-1CH 1.

This…this is normal…right? Of course it is. It's beyond normal. So normal...it's…well, normal. I mean, you can always see these…things…uh, whatever they're called-

Superhuman?

No, they're dead…their flesh is rotting…they're dead…zombie things.

"What the hell are these things!?" The brown-haired teen yelled. He backed up against the wall, seeing them get closer to him.

In the distance, he heard gunshots ring out. He winced at the sounds. He had never heard something that loud so close. The zombie things turned at the sounds and headed back out the door.

The brunet looked out the door, waiting for the zombies to leave. He heard them roaring down the halls, obviously headed to the gunshots. He walked closer to the entrance and poked his head out. He peered out into the hallway.

Up ahead, he noticed a dark haired person turned and stared at the younger teen.

"Hey, you!" He pointed. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"Uh, hello? Are you blind? This is a mall, if you've never seen one before." The brunet said in a sarcastic voice.

"You're blind!" He teen with jet-black hair called out. "If you've not noticed, there are tons of people flocking out!" He yelled.

"Yeah, they kind of had me cornered?" The brunet said. He turned and began to run off.

"H-Hey!' The older teen said. "Wait! Don't go that way! Za-" He cut himself off. "Not…Zack…" He sighed and continued shooting at the zombies.

The brunet hurried down the stairs leading towards the second floor.

"Okay…one more to go…" Zack said quietly as he ran breathlessly, heading for the second set of stairs.

Two bodies landed in front of him, sending blood spatter everywhere. Zack covered his eyes and looked away. His eyes were wide.

I didn't just see that… Zack told himself as he backed away. He held his stomach. These people who seemed to have been thrown, Zack knew. He knew them very well. They both were a couple, and went to the same high school. The girl was his girlfriend's best friend, meaning that his girlfriend was nearby. Zack looked up at the third floor again.

"Victoria!" Zack yelled. "Victoria! Can you hear me?"

Zack could only hear a scream in response. Since Brittney and Kevin were thrown from up there, that could mean-

Zack bolted back up the stairs, running towards Victoria's screams.

"Victoria, Victoria, where are you?" Zack asked. He ran along the entrances to the stores, searching for her.

"Zack!" Victoria yelled.

Zack stopped at the entrance to a clothing store. He ran in. He looked around carefully, checking to see if there were any signs of those zombie things. Something then grabbed at his leg.

He shuffled back, and looked down. "Jeezus, Victoria, you scared the shit out of me." Zack said, breathing in. He bent over and helped the blonde up.

"Zack…what the hell are those…things out there?" Victoria asked, her blue eyes darting around the room anxiously.

"I don't really know…" Zack said, walking towards the entrance again. He still heard continuous gunshots. "Let's just get you out of here."

"Oh, but Zack, Brittney. Brittney and Kevin. They were here with me a second ago before those things came. We got separated. We have to look for them." Victoria said, stopping Zack.

Zack hesitated. "Right then, I'll look for them, okay?" Zack said. "Take the long way to get out. They're all more than likely crowding the more populous places." He advised. "Just get out quickly."

Victoria nodded. Zack took her hand and walked around, away from the stairs and headed another way. Zack noticed the person with dark hair still fighting off a whole wave of those zombie things.

Victoria stared. "Zack, who is that guy…?" She asked quietly as she stopped walking.

"I don't know…" Zack said quietly.

The person with dark hair seemed to be getting more and more exhausted. His breathing was blatantly obvious. He turned when he noticed Zack and Victoria.

"I'm not a show, damn it!" He yelled. "Don't come and watch! Get the hell out of here! Notice that they're everywhere!" He scolded.

"We're going, asshole." Zack said.

Victoria screamed as she was pulled away from Zack's hands. Zack turned and looked at another 'normal' thing. This guy was dressed in full black, almost militant looking gear. Zack couldn't tell if the guy could even see, since the mask he was wearing hardly looked like it could show anything. He held Victoria in his arms. She lost consciousness from all the shock she was getting.

Zack stared at the person.

"Fuck." Zack heard the older boy say.

The army guy discarded Victoria. Zack wanted to go for her, but the army guy lifted Zack by the neck.

"No! Leave him alone!" The elder teen said. "Let him go!"

Zack could hear his footsteps. Zack squirmed in the man's arms. He pulled at his arm, trying to pull away.

What the hell is this…? No person can be this damn strong… Zack's vision was going black. He couldn't breathe.

"What's wrong, Zack?" The man in black said.

Zack opened an eye to look. Who is this…?

The man tightened his grip on Zack's neck. Zack yelled aloud and struggled more.

"You used to be so much stronger." The man continued.

"I said let go of him!" The person from before yelled. Two gunshots left from his gun and struck the man in the arm.

