Dark Inside: The Apocalypse [[Teen/survival]]

Shae smiled bemusedly at the boys as they each countered her not very well hidden threat. Daniel was scared of her, no matter how much he tried not to show it. And who wouldn’t be scared of her? She didn’t blame him. In fact, it made him seem just a little more sane than Mitch. Now he didn’t fear anyone at all, which would ultimately get him killed. Ah, that would be a good day.
She chuckled darkly and shook her head, rolling her eyes. It didn’t matter to her. She would be gone within the day, whether they liked it or not. They’d made it clear she wasn’t part of whatever team they were, and she didn’t blame them. She was bitter, angry, anti-social, and deceitful. That wasn’t really someone you’d want watching your back.
It didn’t matter anyway.
Just then Tundra walked in, a new person behind him. The man behind him was definitely foreign. Everything about him showed that, even though his clothes were dirty and torn just like theirs. He spoke with an accent, one Daniel seemed to recognize. That was interesting. Hopefully this new person would be a better ally. Maybe she’d just need to be a little nicer to him.
Snickering, Shae watched as the introductions were said, a little mocking on Daniel’s part. Again, he irritated her. What was with making fun of people who were so much more powerful than you? Why would you mock a person who could kill you in a heartbeat? These were the questions that kept her awake at night…
Her eyes flickered up boredly at the gunshots. She was expecting them at some point or another. No day ever passed without new blood being spilled to water the parched ground. She sighed and stood up, stretching.
“Hey, Carter.” Shae began. “I’m Shae. That’s Thing One,” she pointed and Mitch, “and that’s Thing Two.” She chuckled humorlessly at her Cat in the Hat reference. There was one high school that had been doing that play. She’d killed the lead right before curtain call. Oh, she’d been daring back then.
Rolling her eyes, she moved out the door, pulling out her silencer and attaching it to the barrel, firing two bullets neatly into the center of two females’ chests. One was a scantily clad blonde, probably a hooker or something in her former life, and the other was a slight brunette wearing pretty professional clothes. She stepped over the two bodies and slowly twisted around, making sure no one else was coming.
When she was satisfied that it was only those three for the moment, she turned back and began to call over her shoulder that she was leaving and not coming back. But her sister’s wavering image stopped her, holding up a perfectly manicured hand. Shae snorted. Catherine had always been vain about her nails and other girl stuff. Like, she really cared about it. Shae just acted.
“They need you, and you need them.” She whispered quietly, a strand of red hair falling onto her face. Somehow, Catherine’s fiery mane managed to look a lot more peaceful, like a marshmallow-roasting fire, while Shae’s looked like flames burning down a forest.
“You’re going to start living soon; they’re going to help you.”
Shae narrowed her eyes. Start living? What did that even mean? She was already living! Blood rushed through her veins, her heart beat in its ribcage, air flowed through her lungs, and muscles pumped her body places. How was that not living?!
“You know what I mean.” Catherine muttered, sticking her tongue out and walking away, vanishing as another monster ran through her. This one was a tall, lanky male. He had short black hair and light grey eyes. He looked like one of the kids she’d gone to high school with. What was his name? Anthony something. Whatever. It didn’t matter. She fired another bullet, hitting him squarely in the chest. She watched him fall to the ground, looking on coldly as he choked on his own blood, the same crimson liquid seeping into the carpet and staining it a dark red. It kind of matched the overall theme of the building.
Shae sighed and stood up, marching back into the room and looking at each of the older boys she’d been with so far. “I really, really don’t like either of you.” She muttered, more to Catherine than to them. She could see her twin’s half translucent form standing by the window, a satisfied smirk on her face.
“But I’m going to put that behind me. I know the best chance of surviving this is to stick together. Besides, I need to find someone to repopulate the earth with mini copies of me with.” She chuckled darkly. The world with multiples of her? There would definitely be another apocalypse.
Catherine slapped her forehead, and looked away, slightly irritated.
Shae rolled her eyes and pulled the ponytail out of her hair, quickly redoing the style into a messy French braid down her back. It was better for running. It didn’t come loose and get in her face. Although with a quick glance at Daniel, she realized they weren’t going to be running any time soon. And she’d already put herself out there.
Hopefully they’d keep their mouths shut and not comment on what she’d said. She really didn’t want to say it, and felt way too vulnerable. She was finally admitting that she couldn’t do it on her own. She’d handed them a dagger that they could instantly stab her with, and she was trusting them not to.
Trust.
That was new.
She snorted and turned to Carter. “Where is this place?”

[[Finally learning to behave ourselves, now aren't we? xD]]

Mitch's brief bark of laughter caused my heart to jump slightly, as it was the same harsh laugh that I'd recognised as one of trouble, but once I had recovered a tiny smirk reached my lips. I was glad to have his approval, even if he was a prick.
And so the insults began, Mitch's 'polite' threats echoed through the room using the same tone he'd used for me when I'd referred him to a donkey. I was glad it wasn't me receiving the punishment this time, though. Especially since I could barely walk.
But then the gunshot rang out and, despite my leg, I sprouted upright on the bed and spun round, eyes wide in alarm. “Holy sh*t!” I'd not been expecting anything to happen so quickly, even with Mitch as he was. Would he really just kill someone without reason, or at least without a silencer?
But the Scot wasn't the one toppling to the ground in a pool of blood, it was a face I didn't recognise, a body I'd never even noticed had been there. There was a light clatter as a small pocket knife fell from the monster's grip and their stone heart ceased to beat, then all was silent. But I could see those hideous eyes from far across the room, even make out the thick, pitch-black irises staring blindly forward for a few draining seconds, before rolling to the back of the head leaving behind a white eyeball, scrawled with infected veins.
They'd found us.
Mitch was obviously thinking the same. “Seems we’ve been found out, Boys…” I had been content with this statement, until he finally added “Danny” and nodded to me. He was met with an annoyed glare, but nothing more. If he thought I was a girl then I'd let him. He'd just pay for it later when I puffed into his stupid face as we fled.
Rolling my eyes, I raked my hands through my hair with a stressed sigh. So, we'd been found out. But now what? This would probably mean we'd need to move again. But surely not before the food? I could get fairly cranky when I was hungry and there was food to spare.
It was like waving food in front of a starved dog and then beating it when it tried to take it. Cruel. Just plain cruel.
But Mitch was hungry too. He wouldn't let us leave right before we ate, would he?
“Oi, Danny-Boy, can ya walk?”
Are you f**king kidding me?!
I stared at him with almost as much horror as when he'd pointed that damned sword at me. That was probably the most stupidest question he'd asked me. Ever.
“Of course I can't bloody walk, Mitch.” I snapped. “Have you seen me?” I groaned, rubbing my tired eyes with my thumb and forefinger. Walking probably meant brisk walking. And brisk walking meant running. A fool could tell I was far from either.
But I didn't have a choice. It was do that, be dragged out by my hair by Mitch or sit and wait for the monsters to find me and let them rip me apart. I could chose to die there, in that hell-hole, or I could chose to die outside and at least hope my body would decompose or get eaten before I'm spotted by some passer-by, or worse, more monsters.
My decision back at the café seemed to be haunting me more and more. I should have let them kill me there and then, save all this bother.
Why hadn't Mitch killed me? Why did he insist on taking me with him, only to burn me, threatened to stab me, cut my tongue out and then call me a girl? What use was I to him?
I only half-heard the Scot when he introduced himself, and mumbled a miserable “Danny” in response. Who cared who knew my name? It didn't mean anything. I wasn't a sociopath or a born killer. I didn't have an infamous nickname like 'Matches'. I was just some used-to-be horny teenager that liked rugby. Unlike Mitch and Shae who seemed to only get stronger the more they saw, I only got worse. I kept waiting to become numb to it all, like Mitch had said, but nothing seemed to work. Every time I saw a body I wanted to be sick, but the emptiness of my stomach kept it from happening. In a way I was glad, it made me look stronger than I really was, but the taste still lingered in my mouth. Those eyes still haunted me. There was no way of running from it.
Not in this world.
“Say, you're leaving here yeah? Don't answer, of course you are. You'd have to be complete loons not to. Anyways, I know somewhere you can go. It's pretty safe, none of those monsters have showed up there yet. Sort of like...a refuge, you know, for refugees? I can show you if you'd like.”
You bastard, I thought bitterly. First you lead them to us, then you tell us to go to a 'refugee camp' that may or may not be monster-free, that's umpteen miles away? I'm starving, you son of a bitch. Why did you have to come and ruin everything?
There were several light clicks and two more bodies crumpled to the ground. I looked up from the shield of my hands to see yet more monsters who had crept into the room laying dead by the doorway. How could we not have heard them coming?
This was no use. We'd have to run if we wanted to get away. Well, I was screwed, then.
Shae walked out, just walked out, of the room, saying something about leaving and never returning. I groaned, not really caring in the slightest. The bitch had been the second person that day to point a knife at me, and I'd since decided that she wasn't all that hot, and Sadism and Masochism (S & M) didn't appeal to me all that much. So I wasn't all that fussed about her leaving.
Another click. Another thud.
I was more surprised that she came back than the fact that she left. Raising my eyebrows, I watched her as she entered the room once more, a new state of mind evident in her features. Whatever she'd decided, she'd turned against in the matter of a few short minutes.
“I really, really don't like either of you.” She told both me and Mitch frankly, and I simply snorted. I'd gathered that when she'd wandered off seconds after meeting us, and then pointed a knife at me for flirting with her. But to be fair, Mitch had whistled. That had to be worse, didn't it?
Screw it. I wasn't too fond of her either.
“But I’m going to put that behind me. I know the best chance of surviving this is to stick together. Besides, I need to find someone to repopulate the earth with mini copies of me with.”
I was too tired and too hungry to think of a clever response, so simply grunted and rested my head back in my hands.
She wanted sex? Well, after all that hassle and serious warnings I'd got from her for simply asking whether she wanted me to wear a top or not, she wasn't going to get it from me. Let her do it with Mitch. They could be murdering psychos together.
“So, where is this place?”
I knew it wasn't aimed at me, but I replied anyway. I laid back on the bed, clasped my hands behind my head and said simply, “Wherever it is, I'm not going.”
That wouldn't be because it didn't sound safe – hell, what was these days? - but because I simply didn't have the energy to go on. I was cold, tired, hungry and I could still smell an odour of some sort wafting off me even after the shower.
“But if you're gunna go I suggest you go quickly. If three have already found us God knows how many more are coming. If you want to live, run. Now.”
I glanced at Mitch, deciding I'd better think of an explanation quickly before he burst into furious insults. “You know I'll only slow you down.” I knew the others had been thinking it for a while. Mitch couldn't carry me and fight at the same time, and I wasn't all that fond of having to rely on others anyway. It was embarassing.
I wasn't being cowardly. I was being logical.
I wasn't being cowardly.
I'm not being cowardly...

