Young Writers Society

Wyvern

The guy stares around after I'd asked him what happened to him. He lets out a puff of air and starts explaining his history. As in, right from the start, how his mother died when he was young, how he found the wolf, and why he has a seven pointed star etched on his forehead. I give him a droll look the entire time. All I wanted to know was why he was unconscious for so long. I don't care what happened when he was eight! Why is he telling us everything? What piques my interest is what he says about his immunity, and how it isn't natural.

"Wait," I hold a hand up to cut him off. "What do you mean you're unnaturally immune?"

"My dad, he was a scientist. They were working on a cure and found it. I got injected with the serum before their lab was destroyed by the Infected," he rattles off.

"That could come in handy," Samuel says, rubbing his chin.

"Yes, except when he gets bit, he passes out, if what we're to go by is true," I shoot back.

"That is true," the boy nods. "Because my body is fighting off the disease."

"But how good a shot are you?" Matt asks.

I hold in a smile. Such an appropriate question. Trust Matt to ask the right questions.

"Ahh, pretty good with a gun –"

"What about any other weapon?" Samuel cuts in.

"He has his wolf," Low points out. "Who is Immune, right?"

The kid nods. "Yeah, Blitz is pretty good at killing the Infected," he says.

Samuel – who seems to be the group leader for the time being – shakes his head. "He'll stay. Even with his disadvantage of passing out after being bitten, he's still an asset," he says.

"I don't mind him staying till he becomes a pain in the asset," I snap, and walk back over to my pack and small pile of bone arrows.

"Don't mind her, she's snappy at everyone she meets," Matt says lightheartedly.

I block everyone out and keep carving until my fingers ache and my stomach rumbles. The sun has started to set, and I can hear screams in the distance starting up. Samuel rekindles the fire, showing Low what to do. Matt is going through all his supplies, taking out an empty water canister. I should probably do the same, but not until I've finished with the bones.

The deer Matt had shot has been stripped of its meat, it's bones taken out, organs and skin. The carcass had been taken away, probably dumped with the cat's one. I wonder if I should tell Samuel that the smell of blood is more likely to lure in a bear or wolf than an Infected. They go for live things, not dead things.

With a sigh I put my carving knife and half carved bow down to get up. I stretch, arms high above my head. My shoulders crack, and I bend over backwards to crack my back. I let out a sigh of content and walk over to the fire to pick up some of the cat meat jerky. Samuel is laying out more strips of meat and I remember I have a small pot in my pack.

"Know how to make soup?" I ask him.

He looks up. "Shouldn't be too hard," he says.

I chuckle and get my pot out. I fill it with the last of my water and put it by the fire, close enough for it to start boiling, but not so close that you'll singe your hand grabbing the handle.

"Here you go, this should be useful," I say to Samuel.

"Thanks," he looks at the small, dented pot with a raised eyebrow before looking back at me, a half smirk on his lips.

"Just let me try and be nice," I grate out through my teeth, and get up.

Picking up the now empty water canister, I go over to Matt and he looks up at me, a sort of shy smile on his face. I don't know what it is about his smile, but it makes me want to smile too.

"Hey Matt, wanna go fill up the water canisters? There's a stream nearby," I ask him.

"Is that wise, running off?" Samuel calls from the fire.

"We'll both be armed," I counter over my shoulder.

"It's getting dark," he shoots back.

"We need water," I hiss.

End of discussion. Samuel huffs something about 'reckless Immunes' before calling Low to him to show him how to make soup. At least, I hope what he plans on making is edible, I'm starving.

Matt grabs two water canisters and leaps to his feet. I look around for any other water canisters and spot one more by Samuel's stuffs. I stroll over to it and grab it. He gives me a savage glare and I poke my tongue at him before skipping over to Matt.

"Come on," I breathe and dance into the trees.

We walk in silence until we get to the stream. Matt doesn't look at me as he fills the canisters with clear, stream water. I find my eyes drifting over his body and quickly shake my head. I walk over beside him and bend down to fill up the other canisters I have.

"So, got any interesting stories?" Matt asks, and then bites his lip, as though he regrets asking me that.

"Ahh," I wrack my brain for anything. "I think I've kind of told you most of what I've gone through," I admit.

"Surely something funny has happened though?" Matt is biting his lip again.

"I fell down a tree once, while escaping an Infected. That was when the last of my hair colour leeched out," I shrug. "I was running from a deer Infected. I know deer can't climb, so I climbed up a pine tree. Got almost to the top because I was too scared to stop. Almost touched a spider and screamed. Obviously I let go of the branches and just fell until I hit the ground. The Infected below latched onto my shoulder and in my pain I managed to stab it to death," I bite my lip. "That turned dark really quickly. I guess moral of the story, don't rush up a tree."

Matt doesn't quite laugh. He sort of chuckles though. He stares at me with his steel grey eyes. I try to imagine him with brown eyes and darker hair, but I can't. I wonder what he was like before all this started. He was alive a few years before it all happened. He's twenty ... One? He looks around twenty anyway. That's five years of seeing the world how it was before. I was only three, I barely remember what it was like. A lot of lights and colour and warmth. Now everything just feels cold. Very cold.

"Are you okay, Wyvern?" Matt asks.

Quickly, I shake my head and wipe at my face. "Sorry, I got lost in thought," I admit.

He smiles. "Or lost in my eyes?" He jokes, and then starts biting his lip again.

I blink in surprise at the comment and then let out a bark of laughter. "Oh Matt," I shake my head and ruffle his hair. "Stop biting your lip, you don't have to worry what you say around me."

He just keeps chewing on his bottom lip. I nudge him with my shoulder and stand up. He rises to his feet too and looks down at me with a soft smile before looking toward the camp.

"It's pretty dark, let's get back to camp," he says, but in a way that makes it sound like a challenge.

"Sure," I nod. "Tomorrow we should leave the camp. Those screams are getting pretty close."