He winced and released Zack's neck, and pulled back. The jet-black haired teen ran and caught Zack. He sighed.

"Hey, hey Zack, are you all right?" The boy asked. He looked down at Zack with a worried face. "Tell me that you're all right."

He knows my name…? Zack asked himself. He held his crushed his throat. He looked back at the dark haired person carefully. I have seen him before… Zack told himself when he stared into the nearly clear eyes. You could hardly tell that they were really blue. This blue was intense. Zack coughed. "How do you know my name?" Zack asked. "Who are you, really?" Zack then added.

The elder teen looked pain when Zack asked this. "Me…My name is Blake." He answered. He helped Zack up. "Zack…you don't remember me, do you?" Blake asked, holding onto Zack's arm.

Zack stared up at Blake. "Remember you?" He cocked an eyebrow. "Sorry? We've met before…? I'm going to have to say that I don't recall ever meeting you."

We were so much more than that… Blake thought as he backed up with Zack.

More of the people garbed in black appeared alongside the injured one.

This really sucks… Blake thought. It hasn't even been five years that we've been away from each other, and you've already forgotten me, it seems. Blake sighed. "Maybe you'll remember if you get it back…"

"Remember what?" Zack asked.

"Me." Blake said. He took Zack's hand and handed him a gun.

Zack stared down at Blake's hand holding his own. His eyes focused on the gun, which seemed to gleam in hands.

"I love you Zack." Blake said.

Zack looked up at Blake again. He what?

"Hurry and remember me. I'm all alone right now. I miss you." Blake said, tracing a finger over Zack's cheek. His lips lowered to Zack's.

Zack stared, wide-eyed at Blake.

Blake pulled away from Zack.

Zack then turned to see the people charging towards them. He cocked the gun in his hands and shot each time a person lunged at him. As each one fell, they yelled 'traitor'. After several quick minutes of shooting, Zack sighed.

"Traitor my ass. They're the ones who tried getting rid of me." Zack said, emptying the bullet casings. He laughed. "Man, are they weak as ever." He smirked.

"Zack…?" Blake's voice asked.

Zack turned to Blake. "Hey."

Blake hugged Zack quickly. "It is you." He said quietly.

"What's up with you?" Zack asked. "You're acting like you haven't seen me in forever." Zack said.

Blake let go of Zack. "Look at me carefully, Zack." He said.

"What…?" Zack asked. He quieted as he looked at Blake. "What day is it?" He asked. He looked around for a newspaper.

"It's the sixteenth." Blake answered.

"Okay…the problem would be what, exactly? Yesterday was the fifteenth." Zack said. "But you look so much older…"

Blake sighed. "They messed you up badly, didn't they…?" He asked. He pulled out his phone and flipped it open.

Zack took the phone. "What the hell are you-" He stopped. "talking about." He said quietly. "It's not the real date… The sixteenth of…" He trailed.

"Zack, it's been five years." Blake said.

Zack looked down at the dead superhuman zombie things. "They did get rid of me." Zack said. "How did I not know though?"

"They covered up your memories really well. You couldn't remember me at all…" Blake complained. "But you can now, so I think everything is fine for the moment." He smiled lightly.

"Sorry…" Zack whispered. "I'm dead…"

"No, they only did it for your safety because they all thought you weren't able to be taken control of. You were the strongest out of all of us." Blake said. "Your power was insane." He added. "But I found you, and you're perfectly fine. We can go back together. If they see that I was the one to bring you back, then maybe they won't say anything, and they'll take you back as if nothing ever happened, you know? There'll be no-"

"Blake, shut up." Zack said. "If I'm dead, then that's fine…I don't have to deal with anything related to the government any more. It doesn't really change anything."

"It does too change things!" Blake yelled. "Zack, you can't be serious…"

Zack stared. "Serious." He said.

"But then…what about-"

"You?" Zack asked. "I'm sorry Blake…you're with them, and I'm dead…we can't stay together forever. You didn't really think we'd stay together for the rest of our lives, did you?"

"I spent five years looking just for you." Blake said. "I crossed the whole United States for you. If I had to, I would've gone across the world for you." He told Zack.

"If it's not my problem then I'm not going to deal with it all." Zack said. "Sorry. I have to go." He began to walk off.

Blake was hesitant. He then grabbed Zack's arm. "Wait. You're just going to walk off? After all this time? Aren't you wondering even just a little about what happened? The reason you're here, in this little tiny place, instead of with me?" Blake asked. "Or what about the fact that it's been five years?" He held onto Zack's arm. "You don't even care about the fact that they got rid of you in the first place?"

"Yes, I'm just going to leave." Zack answered. "I don't care about what happened to me. I'm dead to them and that's all I need to know. If they come looking for you and they see you here with me, I'll end up getting in trouble with them."

