All That Remains

[SnowStorm42]

Neil smiled as she sat on the bed next to him. "Those eyes could light up a dark room" he joked. He realized how much the two didn't know about each other. He only found out now that one of her relatives was alive. Her real name was not Gospel..although both had nice rings to them. She didn't know anything about Rachael, or Thomas. She didn't know why Neil left the coyotes, what he did before that and what he did after. He could really use a good drink thinking about all this.


Having her ask how much he had figured out he moved back on the bed so his feet were on it and his back was against the wall. He rested his arms between his legs and looked at the floor given Gospel looked away from him. "Your real name is Jessica. You've been in this lab before. And I'll take a wild guess and say your father is alive in the room next to us" he said to her. That was all he had. After all these years. The thought kind of upset him. Only a bit though and his face wouldn't show it. Although the smile started to turn upside down going back into all the things the two didn't know about each other. Just the fact that she used the words "figured out". Neil wondered if he had made a mistake at the church. At the same time he had hope that this would push them to get closer. He didn't know.


In the other room Chris and Keith continued to argue with Pinkerton and the other man. They kept arguing that a suppressant could be created that could also lead to a cure, however Chris knew the lab had to be burned and even if either was successful the world was too far gone. Chris looked at the door and wondered what Gospel and Neil were discussing. Perhaps the same thing?

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Gospel found a small burn of blush spread across her cheeks at his exaggeration. She had never found her eyes to be that striking, but the way he put it almost made her forget about how they were the same shade as her father's. Forcing herself to stop fiddling with her thumbs, she adjusted so that she was facing him. Legs weaving over each other in a cris-cross-apple-sauce position. She searched his face for any clue as to what he was thinking and she bit her lip as her brain digested the fact that there was a lot of her past that was being dug up. Part of it also dawdled on the rush of emotions from not knowing how he felt about her keeping all this to herself. Her past was a crushing weight that she couldn't bare to live with. Without her taking on the 'Gospel' identity she knew that there wouldn't have been that strong of a chance towards her survival.


A small sad smile found it's way to her lips as she looked at him. Realizing that he was more then enough of a reason for her sanity to stay intact.


"Jess."





Her voice came out barely above a whisper when she corrected him, her fingers starting to play with the bottom of her jacket. There was no way she was going to be able to sit still in this situation. Not when half of her wanted to bolt and the other half wanted to hug him. Deciding not to give into either, she closed her eyes and took a really deep breath trying hard to take down the wall of fortitude that she had placed around herself. Gospel wanted to tell him everything, but her old habits of avoiding the painful memories and past mistakes were making it near impossible.


"Neil. I'm....sorry about not really telling you anything before it was....easier if I kept everything to myself."





Gospel remembered having a feeling that if she had told him earlier then he probably wouldn't have listened. He was a different person since she had last seen him. Though the dead monster back out in the labs was more then enough evidence that he hadn't grown completely soft. A small spike in confidence had her hand reaching out to grab his. Her smaller hands slowly encasing his and much like the car ride to the labs she found herself examining his fingers and palm. Gospel ignored her girlish heartbeat, staying quiet as she struggled with the perfect way to tell him what she needed to.


He deserved answers about her, but then again she deserved answers from him as well. It was just that she wasn't sure how eager she was to learn about the girl who he was so broken over for all this time. As soon as the thought wormed into the forefront of her mind her hand stilled in his. Questions bubbled up, an expression of hurt weaving past the usual blank one.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil smiled.


"Jess" he repeated. It had a lovely ring to it. he was torn between that and Gospel now. Both were very nice, and he was already accustomed to one. He would figure it out in time granted that there would be more time. He looked at he blue eyes and thought for a moment to tell her everything. Some things were so difficult to tell. Like the reason he left. He didn't expect her to tell him things either given who- no....what he used to be. Neil was upset at the thought. He found his lips spreading upward into a cherry smile as she apologized.





"I understand that its difficult and its easier to hold it in. Believe me" Neil said. He felt her touch. He looked down and his smile grew smaller and softer, a more heartfelt smile. Neil held her hand in his. Emotions exploded inside him. He hadn't felt this kind of connection in so long. Sure sometimes he had held a child's hand guiding them across the wastes. A mother's hand to comfort her. Embrace a man who was on the edge, and willing to give up. But this was different. He looked down at his feet and back at her with a small smile. He forgot they were even at the lab. He felt like they were in just some random room all by themselves. He forgot the bikers were outside. However becoming aware of the fact that all this was reality the thought of kissing her slid back to the back area of his mind.





"You don't have to say anything..but if you do..I immediately have to tell you something about myself back. Sound like a deal?" he asked.


In the other room Chris was very anxious about what was happening behind the door. He decided to leave the middle of the argument with the scientists and let Keith handle the argument. He went to the camera room and sat in the chair where a security guard would have sat. He looked at all the monitors hoping to see the inside of the room where Gospel was. No dice. One thing he did notice though. There were no zombies in the lab. "Where'd they all go?"

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

"So twenty questions without the real point of the actual game."


Her fingers allowed themselves to be intertwined with his, a feeling of peace placing her turbulent thoughts at ease. His hand holding hers was a sort of security that she hadn't felt before. A tranquility that made everything seem as if they held their own universe. It was easy for her to forget that there were things in the world now that would love to have her as a midnight snack. Gospel exhaled softly and her gaze flickered up to meet the green ones before her. His expression surprised her, she didn't know what she had expected to see from him but the soft look he was giving her definitely wasn't it.


A week ago she wouldn't have been able to fathom a reality such as this. Where he lounged next to her on an actual bed, holding her hand, and willing to speak about a sort of taboo that had been mutely discussed.


Then again, a week ago she might not have believed that she was capable of feeling such strong mundane emotions. The things that she had done after his Houdini act left her....in a sort of condition that she would never have liked to think of again. The Coyotes weren't the sort of civilized people that Gospel would have hoped they would be. It was a wonder how she had survived in such a place being as naive as she was.


Forcing her thoughts to the present it had only taken her a few moments to realize that she had been staring right back at him without a word to any of his comments. A large burning blush spread mercilessly across her pale face and putting an apple to shame with how red it was. Gospel was quick to look away, not realizing that without him knowing what was going through her mind it was anyone's guess as to what she was really thinking.