Matt stops walking and tilts his head to the side, as though he's listening for the screams. They're very faint, fainter than before, but there none of the less. Matt is so immersed in listening to the screams, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, his lips parted a little, his head to the side, fringe falling across his forehead. His left leg is slightly forward, his shoulders turned a little toward me. It's almost like he's been frozen midstride. And he looks absolutely gorgeous. A story my father once told me comes to mind, about a man that would bring about snow. He was called Jack Frost. Dad loved telling stories, but my favourite was always Jack Frost, because he made kids laugh and he was made of ice and snow. Right now, Matt looks like what I'd imagine Jack Frost would look like, and he's put me under a spell with his magic.

"I'd say they're three miles away, maybe more," Matt says, moving to stand straighter.

The spell is broken. I can feel a blush crawling up my cheeks and I look away. "Still too close," I murmur.
"Yeah," Matt nods. "Come on, let's get back to camp."

He brushes passed me, and I shudder. What the hell was that? I've been around people before, I've shaken hands with people and I've been hugged by a complete stranger once. Yet Matt just brushing passed me sends a strange feeling through my body. Mum told me that as I grow older I'm going to notice some changes in my body and attitude, but I didn't quite know what she meant. I mean yeah, my body filled out and I grew boobs, but what else has happened? I know I'm nastier than I was when I was a kid, but that's because of what I've been through.

"Wyvern!" Matt calls.

Snapping out if my thoughts, I spin around and leap over to Matt. He smiles at me and I return the smile with a meagre curl of my lips. We walk back into the camp and put the water canisters down. I place Samuel's one on his things and he looks up from the small, steaming pot to smile. Only instead of smiling, he frowns.

"What's wrong with you?" He asks.

I try to give him a glare. "Nothing," I snap, although it comes out too breathy.

Samuel narrows his eyes and turns to look at Matt, who has a look of contemplation on his face. He walks over to Samuel and bends down beside him.

"Wyvern thinks we should head off tomorrow," he says to Samuel.

Samuel nods. "Yeah, I guess that's fair," he rubs his chin and glances at Low, who's talking to Harry. I follow his gaze and lock eyes with the wolf, Blitz. He tilts his head to the side, white eyes flashing.

Emotion bubbles up in my chest, and I try to push it down. My stomach twists and I look at my feet, averting my gaze from the wolf's white eyes. Samuel and Matt discuss tomorrow, and I walk back over to my pack. I sit down and stare at the bones in front of me. They're almost white now, like my hair, like my pale eyes, and like my skin. I don't pick them up to keep carving though. I just curl up on the ground and close my eyes. My stomach grumbles angrily at me but I ignore it, trying to calm my mind so I can sleep.

Hours pass. Samuel and Matt go to sleep. Low and Harry talk for a while longer before finally going to sleep too. I just lie there, eyes closed, breathing softly. Sleep evades me like a half forgotten memory. All I can do is lie on the ground, stomach clenched from hunger, chest tight with emotions. Giving up on sleep, I roll onto my back and listen to the screams in the distance. Three miles. That would be maybe three and a half or four kilometres. Or is a mile longer than a kilometre? I can't remember anymore.

The light dances across his face, the shadows distorting the contours of his features. His white eyes stare at me over the fire. A low, pained moan echoes in his chest, his bloodied hand lifting to reach across the flames to grab me.

"Wyvern, hey," I'm being shaken awake. My eyes flutter open, wan light filtering through the leaves above. They flit to Matt leaning over me, smiling down at me. "Time to go."

I nod and sit up. I pack away the bones and carving knife into my pack, and tie some chord around the water canister. I take out my knives and strap one to my belt and put one in my boots. Standing up, I sling my pack on and thread the chord through the straps of the pack, the water canister hanging by my hip.

"Good to go?" Samuel asks.

Matt holds a thumb up. Samuel puts out the fire and slings his pack on. Low has a bundle in his arms, I think it's the deer and cat fur. Harry doesn't have anything to carry, but I have a feeling that is going to change later on in our travels.

Samuel heads out of the clearing, and everyone follows behind him. The younger guys go after Samuel, Blitz walks behind them, glancing around as he walks, and Matt and I bring up the rear. I feel drained, tired, not quite myself. I'm glad I'm at the back of the group, I can walk slower.

"Are you alright?" Matt asks me quietly. Blitz looks over his shoulder at us to see who spoke before looking ahead again. "Wyvern?"

"Yeah, just tired," I lie.

There are moments, rare moments, where emotion breaks through the wall of ice I've spent the last five years putting up. There are just a couple of moments where I feel like utter shit. Of course I'm used to just going through those moments alone, but now I have to push my feelings aside so I don't appear weak in front of everyone.

"You sure?" Matt asks.

All I want to do is curl up and cry. I wipe St my face and nod. "Yeah, just tired," I repeat, starting to believe it myself. Matt probably doesn't though. "Couldn't sleep."

"Too cold?" He asks.

I shrug. "Just not tired enough," I admit.

Although it is pretty cold at night. But I'm used to sleeping in the cold. I wonder if these guys are. Those furs would make great rugs.

"Maybe too tired," Matt says quietly. "The world is dying, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone was too tired to sleep at night."

I glance at him and find myself smiling. "Yeah," I murmur, not sure how my response ties in with what he said.

Although he is right, the world is dying, but I won't let it drag me down with it. Certainly not today.

Samuel listened closely to Henry's story. He paid particular attention to this man name Yuko. If he had gone so far as to brand what he considered to be his property, he would likely come after them, especially with that immune wolf.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Harry mentioned that he was given the only dose of cure created. Crap, that makes three we have to get to England, Samuel thought. With both of the Immunes and now this kid who had the cure literally running through his veins, even a novice scientist could develop enough of a vaccine to stop the spread of the disease. Now they just had to get there.

"He'll stay. Even with his disadvantage of passing out after being bitten, he's still an asset," Samuel said. He didn't mean to sound like he was taking charge of the group. In reality he didn't want to be in charge. But out of the small group, Samuel seemed to be the most equipped for surviving apart from Wyvern before her bow broke.

Getting a fire going he began to lay strips of cat for everyone to eat. Wyvern came over to him and asked about making soup. "Shouldn't be too hard," he responded. With the pot near the fire and the water boiling, Samuel remembered something of how to make broth. He took the strips of meat and laid them in the pot to boil, drawing out the juices and nutrients.