Blake pulled Zack into a kiss. "You don't want to go…" He said, tracing kisses along Zack's cheek. "You don't want to." He said, kissing him fully.

Zack breathed in. He pulled away. "Of course I don't." He said. "Of course…I don't…but I have to leave."

Blake held onto Zack. He kissed him once more before removing the gun from his hands. He sighed as he placed the gun back in it's holster.

Zack blinked and stared at Blake. He instantly pushed away. He held his mouth. His face he felt, was completely red.

"What the hell are you doing?" He asked in disbelief.

"Getting my prize for saving you and your girlfriend." Blake said.

"Yeah…girlfriend…?" Zack said. "You just totally kissed me. You don't do that to a guy that has a girlfriend…guys don't do that to guys in the first place." He gasped. "You just totally kissed me…" He told more to himself. He was in disbelief.

"Yeah." Blake smiled. He winked at Zack.

Zack felt his face get even worse.

"Don't worry, if you're going to be attacked…then I'll be there for you, no matter where you are, all right?" Blake asked.

Zack stared at him. "What…attacked…?" Zack asked.

Blake smiled. "I'm here for you." Blake then grabbed a spot on Zack's shoulder, making him lose consciousness. Zack collapsed into Blake's arms. Blake heard a movement. He was slightly shocked to see that the girl from before was still…well, alive.

"Oh, how much did you see?" Blake asked.

"I…I saw everything." Victoria said.

"Oh, that's bad…You'd do your best to forget, alright?" Blake asked. "I can't have you interfering with me and my Zack." He said.

"But that wasn't…" Victoria said. "That wasn't him…that was a completely different person…" Victoria said quietly. "Wasn't he…?"

"Hmm…well, we both want the same person, but…different sides of him. You like the fake Zack. I love the real one." Blake said. "Who will win?" He asked.

"You, you're a guy though. I obviously am much better than you." Victoria said. When it came to competition, she was her actual self no matter what. That's what earned her a bad reputation amongst the other cheerleaders. "There's no way Zack would be with a guy over a girl."

Blake laughed. "You'd think that, but you barely met him. He's been with me ever since we were little." Blake said. "We've gone much farther between the two of us than you've had in your little high school love story." Blake said in an arrogant tone.

Victoria scoffed. "Excuse me? What are you saying?"

"Whatever you think I'm saying." Blake answered. He lifted Zack. "Whatever you've done with him, I've done with him, better."

She stared. "Two guys…"

"Can even have sex just like you can." Blake said, walking off in laughter. "Think very hard about it. I'm sure it'll click in your head eventually…I can tell you're kind of slow…it's okay, don't push yourself too hard."

"You've had sex with him…?" Victoria asked. She felt like she was losing already, but the argument had barely begun.

"You should hear him when he moans. He's the cutest little thing." Blake said. He trailed down the stairs.

Victoria followed quietly.

Blake looked down at Zack. I'll get you back, and then we can be back like the old times.

"But-" Victoria began.

"Listen, little lady." Blake said. "This Zack you see isn't the real thing. In actuality, I really think he'd never even look at someone like you."

Victoria glared.

"He's never liked girls. This liking right now just came about because he's not himself." Blake told her. "Keep everything to yourself, or I'll wipe your memory. All you saw here tonight, government related or relating to me, you never saw. You won't say a thing to Zack about me."

"I think it's better that way." Victoria said smugly.

Blake sighed. "Whatever. Don't you worry your pretty little head off. I'll have him once more. Soon enough." Blake said with a smile. "It was me he loved first anyway."

Victoria was quiet. "Whatever." She scoffed. "It's not like we'll be seeing you more and more anyway, I'm right, aren't I?" She asked with an even greater arrogance than that of Blake. "So, I really don't have to worry my pretty little head off. You can't get in between the two of us no matter how hard you try. Zack likes me, and we've been together ever since our freshman year of high school." She laughed a condescending laugh. "You say you can change that, but I really doubt it."

"Okay…" Blake said, lifting Zack over his shoulder and walking down the flights of stairs. Stupid, arrogant girl…

"So long as you don't keep around, then I won't tell Zack anything." Victoria said. "I won't say a thing about you not being normal, or anything like that."

"Hmm…don't you think that if you tell Zack, he'd want to go back with me?" Blake asked. "And be not normal?" Blake lifted his head to the sound of police sirens. "So is your memory going to be cleared or not?" He asked.

"Not." Victoria said with a sigh.

"Okay, Miss Preppy cheerleader, I need you to go home, now. Take Zack home, and make something up, like…I dunno, he fell asleep at your house or something." Blake said. "Where's your car?"

"This way…" Victoria said, now in a rush.