"I....um...had a sister. She's-.....she's the reason why I joined the Coyotes."


Gospel managed, unable to fasten the pace of the slowly dissipating redness on her cheeks. She sort of hoped that by discussing something serious she would be able to deflect the obvious connection the two had. Her inexperience with this mushy-gushy stuff was getting the best of her and she really had no idea how to handle all of this fluff.


It was much easier for her to decapitate a zombie then to admit that she had more feelings for him then what she was letting on.


=================================================================


Crossing his arms he gave a stern look over at the two bikers, a blank look plastered on his hardened face. After another moment he took a glance at the door he had seen Jessica walk through. He knew she was with the blonde one, though he wasn't sure what they had going on between them. Not that it mattered.


She was going to come with him whether she wanted to or not. And he was going to take Grace with as well.


He had spent too long away from them and every day in this hell had reminded him how much he missed having a family.


He missed the control.


The order.


Everything was too chaotic in this world and if he got the chance he would snuff it out in a heartbeat.


The world needed order, a firm hand to guide it, not this 'do as we see fit' shit.


Shifting in his sort of lax at rest position, he ran his grubby fingers through the greasy mop of salt and pepper hair on his head.


"It is imperative that this facility stays functional. It is the last remaining one in a 900,000 mile radius."

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil was still just absolutely overwhelmed by the feeling of Gospel's hand in his. He hadn't done this in so long. It was as if he was finally in touch with the old him. The him before the Coyotes. It was ironic to Neil that Gospel's...Jess's' sister was the reason for her joining the coyotes. Neil also joined the coyotes to manipulate his rage into power after the death of Rachael. "Grace is a beautiful name...My fiancee's name was Rachael..she was the reason I joined the coyotes" Neil shared looking away and smiling a bit. He didn't want that to count as his "question". It was basically a comment to hers.





"I have a brother...Tommy" he said looking at his boots. His relationship with Tommy was never the greatest. The two always butted heads, given Neil was always a laid back underachiever and Tommy was always a hard working strict soul. The two would never admit it but thats the reason they parted ways. One might think it was a differing in opinions on what to do with a group of survivors they were leading..but it was just old beef that was never settled. As a result the majority of the group went with Tommy and Neil took a few survivors with him. He always beat himself up though because those survivors ended up dying at the hands of some bandits. Neil survived but was etched with the constant question..Is Tommy alive and did he lose any of his group. Neil had always felt like he had made a mistake that day..not going with Tommy. It was like two animals in the jungle though. They butted heads all the time.


Neil looked at Gospel. Something told him things were either gonna connect better for them or split them further than before. The information they were going to share was information that should've been shared in intervals. Neil hoped they would grow closer rather than further. He had to be ready for the worst though. The last thing he wanted was to be alone..again. His grip on her hand tightened just a bit in unison with his thoughts. He had spent so many years trying now since Rachael's death and he couldn't find comfort. Friends he met went away or died. Women he could've potentially loved or at least befriended very well were non existent. There was only Gospel at this point. Without her he would be a lone wolf once again. The thought of him lone wolfing reminded him of the safe zone. He wondered how they were holding up. he was their best scout and with his absence things could start look bleak again.

-------------------------------------------------

​

Keith looked at the man they had picked up from the labs. "With all due respect...A cure at this point would be meaningless. We need to leave and prepare for war".





Chris continued to monitor the cameras. He looked at the time on one of them. Night fall was upon them. It was too dangerous to move out now. They would probably have to stay the night or make their way to Woodsrow but that was a stupid idea. The last time Chris had seen that city he had to travel by roof tops and walls because the streets were covered in infected. There was little to no room there. Woodrow had been locked down with all the people in it. The result was a city with no breathing room. Finding shelter there wasn't impossible but usually resulted in death. His mind strayed to Gospel again, thinking of the time they had spent in his room. She was very much like Crystal. Maybe thats why things clicked. He wondered for the fourth time what she was doing in that room at this moment.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Her heart thudded, blood pounding against her temples as information processed at a slow pace. Everything he had told her seemed to make a little bit more sense. The conundrum that was Neil suddenly had a little less of a foggy mystery around it. Still grasping his larger palm in hers, she held all of her attention on him taking in every detail of every expression or movement that he made. It felt like a rare event to have seen him so open like this, a little more vulnerable then usual.


"I'm sorry..."


Gospel breathed, involuntarily saying exactly what was on her mind.


His hand constricted around hers more, cutting off the long moment of her staring off into space. Her brain rattled with so many things that she could tell him, that she could say in order for him to understand her more. Not only that, but it was good to trust someone enough to share information that a regular person may not know.


Realizing that he probably didn't want or need her condolences, she shifted slightly on the bed next to him. The rough slik of the fabric rubbing against the small aread of skin that found it's way past the barriers of her clothes.


"Do you miss them?"


It was a no brainer that he missed them, it was a natural thing to do. Hell, she missed her mother and sister more then anything but that didn't change how the world was.


A harsh, unforgiving place that found amusment in the struggles of humanity. Gospel bit her lip as she waited for his answer, actually praying that this overdue talk of theirs would help their friendship and not hinder it.


((Sorry no color using Tapatalk))

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil looked at her and nodded as she told him she was sorry. Her condolences were appreciated. He couldn't help but smile as her body moved closer to his as if he was a massive object pulling her into orbit except with his words rather than his size. He couldn't help but tilt his neck and rest his head on hers. He didn't want this moment to end. But he knew it would sooner or later. Morning would come and the two would have to be up and about, and with how things were they might have to part ways unless he could stay in Pawnee for a while or take her with him.


"Tommy and I hated each other but I do miss him. Rachael...I've been missing her as of late" he said. He was surprised at how long it took for him to stop missing her so much. Perhaps because Gospel was here. It felt good sharing this stuff. He hadn't spoken about Tommy to anyone in so many years. Jimmy-O didn't know about him let alone anyone at the safe zone or anyone Neil came across in the post apocalypse. He wondered how the hard ass was doing and if he missed Neil too. "You miss Grace?" he asked with a bit of a sadder tone.


