All That Remains

[SnowStorm42]

Neil thought that Gospel was the cutest thing while sleepy. The feeling of her nuzzling in closer and getting cozier made him not want to get up now. He saw her mouth moving toward his and smiled before letting their lips do their dance. After her lips parted with his he smiled. "I'd happily stay here in this bed forever..." He whispered, rolling on top of her and positioning himself in a slightly sexual manner. He leaned in close to her year so his lips were touching ever so slightly. "..but.." He whispered extremely softly.


His hands moves to her hips and started pressing in an effort to tickle her. His head shot back up. "..WE GOTTA GO!" He yelled with a grin on his face satisfied with his little deceitful ruse that led to the tickle attack.


He thought about how he had done this with Rachael once or twice. It worked every time but he never tickled Gospel before. He didn't know if she was ticklish. If she wasn't he was screwed cause he was kind of ticklish in the right hip. The left one on the other hand was numb ever since the day he ran from the coyotes. The old wound seemed to tingle with slight pain as if remembering the bullet passing through.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Gospel felt his weight shift on top of her, his position making her heart beat pulsate inside of her head. Her stomach churned with a foreign giddiness that forced her to accept how he had the upper hand whether she liked it or not. The more he spoke, the more his voice seemed to diminuendo. Not that she was actually paying all that much attention to what he was saying anyway; her focus lied more with the way his proximity was awaking every cell in her body much to the displeasure of her brain. She felt his hands slide to her hips and for one peaceful millisecond she thought that he was actually going to let her go back to sleep.


That dream was hastily diminished at the sound of his voice booming her into the land of the living. Gospel barely had enough time to flinch at his sudden boisterous outburst before his fingers moved rapidly across her side. A loud yelp escaped her, followed by muffled screams and girlish sounds as she tried desperately to wiggle away from his iron hold on her.


"N-NEIL!!! S-S-STOOOOOOP!!!"


Giggles and laughs burst from her in a wave of pure agony. She hadn't been tickled in so long she forgot that she was actually affected by such things, usually the world didn't let people have much time together now a days. Not that she would have had someone willing to tickle her after the Apocalypse. Survival had been her top priority for such a long time she guessed that she hadn't ever thought about how 'normal' life could still be. "I'LL G-GET UPPPP!!!"


She screamed, thrashing about on the bed in any attempt to pull herself away from his evil tactics.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil was surprised that she was actually ticklish, perhaps because the idea of tickling was like the idea of having a picnic in the post-apocalypse. Neil figured that everyone was a tough hardened, non ticklish human now, or a scared, fearing one instead. He was glad she was reacting..and greatly at that. She was thrashing and laughing, giggling profusely. Hearing her say she'd get up he smiled and gave her one more poke to the side and got off of her. "That's the spirit" he said his smile turning into a grin.


He made his way over to the bed on which he placed his things. He picked up the magnum first, and just like the night before he took a moment to appreciate everything this magnum had gotten him through. He put his shotgun in its sling. The dagger Gospel had given him now found a spot on his belt. His new baseball bat also found its spot in the sling that carried the old baseball bat no longer than 18 hours ago or so. He slid his t-shirt on and his arms made their way through the straps on the back pack, sliding it onto his back. He was very excited to go to the safe zone. He wondered if maybe him and Gospel could stay there and ignore the war. What was the point. Neither of them wanted to support the other side really. On the other hand a part of Neil wanted to go to war. Maybe he wanted to be put to rest, or maybe a part of him inside still enjoyed the kill. He would find out what they would do after the trip to the safe zone.


Ashley was surprised at how quickly the soldiers had gotten on the road. Her legs were kicked up on the dashboard wondering how the meet would go when they reached the edge of Pawnee. They were at the edge of Yorkstown so they wouldn't have to go very far. She just hoped that things would run smoothly. She hoped the coyotes weren't dumb enough to try to double cross them. "Ma'am. What are we going to do about Hardwhick and the others?"


"We break them slowly. If the war doesn't kill them then we track them down and make sure they pay for killing Pinkerton"


Ashley felt very comfortable. It was good knowing how powerful G.R.I.P. was. They literally had a spy in both gangs as well as the Projects that supplied them with countless amounts of information. They operated almost as efficiently as the C.I.A....at least by apocalypse standards. They had limits though. Once it related to un-populated areas such as Brevington they had to manually track people without spies and that usually didn't go down too well in places like Brevington. The bridge approached them as the truck sped. They would meet the coyotes for the weapons drop soon enough. In preparation Ashley unzips her jacket a bit and lowered her tank top slightly to expose a bit more cleavage. Knowing that men were pigs might help the deal run smoothly.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

She stayed still, laying on a man made cloud and the little piece of heaven that they had adopted for the night. Oxygen came and went ruggedly, still trying to breach past the aching in her sides from where he had mercilessly tickled her. If someone had told her a week ago that she would have run across Neil again, regained some of her humanity that she had slowly been discarding, found her father, watched her friends turn, and realize that her heart was beating for more than just herself...she probably would have laughed...or had the weirdo imprisoned. Yet...life had a funny way of working itself out. Her crystal blue orbs followed after him as he stood, gathered up his weapons and placed them in their designated positions. Her bottom lip was held captive by her teeth as she forced herself into a sitting position. Gospel sat there for a little while longer, taking the time to think of how much she owed him...for everything. Even when he was Captain Douche he still had saved her from the fate of most girls and there was really nothing she could ever say or do to express how grateful she was for that single act. Glancing from his face to the dagger at his belt, a ghost of a smile tilted the corners of her mouth while she swept her faded pastel hair into it's usual high ponytail.


Slipping out from under the covers, her bare feet touched the chilled hardwood, tiny bolts of frost felt like they had just sucked all the warmth from her. With the comfort of heat permanently abandoned, Gospel padded over towards where her bag sat ready to go. Pulling on a pair of socks followed by her boots, she glanced behind her over at Neil with a grumpy expression.


"You're evil."


Wendell yawned, leaning sluggishly against one of the trucks outfitted for these risky meetings. Personally he was quite glad that Erik wasn't so trusting, if some G.R.I.P organization had popped up out of no where he probably would have hauled out the armored cars too. A shame they were slow though, barely able to make it over 70 without something flying off or jingling and they weren't too comfortable either. Staring off absently towards the other end of the bridge he waited for the cars to appear over the horizon. Whomever was meeting him, he hoped they wouldn't be stupid enough to actually be offended by the Boss not even showing up. Not with Gospel's unscheduled survival and that Brat's escape...well the world didn't seem like it was spinning right around anymore. Putting a milky stick between his lips, he padded himself down for a lighter, too distracted by the side quest to even notice that the cars he had been waiting for were suddenly visible.


"Sir..?"


One of the men to his right grunted, causing his mudded optics to flicker up and focus in on the onyx tank looking things barreling towards them. The stick hung loosely of his lip, mind reeling with what kind of fire power these people had to have in order to be packing trucks like these. Thinking twice, Wendell removed the cigarette from his lips and slipped it back in the package figuring that he had bigger fish to fry. Thrusting himself off the hood, he stood at his full height watching while the vehicles rolled to a stop. The passenger side door opened, reveling the legs before the rest of the body. Wendell could already tell she was a dame, the first glance at those heels had his mind reeling and a smirk playing on his thin lips.


He whistled loudly, staring at the woman as she sauntered her way towards them. Of all the women at Pawnee he had never seen one so dangerously hot, even with Gospel ordering him around every which way this beauty took the cake. The other men at his side perked up too, noticing the same devilish features he did. Perhaps, an agreement between them could be arranged.....