Wyvern mentioned going out to get water, though Samuel thought it a bad idea mainly because it was night. But she was right, they needed water and if they were to set out early tomorrow, better to get it now. Samuel sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He wasn't used to being around people and his demeanor was rubbing some people the wrong way.

It took a little bit but the broth was ready and Samuel reached into his pack to pull out a can of mixed vegetables. He had found it in the back of a cabinet of an older home that had already been looted. He had saved it for when he was out of all his other food, but you can't have soup without vegetables. Using one of his knives he opened the tin carefully before pausing. Low and Harry were staring at the can in his hands with wide eyes, like he had been holding the holy grail. He shook the contents of the can into the soup and gave it a stir.

Using the can as a bowl he passed out servings of food to everyone. Samuel understood their greediness. It had been a long while since he had had a hot meal himself. Wyvern and Matt came back and noted that something was off about the girl. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing!"

Samuel could see it already. The immunes had an attraction. Didn't take a mind reader, but he would keep it to himself. No need to play match maker with such a small group. Plus there is more heart ache there than he wanted to be a part of.

"Wyvern things we should head off tomorrow," Matt said kneeling beside him.

"Yeah, I guess that's fair," looking to Harry he tries to judge how far the boy could travel while he was probably still battling with the disease. "We'll take the road East. We're gonna have to pass through the downtown portion of the city but we shouldn't be there for long. If there are any infected there is only a couple, probably won't see any."

"And if we do?"

"We'll deal with it." Samuel said holding the make-shift bowl to him. He sighed as he sat back. "I know Wyvern doesn't like me. Don't blame her. I'm a bit of a jagged stone to get along with. But if there is any chance of this England thing being real, and I'm not saying that it is, then we need to get you two and Harry there. The three of you combined should be enough to develop a cure or at least a vaccine to combat whatever this thing is." He sighed. He didn't have much hope for England. But it seemed that everyone else was set on having something to hope for. "Get some rest. We have a long trek ahead of us."

Samuel leaned back against a tree and pulled his hood up once again. His features hidden, it almost seemed like the hood of death with how little it showed in the darkness.

Samuel was the first to wake that morning, as he was every morning. Jumping awake with a start. The sound of gunfire still echoing in his head from a dream and a few scars burning on his chest. He gathered his gear and began waking people. Wyvern would likely lash out at him if she saw him shaking her so he sent Matt to do it for him.

With everyone ready to go, they began their journey. Being the only one with a compass, which he had pulled off the body of a dead marine, he led the way East. Heading through the town, Samuel had his senses as sharp as he could force them. Passing by a building, nearing the corner, he froze. There was nothing in front of him and no sign of any danger. The truth was that what had clued him to something being wrong was the wolf. He heard the subtle growl that rumbled from its throat and it made him stop. He trust the animal's instinct over his own.

Then he heard it.

The soft groan that the wolf had undoubtedly heard over the sound of their foot steps. Drawing his sword in a flash steel, almost like a lightning flash, he stepped around the corner and drove the blade through the infected that had been waiting for them. Pulling the blade free, he watched the body crumple to the ground.

From above came a crash, another infected had barreled through a fourth story window and plummeted to the earth. The glass fell on Samuel, who covered his head with his arm, and the infected hit the pavement with a loud crunch. Samuel waited for a moment to see if the infected jumper would get back up and when he didn't, he sheathed his sword.

Unknown to him, one of the glass shards had managed to cut between the hidden plates he wore and left a good gash in his shoulder. He wasn't even aware that he was bleeding until the wolf bumped his hand with his nose. A small trickle of blood was dribbling from his fingers from the hidden wound. Samuel paid it no mind. Just flicked his hand clean of the blood and continued walking.

Low

When he could, Lowette practiced what he could with Samuel. It was an interesting training. I guess you could say Low had a new friend. Perhaps not exactly a friend. More a mentor. But he liked to say friend for his sake. It just sounded better to him.

When Henry told his story, Low stayed wary about every word he said. He eyed the wolf carefully, remembering words of wisdom that Samuel told him. He never let his guard down with the boy and soon enough, they began to speak as Wyvern and Matt head off for water.

Low was fascinated with the fact he had a wolf. He knelt besides Blitz and offered his hand for the wolf to smell. He felt the wolf's slobber mask his hand. He chuckled and heard Samuel call his name to help with the soup.

He walked over and helped Samuel placed the meats in and other things. His stomach growled for food and he knew it would be time for feeding later. He walked away to the tree once more and began practicing with his stick. The tree he practiced on was wounded. It had many pieces of bark missing and scrapes of wood just sitting upon the bark. He chuckled. Perhaps he was getting better.

He blocked the noises out from Wyvern and Matt as they came back and talked to Samuel. All he heard was they were leaving. He was okay with that, but where would they go?

As they all settled down and packed, Low stayed distant. He didn't want to become to close with these people. Anyone he began close with ended up hurt. He was so distant from people before, so what makes him change? Nothing.

The group set out. He followed last in the group. Wyvern and Matt stayed near each other and Henry stayed up front with Blitz and Samuel. Low stayed in back. He held his stick close, making sure it was sharp on both ends. He had sharpened it with one of Samuel's knives to make sure it was still useful to stab.

Low walked steadily, falling behind the group. They were set dozens of feet ahead of him, and he tracked back. His mind wandered and then he froze.

"Lowette, come on, it'll be okay." a soft female's voice spoke and Low ran up to her, grasping her hand gently as the two walked toward the playground.

They raced down the hill and to the swings where they laughed and always had a good time. Not that day though.

The soft groans of the Infected sounded, but their laughter was too loud for them to hear. The Infected didn't scream. They groaned. The two laughed until they cried and that's when they realized they were surrounded. Low and the girl were trapped. They were only little kids. How were they supposed to know what to do.

"Becca, come on!" Low screamed and ran between two Infected and managed to weasel through the crowd of them. Becca followed, but she tripped and one Infeced toppled her. Low gasped and wanted to run back but the Infected had already bit her neck and pulled at her skin against her face.

Becca was screaming bloody murder and Low had turned his back away and ran home crying. That day, he lost his best friend to the Infected.

