The Sound Of Chaos ((OPEN and the more the merrier))

[Ludwig Beilschmidt]

Taking place in the Building complex where everyone is supposed to be stuck at the very beginning. As per the plot "One particular group has been

stuck within a business building in a large city (near the west coast of the United States). They must either band together and find a safe place, or go their separate ways." That's were we are. Because let's start from the beginning. EVERYONE feel free to join!

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"CHIARA!? Don't stop and don't hang--...!!"

Sirens. He could hear sirens… sirens and screaming, crashes, and the occasional hum of electricity waning between on and off. It was chaos outside and he hated it, but what he hated the most was the unnerving sound of silence that had fallen upon the room. He hated that and the disconnected tone as he pressed his phone to his ear after dialing his wife’s number. Had he just been allowed a few more seconds to ensure she was ok and tell her he loved her--to ensure she knew exactly what to do in case this hell fully hit their home... But no, his mind was caught on that last trailing syllable she had spoken before the phone went dead. It was that half-word--that half-phrase--that continued to replay over and over in his mind as he mechanically drew the phone away from his ear, hanging up, and placing it back in his pocket.

As badly as he wanted it, he couldn't let himself be overwhelmed by emotions right now... There was no telling what was actually going on outside and all he had been afforded was a view out the window--not like it would do much for him to see these ant-like people scurrying down below. Regardless, he had been left alone in the conference room (well, more like he had been shoved into the room once the alarm had sounded) and his bodyguards had taken it upon themselves to stand guard outside.

“Doubt that will do them much good,” Ludwig thought grimly, eyeing the pistol that one of the men had left for him on the table. “They should have just stayed in the room—I should have made them. At least it’s locked and the only way in is through that door or through the window. I highly doubt the infected would be in a proper mindset or in peak physical condition in order to scale a building to the fourteenth floor…” The last thought left an amused albeit bitter taste in his mouth and the smirk that threatened to appear on the Governor’s features was swiftly washed away by a stern frown.

There was a clattering outside the door—gunshots, shouting, and the sound of hurried feet. Without a second thought, Ludwig took up the gun and ducked behind the desk. With adrenalin gushing through his veins and his heart threatening to carve its way out of his chest, he pressed his back against the wood and slowly peeked from behind his cover as the noises ceased. He wasn’t entirely sure who or what was out there, though he assumed that it would be the infected. Squinting at the door, he counted to sixty silently and slowly moved away from the desk. He could still hear something or someone outside and it appeared as if they were trying the handle to get in. Ludwig’s gaze dropped to the bottom of the door—he could see them standing outside, but he could also see a deep crimson pooling about them.

That…that was the life-blood of his guards—his companions—wasn’t it…?

While this was the first time he had ever been thrust into a situation where he might encounter the infected, he doubted they would be competent enough to actually try and open locked doors. Regardless, he waited, giving the being on the opposite side of the door a moment to speak or to somehow indicate that they were a survivor looking for escape and not one of the diseased seeking a feast of flesh or what have you. He paused, about to speak before shaking his head. What if the once-humans were attracted to voices? Maybe that, among other ways, was how they found their prey.

Two minutes. He would allow them that much to speak or prove their competence before he filled their brain with lead.

[Deleted]

The power had gone out. The power had come on. And gone out and come on and flickered for the last several minutes. Honestly, she was scared to leave this room. At least here... there were windows to let the light in. But the light wouldn't last forever. Nighttime was coming, and she really didn't want to be alone at night. Not with... not with what she'd seen on the television. The Infected were here, in the city. They... surely they couldn't get into this building. This building had been chosen just because of the security measures it had, Vati told her. Five days ago, he'd told her. Was it really so short a time? It felt like time stood still, in these past minutes. Hours. However long it was.

And still she lingered in the chair, trembling, holding tightly to her locket. She was sure that it had left an impression in her hand at this point... but she couldn't bring herself to let go. Maybe... maybe holding onto it tightly and wishing with all her heart that Vati would come through the door would make it happen? She shut her eyes tightly, and wished and wished and wished, and opened them... and the door stayed as closed as it had been seconds ago.