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil sat down pulling his boots on over his socks, rolling up his cargo pants and tucking them into the boots making it like his pants were shorter and a bit baggier. He knew this protected his knees some in certain situations. He felt like a mercenary with the way he was always dressed. Getting up he looked at Gospel. He smiled and thought how happy he was to try and give his life a new try. He was glad he got rid of that ring and let the past die in that church. True he had cried for the first time in forever the day before because of the "incident" but other memories that usually haunted him were nowhere to be found. Rachael barely crossed his mind anymore. He had Gospel now, and she was pretty much everything his life needed now. He had something to focus on other than just getting to the next day. He had someone to laugh and remember with. And the feelings he felt for her brought an old sense of life that he thought was long dead.


"Well if I'm so evil maybe I should just go" he said with a sad tone but a large smile on his face, not being able to go along with his own joke. He moved over to her and touched her cheek. "Thank you" Neil said. He rested his palm on her face and let it stay there as he admired her amazingly blue eyes that were maybe as lovely as the sky above them outside. A knock sounded on the door behind them but it wasn't opened. "Neil, hope you're awake. Keith over here. Gassed up the truck for you. Enough for a trip to and halfway back"


"Thanks man" Neil called out. He looked back to Gospel and smiled. "Make sure to pee before we go" he said jokingly.


As the trucks crossed the bridge Ashley picked up a pair of binoculars on the dashboard. Seeing the coyotes as if she were a few feet away she examined them. It didn't seem like a set up. She noticed the one leaning against the truck who she figured was the pack leader. She wondered whether he was the leader or just a higher up. either way Ashley saw something she liked, and she usually got what she wanted. She put the binoculars down as they approached.


The trucks came to a stop. Ashley opened the door and walked down the two steps on the side of the truck gracefully before placing her heels on the dirt and shutting the door. She took one look, with a confident smile, at all the coyotes before her and she knew they already had a hard on. The red head she spotted gave a whistle. Flattering. The extra eye candy on her chest probably helped, along with her outfit. Ashley knew how men functioned she had knack of using it to her own benefit. Walking toward the red head she gave him a slightly devious yet nonchalant smile. Getting a lot closer to him she made sure her steps were carefully planted and angled so that the minds of the men would keep spinning.





"I'm assuming you're the head honcho" she started. "Boss man or just big fish?" she asked him standing a few feet before him with more weight on one foot than the other. As she spoke a few of the guys from the trucks got out, armored up heavily, their visors hiding their faces making them all seem like clones almost, the only distinctions being in height and build. Two men with advanced looking rifles walked up behind her, one on each side, while the others moved toward the back of the truck and opened the backs. They stood then waiting for confirmation. The moment Ashley dropped her name, that was the go ahead for them to lug the containers full of weapons toward whoever was in charge. While some men stood by the boxes, a few others stood eagerly with fingers on their weapon's trigger in case things went south. Ashley knew things wouldn't go south though. That whistle meant she already got the hook in the red head's mouth and all she had to do was patiently and smoothly reel him in to finish the deal and..maybe make some extra arrangements





Chris shook hands finally with the Irish outside of the HQ after discussing plans and other small details. They were pleased with the party and celebration, as well as how the plans sounded. Their only disappointment was that Jimmy's arm was broken but Jimmy decided it wasn't on Chris and that there was no damage to their relationship. Chris shook hands with Jimmy and with that the Irish made their way back to their vehicles in which they had arrived. Chris and the few guys that were there made their way back inside. Chris went to the bar. Sitting on a stool and thinking about the night before, and the future ahead he thought about how crazy and sideways this world was. He had a good thing going with the Irish and a bad thing going in his "love life". The world was just up and down all the time it seemed. Cracking open a bottle of jack he decided he would start the morning off by washing the taste of random women out of his mouth with the beverage of the unhappy man.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

"For what..?"





She breathed, meeting his viridescent orbs with her own cyan colored eyes. Her head tilted into his palm and her hand reached up to lightly cover his. A perplexed look covered her features as she studied him in an attempt to figure out what he was thanking her for. The wrapping sound at the door pulled her from her confusion even though her eyes stayed glued to his. Everything just seemed so surreal. Him being in front of her, the pulsations of her heart, and the trip to the safe zone. Everything. It was hard not to think that this was all a dream considering how normal it all felt. Then again, if the world hadn't changed she probably would have never met Neil. Hell, she would have never met any of the people she knew now and she wouldn't have had the history that made her who she was today. Puffing her cheeks out at him, Gospel scowled playfully his remark about using the bathroom before slipping her hand off of his.


"How about you worry about your own bladder Mister."


Gospel chuckled lightly, trying to move away from him so that she could grab her bag.


Wendell's smirk grew, watching the woman's legs as she came closer and closer. He wasn't so enthralled with her chest, but the extra glimpse of cleavage didn't hurt.


"I'm the only face you're dealing with today, babe. That's all you gotta know."


His eyes darted behind her, taking in the group of armed guards decked out in full grade military gear. Who in the hell were these people? It made him just a bit weary that he hadn't ever heard of GRIP before or what their role in all of this was. For all he knew, they could have come from Never Never Land. Bringing his attention back to the woman he forced himself to keep his eyes on her face, his expression becoming a bit more serious now that he was suppressing the problematic thoughts rolling around in his noggin.

 

[SnowStorm42]

He took a moment to just take her in. He then smiled feeling cheesy. "Thank you for re entering my life" he said letting his palm rest there for a moment before moving it away. "And my bladder is fine drunky pants..but I will go before we go" he said with a laugh. He looked her over once more and then moved toward the bathroom that he had completely overlooked the night before. Entering he didn't feel guilty about missing the bathroom. It was a bit dirty, no shower, only a sink and a toilet, not even a mirror. Neil closed the door a bit and unzips his pants. The fluids drained from his body and he looked at the ceiling and sighed. The night before had been a long one. He thought back to the longer one the day before. That was a horrific night mainly cause of that Janitor thing. The fluids finished. Neil gave himself a little shake before zipping himself up and washing his hands with cold water. He opened the door and looked at Gospel. "Take your time and we'll go to the truck together" he said with a smile.


Ashley smiled at the red head. His words made her feel like he was douche..but she didn't care. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Your face may not be the only thing I'm dealing with today darling" she said low enough for just him to hear. She smiled and looked down at his pants and then back at his eyes. "Ashley" she said extending her hand to him and keeping the other one on her jacket. The soldiers heard the cue. They began moving the boxes off the back of the truck and placed them near a few of the coyotes, prying the lids open. The soldiers with the itchy trigger fingers moved closer as a precaution in case these coyotes tried anything funny.


Ashley cleared her throat as the boxes revealed shiny, brand new, weapons capable of taking on an army. "M249 light machine guns, fully stocked with ammo, RPG-7s, Barrett M82 sniper rifles fully equipped with .50 BMGS, MP5's fully equipped with all the complimentary ammo" she said, explaining each type of weapon inside the box. The funny part was that these weren't even the best weapons of G.R.I.P. They had advanced technology that came out of sci-fi movies. "You can test them out if you wish, before we get to your side of this deal"

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Her attention swiveled back to her bag, her fingers messing with the flap of the zipper in an attempt to close it correctly on the first try. Sometimes it was a wonder how she moved around so easily with this thing glued to her side. Biting her lip lightly, she pulled her bag over her shoulder before taking a mental inventory of everything. It was hard for her not to wonder about how everything was all going to play out, how the war was going to have an effect on everything left living in the world. Gospel's gaze drifted up to the closed door just across the room, her mind fixating on Neil for what seemed like the thousandth time in just the past few days. It had barely been a week and she had already fallen more than what she would have liked. At least when he wasn't sober it wasn't too hard not to let her emotions get the best of her. Shaking her head, she grabbed her jacket off one of the beds and pulling it on over her satchel just as Neil came out of the bathroom.