"Becca," he let out a small cry, nearly silent. He stopped in his tracks and stood there, shaking his head. The world is dying, and so am I.

Harry Falconer

Samuel kicked the door hard, and it fell apart, revealing the hidden manna from heaven behind it-the remaining stock of a camping supply store.

"Alright," said Samuel, "Pick up whatever you need, guys. We leave in five minutes."

Harry nodded, and browsed through the aisles until he came to what he was looking for;bullets. He tore open the packets and poured several dozen into his bag, before re-loading his gun with them.

Harry also loaded a second gun that he had stolen from Yuko, and stored the two revolvers in holsters on either side, where they could be easily reached.

He also picked up some other supplies like fish hooks, rope etc. After packing it all up in his backpack, he wandered around helping other people collecting things.

Noticing Wyvern checking out some kinds of string, presumably for her bow Harry walked over and said, "If you're looking for bow strings, Nylon would be better than these. It wears down much slower."

Wyvern glanced at hi before curtly replying, "Thanks, but I don't need your help, Harry. Go help someone else."

Harry felt a little hurt at that, so he went over to Samuel, who was having his shoulder bandaged by Matt.

"Wyvern doesn't like me, does she?" he said as he sat down next to him.

Samuel shrugged and said, "Don't take it personally. I don't think she likes she anyone really. Except for Matt. She seems to really like Matt."

Matt blushed at that, but stayed silent, despite Samuel's questioning gaze. Samuel then turned to Harry and continued, "Plus, she thinks you're a liability, what with the fainting and all. If you prove your usefulness, then she might change her mind."

Harry frowned and replied, "It's usually just for a two or three hours. I must have been weak form service to Yuko for it to last that long."

Samuel nodded at that and said, "Well, that's better, but you gotta do better than that. Are you really good with that gun?"

Harry snorted and replied, "That's a huge understatement. If there's one thing I'm one of the best at, it's shooting."

Samuel nodded again, and said, "That's good. You'll probably have the chance to prove it soon. In fact, it may be sooner than you think. But for now, just wait it out."

Harry sighed and changed the subject. "There's a clothes store next door." he said, "I'm gonna go get some new stuff. Call me when we leave." And with that, he got up and walked out.

Ten minutes later, Harry was freshly dressed, with new jeans, new socks, new black t shirt (this time with a skull on the front, which Harry thought was kind of cool), and most importantly, new underwear.

However, Harry's old army jacket stayed on. It had been his father's and he had worn it since he was eight, despite that it had been rather too big at the time. He reached into one of it's many pockets and felt the familiar feel of his father's sunglasses.

Harry never wore them himself, but he still carried them around as a remembrance of his father. A tear started to form in his eye as he remembered his father, and how much he cared about the world. So much so that he gave his life to try and save it.

However, Harry reminded himself, he had managed to pass down that legacy to his son before he died. Literally, as the cure was now a part of Harry, and flowed through his veins. I'll do it, Dad. I'll give the cure to everyone, and save the world, just like you wanted. And I'll make sure that everyone knows that it was you, Dr. Nilo Falconer who did it. Harry thought, making a promise to himself.