((Sorry, couldn't think of anything. If you want to leave him, I do have an idea. If not, well, you can drag him out by his hair if you like. ))

When Carder – as the boy had introduced himself – mentioned a ‘refuge’, and bid them go there – Mitch’s first response was a derisive snort.
“Yeah, Scottie.” He shot back, intentionally avoiding using the boy’s name – because that would show that he respected him enough to remember it, and he didn’t. “Sure we’ll follow a total stranger to ‘some place’ god-knows-where in the middle of the apocalypse. Sure. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more brilliant plan. You must be a f**king genius. Where you gonna take us next? To see the Loch Ness Monster, huh?”
He laughed at his own joke, dark and bitter.
Then he found himself distracted. A familiar wet thud grabbed his attention, and he whipped around just in time to see Shae’s silent bullets fell the second of two new monsters. He nodded grimly to himself, noting the increase in their number.
More would come.
Always, more would come…
And more would go, apparently – he realized, as Shae began to walk away, calling an unfeeling word of dismissal over her shoulder.
He shrugged off her little leaving scheme – and just as soon as he’d accepted it, she was back. He glared at her in annoyance – disappointed in her lack of resolve to follow through with her plans.
He did not like Shae, but she had earned some small snippet of his respect, and he had expected better from her.
He ignored her little ‘returning speech’ the same way he’d ignored her leaving one, and merely shrugged off her dislike of him. The feeling was mutual, and they all knew it. Their situation was nobody’s ideal – but all were smart enough to know the cruel truth: It was necessary. It had taken Shae long enough to see that… But she saw it now, and that was all that mattered.
He gave her a subtle nod, barely noticeable, but more than enough to say what needed to be said: To all of their disgust, the team was formed, and it was for the better. None of them could do it alone – and finally all of their number understood.
Shae had earned back that speck of his respect, but he merely shrugged it off, and turned his glare on Danny when Shae asked Carder where to find the aforementioned ‘safe place’.
Danny stole his answer, and Mitch’s jaw tightened.
He wasn’t going to parrot Danny’s response – so he merely shrugged and grunted. His sarcasm earlier had been answer enough in itself.
“But if you're gunna go I suggest you go quickly. If three have already found us God knows how many more are coming. If you want to live, run. Now.”
Danny went on, and one of Mitch’s eyebrows slowly raised up so high that it vanished into the frayed old beanie holding down his tangled hair.
Funny… That had sounded almost like an order. Like the pathetic ‘leave me, save yourself’ sort of thing that the hero always said in the movies…
“You know I'll only slow you down.”
His dark gaze met Danny’s eyes, and he held them firmly – the intensity of his glare shooting daggers.
Danny was suggesting suicide… And Mitch didn’t think he’d ever been more utterly disgusted in his life.
After a long moment, the silence was shattered by a loud, ringing clap – which was proceeded by Mitch giving his stinging palm one firm shake.
His handprint shone deep red on Daniel’s cheek.
“You f**king idiot!” He growled, lips pulling back into a feral snarl. “Who the Hell do you think you are?! Stop trying to play the hero if you don’t have the mettle. Nobody likes being the weak link – but if the glass slipper fits, Danny-boy…”
His glare darkened – and the beast inside him reared up against its cage, roaring for release. The fury darkened his eyes.
“You selfish, cowardly, f**cking bastard!” He roared, and before he could stop himself, his heavy fist dealt a head-spinning blow to Danny’s cheek. “Don’t you see it?!” Mitch roared – and under cover of his fury, for the first time, his true colours shone through. He exhibited a twisted ‘good’ that he hadn’t even known was left in him.
“Just take a look at yourself! You’re weak, hurt and fearful. You’re human! Look at me, Shae…” he paused a moment, “Even Tundra. Do we look… ‘Normal’, to you? We’re half monsters ourselves, the lot of us! How d’you think we’ve survived this far?! Danny – the fact that you can still look down at a corpse and feel something, anything at all, that’s humanity! That’s what we’re fighting to save, here – and without a weak mother f**ker like you, we’re fighting a losing battle! So stay, by all means, because I won’t believe for one moment that this Scot-“ He jabbed an accusing finger toward Carder without ever breaking Danny’s gaze, “-Is going to waltz in here and answer all our problems. If this place is so f**king safe, he’d be hiding there himself. So by all means, Danny, don’t go – but don’t you think for one f**king moment that I’m just going to leave you here and give those- those things the satisfaction of knowing they’ve bested me again!”
Veins stood up in his neck and temples, and his face had turned red from the fury – but the clenched fists at his sides contained it.
“Scottie-“ He wheeled on Carder, “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t give a f**k, but I ain’t trustin’ you. I know a liar when I see one, and you’re about as false as-“ He broke off, at a loss for any clever comparison.
He shrugged it off, then sat placidly on the bed as though not a word had been spoken.
He’d said too much, and already he didn’t remember half of it – so he dismissed his outburst with a sigh, and raised a smoking roll of weed to his lips, eager to escape the seriousness of reality that he so loathed.
He had never been meant to lead. He was born a follower – that was what he believed… Yet somehow, leadership kept finding him.
Perhaps if he denied himself of common sense, they’d write him off as the idiot he wished himself to be.

((If that makes no sense, I’m sorry. -_- I just typed – Mitch did the rest – and I don’t have the slightest idea what the fool was on about. O_0 ))

So, where is this place?
Carder turned to Shae as she returned, giving some sort of speech about repopulating earth. She shuddered, glad it wasn't her who would have to do that with her. An advantage of not having a d*ck. She pictured a red-headed black widow, devouring it's mate. Another shiver traveled down her spine.
"It's actually not to far from here. But we'd have to move fast." She looked pointedly at Daniel, who was going on about having them leave him there. That of course was something only an idiot would say, but he'd already proved himself to be one by insulting her.
However, Mitch's reaction to Daniel's words was something she probably should have expected, but still she recoiled. Honestly, the dude was exploded with anger. So, she gathered he really cared for the younger boy, which suggested that he did in fact have a sliver of humanity left inside of him.
She waited for him to calm down, but instead he wheeled around on her.
“I don’t know who you are, and I don’t give a f**k, but I ain’t trustin’ you. I know a liar when I see one, and you’re about as false as-“
Carder narrowed her eyes at him. So he was calling her a liar? There was only one thing she was lying about, and it didn't put anyone's life in danger except hers if anyone found out. Naturally that was going to happen, of course.
"Call me a liar, go ahead. But I'll tell you right now mate, I haven't told you a single untruth since I stepped in here. I didn't bring those monsters here, they were coming anyways. I'm offering you help, it'd be wise of you to take it." She growled the last sentence, her hand poised for the gun. She did infact grab it, attached a silencer, then jammed it back in the belt loop. She wasn't going to spill human blood. At least, not any 'sane' human's blood. But in this world, who really was sane?
She walked over to Daniel, and studied him carefully. Then, without warning, she hoisted him up and threw him over her shoulder. Despite her slight build, she'd gotten quite a bit of muscle.
"Sorry about this, but I'm pretty sure none of us are keen on leaving you." She turned to Mitch and raised her eyebrows at him. "Now, I'm not asking you to trust me. Hell, we don't even have to go back to my place. But this lad here needs help, and you can hold your own. We'll go wherever you want, I'll carry him, and you can lead."
Hm. That was something completely out of her character. Carder didn't like handing over power. But in order to save these poor sods it seemed she'd have to. She pulled out her gun and glanced around them.
"Right then. Let's go." She adjusted Daniel, and headed on out of the door, not waiting for an answer. She could hear small footsteps following her. She frowned and turned, expecting it to be Tundra. Nope, it was a little girl of about 8 or 9. Carder froze.
"Alice?" She asked, eyes wide. Obviously the little girl was insane, but she looked exactly like Carder's sister. She backed away, unsure of what to do. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was reminded that this was a monster, her sister no longer occupied that mind. But for some reason she couldn't process that.
For a moment she was back in Glasgow, the running around with her little sister through the fields outside their house. She was playing golf with her father, going air ballooning with her mother. For that brief moment of looking at that monster occupying her sister, she was home. She could feel the tears stinging the back of her eyes, but she couldn't cry. Not now. She blinked them away and raised the gun, aimed, shut her eyes, and pulled the trigger. She turned away, not daring to look back for fear she'd lose it.
How was she supposed to know her sister would have turned? She'd ran away from home before the earthquakes, only weeks after they'd moved to America. She took a shaking breath and turned to look back at the monster. It was on the ground, dead. When she inspected it closer she found that it actually wasn't her sister. She quietly cursed.
"Sorry about that, Daniel." She said, smiling a bit. "I guess we'll be getting a whole lot of those, won't we?" She looked back over her shoulder and called to the others to get a move on, then made her way down the hall towards the exit. She kept firing shots, each one just a little click. Monsters fell after each shot, but more seemed to keep coming.
"Hmmm looks like we're in quite the predicament, aren't we?" She asked with a humorless laugh, firing another round. She'd be out of bullets soon, which wouldn't benefit anyone. She'd have to get more, fast.

[*is shot for not writing anything for Tundra* I have plans for him. *twitches*
I hope this is alright D:]

[[Kira, I know it's Carder, but Shae doesn't xD So sorry lol. And guyssss you're turning my killer Shae soft Not cool, dudes. Not cool. *sniffs*]]