"I'm ready whenever you are."





She said a little absently, her thoughts still swimming around in the gutter. Closing the few feet between her and the exit, she opened the door before walking through the threshold figuring that the faster they got on the road the faster they could get away from all this war talk. This was the last thing she wanted to be apart of, especially when her priorities didn't seem as simple as just surviving anymore.


Wendell hid his smile, bemused with the woman's flirt. At least the gal had taste. Taking the hand that was extended to him, he nodded in an informal greeting finding no need for any sort of formalities. "Pretty name for a pretty dame."





He mused, vaguely aware of her men moving crates out of the truck and placing them in front of where his boys stood. Itchy with their own triggers. There was tension in the air, even if they seemed to be friendly everyone was on pins and needles. It only took one subtle movement to blow the entire deal open. Which is most likely why Erik had sent him in his place, dirty work was too low for the boss man. Wendell's lips twitched, his brain floating off to menacing thoughts about how one of these weapons would be responsible for going off in Erik's face. He could picture it now, the bullets just flying into that pestering face of his. After the old boss had died, thanks to a brat with blue hair, Erik had made the Coyotes soft. Placing a woman in charge instead of the man who rightfully deserved the position, and cutting that rouge slack.


"Denver, pick up a few of those guns and shoot at a few cans would ya?"


Wendell commanded to one of the men behind him without looking away from Ashley. He let his grin come to his face this time, listening to the sounds of a gun being fired in the background. The vague sent of gunpowder lingering in the air.


"All good Sir."


Wendell afforded a glance to the rest of the crates, thinking their side of the deal over for a split second before nodding. Anyone who wanted that bitch and her boyfriend dead as much as he did was worth anything at this point.


"Now that that's out of the way, let's get to what you came here for hm?"

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil looked around the room one last time to make sure he had everything. "Alright. Let's get on the road then" Neil opened the door and allowed for Gospel to walk out first. He closed the door behind them. He saw that the hallways were now empty as opposed to how they were the night before. He made his way downstairs. It appeared the Irish had cleared out. Neil saw Chris at the bar but he pretended not to. He instead made his way to Keith and shook hands with him. "Thanks for everything Keith"


"Wouldn't have made it out of that lab without you guys. You are welcome back any time no matter what Chris says"


"I appreciate it"


"Safe trip"


Neil nodded. He looked to Gospel. "I'll be in the truck" Neil said knowing she might say bye to Chris and/or even Keith. Neil decided to make his way to the truck and colled shotgun for himself. He wanted to drive but it wasn't his drive. Maybe they could switch in Yorkstown. He was excited to finally be going back, especially with her. Her. Neil processed how everything was so suddenly different. He didn't think he would love again in the apocalypse and it seemed that..that this was love. He wasn't going to lie but Gospel was all that was on his mind as of late and he liked it. He just wished he had noticed this feeling for her sooner.


Ashley smiled but on the inside she felt a ticking. He was so informal toward her, and he didn't drop his name back. Ashley felt her inner demons lashing out at his jugular only falling short of a few inches. On the exterior though she maintained her cool. As the red haired man's men started to test the weapons she couldn't help but smile. It really made her want to laugh psychotically knowing that GRIP has superior weapons. However they had a lot of military grade weapons to spare and the war needed to end in a draw..both sides had to lose. Precautions were being met on the inside just to be sure both sides were directed into more destructive paths.


Ashley drew her attention back to the red head who had unknowingly disrespected her. She already forgave him knowing he probably came through with his side of the bargain and more. "I know it probably wasn't easy to get all the fuel and tobacco we asked for but we could also use and outpost to stay and rest for a bit" Ashley said. It wasn't much of request. Maybe it sounded like one, but she figured the red head knew it wasn't. She wanted her fun. Of course she had to make sure they came through with the fuel and the tobacco. This was all part of GRIP's long run scheme. However once again she had a feeling he wasn't stupid and he probably came through even though for a stud as himself she would give a pass if he were a few pounds/gallons short.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

She gave him a slight nod, her eyes drifting away from Neil in order to focus on the figure slumped at the bar. A piece of her felt bad about the night before, she knew that he liked her in someway, yet in her carelessness she had made it so obvious that she didn't choose him. Perhaps...if Neil hadn't come back....or realized that he cared for her the way she cared for him, her and Chris may have had something. But that ship sailed a long time ago. Moving towards him quietly, she smiled a bit as she leaned against an empty section of bar top next to him.


"If you keep drinking all that, you're going to pickle your kidneys."


Gospel patronized, her fingers wrapping around the top of the bottle and pulling it away from him just enough so that she could steal a sip of her own. Her face scrunched up as the burning liquid swept it's way down her throat, making her a tad bit woozy. She gave him back the bottle, not wanting to feel the effects of two shots of hard liquor. At least he could do the drinking for both of them. Her aqua orbs studied him, noting the way he didn't seem to be as thrilled with her company as he had been the night before...not that she'd blame him.


"Chris..."


She whispered, waiting for him to meet her gaze. As soon as he did she had to keep herself from hugging him, finding it strange that she still felt the small pull even after she so clearly made her choice. "Promise me you won't die okay?"


Wendell glanced behind him, forcing a short whistle before turning back to Ashley. A group of men came from behind the trucks hauling ten or so crates and four or so barrels, setting them all down in front of Ashley and her men just as they had done. Wendell's eyes skimmed over the crates, making sure they were all there before his mud orbs flickered back up to her. "That should be everything..." He trailed off his expression shifting for a split second before he was back to his usual smirking self. "There's an outpost a few klicks from here, it should be big enough for you and your men." He replied, not mentioning that it had been cleared out a few days ago. Erik had told him that GRIP would probably want some place to stay, to keep an eye on everything going on around them. For fucks sake, sometimes he just hated that man's intelligence.


"I'll have a truck accompany you, it's a bit tricky to find if you don't know where you're going."


He mused lightly, giving Ashley another look over while he waited for her 'go ahead'.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil sat in the truck and planned out the best route to get back in his head. He was glad that they had woken up early. They would probably have to take the longer path around Pawnee to avoid trouble from the coyotes. Neil wanted no confrontations today unless it was unavoidable. There were many days where he wjshed things just wenr smoothly. As good as the apocalypse had been for him -allowing him to cheat death, gain muscle, and meeting tons of interesting people- he still hated the hell fhat involved killing hundreds of zombkes a day and occasionalky killing a person. The truth was he hated it mostly cause he didnt know whether or not he enjoyed it.


Chris was about to go for another swing at his good friend Jack when a hand and a familiar voice tookit away from him. Chris smiled. "My kidneys have been swiss cheese since I was a kid darling" he said, taking the bottle back after her little swing. He looked ather. She was leaving. She was geared upand this for a fact was her saying goodbye for now. He took a swjng of the jack letting the warm brown liqukd to tear his throat up some more, and give his chest a warm cozy burning sensation.


He looked into her eyes when she said his name. It felt like someone has touched his ears with angel's skin when she spoke. Her voicd was wonderful to him. She asked him not to die. He couldnt help but grin. He didnt give a response to that,but he hinted that he would be ok.."You are welcome back here any day"


"And I'll always be waiting here"





Ashley looked as the red head whistled and couldn't help but smile seeing that the bastard actually followed through and got them just as much as they asked for. She wasn't going to lie she was moderately impressed. She then gladlh listened as he explained that there was an outpost nearby that they could use. She smiled. "Hope you're on that truck handsome" she said gi ing him one of her smoothest sinks. She put her hand in the air and made a circukar motion. Giving the red head kne last smile she turned and made her way back to hertruck while her men grabbed the barrels and crates and loaded them. She had a feeling she was going to have a lot of fun in the days to come.