((Quite alright))

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Gently allowing her eyelids to drape shut, she inhaled a slow breath feeling his head lean comfortably on top of hers. The sensation of him being in such proximity to her was making her stomach flutter. She had doubted for a long time that she would ever be as comfortable as this, reclining in a plush bed with no real guards up, it was...a nice change of pace.


Gospel bit the inside of her cheek trying to hide the fact that she was a ticking time bomb of emotion. As much as she hated dragging herself through the past, she figured that as long as he was willing to listen then she might as well share. Her eyes opened again glancing over at him when he spoke of Rachael. It was odd for her to hear the name after so many years of just assuming what she had been like for him to become so hooked. Though now seeing how he was when he was sober and without the mask, it wasn't too much of a stretch to think that he had had someone he loved.


Looking away from him she let her gaze focus in on the wooden door that lead to where reality was. A cold blooded world that wouldn't give two shits how emotionally confused and torn she was. It was stupid of her to grow attached to anyone or anything, yet here she was finding herself caught between her past, the present, and two guys who didn't seem to realize how lost they were making her feel.


"Everyday. I still.....If it hadn't been for that bastard....she wouldn't...."


Gospel drew in another deep breath in a futile attempt to keep her voice from wavering. Sitting up straighter, she shifted so that his head was no longer resting on hers and she was leaning on the edge of the bed. Really struggling to get out anything she had kept bottled up for so long. It had been easier, much easier, to tell Chris about a portion of her past. Perhaps it was because they didn't have a history. The two of them weren't as buddy buddy to begin with considering that their first encounter included her blade to his throat. Before he took her and the rest of her group captive.


Good times.


Though she still opened up to him more which was an enigma all on it's own.


"When people stated....well, coming back I was just barely out of high school and my sister was a kid. Ten. Her whole life ahead of her and a bright future to look forward to despite....everything. My Dad had left us to fend for ourselves and I, obviously, was not as bright then as I am now-"


Struggling to keep herself talking, Gospel ran her fingers through her hair in another desperate attempt to keep herself calmer looking then what she felt. Not only could she still see the images burned fresh in her head but she had those images of Sam and Max to plague her as well.


"It just...should have been me..."


Gospel muttered, bringing loose strands of her faded hair into her ponytail.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil raised his head and sat up straight as she moved to the edge of the bed. He could tell she was struggling with this but he appreciated the fact quietly that they were sharing these things with each other. It wasn't easy from his end either. These memories of his brother and his fiancee. It was all so much. Neil looked out the only window in the room which was near the bed. Night had come and a storm had chased them with the setting of the sun. The tapping of the rain brought a glum feeling yet soothing at the same time. Neil enjoyed the rain.


As Gospel started and stopped Neil moved to the edge of the bed and put a hand on her knee. He wanted her to know it was ok. He knew it was difficult to say. When she said bastard he assumed that she meant her father outside. After a moment she started up again and explained. He felt his left hand close into his fist as she stated that her father had left them to fend for themselves. He couldn't imagine what kind of a man did that to his young daughter. He rubbed Gospel's knee and removed it from her knee as she said that it should have been her. He looked at the floor.


"I thought the same thing when Rachael died..."





He started. he took a moment and then smiled reminiscing. "There was this little girl in the Projects once, and she needed to get back to Yorkstown. She got split up from her family at some point and they were back in Dranesville...so I basically escorted and carried her all the way back. She couldn't have been more than seven years old" he said smiling so brightly. That girl was one of the highlights of the apocalypse to him. She was one of the smartest little girls he had ever met, and she was so brave the entire trip back. They had quite the adventure going back to Dranesville. He wondered how she was now. It had been two years ago maybe. He looked at Gospel. "Rachael wouldn't have been able to help everyone that I have...and I don't know what grace was like..but I don't know if she would've been able to save a dumb blonde from death by Coyote firing squads" he said.


In trying to make Gospel understand the value of her being here he wondered if all these things happened for a reason. Was there a reason why it was he who lived and not Rachael. A reason why Grace didn't make it and Gospel did. These philosophical things always troubled him, even in his youth. Did everything happen for a reason? Neil's train of thought went to the water droplets on the window. Sometimes he just wanted to get swallowed up by the water droplets. Dry up when the sun came around and condense into the air, free from the zombie plague.





"Besides she is probably in a much better place than this reality" he said forcing a sad smile as he stared at the window.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

The contact of his hand on her knee sparked an unexpected feeling to flutter around in her chest.


She hadn't actually expected him to reach out to her in such a way or for the warm gesture to bring about those oh so confusing butterflies.


A small frown tugged at the corner of her pale lips, cobalt orbs shifting so that they could study every angle of his face intently as he looked to the floor for some unknown guidance. His absent hand left her knee feeling unusually cold though she tried to ignore the mild chill chalking it up to the shift in temperatures outside. This building probably didn't have the best ventilation anymore and she could tell from the darken steaks sulking in the corners of the small room that it wasn't exactly noon out anymore.


"I thought the same thing when Rachael died..."


Her mouth opened to comment only to be shut up by the fact that he had started to smile.


It had felt like forever since she had truly seen him smile like this while recalling a good memory. It was probably one of the very few good experiences that a person could have in a noxious universe like this.


Instead of focusing on the rest of his tale, Gospel found herself staring at that grin. Taking in the way his face crinkled from the smile, she took a long second to admire him. Not really certain when she would ever be able to see him like this again.


It was something that the End of the World had harshly taught her; to make every second count because you didn't know when it would be your last.


Biting her lip, Gospel slowly peered upwards in order to meet his own emerald orbs gazing back at her. She felt his eyes search her face his expression suddenly trying to convey his point.


The point that she had totally not listened to.


He broke eye contact, instead choosing to stare out the window and watch bunched up water molecules race each other down the smooth surface called glass.


Catching on to what he was thinking from that blank slate expression she had come to know as him in deep thought, Gospel let out a slight puff of air. Knowing that he was trying to get her to understand something philosophical that would just fly right over her head.


Everything just happened to happen.


That was her logic.


Her sister died because that was the card she was dealt in life, there were no other motives, and there certainly wasn't a higher power in constant control of everything. If there was then she would have swallowed that bullet a long, long time ago.


Her frown deepened at the sight of his forced smile which wasn't as distracting as the real one he had exhibited a few minuets ago.


"Neil..."


