Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

Shiro didn't take long to gain her bearings, shaking her head she cleared up the confusion, looked around, and noticed the world seemed to be… Normal? 

The sudden shift in the environment was disorienting, but Shiro had quickly steadied herself, her instincts from Letty's teaching kicking in. She scanned the surroundings, taking in the warm sunlight streaming through the windows, the distant murmur of students' chatter, and the hum of a working fan in the corner. The world seemed utterly mundane, devoid of the apocalyptic chaos she'd been bracing for.

They stood in what appeared to be an empty classroom. Rows of neatly arranged desks filled the room, each adorned with books, notebooks, and pens. Posters of historical figures and inspirational quotes decorated the walls. Outside, the sounds of birds chirping and students laughing filtered through the open windows. It was eerily peaceful.

Guldrin furrowed his brow, glancing at Emily. "This doesn't look like the middle of an outbreak," he muttered. "Are you sure we're in the right place?"

Emily leapt gracefully onto one of the desks, her tail swishing lazily. "Oh, we're in the right world," she said, her voice carrying a hint of mischief. "But you're not dropping into the middle of the chaos. The system likes to give you a chance to prepare before things go to hell. What you do with that is up to you." She licked her paw as she waited for their next move.

Shiro adjusted her backpack and glanced at Guldrin. "So, we're in the calm before the storm. That's good. It gives us time to gather resources and intel before everything goes sideways." She began moving toward the door, her steps quick and purposeful. "First order of business: figure out where we are and when we are. Then we'll make a plan."

Guldrin followed her, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his knife concealed inside his cargo pants pocket. The two of them exited the classroom, finding themselves in a long hallway bustling with students. Teens in uniform loitered by lockers, chatting and laughing. A group of girls giggled as they shared a video on someone's phone, while a pair of boys argued over a basketball game. It was an utterly ordinary scene.

"Feels... wrong," Guldrin muttered, his eyes scanning the crowd. "Like we're standing on a fault line before an earthquake. Though I should be grateful to my mentor for teaching me multiple languages… It seems they are speaking Japanese, well, a more advanced dialect, but it shouldn't take me long to adjust to it."

Shiro nodded, her gaze sharp as she observed the students. "Seems your memories are once again coming in clutch. We need to find someone from the main cast. They'll have the most information when things start falling apart."

Before they could decide who to approach, the PA system crackled to life. "Attention all students," a calm female voice announced. "Classes will begin shortly. Please make your way to your homerooms."

Shiro grabbed Guldrin's arm and tugged him toward the stairs. "Let's blend in for now. If we stand out, we'll just attract trouble before we're ready."

"Do we have identities in this world?" Guldrin asked and Emily poked her head out from his shirt, "Yes, the system has taken into consideration that having no paper trail or documents would draw unwanted suspicion. So both of you are enrolled in school, are orphans, and were recently kicked out of the orphanage. To make it easier to blend in, both of you are registered as 16 years old, this is to allow you to blend into the world setting. No, you are not actually that age, though your advanced growth and training make it more believable.

They moved with the flow of students, navigating the crowded halls until they reached what appeared to be the main office. Shiro glanced around, spotting a bulletin board with a schedule of classes and a seating chart.

"Perfect," she whispered, quickly scanning the names. Her eyes lit up when she spotted two familiar names: Komuro Takashi and Miyamoto Rei. "Found them. They're in Class 3-A. Seems we are in the same class, that will make connecting easier."

Guldrin leaned over her shoulder, his brow furrowing. "And what's our plan when we meet them?"

"Simple," Shiro said with a smirk. "We get close enough to keep an eye on them without drawing suspicion. When things start going wrong, we'll be in the perfect position to step in and take control of the situation."

Guldrin crossed his arms, his expression skeptical. "And how do you propose we do that without sticking out like sore thumbs? Won't it be weird for us to just get close to the main cast?"

Shiro rolled her eyes. "By being silent loner types, obviously." She grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the stairs. "Come on, we're going to need to blend in and act like we belong here."

They slipped into a classroom filled with chatter and the occasional clatter of chairs. Shiro nudged Guldrin toward a pair of empty seats near the back. As they settled in, she pulled out a notebook from her bag, scribbling notes and sketches to pass the time while keeping a careful watch on the door.