As the last of the crates and barrels were loaded, the trigger happy soldiers finally eased up and gkt into their assigned vehicles. She waited on the coyotes to follow whatever truck it was they had to follow.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

A slow breath escaped her, knowing that that was as good as a response as she was going to get for the time being. Her lips curved into a bittersweet smile, knowing somewhere in the pit of her stomach that he was going to be okay. He had survived this long, a silly little dispute between the Coyotes wouldn't inhibit that. Lifting a hand, she rested her palm against his cheek for a moment before pulling away from him completely.


"I'll catch you later, Sunshine."





Gospel mused, giving him a little wave before moving off towards Keith. She smiled at him before moving in and giving him a quick hug.


"Take care of Swiss Cheese over there okay?"


Stepping away from him, she turned on her heels and headed off towards the garage. Gospel was pretty sure that Neil was getting antsy about getting on the road, especially since she was the one driving. There was no way in hell she was going to let him drive her baby, kinda-sorta boyfriend or not, her truck was off limits. Strolling into the garage, she made her way over to the truck and climbed in. Putting the keys in the ignition, she cast her blue gaze over towards the man in the passenger seat beside her. He seemed a little out of it, his thoughts taking him to someplace other than here. A quick flick of her wrist had the car engine roar to life, her truck humming with a vibrant need to hit the jagged roads ahead of them. Slowly driving out of the garage, she turned the truck onto the main road all while keeping herself from looking back. Of everything that had happened, she owed a lot to meeting Chris and his gang. Even if she had ended up trying to kill him in the beginning.


Wendell watched her, possibly a little enticed with the prowess this woman had. Yet, he knew for a fact that all women were were distractions. None of which he needed if he was going to take over. He wasn't completely sure what games these people where playing but he'd find out soon enough. A sly smile came to his lips, dirty fingers combing through his rust colored hair. He knew he was hot. Any woman in Pawnee, hell any woman left in the world would be lucky enough to have a night with him. So he certainly didn't need to be told he was handsome, though the compliment never hurt.


"Only to help get you there, sweetheart. Then I've got some other things to attend to."


He chuckled lightly, moving off towards the navy blue truck he had been leaning against before she had arrived. He motioned to some of his men to get in the back while the others loaded up the guns from the other end of the deal. Climbing into the drivers side, he revved the car to life. He waited a few moments to make sure the other party was situated before turning the car off down the eroding pavement.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Chris felt her touch and remained silent. He wanted to speak up, and forgive. He couldn't really be mad at her. It was her decision and he had never made his intentions of wanting to be with her clear. Neil and Gospel also had history. He couldn't erase that fact. He couldn't bring his lips to open though, and before he knew it she was gone. She had Keith, words were exchanged, probably about taking care of his ass. Chris got up and moved to the garage. He watched as Gospel pulled away with Neil riding shotgun. A small smile made its way onto his face. He knew he would see her again soon, and friends, or more, or less, he would be happy to see her again. "Keith lets go snort some coke eh?" he asked knowing Keith was behind him. The two exchanged smiles and made their way inside closing the garage door behind them.


Neil looked at Gospel as she entered the car. He smiled and then looked back out the window. He thought of what the road might have ahead of them. He was hoping for smooth sailing. It was pretty early judging by the sun's placement and the few hints of purple that remained. With it being that early he only imagined that the basic zombies would be out and about. He was thankful for that. He hated encounters with clickers, and hated Jackelopes even more..he had only a few encounters with Jackelopes. He didn't want any more. EVER again. His attention focused onto the road they were now on. "Feels a bit like the old days, riding in this truck with you" he said thinking back to when they had been Bonnie and Clyde.


Neil used to be part of the Coyotes' main hit squad, who also did reconnaissance. When Gospel showed up Neil decided to leave the group of killers behind and take Gospel under his wing just the two of them. It was only when he knew she was ready that he took up missions with the hit squad again. Sometimes he would take Gospel sometimes he wouldn't. But when it was the two of them things usually got adventurous. He imagined she had fun even if he had been a complete asshole back then. Funny how one event could change a man.


Ashley took one last glance at the redhead before getting back into the truck. He was hot but he was smug and his tone indicated he didn't want to get any. She slammed the door shut and buckled up the trucks following Wendell's truck. She didn't like a man who was too full of himself and played hard to get. But no matter. She usually got her way in the end one way or another. For now she had to maintain her cool so that nothing went sideways. Supplying the coyotes would give G.R.I.P. an advantage in everything. The takeover would come quick, then a "cure", a purge, and then domination. Ashley kicked up her feet onto the dashboard with a smile. This was like taking candy from a baby...millions of babies who were unaware of anything.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Her cyan eyes remained on the road, too aware of the dangers of taking her attention off of it for even a brief moment. The world wasn't what it used to be and driving seemed to be at least twenty times harder with all of the hazards now. She allowed herself a tiny smile, slowing the truck a bit so that she could weave between stranded cars. "It does...doesn't it? Only difference is now I've officially joined you on the Coyote shit list." Gospel breathed, her lips sank back to the straight line they had previously been in. They had both changed so much since then though, he had done his personality flip while she....well....she wasn't the same smitten teenage girl she was back then. Her fingers tightened around the wheel, remembering how hard it had been after he left the way he did. Her right foot pressed a bit on the gas, driving the car forward at a faster speed. She really didn't want to think about the past. It was painful. And right now, she certainly didn't need those memories to come back and haunt her.


Not with all the extra emotional baggage of the present.


Reminding herself that going 75 on an abandoned road on the way towards a safe zone wasn't a good idea, she removed her foot from it's position on the gas pedal. She had a bad feeling that she just couldn't shake, though perhaps it was nerves. Safe Zones and her didn't really get along too well. People bothered her more than mindless hordes of zombies. At least zombies were simplistic while people were....complicated.


Wendell leaned one elbow against the driver side window, using his right hand to steer the vehicle as it took off down the cracked pavement.


"Something about all this doesn't sit well with me."


He grumbled, the man next to him looked up from the switch blade he had been toying with in order to look at him. He shrugged his shoulders in a mock reply, not really giving Wendell his full attention. The guy was known for being paranoid. Most of them were actually glad he took over Gospel's position. It was hard taking a chick seriously when she was the shortest one for miles. Not that the bean sprout didn't have her moments, she just wasn't as ruthless as what she needed to be. At least not up to Erik's standards. Though there were rumors that she was the one who had actually killed the big boss. "I don't see why. Justa friendly transaction is all. Erik seems to trust 'em."


The man replied smoothly, returning back to his knife.


Wendell almost slammed on the breaks, his russet orbs glowering back towards his passenger. "Does it look like I give a shit about who Erik trusts?"


The man shot Wendell a look, "The boss-"


He was cut off, a sudden gagging noised replaced the rest of his sentence. Like he was choking on something. Wendell's glare hardened, a grin appearing on his features as he removed the grip he had around the other guy's wrist. His own switch blade lodged in his throat. "The boss what? No comment? Well, that's a damn shame. I would have liked to hear more about what the boss thinks." He mused, speeding up the truck enough so that GRIP wouldn't slam into his back fender. Leaning over he unlocked the side door, opened it, and pushed the guy out of the moving vehicle. A homicidal grin plastered across his face as he returned to his driving like nothing had ever happened.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil's green eyes looked from the road to her as she let a tiny smile slip out. This caused him to smile a bit, which only turned into a grin as she said she had joined him on the shit list. "Sorry. It feels like I brought you onto that list" he said, the grin starting to fade. He looked back to the road and thought back to that night. If there was one flaw he admitted to it was that he was always stuck in the past. The scar from the bullet wound tingled as he remembered the sniper who had shot him causing him to crash. Running down the alleyway in the rain. A coyote turning the corner and firing their pistol. The ground. The dent in his mask remained. He had survived. He killed the coyote...and he ran faster than he ever had. He ran without stopping, blood leaving his body at a rapid rate. He cheated death that night in so many ways. If there was a God that night might've been proof. He didn't hit another encounter until he ended up in front of the safe zone gates.