Gospel whispered, reaching up to place her palm against the side of his cheek. She waited for him to look at her before allowing a soft smile to float it's way in an replace her previous grimace.


"As much as I-"


A deafening barrage of thunder reverberated from outside, completely muting the words about to come out of her mouth. In a swift movement she was off the bed with a pillow clutched to her chest and one hand cupping one ear in a futile attempt to block out the noise. Gospel kept her eyes slammed shut refusing to move from the place were she now sat on the floor with her back against the bed. She didn't know what was more mortifying the fact that he had clearly seen her reaction to thunder twice or the fact that the way she reacted was as if she were seven again.


Zombies were a piece of cake.


Deformed monster, not a problem.


Water could be dealt with.


People weren't so much as a bother.


But Thunder?


Thunder topped everything.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil looked at Gospel. The fact that everything he said seemed to go through one ear and out the other didn't phase him. Hell he didn't care if his words didn't even make contact with her ear. It brought him a small ounce of happiness telling that story because it was the first time he really told anyone and it brought back warm memories. Some heart stopping ones as well, such as that time they were being chased by clickers, but otherwise warm memories.


Neil wished that life wasn't so ghastly. Things used to be much simpler. Although if not the apocalypse Neil wondered if he would have ever met the people he did. Emily, Jason, Tyler, Brad, Kathy, Gospel, Jimmy-O. Neil started to weigh the positives and the negatives. The positives were the people who gave him hope and laughter. The negatives were too long to list. He had lost so many loved ones, and lost new friends as quick as he had met them. There were those years in the coyotes which resulted in the incident. Neil wondered if it was an appropriate time to tell Gospel the truth. How he HAD to leave the coyotes. Everyone had always said he had seen something so terrible that he wanted to leave and that was the half truth he went with. The fact of the matter that was probably buried with the old leader was that Neil HAD to go.


The magic of the coyotes was that a lot of the time they let you go without trouble so long as you left peacefully and understood they could kill you at at a later point in time. Neil wasn't granted that option really, or wouldn't have been. He would've been executed on the spot for what he did. His side of the story wouldn't have mattered to the old boss. Rules were rules, and if the other coyotes that Neil had been with were alive they would've MAYBE met execution too. But they weren't and that was on Neil. That was the day his brain switched back from rage to the old caring Neil. The horrors of this world were too much.


Neil's train of thought crashed into a brick wall and was replaced with a warm awareness as Gospel's hand touched his face. He turned to see her frown turn into a soft smile. That in turn made him smile. Though he had listed one positive, it probably outweighed most of the negative. He listened as she was about to spea-


'CRASH'





Neil jumped a bit not expecting the thunder. But his reaction was nothing compared to Gospel's. Though partially amusing he didn't show any signs of mockery or laughter. Instead Neil slid off the bed and scooted his butt over next to her real close. He brought his right arm around her in an almost hug and brought her in closer looking at her the entire time with his spring like eyes. "Its ok. I'm here" he said giving her a genuine warm smile.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Almost as soon as his arm was around her, she had her face buried into his shoulder. He was acting like her sheild and blanket at the same time, both analogies playing their part of minuscule comfort. His words tried their hand at soothing her but they weren't really helping the fact that she was already keenly aware of the rumbling. The constant clatter that came once every couple seconds.


Struggling to calm herself and her breathing, she clutched at the fabric of his shirt kind of hugging him back from the way she was uncontiously clinging to him.


Drawing in another slow breath she pulled back from his shoulder only to jump again at the sound of another crack. Looking away from him, Gospel struggled with getting her childish fear under control. Now wasn't the time for her to be stuck in a room because she allowed her fears to get the best of her. Gulping, Gospel hugged her pillow a little tighter waiting for the next sign of the devilish sound.


She wasn't going to lie, she was seriously continplating just staying in her current position with his arm wrapped tightly around her in an attempt to get her to relax. Which probably wouldn't happen so soon, the storm had just started and from the way it was raining she might be cringing every few seconds for a while now. But it was still easier for her to do something in Oder to keep her mind off the impending doom that lurked just outside.


Gospel forced a smile back at him, "Thank you...."





She murmured out slowly, attempting to shakingly move away from him positive with her assumption that she could feel better in a wider space.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil looked at Gospel and felt awful. He felt like he was just doing all the wrong things and the environment and nature were not helping. Thinking of the environment he wondered how no one had come in to check on them. Perhaps they were arguing or asleep or making assumptions about what they were doing. Neil stretched one leg out and rest his arm on the knee that was bent. He looked at the storm outside. "I'm sorry I ever left.." he said staring out the window. This was the same type of storm that hit the day he had run. He felt his hip the old bullet wound bringing back the pain. The bullet to the face that his mask saved him from. That was a bad day.


He felt Gospel moving away slowly and understood. He removed his arm and thought for a moment. Without a word he made his way to his backpack that was tossed in the corner of the room. He reached in the bag and looked at his old iPod and his slightly old headphones. They were just a bit scratched and a few pieces of plastic had come off but they weren't dirty or broken. He made his way over to her and squatted in front of her with a smile. "Pick a song and close your eyes" he said.


He was a bit curious as to what she would pick. He had so many options and was afraid that it would discourage her from taking the headphones. He knew they would muffle out the sound of thunder without even putting the volume all the way up. He had everything from classic rock, to alternative, to metal, to heavy metal, to techno and classical.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Irritably, he kept his stance rigid while glowering at his old friend and co-worker. There was no way he was letting these people abolish the last possible cure center for thousands of miles. It wasn't happening, Z's or no Z's the General knew that he could never abandon his duty to what was left of his beloved country. He had given up everything for this establishment, his daughters, his wife, hell even a perfectly good chance for him to seek refuge elsewhere. No matter the alternate motives that these kids had, he wouldn't back down so easily. Clearing his throat, he cast his steely gaze over towards the closed bedroom door his mind wandering off to the days before the outbreak. He had been a shitty father in the past, but Jessica was still his daughter and he wasn't so sure he liked what he imagined going on behind that wooden door. She had always been a loaded gun though, so much the opposite of her sister and the ideal child.


Taking a few steps towards the young man with the face-paint, he held his arms behind his back in a position of rest watching the fuzzy monitors over the younger man's shoulder.


"What is the relationship between those two?"