Then Harry heard Blitz growl, and he pushed those thoughts aside as he prepared to face the threat he knew was coming.

~~~~

Harry rushed out to find that the rest of his gang had gathered outside the supplies store (of which the visit had taken much longer than Samuel had said), where they were preparing to move off.

Harry joined them and quickly said, "Get ready! Something's coming!" And at that moment, Harry heard snarling as a pack of infected dogs, maybe a dozen in all, came round the corner and barrelled down the road towards them.

Harry briefly considered running into the store, but quickly dismissed it, realizing that the dogs would be on them long before the whole gang got through the door. So, instead, he drew out his pistols and started firing rapidly, killing five before they reached the group.

Then all hell broke loose as the two sides engaged in combat. Samuel tore apart one with his sword before slashing at another as it dodged him and snarled. Matt fired his pistols, killing another one, before cursing as he realized his guns were empty. low held behind Samuel, firing his pistol now and the, when he saw an opening.

Harry fired as as fast as he could, but the dogs were too far spread out to take care of all of them quickly. Blitz was more effective, charging on one dog and the other, wounding several, and even killing one. He drew a lot of their attention, giving space to the others to deal with their threats.

Suddenly, a dog leaped at Wyvern, snarling savagely. Wyvern shot an arrow at it, which embedded in its shoulder But that didn't deter it as it leaped on Wyvern, knocking her to the ground, before it opened its mouth and went for her face.

Harry quickly reacted, firing both pistols at it, and it dropped dead on the ground next to her. She looked at him with surprise and Harry smiled back before turning to the
rest of the group, who were still engaged, and fired until all the rest were dead.

Once they were done, Harry wiped his brow and said, "Well, that was some strenuous work. What say we stop for lunch?"

"Alright. Pick up whatever you need guys. We leave in five minutes," Samuel said as he kept an eye at the door. He didn't have any real hope for the camping supply store. It was likely that it had already been raided or everything of use, apart from knifes and other weapons, were not usable.

"Samuel you're bleeding," Matt had said with concern.

"I'm find," Samuel responded.

"Samuel, I know you don't like getting help, but if you don't want to end up with a fever then you need to let me bandage it."

Samuel sighed as he relented. Matt was right of course. Without the norm of showers or bathing, getting an infection could be deadly now. Undoing a few straps around his torso, holding a multitude of hand fashioned throwing knives, Samuel pulled off the armored shirt. He could feel Matt's eyes boring into the scars that riddled his torso. It was hard to tell where one started and another began. Almost like he had been minced up and glued together again. Some of the scars looking as old as himself.

Matt seemed to come to his senses as Samuel sat down, his eyes locked on the doorway, and started to check the cut and bandage it.

Samuel could hear Harry and Wyvern having some sort of conversation, but really didn't pay attention to it. Then Harry came from the aisles and sat down beside him. "Wyvern doesn't like me, does she?" he asked.

He only shrugged. "Don't take it personal. I don't think she likes anyone. Except for Matt. She seems to really like Matt. It must be the hair." Samuel was shocked at himself. He had just made a joke, not a funny one, but it was still a joke. "She thinks you're a liability, with the fainting and all. If you prove your usefulness, then she'll change her mind."

Harry gave an explanation to why he had been out so long, but it really didn't matter. "You any good with that gun?" He chuckled at Harry's boasting of his shooting prowess.

Patched up and ready, Samuel put his clothing back on before someone else could openly start staring at him. He didn't want questions. Questions made him remember the past. Remember the pain. He didn't want to remember.

----

With everyone out front, and the weight distributed to make the burdens easiest for everyone. He heard Harry yelling about something coming. Then he heard it. Turning and drawing his sword, Samuel faced against the pack of dogs with the others. By the count, Samuel would be overwhelmed by the time he cut down two of them. Looked like it was all over.

Then the shots rang out.

Harry began firing and five of them dropped without a sound. Samuel had been in a slight shock with how quickly the animals, former animals, were dropped that he nearly missed the one coming right at him. He swept the blade sideways and cut through the dog's mouth, removing the top section of its head. With the second on him, it seemed to have enough of its animal instinct left to not just come charging in like the other.

Samuel kept Low behind him. They were the only two that weren't immune or had some crazy cure running through their veins. If they were bit, or even scratched, it was over. Cutting down another one that ventured too close he was panting as he looked about. The dogs were dead and it seemed that they had made it out without injury.

Harry asked about breaking for lunch and Samuel chuckled a little. "We need to get out of the city. Now. Everything for a mile heard those shots and they're coming here to find out what made them."

Matt Walker

When the time came to pack up, there wasn't much talking. The campsite was disassembled, the fire stamped out and soon there was little evidence they had ever even been there. In the early morning, no one had much to say. Nonetheless, I make my rounds after Samuel shakes me awake and I do the same for Wyvern.

"Wyvern, hey." I put a hand on her shoulder and shake gently. Her eyes open and they flit around for a moment before settling on me. I smile push up into a crouch. "Time to go." There is still dew on the grass, and the light filtering through the trees is still somewhat dim. Our voices, quiet as they are seem to pierce the silence.

I shoulder my pack and holster my weapons before picking up the bow and nocking an arrow. Samuel is the first to speak again. "Good to go?" He looks around at the lot of us in turn and I offer simple thumbs up. Wyvern and the others nod and with that, Samuel stamps out the last embers of our fire before heading off out of the clearing. One by one, we fall in behind him, Wyvern and I bring up the rear. She's been acting strange, though what exactly is strange nowadays? I slow my pace and fall in beside her. "Are you alright?" She looks down as we walk. "Wyvern?" The wolf takes a look over his shoulder with a grunt/ growl.

"Yeah, just tired." Understandable... But there's something else. "Couldn't sleep." She says as she wipes at her eyes. Maybe she doesn't want to walk about it. "Too cold?" I ask. She shrugs. "Just not tired enough." I think we all know that feeling... Although...

"Maybe not tired enough." I doubt if anyone here has had a good night's sleep in.... years. "The world is dying, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone was too tired to sleep at night." She looks over at me for a moment and offers a quiet "yeah." We walk on in silence for a time.

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Samuel leads us to a building at the edge of town and kicks the door in after trying the lock. "Alrighty, pick up whatever you need, guys. We leave in five minutes." Wolf boy, or Harry as he introduced himself when he had woken the previous day, is the first to dart in to the camping store and he disappears towards the back. I step through the splintered door and look around the darkened room before heading after him and quietly gathering a couple boxes of ammunition as well. I head back over and smile at Wyvern, who is looking through lengths of wrapped string, back to where Samuel is keeping watch by the door. There's a small but steady stream of blood trickling out from between the plates ant staining his shirt.

