he was crying. Frank and Featherweight tried to stop him. “Pleaaase!”

“Hey! Wait!” “Mister watch out!” both Frank and Featherweight scream, but it was too late, a zombie tackle the owner and pin him on the ground, the owner scream and kicking in terror while the zombie start to eat his neck, making him drown in his own blood and cease his cry, Frank and Featherweight look away from the gory scene. This shouldn't have to end like this. Frank thought, upset of how all this tuned out.

After that scene, inside the store Frank took out the coffee creamer and drank it, then he went to the counter and grabbed some shotguns. Featherweight was standing inside the store next to the entrance with his head and ears down, after taking the shotguns Frank walked next to his partner. “Why?” Featherweight said, in a depressed tone. “Why did he kill that man? Why did he want to kill us? Why?” Featherweight couldn’t understand the reason for the owner’s behavior.

Frank feels empathy towards the pony, he looks at him and kneels. “It wasn’t his fault kid. This place, these zombies can change a person, it can bring the worst of anyone.” Frank explains, trying to comfort the pony. “Don’t let this situation affect you… or we are going to end like them.” Featherweight nods, still with his head down. “For now concentrate on saving as much life we can get, c’mon let's keep searching.” he stood up, pulled out the shotgun and waited for Featherweight to compose himself. I can see that Featherweight is experiencing more than he is used to. This is no place for someone like him. Frank thought. But I need to say, this kid’s determination reminds me of my own when it comes to reveal the truth, SIGH. I hope this does not traumatize him for life.