The Brock's Rest part 1(?) - ATZ an English Adventure

Peering into the gloomy interior, Bobby edged into the Brock's Rest Tavern with April just behind him, her assault rifle up and tracking left to right. Weak daylight poured through ancient leaded windows, illuminating a bar area that belonged in a different era. Flagstones clad the floor and huge oak beams lined the walls and low ceiling. Wall mounted torches flickered as small gusts took the flames, causing them to dance. Across the massive open room stood an enormous wooden bar, complete with barrels atop the surfaces and more in place of bar stools, with 'old world' style glasses, mugs and tankards scattered across it.  It all had a very cozy feel to it, that was if you could ignore the zombies - oh and the human that was fighting them...

our heroes walk into a fight!

as per my rules for this game, walking into the tavern will reveal 6 cards
at suburban level - 7 x zeds and my special character (not Carolee...)

"Howay, my friends" a cheery voice shouted from behind the bar, his northern drawl marking him as a Geordie. "Have you come to join this little party?" He punctuated his remark by lifting an assault rifle of his own and shooting a zombie in the head and dropping it to the flagstones. "I'm Bryan, by the way" he added with a cheeky grin toward April.

Bryan shoots a zed from behind the bar

April gawked at the man behind the bar, not tall, running to fat and dressed in a T shirt decorated with a veluptuous female vampire, the man did not seem very imposing. The cheeky grin and soft geordie accent completed the picture of what, in different times might have been considered a bit of a geek. However, the competent handling of the firearm and accuracy of the shot, as well as the long katana strapped to his waist hinted at someone to whom the apocalypse had seen them flourish!

"Hi Bryan" she managed after a second or two, returning his grin with her 1000w smile. "I'm April" punctuating he reply with a burst of gunfire of her own, with similar results. "and this is Bobby" indicating the camera man as he followed suit.

The zombies close in on the humans as they 'meet and greet'

unbeknown to them, the gunfire has drawn zeds from upstairs down
into the common room

Pulling his katana, Bryan hurried toward the two infected that were heading toward the bar and in a flurry of strokes cut them down. April stood open mouthed watching the geeky geordie, mesmerised by the almost graceful movements, totally at odds with the portly nature of the man. So distracted by this display was she, that she accidentally discharged her weapon into the ancient stone floor.

Bobby sighed as he picked off an approaching zed, April always did this. Whenever a fat, nerdy guy was about the beautiful red-head became infatuated. It was astonishing and also funny to watch - normally, as a succession of buff, male model types threw themselves at her just to be rebuffed and sent away with a scathing put down. Only to see her fluttering her long lashes at a completely oblivious, Dungeons and Dragons loving super virgin... Even the zeds seemed to pause to watch the burgeoning crush 

meanwhile in the common room more zeds join the growing horde

Bryan scuttled over to join them, oblivious to the long looks coming from the infatuated reporter, shooting from the hip nonchalantly at the zed behind the bar and dropping it, much to April's delight. Not to be outdone, Bobby shot the last D-sub in the bar area and shook his head as his colleague stood dumbstruck.

the bar area is clear

but more zeds gather in the gloom of the common room

10 of the undead monsters stand swaying in the darkened room.

Bryan took a cautious step into the common room, wincing as his foot thumped down on the floor which had changed from stone to oak planking. The low light of the fire he had lit earlier, cast a flickering gloom across the massive open area, revealing the tables and upturned stools that had in better times no doubt been laden with scrumptious pub food and filled with laughing patrons. A low groan coming from all sides of the room, caused him to pause and raise his rifle.

the former residents of the tavern are revealed in the dim light of the fire

and there are lots of them

lots and lots

Bryan stepped backward, his feet shuffling back onto the flagstones and his rifle barking as he triggered a burst at the approaching horde. "Watch out" he managed to gasp as the wave of infected humans fell over the journalists. Bobby fired a long burst of his own, taking down a zed, before smashing the butt of the rifle into the face of another, causing it to fall over. April, overwhelmed by the ferocity of the attack barely had time to raise her weapon before her attacker was on her. She shrieked in pain as filthy nails were dragged across her cheek, laying it down to the bone. Swinging wildly with the rifle and half blinded by blood from her gruesome wound, she missed and dropped to a knee as she overbalanced. The zombie snapped its teeth mere inches from her throat as it's clawed hands drew more ragged wounds down her shoulders and arms. A thumping blow from the zed as they clashed heads stunned her and she fell fully to the floor, the darkness rising up to meet her.

April loses the melee against her opponent

as Bobby takes care of his...

more zeds are drawn in

"NOOOOO!" Bobby screamed as he saw the filthy zombie batter April to the ground. Drawing the combat knife that his colleague had scavenged for him, he slammed the blackened blade into the side of its head hilt deep.   A long burst of machine gun fire nearby indicated that Bryan, the mysterious northerner was still in the fight. 

With his original opponents still trying to get up and April's attacker down, Bobby heaved the bleeding reporter onto his muscular shoulder and retreated towards the oak door. With his free hand he reached for the walkie-talkie that he knew was linked to some new friends of the red-headed reporter and keyed the 'talk' button.

"MEDICS" he roared into the device, mimicking the soldiers he had toured with as a reporter in Afghanistan. "MEDICS" he repeated, as Bryan headed toward him, laying a stream of fire behind them, dropping more zeds as they stumbled towards the fleeing humans.

more and more zeds stream forward

Bryan reached passed him and opened the thick timbered doors to the Tavern and the pair stumbled out of the building into the daylight. Quickly, the stout geordie threw the door shut, and retreated back away as Bobby spat information into the radio. Bryan couldn't quite make out the words but he heard a male voice on the other end of the device replying to the frantic cameraman.

Looking around, the ex-graphic designer turned apocalypse survival expert spotted the eccentric looking building across the courtyard. Pulling on the young man's free shoulder, he dragged him and his unconscious burden toward the house.

With a grunt he pushed through the door and into an open plan ground floor. A tiled floor, once pristine showed some signs of a recent fight, with some bloodstains marking the spot. Bobby eased April onto the floor and stepped back, trying vainly to surpress a sob, and began to beg the voice on the radio for instructions. "What do I do? what do I do?" he repeated as the walkie-talkie burst back into life.

"We're on our way" came a new voice, softer, female, more soothing. "In the meantime you need to find some bits and help April until we get there"

Bobby and Bryan listened in awe at the competent sounding voice on the other end of the line, and let that professionalism calm their jangling nerves. Help was coming, they just needed to do their part and it would all be ok....wouldn't it?

Bryan "Vampifan" Scott

hope you enjoy

dGG