"Samuel, you're bleeding." He barely acknowledges the statement. "I'm fine." I make a face and drop my pack on the floor, already pulling out the medkit. "Samuel, I know you don't like getting help, but if you don't want to end up with a fever then you need to let me bandage it." Samuel looks at me with a face for a moment before sighing and setting his own pack down. He begins undoing the number of straps that crisscross his torso to hold his knives in place.

Then the armor comes off, and I try in vain to keep my eyes from widening. Scars mar his skin in just about every shape and form, slashes, gouges, gunshot wounds... Matt certainly had his own fair share of scars, but he was immune. What has Samuel been through?

Samuel sits down silently and I shake the thought from my head and pull the bandages from my kit. Harry walks up as I inspect the wound and set to work. When I'm finished, white gauze covers the red gash, wrapped over a small amount of antiseptic to aid in the fight against infection. I give him a light pat on the (other) shoulder and stand up with my pack replaced on my shoulder. Samuel gets up a little too fast and pulls the armored shirt back over his marred torso. There's history there. Maybe history he doesn't want to share. I can respect that.

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

We reconvened in front of the camping store to start evening the new load. Just as I pull my newly filled pack on, there are growls, and we all turn to face the sound. A pack of infected dogs come barreling around the corner and Harry immediately opens fire, taking a number of them down quickly, and Samuel's sword flashes, a dog's head opening horizontally before the creature goes limp. I pull my own pistol and a knife in the other hand to bring down on another infected hound's skull. The crack of gunfire is still echoing in the air like thunder, but the danger seems to have passed.

Harry's voice breaks the silence and I startle at the noise, my nerves totally on edge. Samuel grimaces and sheathes his sword. "We need to get out of the city. Now. Everything for a mile heard those shots and they're coming here to find out what made them." I nod with the others and holster my pistol, glad that I hadn't pulled the trigger as was my first instinct. Ammo is a commodity now and should only be used as a last resort. I remind myself. I keep my combat knife out and ready though, after wiping the fragments of bone and brain matter on the grass. "Is everyone alright? No bites? No scratches?" I look around at the group, and luckily we all seem to be more or less unscathed, excepting our nerves now. Samuel clears his throat and pointedly takes a look at Harry before adjusting his pack and setting a brisk pace down the road. I offer a half smile to Wyvern and Wolf boy before heading after him.

Wyvern

We move away from the camp store and walk briskly toward the town in the distance. I keep my guard up, eyes roaming over the landscape. The trees to the right keep most of my attention, but then again as do the crumbling buildings to my left. I walk a fair way from the others, head cocked slightly to the side, steps light, knife in hand. Matt has the bow slung over his back. I debate whether or not I should take it back. My back stings from being attacked before, but I push the pain away and flex my shoulders.

Harry casts a glance over his shoulder at me, offering me a smile. I don't return it. I don't have a problem with him, but it wasn't a very smart move to use that gun. We'll be lucky to make it to a place we can barricade up without being attacked by Infected or other people. Resources would be getting lower, and humans tend to get irrational when worse comes to worse.

Samuel is holding his arm a bit tenderly, and it makes me think of those scars on his body. A part of me does wonder why they're there, but another part of me doesn't want to know. We've all done what we can to survive, and Samuel isn't Immune. He'd have had to work harder to stay alive, so whatever he's done in the past, I don't blame him.

Low seems to be making a lot of progress with us, too. He walking with Samuel, a knife in hand. It does pain me to see someone so young having to kill to live. Gee, all of us are too young to be doing that. No one should have to kill to survive. It isn't right.

Matt has become a person I trust. Not entirely, I wouldn't put all my faith in him, then again, I wouldn't put all my faith in anyone. But I trust him none of the less. I have to admit there is an attraction there, but I wouldn't push for anything further. With the way the world is right now, the last thing I need is a distraction, and Matt would be just that. I mean, it'd be a nice distraction, but not a smart one.

We make it to the edge of the city, and slow our pace. I stalk over to Matt and smile at him.

"How are you?" He asks.

"Fine," I nod. "Can I have the bow?"

He seems a little taken aback. "Of course," he pulls it off his back and hands it to me, along with the quiver of arrows, and then pauses. "Oh, wait –"

"Don't worry, I probably won't have to use them," I take the weapon and ammo. "Thanks Matt."

"You're welcome Wyvern," he smiles at me.

I sling the quiver of arrows over my shoulder and skip forward to walk beside Samuel. He nods at me to acknowledge my presence, and I nod back.

"I'm going to walk ahead to scope the place out," I tell him.

"Sure that's a good idea?" He grunts.

"I've been alone for five years, with worse injuries and in worse situations, I'll be fine," I snap.

He shrugs. "Don't shout if you need anything," he says lowly.

I chuckle and walk off ahead. My stride lengthens, and my breaths slow. I load the bow and look around, eyes wide. I dart out into the open of a street and lift the loaded bow, looking around. Nothing comes out of hiding to attack, so I keep moving. I walk slowly, pausing every now and then to listen for sounds. My feet kick some rocks, the sound echoing around me. Still nothing. With a sharp intake of breath, I keep moving, stride faster. A sound makes me pause and tilt my head in the direction it came from, feet paused midstride.

Very faintly, I hear voices, but they seem to be moving away. Continuing on with my stalking, I move between two buildings and pause. I hear a wheezy hiss and spin around just as an Infected dog comes jokting toward me. The mould has taken over its entire body, it's skin barely showing. Drawing back the arrow, I fire it straight through the Infected and it hits the ground soundlessly. Spinning around, my eyes scan the street, but I don't see any movement. The voices are gone too.

Continuing on, I round a corner and freeze, eyes wide, the bow loaded in mere seconds. A whole group of Infected deer are crowded together, shuffling back and forth. My eyes lift to the gap between two buildings opposite to find two people walking toward the Infected. Biting my lip, I lift the bow, but decide not to shoot. I debate on whether to let them die, because there is only two of them, and more of us, when I get a glimpse of the smaller person's hair. Stark white. He's Immune too!

One of the Infected lifts its head and I move to the side of the building nearest, flattening myself against the wall. The two people opposite me notice the Infected and stop. The taller of the two lifts up a crossbow and aims. I creep forward and lift my bow. Between the two of us, I'd like to think we could kill most of the Infected before they realise what's happening. I do a quick head count. At least eight.

Stepping forward, I watch the man with the crossbow, who's just noticed me. He lowers the weapon and lifts an arm in confusion. I indicate the Infected with my bow. He nods and lifts his crossbow again to aim. Holding up a hand, I watch him count down with his fingers. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.