The safe zone had saved his life. The coyotes technically saved Gospel's. Neil couldn't imagined if those that saved him put him on a "shit list". What would he have without the safe zone? He looked over to Gospel. Maybe he would still have something. But a grim thought came over. What if he lost both? He shook his head a bit. He was done losing anyone and everyone. As she sped up he moved his left hand over to her lap and left it there, perhaps convincing himself that he still had her and that she was real. Reality was a difficult thing to grasp nowadays.


The minutes became hours and the sun slowly made its way up. Time went by. Bridges, abandoned cars, flocks of zombies passed by as they drove. It was near noon when they arrived. "Stop here" he said softly, excited to see his friends again, but still being cautious. He never brought a vehicle up to the safe zone unless it was into the garage out back. Neil couldn't contain his joy. He hopped out of the truck and gently shut the door. He jogged down the block and turned the corner where the Safe zone was. Something wasn't right though. The front gate was open and the guards weren't posted. Thick black smoke came from inside the safe zone. "No..no..no no no" Neil ran through the gates. The moment he ran through he stopped. Jaw dropped. He fell to his knees. "No".


Bodies lied one on top of another in a pile in the center of the Safe Zone. They were all burned to a crisp. The tents outside were ripped to the ground. The apartments blew smoke from flames that died recently. Bullet casings flooded the ground. Surprisingly even zombies that had walked in were burnt to a crisp and dead. Blood was smeared everywhere. Neil felt a tear rolling out of his left eye. He couldn't close his eyes. His fists clenched with rage. He couldn't process what reality was. His body lost feeling. He couldn't hear. All he could do was look.

------



​

Ashley started playing with her nails when one of the soldiers spoke up.


"I don't trust the red head ma'am"


"I don't either. But if he steps out of line we'll make sure he never does again. For now we need to make this deal though"


Before the soldier could speak up from under his visor he swerved out of the way of a body that flew out from the truck in front of them. The trucks that followed proceeded to run the body over without hesitation. Ashley smiled wickedly. The man in the truck before them clearly wasn't all there in the head. She could relate. However this made her trust him even less. A man who was crazy couldn't be trusted. She had no choice though. Orders were orders and she was the best at making sure they followed through. Her record for operations was flawless. From transactions to slaughtering villages and cities. Anything the organization needed she was able to provide effortlessly.


The sun made its way up and they reached the safe house, or what she assumed was the safe house. She was eager to see what would transpire next. She really hoped the rude red head wouldn't try to stab them in the back. He was crazy but not an idiot. Even with the weapons that G.R.I.P. just gave them they stood no chance against the armored soldiers in her unit. A piece of her hoped for him to slip up though. If it wasn't for the organization trying to remain clean and off the books she would wipe out both gangs without effort. She thirsted for bloodshed. Sadly she would have to pop a squat and eat popcorn when the actual war would come.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

She breathed out slowly, glancing in the rearview mirror out of habit and forced herself to relax.


"I got myself on that list, Neil. Though falling back to you probably didn't improve my case." Gospel stated, stealing a quick look over at Neil before settling into a comfortable silence. The last few days seemed like something out of a dramatic horror novel and with everything going on she surprised herself the most by not crumbling into a bunch of broken pieces. Though maybe the bit of sanity she had still intact was thanks to the man beside her and the friends they had made. Her thoughts made an abrupt disappearance when she felt the soothing heat of Neil's left hand on her leg. A bit of blush dusted her cheeks, but she didn't say anything in regards to his action only continuing to drive with as much caution as her now distracted mind could render.


It was a while before Neil had told her to park the car and she was fairly grateful to be getting out of the metal vehicle, her wrist swiftly cutting the engine before opening the door with a creek. Her boots kicked up a bit of dust from the pavement as she got out, shutting the door carefully while her cobalt orbs floated towards where Neil had already started walking.


At least he seemed to be moving with a pep in his step.


Smiling a bit, Gospel dragged her satchel over her right should before trailing behind him a bit nervous about actually going into the safe zone. Her head was pounding with silly anxious thoughts about being back at the beginning of the outbreak and all those people just getting.....consumed. Clearing her throat, she took a deep breath moving to take another step only to falter. Something in the air didn't quite smell right. Something was off, like someone had decided to BBQ a skunk type of stench. Watching Neil turn the corner she forced herself to pick up the pace, assuming that maybe the air around here always stunk of roasting flesh. Maybe they incinerated zombies for sport? Actually she wouldn't mind that. It was one less zombie to deal with at the end of the day. Turning the corner just a few seconds after Neil, she instantly focused in on the open gates and the smoke and as much as it pained her to hear Neil's yells, Gospel paused to examine the damage on the side of the dented metal gate. Fingers ghosted over the damage for a second, a cold gaze replaced her usual warmth while she pondered the scene before her. Another 'No' escaped Neil just after she saw him fall, with Gospel's attention now off the cause of the carnage she shuffled towards the blonde falling to her own knees beside him. Very slowly, Gospel looped and arm around the side of his head and brought him to her quietly. Her lips resting on his temple for the briefest of moments before she brought her chin to rest on top of his head. Gospel's eyes scanned the smoldering bodies and the concaved tents and buildings. She shut her eyes for a second, taking a breath, and looking finally back to the boy cradled in her arms. "Neil." She mumbled, pulling away from him not wanting to suffocate him in an attempt to comfort him. Gospel placed her right palm to his cheek, waiting for him to look at her. He had an expression that she couldn't place, there were too many emotions flooding through him for her to accurately gauge what he was feeling. She just knew that she never wanted to see him look like this again. "I know you don't want to hear this right now, but this place isn't safe...the...smell...is going to attract something. So I'm going to need you to focus, if there are any survivors then we need to look and we need to do it fast. These people....the ones that did this, they did not follow any faction trademark and I doubt any small faction of bandits would have been able to get in here so easily. Whoever invaded here had the gear to do this swiftly and efficiently..."





Gospel trailed off, knowing her moment of rationally explaining why they needed to get a move on was not helping him by any means. Sighing a bit agitated with herself, bringing her other hand to his other cheek in another attempt to convey her empathy. She knew what it was like to come back and find her friends dead, he had been there, but right now it seemed harder for her to get through to that mushy gushy side of her that would be able to help him a bit more. She was too focused on her own internal panic because whoever was capable of wiping out an entire safe zone was not only gutsy but the most dangerous group of people she had ever come across. "I'm being insensitive I know...but I'm...." She stopped herself short of saying scared, sure that her own expression conveyed the feeling. "Come on...we need to see if anyone is still alive." She stated instead, letting go of him so that she could stand up and see what she could salvage from all this. They needed as many clues as they could get before any uninvited guests came staggering through.