There seemed to be nothing for it, then... she'd... she'd have to go out into the building looking. She stood, affixing a determined look to her face, and strode to the door. Her hand stilled on the knob, though. What if Vati came looking for her after she'd gone? She couldn't afford that... he would be so worried if she wasn't here. She'd... she'd leave him a note. There was paper in the drawer there, and a pen - she'd explored this conference room the first day she'd been placed here. Hurriedly, she crossed to it, and pulled a notepad out. What she didn't use now, she could turn into a map of the building later, so that she could find her way back. The pens were just the usual black ballpoint; she'd take an extra, in case. One never knew when a pen might be useful.

"Vati, I went looking for you. If you're reading this, please stay here. I'll come back when it gets dark outside, whether I find you or not. Please don't be upset with me. I love you."

She signed the note with a heart, left it in the center of the table where it would be seen, and tucked everything into her bag. Maybe... maybe if she started with the room she'd left Vati in this morning, she'd find some traces of where he went? Or... or someone that could tell her? Wasn't that what the detectives in the movies did - start with the last known location and work from there? She'd... she'd become a detective. But she'd also be a super spy. She didn't know whether anyone was here - and if they were, whether they were friends.

That thought had her hesitating once more. Oh dear. She... what would she do if she found someone or... or something that wasn't friendly?

No. She wouldn't. She wouldn't allow herself to be afraid like that. She couldn't think such negative thoughts. That wouldn't help her to find Vati, wouldn't help them get home to Mutti and their normal lives.

And so, determined once more, she opened the door in one smooth motion, stepped out, and left the door cracked behind her. She wasn't sure if it would lock from the outside, and she wanted to be able to get in.

"Hallo?" She called softly, just to see if anyone would answer her. She could, while she was right here, go immediately back into the room and barricade the door if she needed. But no one answered. A deep breath later, and she began making her way down the hall, one hand holding tightly to her locket; the other, to the strap on her bag. It was only down the hall and a left, and she'd be to the room she'd last seen Vati in. She could make it that far, at least, without running back.

The hallway she walked was entirely vacant. Vacant and eerily quiet. The electricity hummed off and on, flickering; she kept her hand on the wall in case it were to go out altogether.

"Vati? Herr Beilschmidt?" She called out a few other names, names of the guards she could remember - were they still here? Was anyone still here? Her hand finally came to the corner, just as the power flickered on again. She turned, hoping to see someone she recognized - and she did. Two people, though only one was standing. "C-Conrad?" She called. He was facing the door. Was Herr Beilschmidt still there? Were they talking about what to do? But her relief was short lived. He turned, with almost inhuman - no, strike that, with inhuman, speed. And then she screamed.

[Ludwig Beilschmidt]

Ludwig swallowed thickly as he kept an ear out for whatever was on the other side of the door. His eyes, once focused on the blood oozing through the bottom of the door were refocused elsewhere and his jaw was suddenly set on edge as he heard something that made his stomach churn. It sounded like flesh ripping…bones breaking. Something was eating just outside the door or at the very least, tearing another being apart.

The governor had to close his eyes for a moment as he felt the color fade from his cheeks. The mental image that the sounds created was enough to make him a bit nauseous. Thankfully, he couldn’t smell the stench emanating from the rotting flesh of the Infected just outside his door and blood on the floor only had a mild metallic odor. He had to try and focus on something else, or he would be revisiting his lunch from earlier.

"Vati? Herr Beilschmidt? C-Conrad?"

Ludwig’s eyes snapped open at that familiar, soft voice. He recognized that voice to be Lili—the daughter of James Walser: the guard that had given Ludwig the gun for extra protection and one of two men that had been posted outside of his conference door. A grim thought crossed the German’s mind and he hated himself for jumping to such a conclusion, but the fact of the matter was that the that had fallen was either James or Conrad… The remaining man had simply been turned, by that logic. Ludwig couldn’t decide whether it would be worse for the girl to see her father as the Infected or his corpse, but as she screamed, his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach and his thoughts where pulled away from a scenario of “the lesser of two evils”. She shouldn’t see either of those things and she wouldn’t if she was the next victim. She didn’t deserve that sort of fate.