“Wherever it is, I'm not going.”
Shae snorted silently, thinking to herself that of course he wasn’t. He was a realist, which was good here. He of course, would burden them. They wouldn’t be able to travel as quickly with him, and he’d end up falling behind and dying on his own. She found it pretty heroic of him that he was going to stay behind. It was almost like he actually cared about them.
That was a quality she wished everyone had, especially herself.
So maybe they shouldn’t leave him.
Thinking back to the idea of being caring, Shae wondered what it would be like. How did it feel to be able to actually care about others? Was it just as amazing as Catherine had described all those months ago after she’d been killed, as they lay on the ground in the middle of the night when she couldn’t fall asleep because her mind was buzzing? It seemed as though every time the apparition of her dead twin came near, she felt human. Maybe Catherine was her emotions. That was a provoking thought.
Biting her lip, she wondered if she and Catherine had originally been one person, but had been split and one got the good traits and the other the bad. And now that one was dead they’d join soon. Frowning, she chided herself. Of course that wasn’t the case! Was she stupid? Identical twins were formed by a single egg cell splitting just moments after conception… so in all reality they had started out as the same person.
Even though the idea was completely ridiculous, she still found it intriguing. She’d ask Catherine about it soon.
“But if you're gunna go I suggest you go quickly. If three have already found us God knows how many more are coming. If you want to live, run. Now. You know I'll only slow you down.”
Daniel’s words interrupted her thoughts again, and she had to put a conscious effort into changing mindsets. She needed to focus. No distractions allowed.
Yeah, he was smart. He knew the situation, and didn’t want anyone to sugar coat it for him. He knew he was going to die, whether it be here by his own terms or dying off from exhaustion if they traveled. She didn’t really blame him for wanting to stay. Then again, it just showed weakness and giving up. But was there really a point of not giving up if you were never going to win?
Mitch answered her question.
First there was a slap, and then harsh words followed, making Shae wince inside and wonder how she could have ever believed herself.
“You f**king idiot! Who the Hell do you think you are?! Stop trying to play the hero if you don’t have the mettle. Nobody likes being the weak link – but if the glass slipper fits, Danny-boy…”
She frowned, wondering to see how he’d react. She knew how she’d respond to that. She would pull out her gun and shoot the bastard for slapping her like that. Well, first she’d shoot his knees and elbows. That’d at least make him suffer for it. She chuckled darkly, but knew that Daniel wouldn’t. He was too righteous. Again another reason why they needed him to stay alive. He’d teach whatever skills he had to the next generation and keep them human. No one wanted more Shaes and Mitches running around. That would be disaster…
“Just take a look at yourself! You’re weak, hurt and fearful. You’re human! Look at me, Shae… Even Tundra. Do we look… ‘Normal’, to you? We’re half monsters ourselves, the lot of us! How d’you think we’ve survived this far?! Danny – the fact that you can still look down at a corpse and feel something, anything at all, that’s humanity! That’s what we’re fighting to save, here – and without a weak mother f**ker like you, we’re fighting a losing battle! So stay, by all means, because I won’t believe for one moment that this Scot is going to waltz in here and answer all our problems. If this place is so f**king safe, he’d be hiding there himself. So by all means, Danny, don’t go – but don’t you think for one f**king moment that I’m just going to leave you here and give those- those things the satisfaction of knowing they’ve bested me again!”
So she was a monster to him. That hurt just a little bit because she’d just totally gone and humbled herself in front of them. She basically just surrendered. And that was something she never did. Period. But that description was completely accurate. Looking back, she found no reason – other than she could actually think – that that she wasn’t a monster. She supposed she should feel guilty, but she felt really no motivation to change her ways other than the promise of adventure and exploration. What would being ‘good’ feel like? She’d been the bad guy, the criminal, the antagonist, for so long that she didn’t even know what goodness felt like. Maybe it was Catherine’s fault. She was always the little angel, the one that was always praised. She, on the other hand, probably broke the world record for most time-outs…
Then Mitch continued, turning on Carter this time.
“Scottie-“He wheeled on Carder, “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t give a f**k, but I ain’t trustin’ you. I know a liar when I see one, and you’re about as false as–”
With that his little rant was done. He sat down on the bed and pulled out another joint, probably preparing to get high again. Now that was something she didn’t want – or need.
She decided it would be better not to question him.
Then Carter came and picked up Daniel, hoisting him over his shoulder as though he weighed nothing less than a sack of potatoes (don’t ask :3). Shae could see that even though the Scot was slim and petite – almost feminine – he’d grown quite strong. She guessed that maybe it was just because he was young. Some boys that were really strong didn’t start showing muscle until they were 17 or 18. Carter was probably 15 or 16, no matter what he said.
Sighing, she watched as they walked out the door. Then Carter said something about an Alice. The “Alice” was a monster. She was small, slim, and dainty. She looked as though she could be snapped in half like a toothpick. Absently, she wondered if one could really snap a person. Maybe they could break their back over a knee or something.
Just another thing to add to her bucket list.
Then Carter shot the monster, and examined the girl. An expression of relief washed over his face. That was interesting. She sighed and pulled out her knife, preferring not to waste any bullets on the swarm of monsters she could hear flooding down the hallway. She shot a glance at Mitch, jerking her head in a respective salute. The tacit gesture would hopefully communicate the fact that she was considering him a comrade now instead of just another person to use. Hopefully he’d actually appreciate it, because she was pretty valuable. Especially when the only other option was to have her against you.
“I don’t trust Carter any more than you do,” she murmured quietly, keeping her voice down so that the Scot couldn’t hear her, “but we do need to leave this place. If we have to, we can always knock her out when we get outside and just leave.”
She sighed and ducked into the hallway, slashing at the people coming at her and making it clear she wasn’t coming back.

[I love Shae 0: I really shouldn't. But I do. She just makes me laugh xD]

To be honest, I was expecting a bit of disagreement from Mitch,after what I'd said. But nothing like this.
His glare was pretty dark, I have to say, but I couldn't be bothered to care. I was going to die, anyway. Why did it matter what one guy thought? If Mitch was going to argue, then he was arguing with logic. Simple as. He could say he was prepared to haul a 5 foot guy around the country without reason, but that would just be plain stupid. Not only would I slow him down, but it was like walking through the lion's den dressed in fresh meat. Not good.
But the slap, I have to say, hurt like hell.
Even though I was lying down, the impact caused my head to snap violently to one side, and immediately I was sat up again, rubbing my cheek furiously.
Jesus... even Shannon Burley couldn't slap that hard, and that b*tch could really cause pain to a guy if they p*ssed her about enough. Admittedly, I had done. Big time. But that wasn't the point.
The skin tingled like nothing else, and my eye started watering for no apparent reason. But I said nothing. I just tried my best to numb the pain by rubbing my red hot cheek with my palm, pulling what could have been a sulking face, as Mitch's rant began.
“You f**king idiot! Who the Hell do you think you are?! Stop trying to play the hero if you don’t have the mettle. Nobody likes being the weak link – but if the glass slipper fits, Danny-boy…”
I tried to frown, but it hurt to move my cheeks, even slightly. Hero? I wasn't trying to play hero...
I was just trying to prove a point. I was tired, I wasn't going to be going anywhere quickly in the state I was in, and I'd been f**ked around enough already. Mostly by Mitch.
“You stupid, cowardly, f**king bastard!”
The next thing I knew, a fist had been tossed into the other side of my face, and I was thrown rather dramatically onto my side by the very impact of the punch. A bruise began to form immediately, and I could taste a tiny droplet of blood trickling down the inside of my bust lip.
Right. That was it.
“What the f**k, Mitch?!” I snapped, feeling my jaw to make sure it wasn't broken. Well, it obviously wasn't, otherwise I wouldn't have been talking.
That had hurt way more than Shannon Burley's slaps.
He was getting far too over his head here, but no one seemed to care. They were all gaping stupidly at him, letting him fume, letting him scream furiously at me. What if he killed me there and then, just because he could? What if he got so mad he beat me to death?
Clutching my jaw, I listened half-heartedly to what he had to say.
“Just take a look at yourself! You’re weak, hurt and fearful. You’re human! Look at me, Shae…Even Tundra. Do we look… ‘Normal’, to you? We’re half monsters ourselves, the lot of us! How d’you think we’ve survived this far?![/i]”
I raised an eyebrow at him, whilst dabbing my bloody lip with my dirty sleeve. Was I supposed to feel loved? Wanted? It was hardly a heart-felt speech I was receiving. And his point made no sense. So what if I was human? Humanity meant nothing if we couldn't survive. You don't survive an apocalypse believing in morals, no matter who you were in your past life. You survive as any prey animal would: running from danger, sleeping when you can, eating, even hunting. But I couldn't do half of that, I couldn't travel, or run from danger. And I couldn't help but think that part of this was Mitch's fault.
“Danny – the fact that you can still look down at a corpse and feel something, anything at all, that’s humanity! That’s what we’re fighting to save, here – and without a weak mother f**ker like you, we’re fighting a losing battle!”
A battle? Saving humanity? I shook my head. This wasn't war. We weren't in a battle, here. This was simply victory, and we were the runaway fugitives. Besides which, I wasn't prepared to be a pawn in Mitch's little chess game, either. The day before I'd have risen up to the challenge, but in fighting, not in simply being alive. But all that had changed now.
“So stay, by all means, because I won’t believe for one moment that this Scot-...Is going to waltz in here and answer all our problems. If this place is so f**king safe, he’d be hiding there himself. So by all means, Danny, don’t go – but don’t you think for one f**king moment that I’m just going to leave you here and give those- those things the satisfaction of knowing they’ve bested me again!”
Bested him?
Oh, I understood then. This wasn't 'their' plan, or 'their' payback. Oh no. This was Mitch's.
Well I had reasons to despise those filthy sh*tbags too, but there was a time to let things go. When you were against the world, you forgot everything you knew before, you forget your personal reasons and think about the bigger picture.
The bigger picture was that we were fighting a losing battle. If it really was a battle. They'd find us eventually. One of us could turn in the middle of the night and kill the rest. It was as easy as that.
I didn't want to be part of this world any more. Why was that so difficult to accept?
“I don't know if you've noticed,” I mumbled, wincing as my bruised jaw throbbed in protest. “But you're the only one in this room that cares whether I live or die.” I dragged my glassy eyes up to meet his, letting him know this fact was not a good one, and I wasn't thankful for it.
I'd been waiting for weeks to feel like this, content, calm, ready. I wasn't going to let him change my mind.
So why did I feel so guilty?
Mitch totally ignored me then, as he was busy ranting to the Scotsman. Angry that no one was paying me any attention, I glanced around the room at Shae and Tundra to see what they thought to it all. Unfortunately, I got no help from either.
Screw you all, I thought bitterly.
It wasn't fair to dump all this responsibility on me, now. If I was only good for 'saving humanity',or in other words, repopulating the earth, then I saw no point in it all. For one, 'repopulating' would probably mean doing 'it' with Shae which, I had learned, would not be pleasant.
I curled my lip at the thought.
Hell, I didn't even know if I was fertile or not! I'd not got any girls pregnant so far, although two had used contraception... But if I was infertile, what was the point of me being there, other than for the amusement of others?
I scratched my head awkwardly, when suddenly, a shadow hid my view of the others. I looked up, displeased, to see Carder studying me curiously. Then, without any warning whatsoever, he grabbed my waist and flung me upside down over his shoulder.
My eyes widened. What th-
My immediate reaction was to kick and scream like a mad child, which was exactly what I did. I punched his back rather weakly, trying to knee his stomach with my good leg. “What the hell, man?! Put me down! Scottie... Put me down, RIGHT NOW!!”
But he wasn't even listening. I raised my head slightly, trying to spot Mitch. But the place already stank of weed, he'd be high in no time. The arsehole probably wouldn't give a damn if the magic roundabout had kidnapped and taken me to some freaky place... He'd be the one waving me off like I was taking a cruise ship to France.
“Damn you,” I growled under my breath, and continued to scream random insults in attempt for the Scottie to let me down.
“Smelly pile of sh*t... Good-for-nothing son of a b*tch... Red-headed mongrel...”
Then my eyes caught sight of something below my face, a certain roundness that I'd recognised straight away. It was an oddly deep roundness, though, eve hidden below the baggy trousers. I was good at judging backsides, since I'd had a lot of practice.
There was my idea.
“Say... You have a nice ass for a guy.” I muttered, pondering mockingly, then flicking my gaze around with a sly smile.
If that didn't make him put me down, there was a much creepier route I could take.
“Sorry about that, Daniel. I guess we'll be getting a whole lot of those, won't we?”
What?
I opened my mouth to ask what the hell he was on about, when I spotted the body of a young girl pass below the Scots' feet. I closed my eyes and groaned. I'd seen enough of those today, and when I was still hungry it wasn't a nice feeling.
“Hmmm looks like we're in quite the predicament, aren't we?”
I clenched my jaw in annoyance, feeling suspiciously like Fiona in the first Shrek movie. How long had it taken her to make the ogre put her down? And how many painful lectures had she got off of Donkey before she was free of either of them?
This was bad. I was referring myself to a woman. This was really bad.
Ignoring the quiet clicks of the Scots' gun as it shot through the air – I was too busy moaning and feeling sorry for myself to care – I turned my head up towards the boy with a stone-cold glare.
“If you don't put me down, right now, I swear...” I growled darkly, unsure of exactly what I'd end up doing. So, I improvised. “I will scream. I can do it, believe me. Ask Mitch. I will scream until it sends you insane. And I will spend the next however-long-it'll-be telling you how sexy and feminine your arse is until you have to let me go. Have you got that?”
I glanced back down at the boy's backside, frowning thoughtfully. “It is a very nice arse... I'm kinda stuck on a fence here, matey. I'm hovering on both sides.”
Of course I wasn't, and it was obvious that I was joking. But hopefully that was enough to creep him out enough and let me go.
I just hoped one of the other three had picked up my walking stick...