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


Wendell parked the car, jumped out of the pick-up before sauntering over to the large metal door of the old warehouse turned bunker. It was about a mile or two outside of the nearest safezone so he was pretty confident that they GRIP gang wouldn't have any problems from those pansy folk. He pulled open the large door with a loud swish, twirling his keys around his pointer finger. "Here ya are. Should be enough canned food for a good week or so, oh and if I where you I wouldn't ask any questions about the stains. Ignorance is bliss." He chuckled with a wink before heading back to his car. There was no way he was sticking around longer then what he needed to. After all, he had to get back to HQ there were a bunch of war plans that needed to be made.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil remained on his knees staring into what was left of the safe zone. The remains of those he once knew stared him in the soul. He recognized one of the bodies which had burned less than the rest. Abby. A sweet teenager who always gave him lunch when he'd return from trips. He would always say no but she felt she owed him. "I should've been here.." he whispered to himself. he felt Gospel's touch. He felt her embrace. He felt her soft lips on his head. His body was out of control with emotions. He felt despair. These were people who took him in. This was his family. He felt rage. He wanted to find whoever was responsible. The things he would do to them. A snippet of his old self came rushing forward. He was ready to kill people with his bare hands. He was lost. He was comforted though. The tear finally rolled out of his left eye. He let not a single tear more fall.


He looked away from the pile of bodies. He put his hand on Gospel's before she stood up. He took one last look at the pile before he himself got up. Not another word came out of him. She was right though. She was alive. He still had her. Still rage coursed through his body. He was going to make sure they found whoever was responsible. He walked around the Safe Zone examining the buildings and their remains. Bodies lied everywhere. Whoever did this ended up rushing as some of the bodies were in the process of being dragged but were abandoned. Blood and bullets painted a clear image of how quick shit hit the fan.


As Gospel had said there wasn't a lot of time before they would have to go. More of the dead were probably slowly stalking their way over although whoever it was that did this took care of most the ones that showed up. Neil turned a corner and stopped dead in his tracks. "I found something..." he called out with a mono tone voice. It was pretty fresh. The night before probably. On the wall, smeared in blood the words popped out taking up most of the wall. Bloody Mary.





He didn't know what to make of it but he had heard stories of the notorious Bloody Mary. It was all rumors but she always signed herself with the blood of her victims. Neil's teeth clenched. He drew his magnum and started firing at the words on the wall until his gun made a clicking sound. He kept pulling the trigger hoping that by some miracle bullets would just spawn into the cylinder and fire until the words were gone. This wasn't the case though. Rage continued to flow. He chucked the magnum and the name. Whoever she was..he was going to kill her.

​

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Her body stilled, gaze shifting over to Neil as he grabbed her hand, a look of pure rage overtaking his features and for a moment she was worried that he had snapped back to the other personality. The one that still sometimes scared her just thinking about it. Gospel swallowed, her eyes remaining glued to him even as they both stood. He wasn't all that stable and she knew she sure as hell wouldn't have been if their roles were switched but she had been so dependent on him being her own stabilizer that she didn't make the connection until that particular moment. He moved off, shuffling around in a vengeful shell of his previous self, most likely waiting for the opportunity to bash something's head in.


Gospel's hand trembled as she pushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes, lips pursed in a silent observation. It was cruel of her to think, but the only person she was concerned for at the moment was him. She felt the overbearing need to try and soothe him, to ease the anger from his system before he did something utterly stupid. Her azure gaze stayed focused on him until her line of sight was obstructed by a crumbling building, her teeth chomping down on her lip to resist the need to call out to him. Last thing they needed was to add noise to the stench. Wavering a bit in her rooted spot, Gospel unhinged herself from her cumbersome fretting and took baby steps towards a smoldering pile of what used to be people. A blackened corpse laid entangled with the others, the bone structure still prominent enough to ascertain feminine features. An ashy hand was linked around another, wisps of embers swirling around the melted bone and flesh. She couldn't see the other body atop of the others, but she could tell that one of these people had been still alive enough to link hands with the other. A sick feeling stirred inside Gospel, her throat constricting in both fearful and saddened emotions.


A series of loud shots rang out abruptly, causing the blue haired girl to flinch from the unexpected noise. Her heart pounding at four beats a second, Gospel broke off from the traumatizing scene and quickly headed towards the source of the noise with her own blade unhinged. The clicking is what alerted her to the gun, the repeated attempts are what made her brain registered that it was Neil who had just wasted ammo. The subtle irritation of him having lost that bit of ammo stayed in the back of her thoughts as she cautiously made her way beside him. Last thing she wanted to do was startle him and have that gun, empty or not, turned on her. She flinched once again as the weapon slammed into the brink wall with a loud clank. Her eyes turned to focus themselves back on him and not the blood smeared on the wall. Gospel's entire body was vibrating with fear, knowing somewhere deep down inside that someone didn't just stroll in and do this for shits and giggles.


"Neil. You couldn't have known this would happen and if you where here what good would it do? You aren't a Superhero, you don't have unearthly powers, and you sure as hell don't have ammo coming out of your ass. There. Is. No way. You would have been able to stop what happened here. You would have just ended up in the same position as everyone else here!" Her voice cracked towards the end of her speech, her hands pulling back to wrap around herself in a sort of self conscious self hug. Gospel's eyes deflected away from him, looking at the red smeared wall instead. She was keeping her attention focused on anything but him, her own terror overpowering any emotional need to deter him from the destructive path she knew he was going to set out on. Gospel had seen things, had survived for a long time on her own without trusting people, but even with her time spent in the worst and most corrupted faction there was she couldn't bring herself to not be scared. This. Unknown enemy, was worse than all the Thunderstorms in the world. Especially when the name 'Bloody Mary' was inserted into the equation. Gospel's entire body trembled subconsciously, her wide eyes never leaving the painted words decorated with bullet holes

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil stared at the words for what seemed like an eternity. They had etched themselves in his mind like no other memory had before. The love of his life, the beginning of the outbreak, his quick makeshift wedding, his family and love dying, his time in the coyotes to the event that caused him to turn rogue, to meeting up with Gospel again. Hell even that abomination of a creature back in the labs wasn't as carved into his brain as the two words in front of him. It wasn't fear or a lack of understanding. It was pure rage. The name before him was written in the blood of men, women, and children he had considered friends. Whoever did this was a twisted fucking psychopath.


Gospel's voice startled him a bit, but he did not dare look away from the words. He listened to Gospel speak hearing what she was saying but his mind protested all of it. His eyes didn't blink or even waver. "I should have been here..I could've saved even a few. The children..at least" he said in a low and angry tone. It wasn't directed at her. The rage was shared. It was mainly for the psychopath who had caused all of this. The other part? Neil was angry with himself. He had been gone for too long. He could have made such a difference. He knew the ins and outs of Yorkstown. He could have saved some people, hid them nearby, gave them routes to safe places. He hadn't been here.


Suddenly as if reality had finally found a chink in his armor, it swarmed in and he blinked twice. It clicked with him. He could be angry at himself and this psychopath but what was done was done. He wasn't here and nothing could change that. He moved toward the wall where he threw his magnum. As he bent down to pick up the gun a single droplet of water fell from his face. Sweat? No. Neil wiped his eyes with his wrist. Only a few tears had fallen. No more. He picked up his trusty gun and holstered it. "We should go. The enemy might still be around" he said softly as he turned around. He looked at Gospel. Her face reminded him he still had something. The rage simmered down a bit, entered the back of his mind, but it was there. He didn't smile, but his face rested more easily knowing she was here. Moving toward he he extended his hand before they headed off to the truck. He knew if not her he might still be staring at the wall. Still a part of his old self lingered now, ready to tear someone apart.