Despite the fear swelling in his chest, Ludwig willed himself to abandon his hiding spot near the door to fling it open as the ‘guard’ departed to seek out the source of the scream. He could see Lili near the corner. The thought to shout at the girl to run crossed his mind, but if she did, she’d undoubtedly flee right into another Infected sooner or later and for all Ludwig knew, the poor girl was unarmed. He couldn’t chance her running into more danger—like a sheep to the slaughter. He did, however, call out so she was aware that he was there, and still in his right mind and definitely not an enemy.

“LILI! Close your eyes!” at the very least he could spare her the image of someone getting shot in front of her.

Raising the gun, he aimed at her pursuer and pulled the trigger, hoping that his shot made its mark. The speed of the Infected and his own lack of practice since leaving the police force ensured that the bullet struck the man in the shoulder, but at the very least it took the other’s attention away from Lili. Instead, the Infected (he couldn’t quite tell which of his guards it was because of the blood on his face and the distance) let out a growl and paused long enough to try and turn around that Ludwig was able to shoot again, and this time, hit it in the head.

Without wasting any time, Ludwig ran past the corpse (though admittedly, his heart nearly stopped as he bypassed it, fear telling him that it could reach out and grab him at any second). “We need to get out of here NOW,” he moved toward Lili, reaching for her arm as he slowed just enough to turn the corner. “Are there any Infected from where you came from?” In the back of his mind, he knew that it’d be difficult for her to deal with everything that was going on, but safety was of the utmost priority right now and he wondered if anyone else was around. There was safety in numbers after all. “Have you seen anyone else around? Anyone at all?”

In the near distance, Ludwig could hear the sound of glass breaking and more screams. They weren’t near any doors to the outside, thankfully, but he feared for those that were.

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OoC: Trying to get to you ASAP, Derp. Just didn’t want to hit it all in one post ;w;

[Deleted]

She'd screamed. She didn't remember screaming but the sound could only be coming from her. She was frozen, frozen while the... the Infected, came straight toward her. Trembles racked her, and she knew she had to move, had to turn, to run, had to-- but she couldn't. She couldn't move she couldn't breathe she couldn't -- “LILI! Close your eyes!”

The shout, the order, had the girl complying almost without thinking. She squeezed her eyes shut, clapping her hands over them. She didn't... she didn't want to see what was coming at her any longer. The image, though, would be burned into her mind for the rest of her life, no matter how short it would be from here.

The first shot had her whimpering. The growl, and subsequent shot had her trembling, and trying so hard not to cry. She didn't quite manage, but the moment Herr Beilschmidt grabbed her arm, she gasped. It was instinct, more than anything, that had her feet moving the moment he touched her. She didn't look over her shoulder, but only looked up at the taller blond. Perhaps he could feel her trembles. Perhaps he couldn't, through his own adrenaline. She wasn't sure. She didn't know. She... where was Vati? Was he...

“We need to get out of here NOW,” Herr Beilschmidt was saying. She... but she couldn't leave without Vati. Still, as they turned the corner, she couldn't work up the nerve to speak, couldn't work up the nerve to ask. “Are there any Infected from where you came from?”

She shook her head, shallowly at first and then more vehemently. "N-n-no. Th-the h-hall was... w-was empty. I... I l-left the door o-open, wh-where I was." The room she'd been in, all of fifteen minutes ago. Was it even that long? Screams, shouts, sounds of glass breaking...

