Case of the Exes
“Mary, how much time are we working with?” Ryan was organizing weapons and supplies. Her emergency weapons drawer is fully stocked much to the surprise of the military-trained woman.
“It will be at least 10 minutes… and there is the matter of getting on the roof to get into the jet,” Mary walks over to Ryan and Sophie, “hand me a grenade,” as she reaches her hand out Sophie stops her.
“How about you focus on the escape plan and we focus on the stay alive plan?”
“Not to interrupt this odd triangle, but if we make a big boom,” Alice gestures with her hands, “I am hoping you get the idea. I wouldn’t want to be graphic.”
“Since we are no longer being silent, I took the opportunity to hack into The Hold Up’s security system and they’re roughly 60 hungry and undead lesbians ready to feast on us,” Luke was looking through the Hold’s Up footage to see if it could provide any information that could help them get out of The Loft alive.
“Hey, The Hold Up is an inclusive space,” Mary chided Luke’s comment.
“Is now really the time?”
“Yes!” All the women shouted at him.
The zombies were organized behind two women at the front of the pack. Zombies were like vampires; their makers were their leaders. Zombies with their lumbering movements crooked gait and primal communication are a formidable enemy. The already dead are even harder to kill the second time. Guided by a primal instinct zombies moved in hordes, their sheer determination made them formidable foes. The already dead are always harder to kill the second time.
“Okay, okay. Is it the right time to tell you that they may not all be lesbians but their leaders are” Luke turned his phone towards the four women who had seemingly united against him.
The Hold Up had their monthly ‘singles and mingles’ night; it was an inclusive night for anyone looking and whatever they were looking for. It was a mixed crowd of identities, orientations, and relationship statuses. How much does who a person was before they were zombified influence the type of zombie they are? ‘Singles and Mingles’ night is a thirst trap gathering in an oasis. In a town as small as Gotham, there was no such thing as a sneaky link or more than a degree of separation. Everyone was someone’s ex, current or shared supply.
“Is that…” Sophie didn’t want to finish the sentence. She couldn’t believe what she was looking at.
“Lesbian drama serving flesh-eating fierceness,” Alice twirled her butterfly knife and giggled to herself.
“Wow, Soph– an apocalypse of your sex life,” Ryan wasn’t kind with her words.
“Also, that’s Imani right beside her so I guess this apocalypse isn't just on me.”
“Imani isn’t my ex! Glad to see you admit why we’re here.”
“Ryan, please. And does Imani know that?”
"It matters not what Imani thinks she knows.”
“What is your problem, exactly?”
“Not wanting to die would be a start? You don’t seem to be too bothered by that.”
“How is this my fault? I didn’t plan this. Besides, that’s not an ex that’s Kate.”
“Oh. THEE ex. The one who broke up with you because she didn’t have the patience to wait for you to come into your own. Forgive me for downgrading her status.”
“She’s also the woman who handed you the Batwoman mantle; she handed you her life or did you forget about that.”
“Please; Kate was protecting herself from that L. You know what that say… once you go Black... You would understand if you ever tried it.”
“What the fuck, Ryan?”
“And I don’t see you trying to save Imani or the other 59 gays.”
“Fuck Imani!” The words were sharp, deliberate, and laced with jealousy.
“It would be more than she ever got from me,” delivered without remorse
“CAN WE FOCUS ON STAYING ALIVE PLEASE?” Luke shouted. It was greeted by an even louder growl from the loft.
“Seriously?” Mary snapped at him.
“Really! They get to fight over the dead but I don’t get to be frustrated.”
“She won’t be dead for long because we are saving her,” Sophie stated this fact as if it wasn’t debatable.
“Uh hmmm… does that jet come with first class and champagne service adopted sis?” Alice snuggled up to Mary, “I think we should leave them to work this out. It’s best for everyone.”
“Ryan, this isn’t what Batwoman would do? She would be trying to save the city and everyone in it.”
“Don’t gaslight me.”
“Gaslight you? It’s the truth. What is going on with you?”
Luke released a deep sigh.
“Help me get this bed up and against the door,” Ryan didn’t respond to the question, “Mary, an ETA?”
“Yea, the jet is en route and there is a plan to get us up to the roof and on the plane.”
“Soph, are you interested in living or…?”
“Are you interested in saving me?” The question was sincere. Had the bickering broken the taller woman?
“If I wasn’t interested in saving you, I wouldn’t be sacrificing them.”
“Is that a collective you?”
“Shut up, Alice!”
Luke heard a sound, “they are definitely climbing those stairs,” it broke the stare-off taking place between Ryan and Sophie.
“Let’s push everything we have against the door. It will buy us the final three minutes we need. Remove the bed legs and use those as weapons. There’s one gun. Sophie?”
“I understand the assignment.”
“Are you sure?” Ryan needed to know that Sophie would be willing and prepared to shoot Kate to slow her down if that’s what it came down to. She was trusting Sophie as the best marksperson in the group. She also knew that she rarely thought straight when it came to Kate.
“I’m saving you, too.”
“Is that a collective you?”
“Thanks for the affirmation, Luke.”
“Dear god, I am agreeing with Alice,” Luke was visibly distressed at the realization.
“A ladder will drop and we’ll be brought into the jet one by one. It will take about a minute for each of us. Someone has to be the last person to climb up,” Mary relayed the information with an understanding of finality.
“I call dibs on first,” Alice chimed in.
“It’s me. I’ll do it.”
“No. I’ll do it.”
“We’ll both do it.”
“It’s one at a time, Soph.”
“Besides. I’m–”
“Batwoman! Yes, we know,” they all said in unison.
“Well damn. Tell a girl how you really feel about her.”
The door cracked. The Kate and Imani-led zombie horde had arrived. A rope ladder dropped outside the loft window.
Alice grabbed it, “after you, Sis,” and signaled to Mary to climb up. Ryan and Sophie were in a defensive stance while Luke continued to brace more and more furniture against the door. The zombies were also armed seemingly with the fire emergency axe from The Hold Up. They made a hole and a single hand came reaching through.
“Imani always had the hands for a zombie uprising,” Sophie blurted out.
“Hey, I dated her.”
“We’d all like to forget that. Now, stay ready.”