Ashley sat on a chair outside of the warehouse. "Copy that sir. I received confirmation from a left over scout. He saw what he needed to see"


"Yes sir"


"Yes sir"


"With pleasure sir"


Ashley handed the radio to the soldier who had brought it. She wished a coyote or two had stayed. She was bored and she had a sort of rule of not sleeping with her men. Instilling fear was one thing but she couldn't have any of them catching feelings. Then she would have to kill them. Although some of the women in the squad were pretty nice on the eyes. She leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs. Hardwhick had arrived at the safe zone according to a scout. HQ wanted her to begin the next phase. They would be meeting the Angels soon to give them a supply of weapons as well. She wanted to make sure the mission went well and both sides completely annihilated each other. She smiled. Perhaps she could sidetrack a bit. She wanted to really fuck with this Hardwhick fellow and his companion. That mission was to come after the war but she was so thrilled with her work she was curious what the man thought of her art.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Air filled her lungs at a grueling pace, the oxygen intake lifting her chest upwards in a dramatic gesture before expelling the carbon dioxide back into the world around her. With each breath came the stench and the stench brought the nausea that was currently reigning terror on her stomach. Gospel's boots crunched on the curdled asphalt as she took two steps back from the wall and from Neil. Gospel's head was throbbing, her scattered brain struggling to remain focused enough to understand the words he had spoken. Her gaze was blank, tracing the creases of the blood painted brick with a mixture of horror and curiosity. Vile acts were hardly uncommon with the way society collapsed, but annihilating an entire safe zone for seemingly no reason was beyond her imagination. Snapping her stare away from the looming words, the sounds of dead space crackled again in her ears reminding her that it was not the smartest decision to stay in this area for too long.


Neil vocalized her train of thought, turning to look at her as he did so. She nodded in response to his words, unable to croak out an accurate retort. Arms curled a bit more around herself, searching his face for any sign as to what he wanted to do. The safe zone was compromised, she wasn't too thrilled about turning around and going back to the Angel's HQ, and they would both have to be suicidal to get any closer to Pawnee than they already were. The truck wasn't going to magically keep supplying them with gas and water wasn't always the easiest thing to find without a clean steady source. Gospel's cerulean eyes blinked back towards his open hand and his face, her reactions stunted from the weight of her own thoughts. Carefully she unwove her arms from around herself and placed her right hand in his. Her fingers laid gently against his as he lead her back towards the truck.


Gospel kept pace with his longer strides, biting the inside of her cheek as she watched the ground pass between them. As they neared their destination she caught herself moving off towards the drivers side as they came closer. Their hands eventually separated, the chilled air curling against her palm instead of the natural warmth his contact supplied. Slipping into the leather seat, she automatically started the car before looking over at him with a rather concerned expression. "Are you okay?" She questioned him softly, putting the car into reverse but not moving the giant hunk of metal just yet. Gospel visibly cringed after the question slipped past her lips. "I mean....of course you're not okay...." Gospel muttered, facing forward as she ran a hand down her face sighing a bit as she did so. Gospel shook her head at herself, twisting to make sure that she wouldn't damage her car as she backed it up down the road before doing a U-turn. Her right leg bounced a bit, just driving forward without any real destination in mind.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil felt Gospel's fingers entangle themselves with his. He felt horrendous. The butterflies no longer fluttered. He knew it wasn't her. The ashes and the blood killed the butterflies. They would be back and he knew it. At this moment though..he had lost so much. He guided her back to the truck each step causing him to slip back into a feeling of rage and despair. They passed the pile of bodies once more. Every face and person flashed before him. So many people he had helped and gotten close to. They were like a family. A family he failed to protect. His emotions were on a rollercoaster right now. He didn't even know what to feel anymore. He decided he would just keep moving. For the time being at least, while he decided what to do now.


When their hands separated he suddenly came back to reality again as his hand grew cold again without her hand there to comfort his mind. He moved to the passenger side of the truck and got in. He buckled up and looked out the window at the safe zone as they pulled away. Gospel's voice hit his ear again. Was he okay? He didn't take his eyes off the safe zone. "I'm...I don't know" he said thinking about all the people there. Should he have buried them? Where would he bury them? What were their last thoughts? Did they blame him? He wondered if this was his fault. Why would anyone attack a safe zone so brutally? Had it been something he had done? He made many enemies in the past but they were either dead or wouldn't go to these lengths. He didn't even know Bloody Mary.


That name. It rang in his head and suddenly the wall flashed back into his mind. He reached into his bag and pulled out a box of ammunition. Opening the cylinder of the magnum and the box of ammo he started loading a bullet at a time while staring at the road before them. Each bullet he thought of at least ten people that were in that safe zone. He loaded the last bullet and ran his finger along the back of it. He closed the cylinder and holstered the magnum. He put his ammo box back in the bag and as he put it away he felt something. Metal. He looked into his bag, a demon staring back at him. A demon all too familiar to him. He zipped the bag closed. It seemed like he couldn't escape the violence. This was the world now.


"I have a safe house I set up. Kind of home away from home. You'll make a left then another right and if you head straight it'll be a pub with a green flag over it" he said in a monotone voice. It came down to this. He hadn't been to this safe house in a long time. He had no reason to be. This was where he had first set up after going Rogue, and it was where he would try to bury his past. He failed clearly as he was headed there now, ready to face the demon again. Sometimes man had to become a monster to face other monsters though. Neil looked back to the road, recycling this same thought over and over. The thought of killing whoever this Bloody Mary was.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Tension rolled off of him like waves, burying the space in silence and unsaid emotion. Her thumb ticked against the leather of the wheel, forcing herself to focus solely on the road and not the sound of him rummaging in his ammo bag. The click of every bullet being inserted into a round seemed to be the only noise the two of them where willing to make. She pressed her lips together tightly, holding back on pushing his response further. In a strange way she connected with what he was feeling, every single one of those people back in the safe house meant something to him and he was cycling through all the 'what if' phases. Desperate to come up with some alternate reality where something like this couldn't have happened because he would have been there.


Gospel took another couple of deep breaths, her gaze flickering off the road for a second to look over at Neil. She didn't like how he sounded when he gave her directions, his words rang hallow without the usual timbre that had her addicted to the cadence of his voice. This whole ordeal had her festering in worry and fear, paranoia wove it's way up her body and constricted itself around her throat. Closing off any opinion or consolation she may have had planned to vocalize. She drove as instructed, making the necessary turns where indicated until the green flag he spoke of became visible. This stretch of street felt abandoned, almost wrong without the loitering of the dead but she figured that must be due to the safe zone a few miles back. Destruction tended to attract unwanted vermin for a short time, which left them with a short window of opportunity to not get eaten alive by some ravenous horde.


She cut the engine with the flick of her wrist, unclipping her seatbelt and placing the keys in the visor at the same time. Gospel grabbed her bag from the car floor behind her, took one last glance upwards at the man in the passenger seat, and climbed out from the claustrophobic space. Even as scattered as she felt, Gospel kept her head on a swivel still not trusting the quietness. The pub was brick, an old building that she could see serving as someone's safe house. The windows were boarded up, the front door was metal, and there was more than one way out of the building from the looks of it. Gospel went ahead to tug on the metal door, ignoring the loud creak it made as the rusty hinges slid open. Inside was musty, dark, and held the slight stench of rot. She clicked her tongue, placing her hands on her hips. The place certainly wasn't a five star hotel, but she figured that having a safe house was better than sleeping in the car or finding some other absurd form of shelter. Her boots made muffled thudding sounds on the hardwood floor as she made her way over towards a large stretch of bar. Placing her bag on the counter, Gospel leaned against the structure and ran both of her hands down her face again.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil stared out the front window so long the road became still despite the truck moving. The apartments and the trees, the corpses and the stores had all faded and only the road was there but it did not move. He was so deep in thought one would think he was stuck there. The amount of possible scenarios that formed in his mind couldn't be counted. All the what if situations. He was starting to come to accept the fact that in all of these scenarios he would have been dead too. There was something he could do now to avenge his fallen comrades. It was true he had no idea who his enemy was, but in that lied the solution..they didn't know who he was and what he was capable of, especially when people he cared about became involved.