What were they going to do? Where was... where was Vati? What about Mutti? And still, and yet, Herr Beilschmidt had her by her arm, pulling her further and further away. Suddenly, she had to know. She had to go back. Vati was there, wasn't he? "V-Vati. Vati!" Her cries were desperate. If he was there, he'd hear her. He'd hear her and he'd come, wouldn't he? Wouldn't he? He had to. He had to! They had to go home to Mutti, to their lives. He was supposed to protect her, and Herr Beilschmidt. He couldn't do that if he stayed behind. He wasn't going to let them go alone, was he?

"Bitte, Herr Beilschmidt." Her voice shook, even as they continued their hurried retreat. "Where is Vati?" He'd know... wouldn't he?

[Ludwig Beilschmidt]

As they turned the corner, Ludwig was relieved that Lili was complying. Had she resisted his tug on her arm or his requests it would have only slowed them down and that was the last thing either of them needed at the moment: to hesitate or to stall. After all, in a situation such as this, it wasn’t entirely the best idea to let one’s mind process every bit of information—if that was allowed, one would begin to dwell on the possibilities of having to shoot acquaintances and loved ones… it was an unfortunate possibility and a very real one at this moment. No, all they needed to think on was the present and the tangible. They needed to calculate the risks that were around at this instant and assess the information directly related to their predicament, not hypothesize and consider the “what ifs.” That would only hold them back. They needed to keep moving

“The lesser conference room?” Ludwig’s face twisted into a grim frown. It was unlikely that there wasn’t someone in there now what with the Infected pouring in from the outside, but at the very least, it was a lesser corridor and would have lighter traffic… it was a safer bet than taking a stroll through the main halls.

However, as he altered his path, he felt a slight tug of resistance. “V-vati. Vati!” A sickening feeling pooled in the Governor’s stomach as a mild irritation and panic seeped into his thoughts. “Lili—we can’t stop now.” His tone was unintentionally curt as he looked to the smaller blonde. “Don’t look back.”

"Bitte, Herr Beilschmidt. Where is Vati?"

He could feel the uncertainty and worry in her voice and the thought of having to tell her his own theories sickened him. “She doesn’t need to know. Not right now. We need to keep going,” he kept telling himself, trying not to let the realization of the man’s death still his own limbs. He knew if he told her, she’d utterly break down and become unstable and perhaps unpredictable. She was mild mannered, but… loss can affect even the most level-headed of individuals and he feared that it would simply destroy Lili. He simultaneously tried to suppress his own nagging thoughts regarding his own wife as he shook his head. “I don’t know…” he offered a partial truth. After all, he couldn’t entirely tell if the Infected that had attacked Lili was her own father or if the man that had been mutilated outside the conference room was. Hell, he didn’t even know for certain if James was dead or alive in this chaos. Naturally, his logic pushed him to believe that the guard was indeed a victim in some way.

“This way,” he said in a hushed voice. He had caught sight of someone lurching down the corner, but their gait was more of a shamble than a walk. Instinct told him to avoid the potential threat as much as possible, but when he passed by the fire exit, the sound of weeping caught his attention. To his knowledge, the Infected did not cry. That was still something only reserved for humanity. Swallowing thickly, he glanced about his surroundings before leading Lili toward the stairwell. If anything, they could go upward.

As he opened the door, his eyes fell on a well-dressed woman…she obviously wasn’t just some run of the mill vacationer and it was made apparent by her apparel that she had substantial funds. Ludwig couldn’t quite place her, however, nor did he feel the need to ponder on it for long—especially since he couldn’t immediately tell if she had been injured or not. “Have you been bitten?” was all he could pant out as a steely blue eye cut upwards to the higher floors. It was silent for now, but the floor that they had left behind was starting to stir more with activity. “Come with us—at least you won’t be alone.” It wasn’t the time for introductions and niceties, and due to the lack of objects he could use to blockade the door behind them, Ludwig was hesitant to linger by the portal for much longer.

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OoC:
Sorry for the delay @liliblume . Trying to make up for the fact that we're the only three here at the moment. So, @derplord , come with us if you want to live...and also keep in mind Ludwig is not a trained zombie-slayer. Yet.