It wasn't long before Komuro Takashi entered; his tall frame and slouched posture made him easy to spot. His expression was distant, his eyes scanning the room as if looking for something, or someone. Moments later, Miyamoto Rei walked in, her brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She moved with confidence, her sharp gaze cutting through the room.

"There they are," Shiro whispered, nudging Guldrin. "Now we wait."

The morning passed uneventfully, the lessons droning on as the teachers tried to keep the students engaged. Shiro took the opportunity to map out the school in her notebook, sketching potential escape routes and marking key locations like the nurse's office and the gymnasium.

During lunch, the two of them followed Takashi and Rei to the rooftop, where they overheard a heated conversation. Rei's voice was sharp with frustration. "You can't just drift through life like this, Takashi! You need to take things seriously!"

Takashi shrugged, leaning against the railing. "What's the point? Everything's so... pointless."

Shiro raised an eyebrow at their exchange. "Classic disillusioned protagonist," she murmured. "He's going to need a wake-up call before he steps up."

Guldrin chuckled softly. "Sounds like someone I know. Though, unlike my cute Kuudere he is… Do we really need him? He seems, like the kind of person who would leave his enemy alive to only suffer in the future. A weak mentality will just get more people killed due to his, kindness."

Shiro shot him a mock glare but didn't respond. Instead, she focused on the pair, committing their voices and mannerisms to memory. The more she understood about them, the better prepared she would be to influence the group when the time came.

The rooftop conversation offered a valuable glimpse into the dynamics between Takashi and Rei. It was clear they shared a complicated history, something that would likely influence their actions when the world fell apart. For now, Shiro and Guldrin hung back, blending into the background like shadows.

They passed the day in silence, ensuring that they stayed in the background, unnoticed by most of the class, all while taking notes and making plans. That night, after the mundane grind of school life had subsided, Shiro and Guldrin holed up in an internet café. The quiet hum of computers and the dim glow of monitors provided the perfect backdrop for their clandestine planning. Shiro's fingers flew across the keyboard, her eyes flicking between multiple screens as she accessed databases, hacked into financial systems, and rerouted funds.

While she did so, Guldrin flipped through his sign-in reward, the first chapter of HOTD manga. It didn't provide him with much information, but anything is helpful. It did, however, confirm his bias toward the main protagonist. Seems he is best friends with Rei's boyfriend, and that he has a major crush on Rei. Sad, but he wasn't chosen, though it didn't stop him from pinning after her like a dog. They have a falling out after the outbreak, the boyfriend dies, and Rei takes it out on him… 'I don't like this protagonist at all, the first thing I am going to do is separate us from him. He is a liability, doesn't think about the long term, seems brash, ignorant, and dumbly kind…' Shiro had no idea that Guldrin had already chosen to abandon Takashi, but whether she knew or not wouldn't change much.

Completely absorbed in her task, Shiro muttered, "This is so much easier than it should be," she muttered, her voice a mix of amusement and disdain. "The security on these systems is laughable. Honestly, if the world doesn't collapse because of zombies, it's going to be because someone like me drained all the banks dry."

Guldrin finished reading the manga, and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Just don't get too greedy. The last thing we need is the authorities sniffing around before the outbreak even starts."

Shiro waved a dismissive hand. "Please. I'm not sloppy. I'm funneling the funds through dummy accounts across six different countries before they land in ours. By the time anyone notices, it'll be too late."

She paused, glancing at one of the monitors displaying a map of the city. "Now, let's talk safe-havens. We need a location that's defensible, spacious, and isolated enough to keep us off the radar but close enough to resources. Thoughts?"

Guldrin stepped closer, examining the map using all his knowledge to find the best and most inconspicuous space. His finger traced the outskirts of the city, stopping at a cluster of warehouses near the docks. "What about here? Industrial areas like these usually have sturdy buildings, lots of open space, and easy access to supplies. Plus, they're not exactly prime real estate for looters. We can build up the defenses prior to the outbreak and fortify it properly under the guise of being a high import and export location."