He inquired with a flat tone as he gestured towards the door. Not bothering to hide the fact that he wasn't acting like a concerned dad in the middle of the apocalypse.


----------------------------------------------------------


Gospel pressed her forehead softly against her knees as she pulled them to her chest. It would have been better if he wasn't in there with her, if he hadn't seen her reaction to the cursed booming outside. But he was here and she was going to have to deal with that humiliation. Tilting her head to the side slightly, she watched him through clumps of her hair that fell forwards into her face when she moved.


"You don't have to be sorry Neil....they would have killed you if you hadn't.."


She murmured, looking towards the door again. Her mind trailing off to thoughts about what exactly was going on behind it and she found herself quietly praying that the General had been eaten so that when she walked out she wouldn't have to see him. Dragging her attention back towards Neil, she looked over the small device in his hand with a puzzled expression.


"Pick a song and close your eyes"


Her eyebrow arched, reaching out in bewilderment as another blast made her jumpy again. Slowly, she slid her thumb over the small smooth surface of the device before lifting one of his worn headphones to her left ear.


"I haven't seen a workable one in...a long time."


Gospel muttered, flipping through the endlessly long selection of songs that he had downloaded. She had paused at a couple but didn't hit play, it was better to focus on the song selection then to actually sit still and listen to it. Gospel didn't really know how to sit still, she liked action but Thunderstorms just kind of wiped all that energy away. Her mom had died in a thunderstorm when the world was normal and cars weren't that much of a luxury or a need for survival. Stopping at a song, she stared at it blankly for a long time before another shock wave of thunder prompted her to press play.


She's watchin' the Taxi Driver, He pulls away...


She's been..locked up inside her apartment 100 days...


She says....


Gospel smiled softly as the lyrics started to play, muffling the sounds of the world around her. Glancing up at Neil who was just standing there smiling at her while she worked on calming her nerves and reducing the chance of her actually having a full blown panic attack.


"Yeah, He's Still comin' just a little bit late, he got stuck at the laundromat washin' his cape. She's just...watching the clouds roll by an they spell her name. Like Lois Lane.."


Gospel sang softly before realizing that he couldn't hear what she was singing to. A small burn stung her cheeks her eyes darting away from his as the blush worsened. Clearing her throat she quietly held out the other ear bud to him while avoiding eye contact. She had embarrassed herself enough so he might as well just listen to her song selection with her.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Chris sat at the monitors just staring. The dead were almost non existent except the corpses they had left behind including the Janitor. The creature was still scary even in death. It resembled something like the Jersey Devil but with a gray jack's dna as well as a skull for a head. He wondered if it was true that it was meant to stop the outbreak. Why such an abomination? Couldn't they burn the lab? Create a robot? Why such a foul creature? Zombies didn't feel fear. They were dead. So why create something so nightmarish? At that moment the man they had rescued, who resembled Gospel walked in. He was definitely related but he didn't know how. His question struck Chris. "They used to be coyotes together...thats all" Chris said. "What about you and her? Uncle? Father?" Chris asked while analyzing the man. Either the man gave no shits about anything or he had been through a lot. He seemed stern. Chris used to be the same for a while. He wanted to be a real leader. Feared. Respected. Loyal to his own cause. He felt the man before him was very similar.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

​

"I'm surprised the battery is still alive given I haven't been to the safe zone in what feels like forever" Neil said, genuinely surprised that it hadn't shattered or anything with everything that had happened so far. He sat again beside her but not too close so that she would have her space. He looked at her smiling as she sang a line from a song. 'Good ol' Daughtry' Neil thought to himself. When Gospel looked up and blushed a bit Neil's brain flashed a thought into his mind. He turned a tad bit pink himself. He wasn't going to go through with it. He didn't know if he was doing things right and the last thing he wanted to do was just make things more difficult on her. Her lips looked so soft though.


He snapped to reality when she handed him the other ear bud. He smiled and took it and placed it in his ear. With the rain in one ear and music in the other he felt like he was in Heaven. He shut his eyes and rested his head on the edge of the bed. Thoughts blasted into him and his philosophical mind. He started to think about life without the dead and without the apocalypse. he started thinking what if he hadn't joined the coyotes. What if he never met Jimmy-O. What if Tommy was still here. How had Neil survived so long to this point. So many thoughts crossed his mind before he drifted off. He dozed off right there, probably from exhaustion. All his thoughts faded as they turned into dreams instead.





'Neil sat on the edge of a skyscraper's roof in Dranesville. He was looked at the magnificent view. He heard a voice come from behind him. He turned his head and saw a woman. She had an hour glass body and black hair. Her eyes looked red but they were actually brown. She was quite pretty if it wasn't for that smile. She looked like the devil. Neil said something but no words came out despite his lips moving. She held up a gun and winked. There was no sound but Neil felt the force. He fell right off the roof. He was expecting to bolt awake but instead he fell into water that hadn't been there before. It was a crystal blue color and he could see the bottom as well as the surface and around him. There were some fish and the sun looked really pretty from under the water. Neil smiled as he slowly sunk to the bottom of the water. As he descended though it grew colder and colder. When he hit the bottom though..there was warmth. The dream continued like that for a bit..him just laying on the bottom admiring the sun from the bottom of the water he was currently in. He didn't feel like he was drowning. He didn't feel the bullet wound. He simply felt warmth and it was a great feeling'

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Gospel relaxed more against the edge of the bed behind her, memorized by the pure harmony that engulfed her. She had never thought she would have been so elated to have this little piece of the old world even if it was through a song that wasn't really up her ally. Biting her lip softly, Gospel opened her eyes slowly to find that a new song had started blasting in her ears. The sudden switch to country making her arch an eyebrow at the tiny device resting in the palm of her hand. Hitting pause, Gospel removed the lone headphone from her ear while turning towards where Neil was slumped beside her. His eyes were shut and every so often a small puff of air left his lungs while he exhaled.


Taking a deep breath of her own, Gospel ignored the increased palpitations in her chest that seemed amplified now that she could hear the rain rapidly drumming against the window. He looked peaceful as he slept, it made him look younger. Much younger. It was probably a side effect of the apocalypse that made everyone look way older then what they actually were. She was kind of envious actually, that he could sleep. Though everything that she had been through that was the one thing that she didn't dare do in fear that the nightmares would come back. Come to think about it, the last time she had really slept was the day before Grace had died and the city had been over run. They had been waiting foolishly for their father to come back and get them like she had figured he would.