((Danny, my lad. You are such a creepy idiot, but I luff you so ))

((I love her, too XD That line about snapping the spine made me laugh We have a brilliant mix of charris here guys. I'm so proud of us ))

[[I don't even know where she came from. Cause I'm a really nice person O.o So this girl is weird. When do you think I should tell her she's adopted? Oh goodness, I'm starting to think of my charries as my kids... -.-]]

[[And I'm honestly in love with this RP. You have no idea.]]

[xD Omg Dreameh I'm sitting here trying to laugh quietly at pretty much everything in your post. And the whole bum thing just kind of made my life.
I do love our characters. A lot xD
*must wait for Polo to reply* e.e

Dude Batty. Carder's actually based off the daughter I want to have. That sounds so weird, but it's true xD Well I don't exactly want her to be a cross-dresser but I don't want a pansy for a kid xD]

The next few minutes were lost to Mitch – because his entire world revolved temporarily around the slim, smoking joint clutched elegantly between his fingers. He took short, hurried puffs of it that made him cough violently – but he was determined to get as high as he possibly could before he had to catch up to the others, and it took a lot to get him high, lately. He used drugs so often that one could say he’d become somewhat immune to them…
All the same, he began feeling a pleasant buzz after a while, and when the proportions of the room began to warp, he dropped what remained of the joint with a peal of childish laughter, and leapt to his feet.
He hurried after the others, and stumbled from his quick jog into an unstable walk as he reached them – smiling stupidly to himself as he followed along behind them.
For a while he thought they’d begun to ignore his presence – which would have suited him perfectly – but then something unexpected happened.
Shae glanced toward him and, much to his surprise, offered a subtle nod. Most people might not even have noticed it, but Mitch saw it for what it was – and he had to admit, he was pleased.
He didn’t mean to smile – but the weed had loosened his lips, and they twitched upwards unbidden as he nodded back to her in response.

He wasn’t sure how he’d done it, but he had won Shae’s respect. That was an accomplishment… The others; he didn’t give a crap if they respected him or not, because they were insects to him, but with Shae – it was different.
He saw her as an equal…
Well, almost. As equal as a woman could be. If only she’d been born a man… She would have made a nice little addition to the Saints – and an even better one to their little ‘Apocalypse Team’…
Still, she made a valuable ally, even as a woman. She knew how best to use herself…
((Mitch, you sexist. XD ))
He shook his thoughts aside as Shae fell into step beside him, and looked down at her as she spoke.
His eyes were bloodshot, but they were clearly fixed on her. He was completely aware of what was happening around him – perhaps even more so, with his heightened senses.
“I don’t trust Carter any more than you do,”[I] Shae muttered quietly, her soft voice sounding like a shout to his sensitive ears, [I] “but we do need to leave this place. If we have to, we can always knock her out when we get outside and just leave.”
“I like the way you think…” Mitch responded, smirking slightly at Shae, and it occurred to him briefly that this was perhaps the first actual conversation he’d had with her.
“Although knocking him out seems mundane, when we could burn him alive…” He smiled fondly at the image in his mind for a moment, then shook his head, and refocused. “But he could prove useful. Let’s see what we can get from him, first… After all – when I first saw you, I figured I’d get a decent rush out of making you bleed, and as it turns out I’m glad I changed my mind. You’ve got your uses.” He shrugged, and though his expression was arrogant – the comment was clearly of a twisted kindness. Not a compliment – Mitch didn’t ‘do’ those – just a ‘nice’ fact.

After Shae had dashed off ahead, his eyebrows drew together in a frown.
‘She’, Shae had said. Had she noticed it, too? The distinct femininity to the Scott’s too-dainty features?
Funny. He’d thought it was just him…

But enough thinking – Shae was having all the fun!
“Hey!” He shouted angrily after her, “Leave some for me!”
And with that, he darted after her – whipping a dagger from his belt, and slashing out at the flood of monsters. Double vision made his world swim with them, and as his knife rained rubies, he realised that nothing could have made him happier! He darted in and out, twirling around with a flash of his blade, and cutting them down with deadly accuracy. He was showered in their blood, and a laugh of sheer exhilaration leaped from his lips as the world spun around him – his knife guiding his arm out of instinct to slice through jugular veins, stab between ribs, pierce a blackened eyeball…
At one point, a monster’s eye even came out on the blade, and Mitch popped it into his mouth without thinking – then let out an exclamation of disgust, and spat it at Shae.
Thankfully, it missed her – rebounding off the wall, and hitting another monster in the side of the head.

Mitch’s ‘playtime’ went on a while – and from his incessant maniacal cackling, it was obvious that he did not take it seriously. It was even more obvious when, like a child, he grew bored of his toys – and turned his back on the few remaining, bloodied monsters to trot back to the group.
“I’ll take that, now.” He told Carder with a wide yawn, gesturing toward Danny. “I had it first.” He added childishly, “And besides, Danny-boy’s my bitch. Find your own.”
With that, he snatched Danny away from Carder, and helped the boy to his feet with surprising care.
“Miss me?” He questioned smugly, raising a single eyebrow as he pulled Danny’s arm over his shoulder, and supported the boy forward.
It was demeaning for poor Danny to have to be carried over the shoulder like that – especially by somebody with Carder’s physique – and Mitch was not the sort to damage a guy’s pride. That would inevitably kill Danny in the end, same as any bullet. He’d stop fighting. He already had, near enough.
“You should be able to walk after a few days.” Mitch muttered under his breath to Danny, and he ceased walking a moment, twitching the leg of his pants up to indicate a scar much like Danny’s forming an ugly, pale scar in the middle of his calf.
“Burns like Hell, I know, but the first day’s the worst. Y’ll be shock how fast it heals.”
He offered a wink that might almost have been friendly – then took up a little more of Danny’s weight, and quickened his pace so he fell into step beside the Scott.

“So… Carder, huh?” He questioned, smiling that sweet smile of his that those who knew him knew meant trouble. He glanced up momentarily, and casually blasted a hole through the head of a monster in their path – whipping out his handgun in the space of a heartbeat.
“Seems like a chick’s name to me.” He said with a shrug, blowing on his gun and slipping it back into his belt as though he’d never been interrupted.
“Seems like a chick’s ass, too.” He added, and his hand curved sneakily around Danny’s back to grab a handful of pert posterior.
“Mm-Hm. Chick’s ass, alright.” He decided, turning his bloodshot gaze on Carder with a dark smirk twisting his lips.
“You a tranny, Scottie?”
He didn’t wait to hear Carder’s answer. He was already bored of her. Instead, he looked ahead, and called angrily after Shae, “OI! Get back here! DON’T KILL THEM ALL, I said! I wanna have some fun, too!”
And he pouted like a sulky child – seemingly unaware of the blood that already soaked him to the skin. Either he’d not had his fill of bloodshed earlier, or he had just forgotten it had ever happened. Either way, Mitch was clearly in his element.

((He doesn’t really know – he’s not that smart – he’s just being mean, because he’s bored. ))

Carder rolled her eyes lazily at Daniel's threats of screaming. Honestly? She could care less, which was saying something because she often times cared about stuff like that. Right now she just needed him to shut the hell up so she could think.

"And I will spend the next however-long-it'll-be telling you how sexy and feminine your arse is until you have to let me go."
Woah. Her bum?! He was talking about her bum. Honestly, how gross could he be? Though, she was slightly flattered. No one had ever commented on her bum before. But this wasn't meant to be flattery, it was supposed to get her to put him down.
"Sorry buddy, can't put you down. Carry on complimenting me, since you're embarassing yourself enough already." She smirked and shifted him slightly, continuing on down the hallway. She blasted another monster's brains out(or whatever was left of brains) and walked by the body, almost tripping over the foot. She gasped and caught herself, muttering an apology to Daniel.
After a few moments she could hear Shae come out, and she glanced back at the girl. She didn't seem to worried, which scared and relaxed Carder. She wasn't sure how, but it did. After her, Mitch came barreling out, high as a kite. Carder did a mental face palm, but he seemed to be alright enough to kill monsters, because within minutes he was drenched in blood. Carder nearly gagged, and turned away from him.
She stood to the side, letting Mitch take care of the monsters. It gave her time to think about how she was going to get more bullets. When she looked back up, they'd pretty much stopped killing monsters and Mitch was making her way towards her.

“I’ll take that, now.” He gestured to Daniel, and she was about to hand him over when he made some childish comment about the poor sod being his and blah blah blah. ((she likes saying that.)) The boy was snatched away from her, and she felt some sort of relief in her shoulder. She stretched it and then grinned.
She started walking again, keeping her hand poised above her gun. She was to busy looking around, waiting for more monsters, she didn't even notice the high-boy fall in step beside her. She practically jumped out of her skin when he spoke.

“So… Carder, huh?” She watched as he blasted a hole through another monster's head. She glanced warily at him, and eyebrow arched.

“Seems like a chick’s name to me.” Carder flushed, and clenched her firsts.
"No, it really doesn't." She mumbled, gritting her teeth.

“Seems like a chick’s ass, too.” Then he grabbed her bum. He. Grabbed. Her. Bum. She turned and was about to punch him, then though better of it and attempted to ignore him. But of course he didn't stop there.