I release an arrow and load my bow again. Release, load, aim. Release, load, aim. Two of the Infected leap away and one comes barrelling toward me, the second being shot straight through the skull by a crossbow shaft. I almost scream as the other Infected pounces toward me, and I spint around, sprinting away. I clear a building and spot the others. Samuel pulls out his sword as I trip over, bow flying from my grasp. I roll onto my back and pull out my knife. The Infected lands on me, mould falling onto my skin. I grab its head and slam the knife into its skull over and over until it slumps over my body. I push it off me and lie on the ground, breathing hard. I hear footsteps and look up to find the crossbow guy running toward me as well as my group.

Matt drops down beside me and looks all over me. "Are you okay?" He asks.

I blink at him slowly for a second before laughing. "Yes," I say, chuckling.

"That was crazy, I've never seen someone take on an Infected like that," a new voice says above me.

We all look up at the man with a crossbow slung over his shoulder casually, an attractive smile lighting up his features. I sit up and look at him before chuckling again.

"Nice shot with that last Infected though," I comment.

"Thanks," he grins at me. "You're pretty good too. Never seen someone load a bow as quickly as you did."

"Who are you?" Samuel asks. Matt is glaring at him.

"Mika," he indicates the boy beside him with white hair. "This is Lyle, my little brother."

"He's Immune," Low points out.

"Immune?" Mika blinks and then chuckles. "Yeah I guess that makes sense."

He has an interesting accent. The ends of his sentences go up in pitch, kind of like he's asking a question every time he talks, and it sounds like he's biting off the ends of some of his words. It reminds me of my mother's accent, but stronger.

"You're Australian," I blurt out.

Mika stares at me for a second in stunned silence. He then grins wide and winks. "Too right I am," he looks down at Lyle. "She's got good ears, she does."

"Where are you headed?" Samuel asks.

"Here and there," Mika shrugs. "Just tryna survive."

"We're going to England," Low tells him.

"Why?" Lyle asks in a small voice.

"Because it's a safe zone," Samuel grunts.

Lyle looks at Mika before turning to us. "Can we come along?" He asks.

"We're right here though," Mika says to Lyle in a low voice.

"I don't see why not, and seeing as you're Immune, you'd be a great asset," Samuel says.

"The more the merrier," Low grins.

Mika looks at me and then nods, grinning. "Yeah, sure," he announces. "Let's come with you guys!"

Matt doesn't say anything as he looks me over again. His mouth is a flat line, lips pressed tightly together. I give him a look, wondering why he seems angry. I sit up and assure him I'm fine, possibly with bruised knees. I stand up and Mika grabs the bow off the ground, handing it to me.

"Thanks," I mumble.

"No problem," he winks at me, hand brushing against mine. "So, where we off to now?"

"Wyvern is just scouting ahead to make sure the way is clear," Matt says tightly.

"Wyvern?" Mika looks at me. "That you?"

"Yeah," Matt stands next to me. "I'm Matt. That's Samuel, Low and Harry," Blitz does this little bark. "Oh, and Blitz, the wolf."

Lyle smiles at everyone. "It's nice to meet you all," he says quietly.

Mika is still grinning at me.

"What?" I snap.

"Your name really Wyvern?" He asks. "As in the dragon?"

"Yes," I narrow my eyes.

"Got a nickname, Wyvvie?" He winks.

"Call me that, and I'll shove an arrow right up your –"

"I think we should keep going, don't you think?" Samuel says before I can finish my threat.

I sling the bow over my shoulder and walk passed Mika, who gives me a wink. I can't help the small smile that crawls across my cheeks as I roll my eyes. Mika's shameless flirting is kind of amusing.

Skipping ahead, I stop near two buildings before I keep walking. Footsteps follow behind me and I look over my shoulder to see Matt slowing to walk with me.

"I hope you don't mind," he says.

"As long as you can be quiet," I smile softly at him.

"Of course," he gives me a handsome smile.

I can feel my face heat up and I look away to hide the blush. Matt doesn't say anything. Actually, he keeps to his word and remains quiet. And so far, there haven't been any Infected or people in the city.

Harry Falconer

Harry watched the fire as he sat next to it, near Wyvern. They had gone far out of town, and had stopped for a meal next to a barn. Matt was humming as he cooked strips of meat over the flames. Wyvern sat near Harry, and every so often Matt would glance at her, and she would blush.

Who do they think they're fooling? wondered Harry, but didn't say anything. Harry turned his gaze to Wyvern. Every attempt at a conversation had failed. Harry's analytical skills just couldn't figure her out. However, he could tell that she had undergone a terrible, traumatic loss, and still hadn't fully got over it. In fact, he thought she might blame herself.

That gave him some measure of pity for her, as while he missed his father, he had long ago managed to realize that there was nothing his eight year old self could have done to help.

But he still wondered why she persisted in being cold and hostile towards him, even more so than most other people. It seemed that she completely disapproved of him. Heck, she even treated the newcomers better than him.

After a while of awkward silence, Harry decided to address it. "Hey, Wyvern...have i done anything wrong? You don't seem to think well of me."

Wyvern turned to him and shrugged. "Do you really want to know?"

Harry nodded and Wyvern took a deep breath before saying, "Harry, maybe you should have thought twice before bringing out your guns in that last fight."

Harry was surprised at that. "If i had hesitated any longer they'd have been on us. And the only other weapon I had was my Swiss Army knife, which wouldn't have been very effective."

"That would've been better than guns." replied Wyvern. "At least that wouldn't have attracted the infected."

"Hey!" said Samuel, stepping in. "There were too many dogs. If Harry had brought out his pistols, we'd have been run down."

"We'd have managed." retorted Wyvern. "At least then he wouldn't alerted every infected in the city to the movable feast in their midst!"

"i don't believe this!' said Harry angrily. "How ungrateful can you get? If it wasn't for me, you'd be dog food by now!"

"I'd have survived!' replied Wyvern with a hard edge to her voice. "You're the reason we had to run out of town!"

"Once again, my pistols are the only defense I have! Don't get on my back for using them! I'd have been killed if I hadn't brought 'em out, as Blitz was busy. Not to mention I also used them to protect you! And do you thank me? No, you just go on complaining about what I did despite the fact that I did what I did to protect everyone, including you! What else could I have done!" said Harry.

"Hey, what's going on?" called out Mika, the new guy, as he walked over to the group.

"Nothing." muttered Harry, and he glared at Wyvern before stomping off.

He went over a tree nearby and sat at its foot. He was feeling angry, and hurt so he decided to bring out his Ipod. He made sure that it was fully charged before putting in his earbuds and scrolling through his song list.

Eventually, he came to Help by the Beatles.

"Why not?" he muttered under his breath, and played it.

As soon as it began, he remembered that it had been his father's favourite song, and had played in his house over and over again since he could remember.

Harry soon began to reminisce about what it had been like when he had lived with his mother and father as one family, which was nothing but a distant memory now. He smiled at the memory as he stroked Blitz's fur.

He remembered stealing cookies behind his parents' back, and then lying about it while he still had crumbs on his face. His mother could always tell, and would punish him with tickling whenever she caught him.

Harry smiled as he remembered his mother and father. His mother had been warm and caring, and after her death, his father had never really recovered, focusing on his work and son to try and forget his grief.

But the song brought back to Harry the last time he had been truly happy, and a warm feeling spread throughout his body. She died when I was six, so it's been...eleven years? Was it really that long ago that we were all together? he thought to himself, incredulous.