[Ludwig Beilschmidt]

The woman, still sobbing hard enough that her tears began to cause her mascara to run, simply shook her head to Ludwig’s first inquiry. However, she hesitated and started to sob again as he offered for her to join them. The Governor clenched his teeth and looked from her to Lili, and then over his shoulder at the door as it closed with a click.

“Please...come with us—if you stay here, you'll die”

He gave the ultimatum in a hasty tone. As much as he would love to stay and introduce himself properly and avoid frightening Lili too badly, they didn’t have much time to spare: the Infected were closing in and if they paused for a second too long, they were all as good a dead. His words, however seemed to stir the woman and she looked to him with wide-eyes and a terrified visage, before swiping at her eyes and offering a soft “ok”.

“Good. Now keep up—we don’t have any more time to lose,” the blond too a few steps up the stairwell, pausing only to ensure that Lili was behind him. The Woman, of course, took up the rear and stumbled at first, letting a gasp and a shout escape her. Instinctively, Ludwig flinched at the sound (if he could hear it, certainly the Infected could...they had superior hearing, after all). He narrowed his gaze, “If you’re wearing heels, get rid of them,” he spat.

“But they’re my fav—“

“I don’t care and neither do the Infected!” he grumbled as he took a few more tentative step upward, gun poised and alert for whatever lay ahead. Here and there, he cast a glance over his shoulder to ensure the others were close behind and that there was nothing tailing them.

With an indignant huff, the woman furrowed her brows and clumsily began to take off her heels, keeping them in her hand for now since she was without a proper weapon. If anything, a stiletto to the face would do some sort of damage.

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OoC:
Sorry for the brevity. Using it more as a bumping post and one so we can recover from losing the Ukraine in the thread. So now we have an NPC lady we can dispose of however. I really don't care if you want to shoot her, Latinium XD Lud's Tense af right now though.

[Deleted]

"Lili-- we can't stop now. Don't look back." She didn't - though it was a close thing. His words caught her just as she was going to try to turn to do just that.

"I don't know." ... But how could he not know? Vati was there to protect Herr Beilschmidt! How could... Why-- what... But...

Too many thoughts circled the young girl's mind - thankfully, too many for her to put words to just yet. Words may have drawn attention to them, which was the last thing they needed. As Herr Beilschmidt spoke softly, Lili looked up at him and nodded. She'd follow him. She... didn't have anywhere else to go, after all, unless she were to disobey him and go back to look for Vati. She was... honestly, she debated it - but Vati and Mutti would be so disappointed in her, when Herr Beilschmidt told them that she hadn't listened to him. And so, as he moved to the stairwell, she stayed right at his side.

Until there was someone else there. Lili couldn't help it. She shrank back just a bit, her eyes wide as she watched the other woman. Wow... her clothes were beautiful -- why was she crying -- wait come with them? The young blonde looked up at the Governor, but said nothing. She was raised right - and that meant that she didn't question the motives of her elders, even if she... really wanted to. They could bring this woman along, but they couldn't look for Vati?

As the other woman renewed her crying, though, Lili felt terrible for her thoughts. Vati could take care of himself. He'd find her eventually - and until then... she had to be brave. She was fumbling in her bag for a pack of tissues - but Herr Beilschmidt began to move and Lili had to pause to keep up with him. She'd find them when they stopped next. He didn't need to worry; she was going to be right behind him the entire time - unless he told her otherwise. Right now... he was the only safe place in this entire crazy world.

The woman's shout had Lili flinching, gasping softly, turning to look back at her - was it the Infected were they coming what were they going to -- oh. Her shoes. ... Her very nice shoes that Lili knew for a fact she herself would never ever be able to walk in. Even when she was older.

Once Herr Beilschmidt began walking again, however, Lili hurried to keep up with him. The woman was not reassuring in the slightest. Quietly, very quietly, Lili spoke. "... Herr Beilschmidt... where are we going?"

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Ludwig Beilschmidt - I hope this is okay;;