“You a tranny, Scottie?”
"No, I'm not." She growled, but he had already turned and run off towards Shae. She growled and clenched her firsts, digging her nails into them. She unclenched her hands and saw very deep crecent-shapes that were already turning red. Carder sighed and checked her pockets for more amo. Honestly, why hadn't she thought to get more? She ran her fingers through her hair, and looked around.


"Oi, where's the little 'un?" She asked, running back to the room. The boy wasn't there. Where'd he get off to?
"Tundra? Where'd you go?" She called softly, looking around the room. She made a clucking noise like she was calling to a dog, but the boy didn't turn up. She ran her fingers through her hair again.

Finally, she caught sight smallish boy darting around a corner on the other end of the hallway when she went back out in the hall. She followed him, but she'd lost him again. Instead she found that he'd dropped his knife, much to her horror. She picked it up and poised it to stab anything that came near her.
She caught sight of him again, but it wasn't how she wanted to. Her mouth dropped open as she saw the lad getting pinned against the walls, his face completely contorted in horror. She followed his gaze, and saw that another mass of monsters was making their way towards him. Her face paled, and her mouth formed his name but the sound never escaped her lips.
Within seconds the monsters were on him. Everything seemed to slow, then quicken. She could see him, see the monsters, hear his screams. Then it all sped up. There was blood. To much blood. She didn't know something that small could hold that much blood. Her breathing quickened as she tried to back away, tried to run. But not before she saw his face.
One of the monsters moved, and she could see him. He was pale, bloody, and his eyes were looking at her. But they didn't see her. They looked glazed over, and she knew in an instant the boy was dead. She started backing away, and then turned and ran. She stopped and vomited anything she had in her stomach.
She made her way back to the others, and her breathing had quickened to a dangerous pace. She was obviously hyperventilating.
"Guys...we...need...to...go....now." She panted, clutching her stomach. She just wanted to get out of her. But those eyes. She could still see them. She'd only just met the kid. He didn't need to die. Carder could only feel that this was her fault.

"Barking spiders." She muttered, and could feel tears stinging at the back of her eyes. No, she couldn't cry. Not now. She'd been strong, she'd seen others die. Just no one that young. He was the youngest she'd seen survive, but he didn't....not all the way anyways.


((okay. I feel horrible. But...I mean. I can't do two characters. Dx poor Tundra.))

((Ohhhh Kira. I liked Tundra Haha! That was extremely mean. I'm actually in shock ))

[[Tundyyyy D: Dude, Kira! Hahaha kidding. Kind of. But still. I'll post when I get home today, which unfortunately will be late. Thank you for this Kira o.-]]

[I know I was shocked I could actually write it without freaking out o.o]

[[Sorry guys. Had to make it good xD]]

Shae whipped her head around as Mitch called after her, sticking her tongue out teasingly. It wasn’t a serious challenge – because that would totally contradict everything she’d just said – but it wasn’t playful. It wasn’t really friendly either. She didn’t know how to do the whole “friend” thing. She supposed it meant being nice, and she definitely was not nice.
Sighing, she sunk her blade between the shoulder blades of a brown haired man who had been whirling around, trying to cleave her in half with an axe. She’d ducked, and the momentum of his swing had spun him around. That was the most common fault of axe wielders. He should be ashamed of himself.
She chuckled and watched as his twitching form collapsed to the ground, his blood mingling with the spilled liquid of others. The red pool looked so uniform, so similar. It glinted bright crimson in the light coming from down the hallway. The corridor had the tangy scent of coppery metal in the air. It heightened her senses, triggering a rush of adrenaline to course through her body. Suddenly she was full of energy. A small, sadistic smile lifted her lips. Oh, she was not right in the head.
But who cared?
Snickering, Shae continued fighting, pressing her way through. There weren’t that many left, so it was fairly easy now. She wasn’t a perfect fighting machine, though. Somewhere along the way, a something had gotten its nails or teeth into her arm. A huge chunk of muscle was missing, and it hurt like hell. Blood flowed freely, and she knew she was going to have to get that patched up son. Mitch would probably have to burn it shut. She shuddered at the thought. She loved playing with fire, and hurting others with it, but not getting burned.
Maybe it was time for her to get a taste of her own medicine.
She sighed and stabbed the last person, letting her fingers release the hilt of the dagger as the figure collapsed to the ground. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, panting heavily.
She was dirty, covered in blood and sweat and dirt. She was tired; who wouldn’t be after killing all those beasts? But most of all she was just exhausted. She was tired of having to watch her back all the time. She was tired of being solo. She tried to tell herself that all she needed was a good night’s sleep, but she wasn’t fooling anyone. Meeting these people had awakened something within her. Maybe that was what Catherine had meant.
Frowning, Shae opened her eyes and looked to the commotion at the end of the hall. Carter’s eyes were wide open and staring in horror at the room they’d been in before. What was happening?
Silently, she snatched up her dagger from the man’s ribcage and stalked down the hallway. She kind of resented these people for bringing human emotions to her. She was supposed to thank them, right? Gratitude was something she didn’t understand. She didn’t want to be thankful. She didn’t want to change.
Or maybe she was just afraid of it.
Carter was already on her way out, puking up whatever food had been in her stomach. It looked like there wasn’t much. She must be hungry.
Sighing, she glanced into the room, just in time to see the gang of monsters turn to see her. She muttered a profanity as her eyes skimmed over Tundra’s lifeless body. The boy lay there broken and bloodied and mangled. It didn’t seem right to leave such an innocent child there. Suddenly she felt a loathing for the world she was in. What kind of person murdered a kid? Then she remembered that one time, and sighed. She was such a hypocrite. But still, Tundra didn’t deserve this.
She pulled out her gun – she couldn’t take on ALL of them with just a knife! – and made sure the silencer was firmly attached, before cocking it and watching as bullets spat out the end, embedding themselves in each monster’s chest. They fell to the ground, lifeless.
Like Tundra.
She walked into the room and gently picked up the boy in her arms, cradling him against her chest. She looked down at his face, his sweet face, and waited for something to happen. Maybe an emotion would pop up. Nothing, though. Frowning, she walked over to the bed and laid him down, tenderly tucking him in and closing his eyes. There. That was a better way for him to rest.
She bent down and kissed his forehead, pushing his hair away.
“Sleep tight, buddy.” She whispered.
Sighing, Shae stepped out of the room and walked back to the others, not commenting on what she’d been doing, just watching the trio. They were odd, just a bunch of misfits. Daniel the cripple, Mitch the gangster, and Carter the cross dresser. She’d seen – and exposed – enough of those to recognize one when she saw one. But for now she decided not to comment. Whatever mood Tundra’s death had put her in didn’t want to hurt anyone – excepting anyone trying to kill her – at the moment.
Frowning, she looked at Daniel and grabbed his walking stick. Somehow it had ended up out in the hallway. The bloody handprints on it suggested someone had tried using it as a weapon, but ultimately failed.
“Here you go, Princess.” She muttered, grabbing the cane and leaning it against the wall where he could reach it if he wanted to. She wasn’t going to just stand there and hold it for him.
Suddenly, she noticed a shiny object glinting on the floor. She looked at it and picked it up, recognizing it as Tundra’s knife. Frowning, she handed it to Carter. “I believe this is yours.” She said, staring her in the eye. The gesture was supposed to trigger intimidation, sometimes even fear, but right now it was just a habit. She didn’t mean it. She was too weary to mean anything anymore.
Sighing, Shae began to walk outside. Thrusting the doors, open, she let her head fall backwards and bask in the sunlight. It refreshed her. This was the first time she’d seen the sun shine in weeks. It was always cloudy, or she was inside. The light was glorious.
Strangely enough, the block seemed deserted. There was no sound, not even a wounded person’s dying screams. Those were pretty common these days.
Frowning, she wondered what happened. Was that really all of the monsters within the standard five mile radius? That meant less humans were changing. And less humans changing meant either more were becoming immune or…
There were just less people to turn.
Now that was a scary thought. There was a certain number of organisms needed in order to repopulate a space with a species. And what if the human race didn’t have enough…
She shuddered. She knew that one day she’d have to just give in and finally have some relations with a man, but she was putting off thinking about it. She didn’t want to have a sign of partnership with anyone, especially in that way.
Sighing, she turned and headed back to the trio. “There’s no one out there. It’s like there’s nothing living within five miles.”

[oh man. I'm so glad I read your post at school, or else I totally would have started crying xD poor Tundra. My brain is rechid.]

((Nawww Kira Congratulations, you've now totally traumatised poor Danny. I think he's becoming even girlier than Carder, and not to mention stupid. Bless him ))

The next thing I knew a pair of strong hands grabbed my waist and I was pulled off Carder's shoulders – it was a long way down – and Mitch's arrogant, half slurred words rang through my ears.
“I'll take that now. I had it first. And besides, Danny-boy’s my bitch. Find your own.”
Charming, I thought with a scowl, landing with a grunt hands first, before face-planting the ground. My leg landed last, flopping pointlessly to the side, and I clutched it tightly, trying to keep the pain from throbbing any harder.
Just like Mitch to make things worse just because he was high. It seemed I received the most pain from him when he was off his friggin' head with that crap, forgetting that outburst when he'd both punched and slapped me across the face. I rubbed my bruised cheek miserably, grumbling to myself. If he'd just accepted that I'd slow him down and there was no point dragging a guy along who'd lost the will to live, I wouldn't have had to put up with any of this.
I was pulled carefully to my feet, and glanced momentarily at Mitch, surprised at the control in his grip compared to the rest of him. He pulled my arm around his shoulder once more and shot me a smug look.
“Miss me?”
I glared at him. The last time we'd been so close he'd bloody punched me in the face and given me a rather swollen bust lip.
Perhaps I could seek revenge by blowing in his face again. Maybe that would answer his question.
Still, my expression lightened just slightly, as I was grateful to be upright again. My face had gone horribly warm from being upside down and I felt somewhat dizzy, so just this once, I let it go.
Still, he'd pay for calling me 'his bitch'.
“You should be able to walk after a few days.” He muttered, his voice barely audible. But I heard him loud and clear, because the care in his voice was evident. How stoned was he?
He gestured down to a spot on his own leg, meaning he had been through it before. I looked away. I didn't want to know about what I was going to be up against. Who says I wanted to live for the next few days? Who says I wanted to live long enough to be able to walk?
“Burns like Hell, I know, but the first day’s the worst. Y’ll be shock how fast it heals.”
“Counting on it,” I mumbled, half wanting to believe him but the other side of me said he was only saying it because he didn't want me to give up, and get my hopes up.
I didn't want it, though. I didn't want to have to put up with the damn thing. I was tired, hungry and cold. All I wanted to do was lie down on a nice, comfy bed and go to sleep. The monsters would find me eventually, but when they did it would only be a matter of time before I was asleep again, but for eternity.
Eternal sleep... You have no idea how appealing that sounded to me right then.
Mitch had ignored my comment and had turned to Carder, but I hadn't realised what they were talking about until he reached over me and cupped his sneaky hand over her bum-cheeks, his grin darkening.
“Mm-Hm. Chick’s ass, alright.”
I couldn't help it. I snorted in amusement, and before I knew it, a bark of laughter jumped from my lips. Mitch was an arsehole anyway, but when he was stoned he was ten times worse. Poor Carder... Still, at least someone agreed with me.
A tiny crooked smile lingered on my lips for a few more moments. I wasn't going to be the only one seeking vengeance from him when all this was over.
“You a tranny, Scottie?”
What?
I scrunched my eyes closed, evidently amused by this. Of course Carder wasn't a 'tranny'. It was obvious, he was gay. Feminine guys were usually gay, weren't they? Or, at least, that's what I'd learned from my years in high school. Although some were just camp... But Carder had to be gay. It was the obvious choice. He just didn't want to say it in case Mitch took advantage, or threw him out. He tended to want to do that with girls, but anyone could be an exception.