A meager frown curled her lips at the flash of a memory that came to mind.


Shaking it away quickly, Gospel got to her feet carefully so that she didn't bump into him and startle him awake. He looked like he was having a good dream anyway, it would have been a shame to wake him up from that. Especially when reality probably wasn't much better.


Grasping at one of the large blankets from the bed, Gospel tugged it off in one fluid motion before placing it slowly around Neil's shoulders. Hesitating for a moment, she gave his sleeping form a strained smile before turning and quietly walking out of the room.


Unzipping her jacket as she walked, Gospel looked around the large office her legs gravitating towards where Chris sat at the monitors.


Seeing her Father with him, her smile quickly drowned and flat lined.


Of all people to survive...


"I am Jessica's Father."


The reply to whatever Chris had asked made her blood boil. How dare he even think himself as a father after what he had done.


There was a special spot in hell for him after everything that he had done.


"Father is usually used when you actually have children. As far as you know, General, you're children died when your super soldier project went to shit."


She was rather proud of the emotionless sound her voice held, she could only help that her face also betrayed what she was feeling. Moving around the other side of the chair Chris sat at she leaned on the desk pretending to look at the blurry images that flickered from the cameras.


Ignoring the agitated sound the General made, Gospel crossed her arms over her chest in more of a self comforting position then a defensive one.


"Jessica. You haven't changed a bit. Here I thought maybe you would have grown up a bit. Where's your sister? I'd like to speak with her."


Gospel's gaze snapped back to her Father's burning into him with an intensity that would have scared herself if she had been on the receiving end. For a split second where her temper flared, threatening to burst at the seams and let her unleash all her pent up fury at the man. But she didn't. It would have given him too much control over her. And she was done being just another pawn in whatever the hell he wanted, she was tired of being used. Shifting her now not so intense gaze to Chris, she forced a fake smile to her lips. Hoping to pretend that her father wasn't a mere ten feet away from her.


"Chris! How are you?"


She asked a little too enthusiastically in order to dodge the question thrown at her by her father.


"Answer my question."


"Awesome weather huh?"


"Where. Is Grace?"


His tone cut through her, making her visibly still while the mocking question she had lined up died in her throat. Clenching her jaw, she looked away from Chris not saying anything. A small part of her still thinking enough to feel bad that she had gotten Chris in the middle of their pissing match.


"Away from you."


Gospel rasped slightly, the edgy sarcasm had vanished from her tone completely. She waited quietly for him to leave before placing her face in the palm of her hands, another roll of thunder echoed from outside making her wish even more that she hadn't left the safety of the room.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Chris nodded to the man as he said that. So he had semi-guessed. The resemblance was noticeable. Chris turned in his chair when he heard Gospel's voice, surprised honestly, and further surprised by her remark and the use of the term General. Things started to click for Chris. She wasn't a fan of her father and her father must've been military personnel before this all happened. And the project was his idea or at least in some part. Chris wanted to take a knife and just pierce the man's jugular for being responsible for this hell. Chris repeatedly made a fist and then opened it as if squeezing an invisible stress-ball. He slowly calmed down and tried to move his attention elsewhere as the two argued but his ears remained open to the whole thing.


He looked at Dr. Pinkerton and wondered how the man came around to having to have half his face mechanically implanted or whatever it was. Did it get bitten? Slashed? Either way it was strange. He wondered if he could see outside that part of his face. Chris snapped to when Gospel tried addressing him. He could tell she was trying to force down the conversation with her father but the General didn't let it slide. He got the answer to his question. Chris looked at Gospel as the General left their presence. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry about him" he said knowing the situation. He wished he could help her more than just a pat on the shoulder. "We'll leave the moment morning hits" Chris said reassuringly.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Gospel exhaled slowly, leaning back more against the desk while she stared out the large windows vacantly. She really wanted to get out of there, just so that she wouldn't have had to be in the same room as him again.


She flinched slightly, his fingers resting lightly on her shoulder snapped her back to reality. Turning her head she looked back at him quietly studying the face paint that covered his skin. It looked kind of foreign to her now that she knew exactly what he looked like under all of it.


"Don't be."


A smile slipped across her features contrasting the tired look in her eyes. She was still reeling from the fact her father had the audacity to bring up Grace. It could only mean that he had either expected them both to die or that Grace wouldn't come to harm. Either way he really had no right to speak of her.


"The sooner we get out of here the better."


She whispered, taking his hand off her shoulder. She held it for a moment longer than nessicary before placing it on the desk beside her. Another crash of thunder rolled through causing her to flinch again though she covered it up by standing.


"I'm....going to look for some super secret files of super secretness that we can used to kick the shit out of the coyotes."





She mused grabbing her sword and readjusting it so that it rested between her shoulder blades. Looking back at him again she studied him sitting in the chair again before moving off towards the exit. She needed to go kill something and if she couldn't kill the General then she would settle with finding some undead to hack to bits.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Chris looked as Gospel smiled which caused him to smile, something he never did when the paint was on. He was supposed to represent fear and death to his enemies. Perhaps that is why she made him smile. She wasn't really an enemy. Technically she was given she was a coyote but he considered her the closest friend he had since the apocalypse started, besides Crystal and maybe Keith. Rich was up there too but...he was gone now. Rich was an Angels original, being part of the original gang before the apocalypse. Keith came up along the way. He had saved Chris' life and in turn Chris gave him a home, bikes, weapons, wisdom, and women. Keith was a good kid and Chris was glad to have him around.


Chris snapped out of his thought when Gospel removed his hand from her shoulder and held it for a bit. He smiled as she placed it on the desk. It surprised him when she said she was going to look for secret files to "kick the shit out of the coyotes". He wasn't sure if she was serious of that was a joke but he just smiled and nodded. He felt she needed space perhaps, so he let her go. Chris looked at the exit for a while after her, and smiled. "What an interesting woman" he thought to himself. He turned to the computers again and analyzed the monitors, while lost in thought. he could see Gospel on one of the cameras. He smiled and continued. As time passed and he looked something bothered him. He couldn't find the screen where the 'Janitor' lay dead. He started looking at each screen thoroughly one by one. It was gone.


