A true hero!

ㅤ They ran through the school corridors, rushing to the evacuation point—the roof. The rescue team responded to the distress call and brought down the helicopter. The team couldn't save themselves… A horde of zombies broke through the blockade just as they arrived. The rescuers literally traded their lives for the dubious chance of the students and their teachers. For just six people… "True heroes don't waste time! Forward! Don't hesitate!!!" The thunderous voice of Barbatos, the gym teacher, literally blasted away all panic and fear, forcing them to focus on a single goal. With a fire axe, Barbatos cleared a path of scattered zombies and locked doors; the bulk of the rotting, moving flesh pursued them behind, filling the classrooms and corridors. The survivors weren't interested in turning back: their salvation lay above, so they devoted all their strength to reaching the stairs unharmed. Elrane, the social studies teacher, brought up the rear, clutching the machine gun she'd managed to grab while fleeing. Fate had tossed it at her feet… Walking alongside her, Harold, the brilliant physics teacher, eyed the weapon enviously, but there was no time to argue. But Harold was sure she was a better shooter. However, Elrane's skills were still hard to judge: she was carefully conserving her ammo, allowing the boys—Loni and Kyle—to block the clumsy monsters' paths with lockers whenever possible. Only Reala remained out of it: she was protected from all sides. They were already running up the stairs, out of breath, when it caught up with them. What had truly terrified them to the point of panic. Not a pitiful horde of zombies… But a pair of monsters that had wiped out the entire rescue team. They were moving quickly along the walls, inexorably approaching the survivors. Barbatos shouldered open the door to the roof, letting Harold through. But… Elrane's chest was pierced by a long tongue. Instead of Reala, whom she had shielded with her body. Machine gun fire. Wheezing: — Run… Reala froze, unable to move. The one with whom she had never found common ground, with whom she had regularly argued over differences of opinion… had given her life for her. Kyle, too, was paralyzed by the horrific image, even though everything inside him screamed, "Take Reala's hand and run!!!" "True heroes don't just stand there in danger! Get out now!" Instead of Kyle, Loni grabbed Reala's hand… and grabbed Kyle along the way. While Barbatos held the door, buying the group time, Harold, Loni, Kyle, and Reala rushed to the helicopter. No one was waiting for them… The pilot was gone. "Does anyone know how to fly a helicopter…?" Loni asked without enthusiasm. "No, but we'll learn!" Harold climbed into the cockpit, studying the instrument panel. A few deft movements of her fingers—and the helicopter began spinning. "Seriously? Just like that?" Loni and Kyle were amazed. "Well, I know the basics—I can handle the rest." "Got it," Loni said, disheartened. "We'll take off, but we won't land…" The boys tried to distract themselves from their impending death with silly talk. There was still a glimmer of hope: Harold really was a genius. If only they could at least take off, and then they could jump into a river instead of a proper landing. The main thing was to get out of here quickly! Reala screamed, getting everyone's attention. She pointed her finger at the gym teacher. A crowd of zombies had broken down the door… Even Barbatos alone wouldn't have been able to handle them all. But he wasn't in a hurry to run to the rescue helicopter: fresh blood was running down his arm. Nearby lay the corpse of a creature with its tongue torn out and its brain split in half by an axe. "What are you messing around with? Fly already!" "But…!" Kyle tried to object. Barbatos only smirked. "True heroes don't die! They live forever!" 'Even if only in the memories of others…' he didn't elaborate, wanting to remain a hero in the eyes of his students until the very end. Even if they feared him. Even if they sometimes despised him. Even if they always tried to break the established rules. "True heroes don't give up without a fight," he said to himself, entering his final battle to the sound of a departing helicopter. ㅤ