Obviously, the Scot denied it and instead began walking in front of us, whilst Mitch shouted rather loudly at Shae to save some of the monsters for him, because he wanted to 'have some fun'. He seemed to have forgotten that he already stank of blood, and half of it was trickling onto me.
I curled my lip in disgust, resisting the urge to vomit up the bile lingering on the back of my throat.
Carder ran back to the room to look for Tundra, and I glanced around curiously. The little prick had probably ran off again. He couldn't seriously trust his abilities to fight when so many of Them were in the building, could he? He didn't even have a gun...
Then a scream echoed through the halls, and it didn't take genius to know whose it was.
I stopped in my tracks, my eyes widening. No... They couldn't have got to him so quickly... Tundra was quick, and good at hiding. Surely he would have been able to flee-
Another scream pierced my ear drums, and I felt myself begin to shake. He sounded so helpless, like that scream had come from the very depth of his soul. His voice shrieked horribly higher than his range would usually take him, and before I knew it, the sounds or tearing flesh hit my ears.
I covered my mouth with my sleeve, swallowing back a scream.
It shouldn't really have bothered me, since I'd heard many screams from strangers before. But that was just it, they were from strangers. I'd already met Tundra. Just an hour ago he'd been sat in the same room as me. But now...
Now, I couldn't help but think it should have been me being ripped apart by heartless monsters back there.
My breathing shallowed, I clenched my jaw. Shouting and screaming wouldn't help him any more. So I removed the sleeve from my mouth and kept limping on, realising I'd forgotten my walking stick.
Well, I certainly wasn't going back in there to get it.
“Here you go, princess.” I looked up to see Shae poking me with my bloody walking stick, and I snatched it of her, not in the mood for her stupid jokes.
I have to say, it was much easier to walk with it. But didn't want to walk. I wanted to run. Far away... Into the woods, into some meadow somewhere, fall on my knees and cry.
If Mitch had just let me stay there, on that bed, Tundra might still have been alive.
Carder had run back to us, gasping like a fish out of water. Geez... He didn't look well. If we kept going at the pace we were going, he'd end up passing out.
Knowing Mitch would only come up with some snide comment about how 'chick-like' Carder was, I decided I'd better say something. We didn't want to put up with another cripple, I was enough.
“Hold on, like Barbie here says,” I jerked my stick towards Shae, raising my eyebrow so she knew it wasn't a compliment. “There aren't any more around. Catch your breath back first, lad. You'll need your energy. So do I.”
I looked around the quiet, sun-lit wasteland, the silence roaring through my ears. It was nice to smell fresh air again, a good change to the sh*tty smell of rotting flesh, unwashed underwear and piss back in the building. There'd be the smell of monsters and blood to add to that collection, now.
“In fact, I'm shattered. Why don't we go back to the woods and find a spot there to rest? Besides which, I'm starving, and those two cans of beans won't be enough to satisfy us all. Well... The might be, but I'll want a can to myself, and since they're mine...” I shrugged. “There should be something in the woods we can eat. Squirrels, frogs, flies, I don't really care. If we're lucky there might be a few wolves to kill. But I could really do with some shut-eye.”
Yawning tiredly as if to prove my point, I turned my head towards Mitch and lowered my voice, unable to look at him. “You should have left me in there, you know. Tundra was a handy little bugger, he'd have been a hell of a lot more use than...” I gestured to myself, unable to think of a suitable word.
“Besides which, that punch f*cking hurt, you bastard.” I grumbled, stopping to rub my cheek once more.

((Sorry guys, no time to reply today. I may be able to tomorrow - not sure - but to be honest I'm pretty exhausted, and don't know when I'll have the will. So if you want to go on without me, you have my permission.
Can't wait to reply, when I'm back in the land of the living. ))

Carder leaned against the wall, sucking in air like a fish out of water. However, she was beginning to calm down. Her hands went to her stomach, which gurgled in protest to their emptiness. She sighed and ran her fingers through hair, as she so often did. It was weird having it short. She’d cut it only days before hell broke loose.
She looked up, seeing Shae walk out of the room she had just been in. The room with the boy. Immediately she was overcome with grief for the little boy, wishing she’d done something to prevent it. But when she had gone in there wasn’t any hope for him. She sighed and looked down, wishing she could just disappear.

”I believe this is yours.” She looked up again to see Shae, holding out something to her. She looked at it closely, realizing it was Tundra’s knife. She blinked, and began to refuse, but when she made eye contact with the girl she found herself giving her a nod, and taking the knife. In any other circumstance she would have felt threatened - even intimidated - by the stare, but in this case she just felt respect for the girl. Well. Maybe respect wasn’t exactly the right word, but it was the closest feeling she could think of.
Carder turned the knife over in her hands, studying it. She sighed and put it away. No use in thinking about it. She may as well use what the kid left behind. Even in death he seemed to be of some use. She let out a humor-less chuckle, and followed Shae outside. She completely intended to keep going, she needed to be distracted. However, Daniel stopped her.

“Hold on, like Barbie here says, There aren't any more around. Catch your breath back first, lad. You'll need your energy. So do I.” She turned and looked at him, her eyes hardening in anger. Not at him, of course not at him. Just anger at everything.
However, she soon saw the reasoning to this, and slowly nodded. She figured she may as well try more to compose herself. They obviously thought she was weaker now, since she was so freaked. She bit her lip, wanting to say something. If they had watched that kid die, they’d understand. But no. She saw him. She saw his face, his eyes, the terror. She shook her head, trying to fight away the images.
She barely listened as Daniel started rambling about going to the woods and eating. She just nodded, and stretched her arms. She glanced around and began in the direction of them. She sighed and thought about what she’d come here for. To save this lot, right? Yeah, that seemed about right. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she thought about it. She’d figured it’d be easier. She had been completely honest, offering them safety. The warehouse was the safest place she knew. There was a food stash, places to sleep, and you could sometimes bathe, depending on your sector and the day. But she supposed she couldn’t blame them. When she’d been invited, she had been reluctant to go as well. But look at her now. She was in charge of her own sector, and none of the people had a clue she was a girl. Apparently in the few days she’d been following these guys, she’d gone soft. She could tell that Shae knew. Daniel perhaps had a clue, but Mitch was only messing with her. But if he kept being all touchy to her, it wouldn’t be long until he found out. She’d have to keep her guard up from now on.
“So to the woods you said? Fine by me. Smells like shit in there anyways, I like a bit of fresh air.” She laughed and turned back to the others, trying to replace her worried frown with a slipshod smile. “Let’s get a move on then, lads.” She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket, moving them about until her right hand slipped about something. She smiled and sighed, letting her fingers run over the smooth surface of the watch. The only thing she had left of home, besides her clothes and her memories.
Carder found herself going deep into thought, slipping out of this world and into the past. She could smell her mother cooking, hear her sister laughing, feel her dads beard scratch her cheek comfortingly as he kissed her goodnight. She could feel the hugs, the hand-holding, the love of her family. How easily it had all shattered. She frowned as she thought about the moving, the fighting, everything cracking and breaking around her. She remembered when she had told her best friend, Mark, about them moving.

”Scheisse. That’s not too long from now.” The blondes darkened eyebrows pulled together, his German mixing in with his English. The red head nodded, her blue eyes brimming with tears. She had shoulder length hair, the bangs pulled to the side by a hair-clip.
“I know. I’ll miss you.” She murmured, trying to keep her voice even. The boy said nothing, just pulled her into a tight hug. The moorland winds tugged at them, threatening to send them toppling down the hill. They pulled apart and the girl grinned devilishly.
“Come on, I’ll race you to the bottom.” She dared, and before the boy could answer she had started off running down the hill. He quickly followed, and tackled her when they were halfway down, sending them into a somersault all the way down. The landed on their backs, laughing. After a while of just lying there, soaking up the sun, the pair stood up.
“I’ll see you around.” The boy said, ruffling the girl’s hair.
“Hey, cut that out.” She grumbled, hitting his hands away. He laughed and shook his head at her. He ruffled it again, then took off running in the direction of his house.
“Kiss my ass, Steinhauer!” She yelled after him, laughing.
“In your dreams, Nixon!” He threw back over his shoulder.

Carder hadn’t realized how far she had been walking, and stopped. She looked around for her ‘group’. She supposed she could call them her group, since she had nothing else. She saw them behind her, and decided she would just wait here for them. No point in going back.

[aw. Little flashback. There will be a lot of those, just a fair warning xD they will be titled: A Look Into the Life of Carder Nixon.]

((I'm sorry, that post sucked and it was random, long-winded and out of character - and I have no idea where I'm going with it, but I'm tired, and this is just what happened. o_0 ))

Tundra was dead.
He’d heard the screams from a distance – seen with nightmarish slowness the blood spraying from the midst of a savage group of monsters. It was just like one of those dreams, where you run for all you’re worth, but you just get further and further away from your destination.
There had been nothing he could do. By the time he got there, Tundra was dead. Carder had run past him with her face touched grey by nausea. Perhaps a tear in her eye, too – it was hard to tell.
One thing was certain: She hadn’t the mettle of a man. Carder was a ‘she’, as he’d suspected from the start.
Funny… For all his suspicion, he’d not guessed for even a moment that he might be right.
His eyes followed her for a moment, then turned back to the gory scene before him. Shae had got there first, and her gun flashed out like a fury, striking each monster down before he ‘d even reached the scene.
She lifted Tundra up, and carried him away.