The pub came into view. It had been just as he remembered it. The bricks had cracks in them from before the outbreak, the windows boarded with layers of would that even a horde would have trouble getting through. The metal door in the front also hadn't change, rust covering parts of it. The truck stopped in the abandoned street, but Neil knew there were some stragglers here and there. There always were. The end of the street had an overturned trailer and rocks though so the only way onto this street was the way they came. A makeshift dead end. Neil hot out of the truck after Gospel and closed the door of the truck slowly. The door creaked, surprising Neil that Gospel had already gone ahead and went inside. Neil followed and closed the creaky metal door behind him, and put a metal bar that sat next to the door onto it to seal it further from the inside.


He turned from the door to look at the pub. The chairs were all neatly pushed in under their tables, though one chair still laid in the middle of the pub broken from one of his angry fits. The bar looked the same, stools placed where they should be, the only difference now being the dust. And the liquor cabinet. The cabinet of elixirs. Neil walked over to the cabinet and reached in taking out an unfinished bottle of Fireball whiskey. He opened and sniffed it before taking a small chug from the bottle and closing it. Keeping it in his hand he walked around to a door in the back of the pub. Neil hesitated at first to touch the handle of the wooden door but some force, probably the demon in his backpack caused him to follow through, commit. He twisted the handle and pushed, reaching in and finding a familiar light switch.


The back room suddenly had light. The room was a large living room, bed room type of area. A sofa bed sat in the middle facing a TV that only played DVDs, a table between the two, covered in rounds of ammunition as well as two assault rifles and attachments. The corners of the room had closets, dead plants, and a few more guns. On the couch laid a map, a vest, and a pair of keys. It was just as he remembered. Suddenly a familiar figure appeared on the bed. It looked like him, however it wasn't Neil's face on the figure. Instead it was half of a torn up mask with skullish fangs and and angry look, and half of a plain black emptiness. Neil watched as the figure turned it's head and looked at him, before pointing a gun at him. Neil blinked. The figure was gone.


He needed sleep.

 

[Hell0NHighWater]

Her blue gaze followed him as he strolled behind the bar to fish out a bottle of alcohol. The amber liquor swished in the bottle as he took a quick swig before moving off to another space. She couldn't help but worry about him. To find every friend and comrade dead was traumatic enough not to mention that he probably thought of the safe zone as home. Gospel remembered the way he looked when he talked about the place before; he seemed happy, thrilled even that she was going to go with him.


Another breath forced it's way through her lungs as she pushed off from the bar top. Gospel wandered towards the way Neil had gone a few minutes before, ignoring the shattered chair that threatened to trip her.


From the moment she had stepped through the metal door, there was something about the place that seemed darker. It wasn't the cozy picture of a safe house- not that safe houses where ever really cozy- that the Neil now would occupy. The pub was the sort of place Mentor Neil would go to brood, drink, and punch things. Not the most peachy of thoughts given his state. Her teeth chewed on her bottom lip as she approached the end of the dusty hallway. A pale light flipped on, cutting through the looming shadows and pin pointing where exactly she was heading. The floor boards creaked under her weight every so often, making damn sure that she wouldn't be ninja enough to actually sneak up on him. A thought she might have to keep in mind for a less serious time.


He stood like a statue in the doorway, hovering there as if he were entranced by something she couldn't see. Those green eyes were clouded with thought and speckled with emotion. Her heart seized, halting her steps behind him and keeping her locked in silence for a beat or two. Carefully she reached out to place the palm of her hand between his shoulder blades, moving to stand next to him. "Hey..."


Gospel's voice was soft, on the verge of whispering and no where near the snarky tenor that she usually carried. "You aren't planning on doing something so stupid that I'd have to chain you to a bed or something right?" A weak smile pulled at her lips, removing her hand from his back and dropping it to her side. She glanced towards the interior of the room, taking in the faded couch that she hoped pulled out into a bed, the TV that almost looked older than her, and the scattered arsenal that made her question what Neil ever thought he was going to do with those type of heavy duty weapons.


The dead plant in the corner caught her eye, the mass of twigs where gnarled in on themselves painting a more than clear picture that either Neil wouldn't make a good florist or someone from before had left it here to rot. Gospel moved away from the door way, approaching the corner to finger the dead plant. The leaves crumbled under the weight of a brief touch, denigrating to the less than impressively clean floor.

 

[SnowStorm42]

Neil blinked a few more times to ensure that the figure that was before him was truly gone. Nothing. The couch was now an empty space where they could sleep if necessary. Something in his mind told him he wasn't going to be able to sleep. Not with the horrific events he had witnessed not too long ago. He heard creaking behind him and remembered he wasn't alone with himself. A hand touched his shoulder providing whatever comfort it could. It wasn't much but it was better than nothing. Neil's eyes darted to the weapons spread across the table and the corner of the room when Gospel asked her question. "The body bag won't be for me if that's what you're asking. Stupid was whoever did that to the Safe Zone"





As he said this he moved toward the opposite corner of the plant where a few guns stood on their stocks against the wall. Neil bent over and picked up a Ksg 12 shotgun and examined it, pumping it and aiming down the sights. He set it back down before moving to the closet. He opened it revealing canned foods and a hell of a lot of ammunition and a grenade or two. This safe house had been long in the making. Neil used to collect before settling permanently in the Safe Zone. He collected a lot and this room showed it. He detested half the weapons in this room but back in the day his magnum wasn't his only friend, especially when he had so many enemies in the world. Once settling in the Safe Zone the only enemy was the Dead and occasional bandits. Here was again. A man waging war against the world. He was content with this path. It was what was needed.


He picked out some cans and sighed before closing the closet. "I hope the stove still works. I can whip up some nice veggies on rice" he said trying to put more cheer in his tone. It was forced but it was better than a neutral sad sack voice. He looked at Gospel and the plant. The plant was still alive when he had been here last. It had been so long since then. Neil actually smiled lightly looking at the plant. It somehow amused him, the irony of the plant dying along with the safe zone. Almost as if Neil's presence caused death. He wondered if such a horrid cycle could ever end.





"Let's make some food" he said making his way back into the pub and to the kitchen area behind the bar. He really hoped the stove worked.





--


Ashley was lost in thought. Something about the stories the spies and informants told her had her daydreaming and wondering. She was wondering what this Neil fellow was like. He sounded like a hero from a war tale based on the stories. Then again those merchants in the Projects could've been exaggerating, or Hardwhick could've been a liar. Still though, when dragging off some of the residents of the safe zone to the center of it, they spoke of him as if he would save them or at the least avenge them. They sounded like they meant it. It..intrigued her?..aroused her?..perhaps..scared her. She smiled to herself. The last time she ever had felt such a way about prey..it had been in her early years at G.R.I.P. At the very start of the outbreak there was someone who obtained confidential information and even killed a few G.R.I.P. members and survived. He was going to reveal all secrets if not for her, and during her hunt she only found a trail of bodies.


Be it coyotes or clickers this Hardwhick fellow seemed like he would be a worthy prey. She thought for a moment. How could she obtain more concrete information...perhaps. She grinned. She hated the idea of it because of her hate for coyotes but.. "Gallows! Round up a few men, we are headed to Pawnee"





No one questioned her. She got up from her chair and moved to the trucks as Gallows obeyed her command. Her heels clicked in the dirt lightly as she moved to a truck and got it. If stories were true then Pawnee held the most concrete information about Hardwhick, unlike some old merchant who heard stories from bartenders. She got in the truck and sat passenger side. A few soldiers, maybe seven, started to walk out of the warehouse armored and armed. Ashley smiled and moved her hand along her own leg, a little excited, for breaking orders, for going into coyote territory, and for the hunt ahead of her.


The soldiers got in.


The truck started.


They sped off.