Shiro nodded thoughtfully. "Good call. We'll need to scout it out, but it looks promising." She pulled up a satellite view of the area, noting the proximity to the water. "We could even rig up some kind of escape route via the docks if things get too hot. All we need is a fake identity to purchase the building… And done. A foreign businessman that goes by the name, Antonio Black, he has adopted us and will buy a warehouse for his business route. Easy enough,"

"Good thinking, but all this relies on assuming we can find a boat that doesn't sink at the first sign of trouble if we need to go to the sea. It is a good idea to have us adopted by a fake persona, that way we don't have to explain anything, just shove all responsibility to our guardian. " Guldrin added with a smirk.

Shiro grinned. "That's what money is for. Speaking of which..." She spun her chair around to face him, her expression serious. "We're going to need to stockpile supplies, food, water, medical kits, weapons, you name it. And we need to do it without drawing attention. Cars, trucks, and anything else we can think of; we will stockpile all we can."

Guldrin nodded. "Leave the discretion to me. I'll handle the heavy lifting, enough money, and no task is impossible. You focus on the logistics. After having learned from the Mom and Dad, not to mention the rest of the crew, I shouldn't have any issue getting a fleet of vehicles ready."

"Deal." Shiro turned back to the monitors, pulling up a list of local suppliers. "We'll start small. Bulk orders from different vendors, staggered deliveries to avoid suspicion. We'll also need to hit up some black-market contacts for the stuff we can't get legally."

Guldrin raised an eyebrow. "You already have black-market contacts?"

Shiro smirked. "Let's just say I've been networking. You'd be surprised what people will sell online if you know where to look. Thank Skye for helping me understand the dark web; you wouldn't believe how helpful that has been."

The next day, they skipped school to check out the warehouse district. Guldrin drove a beat-up van they'd picked up for cheap, its plain exterior was perfect for keeping a low profile. The seller said it didn't run, and they didn't want to put the effort and money into it to make it work. All that was wrong with it was spark plugs and a clogged carburetor; so they got it running in no time. Shiro sat in the passenger seat, her laptop balanced on her knees as she monitored police frequencies and traffic cameras.

"Turn left up here," she instructed, her eyes glued to the screen. "There's a patrol car two blocks over, but they won't see us if we stay on this route."

Guldrin followed her directions, his grip on the wheel steady. "You're really leaning into this hacker persona, huh?"

"Hey, I'm just making sure we don't get caught, it's not like you have a driver's license or permission to drive." she shot back. "Besides, it's kind of fun. Like a real-life stealth mission."

They reached the warehouse district without incident, parking the van in a secluded spot. The area was quiet, the air heavy with the smell of saltwater and rust. Most of the buildings looked abandoned, their windows boarded up, and their walls covered in graffiti.

"This place is perfect," Shiro murmured, stepping out of the van and taking in their surroundings. "Sturdy structures, plenty of space, and no nosy neighbors."

Guldrin nodded, scanning the area with a critical eye. "We'll need to reinforce the entrances and set up some kind of perimeter defense. Maybe rig some alarms or traps to warn us if anyone tries to sneak in."

"Already on it," Shiro said, pulling up a blueprint of the warehouse on her laptop. "We can turn this place into a fortress if we play our cards right. So, this is the place?" Guldrin nodded and Shiro confirmed the purchase online.

Over the next few weeks, they worked tirelessly to prepare for the coming apocalypse, all while juggling the task of attending school. Shiro continued her hacking spree, funneling money into their accounts and using it to purchase supplies. Guldrin handled the physical labor, moving crates of food, water, and medical supplies into the warehouse under the cover of night.

They also began acquiring weapons, starting with a few handguns and expanding to shotguns, rifles, and crossbows. Shiro insisted on getting silencers and suppressors for everything, pointing out that noise would be their biggest enemy once the zombies arrived. This was much harder than initially thought it would be, guns are heavily regulated, and they had to deal with some extremely shady individuals. 

"Do you even know how to use half of this stuff?" Guldrin asked one night as they unpacked a shipment of firearms.

"I'm a fast learner," Shiro replied with a grin, loading a magazine with practiced ease. "Besides, I've got you to teach me, don't I? How hard can it be; I am great at first-person shooters." She held up her finger guns and imitated shooting.

Guldrin chuckled. "Fair enough. Just don't shoot yourself in the foot." They shared a laugh and continued to work on getting the warehouse up to snuff, all while thinking of the chaos that this world would be thrown into soon; it wasn't ready.

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)