Mitch watched, and he felt the grief of his ‘group’. His… He had accepted his position as their leader, now. He didn’t remember making the decision – but it seemed it had been made for him.
They were a part of his life, now, and he could sense the dreary atmosphere – the well-hidden despair in each forcefully brave voice. He felt their grief, but for himself he felt nothing.
Tundra had served his purpose. He had been useful while he lasted, like a sturdy old pocket knife, but he had reached his expiry date, and the time had come to discard him. Mitch was sore that he’d not been able to do it himself, but he soon realized that he wouldn’t have.
That was the problem with people: As long as they were alive, their very existence was useful. He realized that, now. They were to stay alive, come Hell or high water. If only he had been able to prevent this… ‘Tragedy’? No, tragedy was not the word. Perhaps for the others, but for him, ‘mishap’ seemed a better fit. He felt no grief, no sorrow, no remorse. He did not miss Tundra. He was entirely unaffected by the boy’s death. Frustrated, perhaps, by the dent in his numbers, and the blow to his team’s morale – but altogether emotionally sound.

It was as he’d told Danny, what felt like years ago: He was numb. Comfortably numb. Human emotions didn’t reach Mitch any more… He was sanity’s version of a monster.

Mitch realized that the group had gathered, brave-faced, around him – and he pulled his wandering attention back to the present – listening with silent acceptance to their plans. He wondered if they noticed his lack of reaction… He wondered what they thought of him. Funny… He hadn’t done that in a while.
“You should have left me in there, you know.”
What?
He turned to see Danny speaking to him, and his eyes narrowed.
”Tundra was a handy little bugger, he'd have been a hell of a lot more use than...”
Danny gestured vaguely to himself, and Mitch felt his tongue grow hot with a retort, but Danny was not done.
“Besides which, that punch f*cking hurt, you bastard.”
“Shut up.” Mitch growled, speaking what should have been a shout in a deadly quiet whisper, “Shut the f*ck up, you f*cking moron.”
I shouldn’t have to explain myself to you, filth.
Mitch’s respect for Danny fell away in the sneer that twisted his lips, and there was something almost fatherly – in a twisted way – in the icy disappointment on his face.
“You ain’t gonna be hurt forever, Danny-boy. You’ve got potential… Hell, you survived this far. We lost Tundra, and it’s a pity, but can’t afford to lose you, too – so get your head out of your ass, kid.”

He shoved past Danny, intentionally bumping his shoulder as he strode forward toward the girls.
“The woods, you say?” Mitch confirmed as he reached them, glancing left and right as they reached the daylight outside the flats. Shae was right. The town was dead… It was unnervingly quiet.
“Let’s move, then.”
He strode past them, walking ahead alone, and felt with regret the emptiness inside him – the inability to register the grief that he knew, deep down, he was feeling. For a while he lead the way, then he slowed his pace – allowing the others to catch up, and wordlessly falling back to support Danny – though he didn’t meet the boy’s eye.
He breathed slowly in, steeling himself, and for the first time – willingly and intentionally took control.
“Right guys… We’ve gotta do this right if we’re gonna survive – and we’ve come this far, I sure as hell ain’t dying now.” He cast Danny a pointed glance, “None of us are. I dunno what Tundra was thinking, but he f**ked up going off on his own. I hate it as much as you do, but we’ve gotta stick together. Shae-“ He looked toward her, and lowered his head just slightly. She’d understand the gesture… She had overcome a huge challenge in her own personality to accept this team. He understood it all too well… And he respected her greatly now, for accepting the mission that had been forced upon them all.
“D’you have a spare silencer?” He asked simply, “I don’t have one, and if I do have to use my gun, I don’t wanna bring those monsters flocking. Well…” He uttered a subtle chuckle, “Actually I do, but I know better.” A slight smile curved his lips, and then he turned his attention to Carder. She had strayed on ahead of them, so he heaved Danny more firmly over his shoulder, and hurried to catch up to her. She stopped to wait, and he soon caught up to her.
“And you, Honey… Tell me straight – are you a chick?” He asked outright - his hard expression offering no room for discussion.
“I don’t appreciate being lied to.” He added quietly, and there may have been some hint of an underlying threat in his tone.
He seemed to realize this, for he dismissed it with a tiny twitch of his lips which might have been a smile, and let go of the tension in his shoulders. He was so used to intimidating to get his way… But if this group was to survive, it was time for a change.
“More importantly,” He went on, standing beside her, and waiting for Shae to catch up before walking on, “That warehouse you mentioned earlier – maybe we should check it out. The woods are all well and good, but it’s too easy to be ambushed there, and we’re all too tired to be properly on guard…” He glanced toward Shae and Danny, waiting for their opinions.
They had to survive. Somehow, they had to make it… He hadn’t come this far all for nothing.

Just as he thought this, he heard a muffled footstep behind him, and wheeled around not a moment too soon, slashing out with his dagger, which met an opposing sharpened model katana with a resounding ‘clang’. He was quick to jump back, but not quick enough, and the long blade of the sword glanced off his puny dagger and sparked toward him.
He twisted to avoid it, but it caught his side with talons of steel, and he felt the hot searing of split skin as blood dampened the side of his dirty shirt. He cursed angrily, and grabbed the sword at the hilt, his grip crushing the hands of the monster wielding it, and causing it to howl in pain.
He jerked the sword away, spun it around, and with a frenzied shout of fury, kicked the monster to the ground. He drew the sword back and prepared to stab, but just as he was about to, the monster’s pathetic voice called out, “No, wait! Stop!”
Mitch faltered for a moment, and relief drained the thing’s face of blood as it pushed back its hat, revealing soft hazel eyes.
Mitch did a double-take, and his sword arm went stiff, holding the weapon at the ready without any real intention of striking.
“Mitch.” The fallen man smiled, grinning toothily, and Mitch warily lowered the sword to his side.
“I knew it! It is you!” A bright laugh escaped his lips, and Mitch growled in response. His side burned, and this man’s friendly demeanor was irritating.
Something in his eyes began to darken.
“Don’t you remember me? We met in New York – the corner of Fifth Street. I’d come by every day to give you some change… You always promised you’d pay me back some day.” He laughed, “I guess that day’s come, huh? You’ll protect me, won’t you?”
The man smiled still, but his chin looked weak, and there was something akin to desperation in his voice.

Expression neutral, Mitch raised the sword, and as a feral hunger boiled up inside him, his eyes went darker still – and all he saw was the hot red pulse he could feel from the wound in his side.
He tightened his grip on the sword, and prepared to strike.

Shae watched Mitch snap at Daniel. She couldn’t really blame him; the boy deserved it, and Tundra really did screw up going off on his own. If Daniel had been there, it might have held off those carnivores for a few more seconds, but the end result would only be one more corpse on the ground, mangled and bloodied and broken. She didn’t really care – hell it would have been awesome if Daniel was killed in combat – but it wasn’t the best for their survival. They needed to stay in a group.
It kept them alive.
And now looking at the group, she could tell Mitch had assumed command of them. He was used to being in control, having power at his hands to wield however he pleased. If she had any common sense, she’d think he was at the top of the pack in the Saints.
She really hated being the beta.
Screw it all if she was going to be under someone else’s control. She wasn’t a lap dog. She wasn’t their pet, their fighting machine, their personal bodyguard. No. She was here for her survival and that only. It had been a huge step admitting to them that she needed them in the first place; she definitely was not going to be under some stranger’s command now.
Shae frowned, narrowing her eyes at Mitch. She wasn’t going to let him take control of her. Everyone else? That’d be okay. But not her! She’d find some way to tell him that, but she needed to do it without… offending him. She didn’t want control, oh no. She didn’t want to have them under her care. Daniel was pretty useless as far as she was concerned. And Carder… the cross dresser was too much of a hassle.
There would need to be some communication that they were equals. She was not beneath him. There would be no control.

Shae snapped her head up. She’d fallen behind because of her thinking. That was unlike her. Frowning, she sped up, jogging to catch up to them.
“D’you have a spare silencer? I don’t have one, and if I do have to use my gun, I don’t wanna bring those monsters flocking. Well… Actually I do, but I know better.”
Shae snorted. Mitch wasn’t completely sane – but then again, was she? Were any of them?
Sighing, she replied, “Sorry, babe. Just got the one. And ‘sides, you never really paid me back for my sword. You know, the one you burned Daniel with?”
She chuckled and shot a sadistic grin at the boy. The talk of burning made her remember her own wound on her arm.
Frowning, she glanced down to see the blood flowing down her arm, the material of the shirt completely soaked through with crimson. She grimaced and tore off both sleeves, tossing the soiled one onto the ground and wrapping the other around the claw wound. She winced. Mitch wouldn’t be able to burn it. There was a huge chunk of muscle missing just above her elbow joint. It was on the underside of her arm, so it wasn’t really important muscle. But it still hurt like hell.
She frowned and glanced up as Mitch asked Carter about being a transgender. He shouldn’t be getting into this now. They didn’t know each other, and they needed to get out of there as quickly as possible. Besides, what if Carter decided it would be better to get revenge on them? She wasn’t worried about that; it would just be inconvenient.
She sighed and kept walking.

All of a sudden the clashing of metal made her jump, whirling around with her gun loaded and finger tightening against the trigger. Some stupid guy had locked Mitch in combat and they were fighting it out. The guy got his sword across Mitch’s side, and she could see the flash of pain in his eyes as it happened. But other than that nothing registered. He finally got the man on the ground and was ready to strike.
“Mitch. I knew it! It is you!”
Was this man high? Or did he really know Mitch? Either way, it didn’t matter. The scarred figure wasn’t having any of it. He glared at the man, his eyes nearly piercing through his skull. It looked as though Mitch was going to kill him.
“Don’t you remember me? We met in New York – the corner of Fifth Street. I’d come by every day to give you some change… You always promised you’d pay me back some day.”
Well, this was interesting. Shae shot Mitch a curious glance, lifting her eyebrow teasingly.
“I guess that day’s come, huh? You’ll protect me, won’t you?”
This man was so pathetic. Although desperation caused you to climb to extremes. Begging Mitch for help was certainly an extreme.
The gangster looked as though he was going to cleave the poor man in half at any moment. It wasn’t her place to say anything, and honestly, she really didn’t care whether he lived or died.

So she turned to Carter and ran her eyes up and down the girl’s body, chuckling quietly to herself. Her bitchy mood was back, and she didn’t know why. All of a sudden she didn’t care that they were supposed to be teammates. The only one she even would consider being equal to would be Mitch, and at that moment it looked as if they were.
She didn’t like him ((HAH! Polo…)) but she respected him. That was considerable for her.
After a moment of just standing there, she got bored, so she shook her head and walked away laughing. She didn’t care what the girl thought of her. She was already insane.
Now it was time to bother Daniel. The boy was still limping over to them, seemingly unaware of the commotion going on.
She walked over to him, smiling like an angel. She was copying Catherine, the way she always acted so innocent. It was hard, but she’d always been a great actress. This was just another role for her.
“Sorry about earlier. With the knife and all.” She said, chuckling lightly, falling into step beside him. “I was just trying to make you more prepared, you know? You can’t go around like that just because you’ve been deprived of female for too long.”
She laughed and looked back towards the struggling pair, interested as to what would happen. Would Mitch kill him? Would they get another person added to their group? That thought annoyed her. She really didn’t want anyone else, especially if they couldn’t carry their own weight.
Frowning, she hoped Mitch would just kill him. And let her burn his wound closed. That would be very… fun.