Chris didn't waste a moment, his first thought being Gospel. He grabbed his rifle and quickly sprinted down the stairwell after Gospel. He made it to the bottom and went through the door into the labs. What surprised him was that the door sounded like it locked behind him. He ignored it and figured it wasn't LOCKED but just closed. He caught up to Gospel. "Hey. We should be careful. I couldn't find that mutant abomination on the cameras" he said, a bit out of breath from the stairs and sounding concerned.


Neil woke up to the sound of Panic Attack by Dream Theater. The dream had taken a strange twist. The water around him had started to freeze. He had seen the girl who shot him again and she was dead from some slash wounds. After that Neil woke up. He rubbed his face and let his brain process what was going on. Gospel had left and he had fallen asleep. He yawned and grabbed the other headphone allowing the outside world to simply disappear from his ears. He made his way to the window and looked out into the dark plains that were probably flocked with the dead. The rain hit the window and put on a nice appearance with each flash of light.


Neil wasn't certain but he swore he saw lights in the distance of the plains. He decided he was just a bit tired and sat on the bed staring at the wall and enjoying the song. He wondered how Gospel was feeling right now and how she felt during their conversation. After a while of thinking about Gospel the thought of the woman from his dreams came to him. He wondered if she was real, and why she had shot him in the dream. He wished the internet was still around so he could search for dream meanings.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Her footsteps sounded hollow as they rang throughout the empty stairwell. Her bare fingers gripped the rusted steel railing as she continued to descend towards the infected part of the labs. Gospel really just hoped that she could find some normal dead to hack into bits and not some steroid zombie that didn't conform to the slow moving stupid zombie stereotype. Last thing she needed was to get stampeded to death without the guys knowing about what happened.


Strolling out the door, she meandered down creepy hallway number 1, the only feeling of comfort coming from the idea of Chris watching her though the cameras. At least if she was going to get overwhelmed she'd be warned about it first. Hearing something beating steadily, she froze in place with a hand curled around her sword. The longer she listened the more that the pounding noise sounded like someone running. Gospel turned more just in time to see Chris running towards her. She let go of her grip on her weapon, her full expression morphing into one of confusion as he finally stopped before her a little out of breath.


"How the hell does something so damn big just disappear, Chris?"


Gospel questioned him with a perfectly arched eyebrow. She had been absolutely sure that that thing had been killed. Neil had killed it. There should have been no coming back even with it already being undead. Taking a moment to look over Chis as he stood before her huffing and puffing, her lips twitched into a small smug smile that threatened to break the already paranoid expression that she held.


Sighing she shook her head and willed her legs to continue forwards. She knew that there had to have been something left here; something that could impact the war....or their lives.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Chris looked at Gospel and just shrugged, shaking his head in confusion. "I don't know if it got eaten by something or if it actually got back up but its not there" he said. He looked down each hallway a bit paranoid. He hated to think that the creature could still be moving. The thing was scary as it was dead, even scarier knowing that inferno didn't kill it. He sighed seeing the hallways empty, except for a few zombies straggling down the hallway some.


"We'll worry about it when the time comes. Lets find some secret anything" he said with a smile proud of his stupid joke. Upon saying it he took a moment to just examine and appreciate her. He felt silly knowing he was probably developing feelings. He wondered if she would mind his cocaine habits. He wasn't an addict but it took him off edge sometimes. Stress relief.


He was also older than she was and he still didn't know what the story with Neil was. Thinking about it Chris felt like Neil was a superior version of himself. More muscle probably even if by a bit, more street smarts, younger and he had the one thing that chris didn't want to have but it would help him out. He had some facial hair. Chris just had a stubble that he shaved every so often. He didn't look good with a beard. Chris snapped himself to reality. It was stupid comparing and contrasting the two.


He looked back to Gospel and smiled. "We should search the rooms for stuff" he said. Saying that put some not so innocent thoughts in his mind. Sometimes he wondered if he needed professional help.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Her teeth tugged at her chaped bottom lip absently, the habbit forming without her really realizing it. Dragging her gaze along the hallway, she pondered about which door lead to the super secret stuff that was supposed to be here. It would have been easier to just ask her father, but there was no way her pride would allow it.


Small chills slivered down her vertebrae at the thought of that abomination still shuffling around. Considering that she was going to need a new weapon soon it probably wasn't a good idea for her to take it on. Even with all her unofficial ninja skills.


"Sure. We could find a totally super-duper top secret armory."


She mused lightly watching him as his expression changed. She'd be lying to herself if she didn't think he was good looking. Even for an old guy. Though the make-up ruined any chance he had at intimadating her now that she knew what his actual face looked like. A small chuckle escaped her as she turned to continue walking.


Reaching for the handle to the door on the right, she pulled it open slowly making sure that nothing was ready to run at her from the other side. Her breath caught in her throat as the smell filled her nostrils and triggering her gag reflex. The room was dim, lights flickering every so often from a set of cracked monitors that reflected the blue screen of death. Dried and fresh blood flooded the floor tiles and was splattered across some of the walls. The sound of crunching made her eyes swivel over to the source. Hunched, bloody, and derived of color sat a girl with matted short hair hovering over the opened corpse of what looked to be a guard. Large lacerations scaled down the dead man's entire body. They looked to have been caused by the janitor or whatever the hell it was they called it. The guard hadn't been dead long from the fresh smell of blood that lingered around the stench of rotten flesh and decomposing guts.


Gospel frowned a little, slowly pulling the door back closed and gesturing towards it.


"Occupied."


Gospel grumbled, her stomach churning voliently. Suppressing the intense need to vomit, Gospel hurried after Chris who was already half way down the hall.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Chris continued down the hallway observing all the rooms or at least whichever ones he could. He looked back to Gospel to see her open and one and seem to gag a bit. He wondered what she could've just seen. He frowned a bit as she closed the door and made her way after him. He hated the post apocalypse. It had its very small perks but in general it was terrible. Chris turned to start walking again but he noticed a room slightly ajar. Before he could reach for the handle a groaning came from the side. "You can take care of them. Blow off some steam" he said with a smile to Gospel, then turning to look at two slow moving zombies that were approaching them.