[[That was really abstract guys... sorry O_o]]

Mitch's reaction didn't surprise me, to be honest. I was hardly expecting a bear hug or a kiss on the cheek. He sounded rather p*ssed at me, really.
Good. He deserved it. The more furious he got at me, the sooner he'd leave me to sleep.
((I can't wait 'till this douchebag's leg is fixed, then he can shut up and deal with life *nuggies charrie* ))
But I have to say, I wasn't expecting him to simply leave me to walk on my own and storm off. That's not what I wanted, at all. I needed a friggin' rest... I couldn't walk on my own!
I stumbled a few steps, grunting and grumbling as my injured leg trembled and flopped pathetically, and I scrambled desperately for my walking stick and stoodd still for a moment, not really caring that I was on my own. Screw them all. If they started complaining, they could bloody well come back and get me.
Panting, I glanced down at the damp patch where the wound had blistered and some parts had burst, causing the dirty fabric to dab the raw skin painfully with the slightest of movements. I hissed through my teeth, wondering vaguely whether Mitch was sure about it only hurting for the first day. I could hardly imagining it healing at all, no matter how long it took.
Wincing, I attempted walking, which then turned to hobbling, to awkward staggering down the dusty, quiet road.
Hold on, 'kid'?
Mitch still wouldn't let that one go, would he?
But before I knew it he was back, avoiding my eye, yanking my arm over his shoulder and forcing me to keep walking. That guy just wouldn't give me up, would he. But why? Surely it was a waste of food and precious resources just by keeping me alive? Shae was a good enough fighter, and Carder was strong. Mitch himself was impressive in combat, also. Was I really worth all this hassle?
“Right guys… We’ve gotta do this right if we’re gonna survive – and we’ve come this far, I sure as hell ain’t dying now, None of us are.”
I noticed his firm stare on the side of my head and turned away from him, half-sulking, but feeling slightly guilty also. Whether I liked it or not, and as odd as it sounded, Mitch did actually care about me. I found myself blushing just slightly at this thought but I refused to let it bother me. It was a glitch. Just a glitch. The asshole would be back to his arrogant self soon enough.
Mitch carried on talking, and it was evident he'd taken the lead roll in our... Was it a team? A group? Or a gang? Rolling my eyes, I concentrated on walking forwards, not stepping on Mitch's toes and keeping my eyes firmly on the road before us all, trying to ignore my furious stomach and drooping eyelids.
Mitch was nattering away with Shae – talking guns, like an old, married, psycho couple – and Carder and I carried on in silence. I barely heard any of the conversation because frankly, I didn't care. Then Mitch heaved me further on his shoulder and scurried over to Carder, walking in sync with him. I struggled along, seemingly having been forgotten, and decided to pitch in a bit to this conversation, since it was less likely to be about the joys of killing people.
“And you, Honey… Tell me straight – are you a chick?”
So I wasn't imagining it!
I raised an eyebrow expectantly at Carder, trying to imagine him/her with longer hair. Perhaps if he scrapped the baggy clothes and fake voice I'd find it easier to imagine. Besides which, I didn't really want to turn out gay. Not that I had anything against gays, but if Mitch found out I'd certainly never hear the last of it.
“More importantly,” Mitch carried on, not really caring whether Carder had replied or not. “That warehouse you mentioned earlier – maybe we should check it out. The woods are all well and good, but it’s too easy to be ambushed there, and we’re all too tired to be properly on guard…”
Halle-bloody-lujah.
So Mitch had noticed I was tired, huh? Perhaps this was a subtle way of showing sympathy. All that back in the sh*tty building must have been a one-off. I wouldn't get that side of Mitch again, I don't think.
He looked down at Shae and I expectantly, and I simply shrugged. Sure, if they wanted to go there it was their decision. I was just the load tied to a pack mule. I didn't really have much of a say of where we went.
This reminded me of the moment I'd referred Mitch to a donkey, which made me smirk slightly. He had not been amused at that one.
Just then, a shadow flashed at the corner of my eye, a crack of silver sped behind me and Mitch wheeled round, throwing me off balance. I fell onto my hands and knees, then swore loudly at the pain it caused my leg and twisted round onto my pelvis, scrambling backwards from the battling figures. Metal clashed, mixed with sharp gasps, and within seconds the sword had slit Mitch's side, causing blood to flow onto his shirt. I winced at the look of it, wondering whether he could actually feel it. He did look pretty p*ssed off...
The intruder fell to the ground as a boot struck it's wimpering body, and shrieked pathetically at the sight of the tip of it's own weapon being aimed towards it.
I frowned. Monsters didn't cower. Not as far as I knew, anyway.
I was even more gob-smacked when the thing actually said Mitch's name. They knew each other?
“Don’t you remember me? We met in New York – the corner of Fifth Street. I’d come by every day to give you some change… You always promised you’d pay me back some day. I guess that day’s come, huh? You’ll protect me, won’t you?”
I stared at the man incredulously, shaking my head before heaving myself to my feet. I then limped so I was stood right next to Mitch, just as he withdrew the sword in order to strike.
He was going to kill the man. But he was just as weak as I was. Not to mention desperate. Wasn't that a little contradictory? I glanced at the wide, fearful eyes of the male, wondering what he must have done to annoy Mitch so much. Then what he'd said sunk in.
I turned to Mitch, one side of my mouth tweaking in a teasing smirk. “You... Used to beg?” I tried to hold back the snicker tickling the back of my throat. It was fair enough. If he was poor... But it was difficult to believe such a badass like him had ever asked for other people's help. Or their money. Same thing, really.
“You actually used to-...Never mind.” I shook my head once more, remembering the level I'd fallen to since I'd first mentioned wanting to be left alone, and nodded to the trembling figure. “Friend of yours?” I asked, more seriously, then stared at him thoughtfully. Why would he kill a guy who'd given him money?
“Mitch. Think about it.” I muttered, lowering my voice and positioning myself so I was stood sideways at his shoulder, narrowing the space between my mouth and his ear. “Humanity. He can pay you for that cut later.” I glanced to the bloody batch by his ribs. “What about all that stuff you told me about humanity needing saving? Isn't that trembling wreck 'human' enough for you?”
I raised an eyebrow questioningly at him, although he would probably have only seen it at the corner of his eye. I waited a few moments, leaving the question to linger in the air, then shrugged.
“Whatever. Do what you want.”
I winked at him pointedly then backed away, leaving him to decide for himself what he did to the guy. I'd done my part.
Shae pranced over, smiling gleefully, looking uncomfortably girly. Not in a fit way, either. Girly, as in, juvenile. She looked rather creepy, like Mitch when he was being weirdly nice, just before he threatened you with your life.
“Sorry about earlier. With the knife and all.”
Sorry?
“I was just trying to make you more prepared, you know? You can’t go around like that just because you’ve been deprived of female for too long.”
Oh. That.
I chuckled quietly to myself. She could act weird with me, but Mitch – as much as he probably hated me now – had my back. If she harmed me in any way, he'd kill her. No doubt about it.
“You're a saint, Shae,” I mused sarcastically, narrowing my eyes lazily with a tired smile. Whatever she had in mind, I was far too tired to care. “But you weren't trying to 'prepare' me, so don't lie.” I raised an eyebrow teasingly, not showing a single hint of accusation or aggression with the statement. “You just wanted to enjoy scaring the sh*t out of me. And congratulations, because you nearly succeeded.”
I narrowed my eyes further, challenging.
Nearly, honey. But not quite.
“You're not sorry, either. Not in the slightest.” I chuckled, honestly amused. “But hey, if you ever want me to take my top off again, just ask.”
I snickered, winking cheekily at her before covering my side with my arm, as if expecting her to play the same trick with the knife again. Knowing her I'd fall for it the second time round,and the third, and the fifth...
Okay, Shae was right. I was a majorly... Majorly deprived soul.

Danny’s voice at Mitch’s shoulder served to appropriately distract him from his victim, and at the boy’s snide, clearly amused question, A snarl leaped from Mitch’s lips – but before he could say a word, Danny was speaking again. He went on and on, lecturing and patronizing – in that disgustingly superior tone of his.
Mitch seemed to gradually swell as all his muscles tensed, and his shoulders crept upwards. He twitched just slightly, near shaking from fury, and as his lips pulled back over fierce teeth, his eyes seemed to become darker still.
“Think you’re better than me?” He hissed angrily, “HUH?!” His voice rose to a shout now, and he stepped right up to Danny until their chests were nearly touching. He took a deep breath through his nose, head bowed so far forward that his chin nearly touched his collar bone when his eyes were low enough to meet Danny’s.
But the boy paid him no mind. He seemed hardly to notice Mitch’s fury – for already his attention had switched over to Shae.

With a roar like living fury, Mitch wheeled around to face the victim that Danny had distracted him from. He found the man half on his feet – and he didn’t skip a beat. With one snake-strike lunge, he’d slammed the knife into the man’s chest with such force that even his fingers vanished into the bloody flesh. He heard a squeak of surprise, some sound akin to a plea, and then just helpless gurgles as the man’s throat filled with blood. His eyes were wide and glassy with tears of pain, and his face whitened as quickly as the feeble quivering of his chin. His hands fumbled for the handle of the knife sunk so deep into his ribcage that it was out of reach, and his legs slowly crumpled to lay him dead and bloodied at Mitch’s feet.
The latter was breathing heavily, fists clenched at his sides, and veins standing up in his neck. His blood pulsed hot and fast through his veins, and it poured freely from the gash in his side.
“You don’t f**k with me!” He yelled furiously, kicking the corpse pointlessly, again and again, until blood was spattered everywhere in gory flecks of sticky crimson.
“Nobody f**king f*cks with me, you f*cking bastard!”
When kicking the corpse lost its glamour, Mitch wheeled on his team, and his expression didn’t falter for a moment. “WHAT?!” He demanded, taking a furious step forward, and causing blood to wash down his hip and stain his thigh on its way to the ground. “You got a problem? HUH?!” He didn’t even know who he was talking to. All he knew was that he was angrier than he’d been in his life, his senses were intoxicated by blood, and it felt great! He didn’t give a crap what he cut down, he just wanted to make things suffer!
His eyes were slowly blackening, growing darker by the minute.

With a sadistic smirk, he knelt, and wrenched his knife from the dead man’s ribs.
Then, he took a violent, clumsy swing at Danny – so unlike his usual crisp, precise style. The keen blade missed the boy’s neck by an inch, and Mitch hissed in frustration, drawing back to strike again.

He wasn’t even thinking any more. These brilliant, animalistic instincts were all that guided him, and they were all he needed. Why think? Why fight the inevitable? Why change the world?
This was easy, and easy was good.
So, so good…