In the event that she couldn't slice through them he decided not to enter through the door but lean on the wall next to it. He couldn't help but peek inside though and he saw a light flickering. There were some safes and some file cabinets. Interesting. The safes were slightly ajar just as the door to the room was. Either the files got taken when the outbreak happened, or someone put them in and forgot to close the safe. He was hoping for the latter. Some answers would've been nice..or some weapon schematics even to kick coyote ass. Chris went back to admiring Gospel as he leaned on the door and the zombies got closer.


Neil moved around the room now listening to the music seeping into his ears. He thought about what their next plan of action would be. They would either have to stay and help at the lab and help to find a cure that may not work or exist, or they would leave and have to deal with the upcoming war. Neil wondered if the group could split. He was uncertain how Gospel felt about him so him staying here to help the scientists might not be an issue. Chris and Gospel and Keith could return after the war..although...what if they didn't survive. Neil was only one man though. His presence couldn't affect a war. Could it? Neil felt stupid, anxious and torn. He sat back on the edge of the bed and looked out the window for the third time. He could've sworn he saw light this time. He approached the window and leaned against it. The lights were coming toward them.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Her head turned towards the sounds of muffled shuffles and desperate groans. Two figures crawled towards them, banging into each other every so often as they stumbled to them. Gospel gave Chris a small look of annoyance at his comment but knew better then to start a spat over something so trivial. Especially when he had that stupid handsome smile on his face. Then again, blowing off steam is what she had come down here to do anyway, she just preferred to do it without company. It would have been easier for her to snoop that way. Taking a step up, she swung swiftly at the first one connecting with the side of the skull. It instantly collapsed, bringing her sword down with it. She struggled to retrieve the dull blade lodged in the dead man's head. Another groan made the hair on the back of her neck stand up from being so close. Frustrated, Gospel turned and placed her entire body weight behind a well placed kick to it's chest.


"Back off, chompers. It'll be your turn in a minuet."


Gospel patronized the zombie, grabbing the hilt of her sword an tugging it again with as much force as she could muster. Wiggling the blade out, finally, she focused her attention back on the recovering zombie who had taken a couple of paces back from the kick. A crinkled and gritty hand reached out towards her, barely missing her before she drove her weapon clean through the base of the skull and severing the brain stem. It made a sickening noise when she pulled it back out, though she pretended not to notice. Gospel huffed, turning back to Chris with another annoyed look.


"Comfortable?"


She teased, noting his position against the door frame. Raking her eyes up and down his figure for a moment, she let herself admire her own view of him. Hesitating in the doorway, Gospel looked up at him a second longer then needed before heading into the room. Mind reeling as it tried to catch up to everything that was happening. Her cheeks burned slightly as she began to search through some of the open cabinets, scanning over useless papers before setting them aside on a desk. Reaching towards one of the drawers, she pulled it open quickly looking down at the contents.


"Chris."


She mumbled his name, lifting up a silver handgun like it was a disgusting object. Gospel detested guns so there was no way in hell that she would actually hold one willingly. Not anymore at least. She quickly shuffled to him, plopping the object in his hand like it burned. Glancing up at his face again, she bit her lip and turned to go back to sort through the desk hoping that she wouldn't have to go hunting for ammo. A sword would have been nice though.


"Ouch."


She hissed, holding up the palm of her hand to inspect the small paper cut on the fleshy part of her palm. Little beads of blood pooling from the thin cut.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Chris smiled seeing Gospel's face of annoyance. It was adorable. However the cuteness ended when he went into a brief panic as one of the flesh eaters got close as she couldn't seem to pull her blade out of the other zombie's head. He was ready to raise his weapon when she handled the situation herself. He felt stupid. She was perfectly capable of surviving without him. He was only down here in case the beast came back. He smiled as she asked if he was comfortable. "With you around? Very" he said giving a flirty tone. He followed her inside the room as she opened the door.


From what it looked like there were just meaningless papers lying around. Chris found it interesting that someone's divorce paper was lying around. Otherwise the words were just meaningless. Nothing useful to the actual curiosity he felt. He needed plans, schematics, answers...or a weapon. Ironically as he thought that Gospel called his name. He turned to see the magnificent piece of silver that she had found. It was a Eagle. Chris always had a hard on for Eagles but they were hard to find when everything had gone to shit. He examined it moving his fingers along the engravings in the barrel and handle. The thing was beautiful. he took the magazine out. There was a single shot missing.


At that moment Chris thought. Were personnel other than guards allowed to have guns in the lab? And where had the bullet gone? Chris turned around to look behind the door where their eyes wouldn't have gone before. There. He moved closer. There was no blood but there was a bullet hole and a casing. Chris thought back to when there were no zombies including the ones they had killed. "Its a literal janitor..." Chris said. Pieces continuing to click he went to the safe underneath the main desk that was slightly ajar. As he suspected..a notebook. He opened it and flipped through to the last page of writing. He skimmed a bit. "And whoever was in here knew this was gonna happen" he said sliding the entry over the notebook to Gospel and pointing to a particular text. "Patient zero died. He came back though as expected by some of us. And that damned Janitor...its gonna do its job in the worst of ways. I have one bullet...I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. Wish I had done something else with my life". The entry just went on to talk about how the guy regretted all the things he didn't do and how this was it for him.


At that moment he swore he heard the echo of a crash and some voices that were distant. Chris wondered if it was the rest of the party upstairs or some newcomers. He was concerned about it being the latter.


Neil decided he had walked around enough. He walked out of the room to see Keith and Gospel's father nowhere to be found. He assumed they were in different rooms on the floor. Pinkerton stood at the cameras. Neil made his way over to Pinkerton limping ever so slightly. He paused the music.


"Whats up?"


"It appears we have company. I don't think the good kind"


"Shit"


Neil looked at the cameras to see four thug like men walking in a square formation down the halls of the lab. Neil looked at the other cameras. First off he was surprised to see The Janitor wasn't there. But that problem would come later. He looked at one of the cameras and saw Chris peek out of one of the rooms and hide his head back in.


"No earpieces.."


Neil went back to his room and went to his bag. He pulled out his assault shotgun and made his way to the stairwell.


"Shall I get the other biker"


"He might get in the way..." Neil said having a plan in mind. His plan was based only on a hunch. He was hoping it was correct.