Suddenly, he noticed that he wasn't alone. Mika had joined him, and he raised a hand as he realized that Harry had noticed him. Harry took out his earplugs.

"Hey." he said with a smile.

Mika smiled back and said, "Hey. Is that your wolf?"

Harry nodded, and Micah asked, "Can I touch him?"

"Sure." replied Harry with a shrug. "But don't try that when I'm not around or you might lose your hand."

Mika said, "Okay." and moved his hand towards Blitz, and he growled.

Harry said, "Shhhh." and he laid his head down, allowing Mika to touch him.

"How did you get him?" asked Mika, as he stroked Blitz's head.

"Found him as a puppy," replied Harry, "An infected bear had killed his parents an siblings. I distracted it with my gun while I ran in and saved him."

Mika smiled and replied, "So you two have become real close, huh?"

Harry nodded. "We've saved each other's lives dozens of times over. In fact, for a year and a half, he was the only companion I had in the world."

Mika replied, "A real bond. It's nice to see that. Oh, and by the way, I'm guessing from the colour of his eyes and fur that he's immune?"

Harry replied, "Yeah, that's right. And naturally, like most people, which is way better than the artificial immunity I have."

Mika looked at him quizzically and asked, "Wait, you have artificial immunity? How did that happen?"

Harry gave him a brief history of how he had gained it, and what happened when he was bitten.

And as he did so, Mika's eyes widened. "So the cure is in your blood?" he asked, looking astonished.

"Yup." replied Harry. "And before you ask, yes, a scientist could derive the cure from my blood quite easily, provided we get to England. And the Immune people with us would make it even easier."

Mika nodded slowly. "Well, now we have to get to England. The fate of the world depends on it."

Harry agreed, but then sighed. "Unfortunately, Wyvern just thinks I'm a liability. I just don't know what to do to get along with her."

Mika furrowed his brow with concern as he said, "This is really eating you up, isn't it?"

"Yeah." replied Harry. "She's the first person I've met who I just can't seem to get along with. And that would be fine, except for the fact that we'll be traveling together to England, and will have to rely on each other."

Mika gave Harry a friendly grin and replied, "Well, we'll just have to work on that. Tell you what, how about I try and teach you how to use the crossbow? That's a much more silent weapon, and I think Wyvern would approve of it more than the guns."

Harry smiled back and replied, "Thanks, I'd like that."

Mika smile widened as he said, "Good, we'll start tomorrow morning. And if everything you said you've done with a gun is true, then I have a feeling you'll pick it up rather quick."

Harry replied, "Great, thanks. But I'll keep the guns until I do, because without them, I'm defenseless. Now, we had better get back to the group, I can smell that Matt is finished cooking." and Harry walked with Mika towards the fire, feeling that, just maybe, he might've made a new friend.

After the attack from the dogs, everyone was on edge and ready to snap. Another attack would threaten to tear this little group apart. Samuel, Matt, and Wyvern, as the original three, decided to take a break and get some lunch. Wyvern had been lucky enough to find a rabbit burrow nab two of them before the others scampered off. The white fur and pale eyes were enough to tell that they were immune and safe to eat.

Samuel could sense the tension, hell he could cut through it with one of his knives. He could hear Harry trying to make some sort of connection with Wyvern. He was smiling on the inside. It took a lot to get her to open herself up to a friendship, unless you were Matt. But as he listened to the conversation he could tell that Wyvern was being overly critical. "Hey. There were too many dogs. If Harry hadn't brought out his pistols, we'd have been run down."

Samuel could see that Harry was upset, and rightly so. What he had done may not have saved Wyvern's skin, but it did save Low's and his. Harry went off to cool down and Wyvern returned to what she was doing. Samuel would have said something to Wyvern, but with the fragile strand that was keeping them together, it was likely a bad idea. "I'm going to go get some more wood," he said moving to the small woods on the other side of the barn.

He had gathered some good size sticks, a small pile in his arms before he turned to woods. "If you snuck around any louder a deaf man could hear you," he said seemingly to no one. Then from the trees came five men. All of them dressed in a sort of loose leather that covered them from head to toe.

"I guess we should have known we couldn't sneak up on the infamous Nightingale," the man in the center said as he lifted his war hammer onto his shoulder.

"I don't go by that name anymore, Eric," Samuel said as the other four fanned out to surround him. Samuel didn't move, but he kept a mental note of where each of them were.

"Doesn't matter what you go by, Nightingale. It's who you are. You can never escape it. Even if you hide yourself in that rabble of freaks. Do they know who you really are? What you can do? Or the fact that you swore to never draw your sword on a living person ever again?" With that Eric waved his hand to signal the other four to move in.

Samuel's movements were quick. He threw the sticks to the one in front of him before turning and stomping down on the knee of the man across from him, breaking it in two and tearing an agonized scream from him. Samuel arched and ducked as edged and blunt steel swung at him from all directions.

Letting the steel of a short sword skitter of one of the plates on his shoulder to dig into his arm, he grabbed the man by the wrist before using his body as a shield and his sword arm to battle back against the fighters. The last two with swordsman drove forward. disregarding the life of their comrade as the drove their blade through him to get at Samuel.

Samuel turned and managed to let one slip passed him, but the second gouged into his side, splitting the skin open wide. Samuel grunted in pain before turning the man's dead body around and breaking the hold on the swords. Pulling them free from the corpse he drove them forward and through the chests of both men to pin them to the ground.

Samuel grunted as he put his arms up to protect against the hammer that tried to crush him. Sweeping his leg, Samuel tripped the man before rolling away, his hands once again empty. The man charged with a vicious war cry before Samuel moved in and brought his steel toed combat boot right up between his legs, crushing the delicate joining of his thighs. Swiping his arms around he drove the first two knuckles of his fist into Eric's throat, breaking his windpipe, which could be seen of him trying to take a breath but not getting any air.


Samuel left the man there, fighting for air as he started to pick up the sticks one more. His side and shoulder bloodied before he paused seeing that most of the group were staring at him and the five bodies on the ground. Having fought them without ever having drawn his sword.

Matt Walker

It's a tense few hours before Samuel raises his hand silently and well stop to take a break. After that close call with the dogs, no one wanted to stop while we were still anywhere near that camping store, so we just kept moving. Now it was pretty clear that we were all in need of a quick break for water and to ease our feet. I reach around to take out my canteen, downing a few swigs of the lukewarm and coppery water as Wyvern walks up.

I lower the bottle and wipe my mouth before clipping it back to my bag. "How are you?" I offer. She nods. "Fine, can I have the bow?" I blink. That was direct. I smile sheepishly and pull the weapon off my back. "Of course." I slide the quiver off my back as well and offer it to her before I remember her preference. "Oh wait -"

She takes the two items from my hands and smiles lightly. "Don't worry, I probably won't have to use them. Thanks Matt." "You're welcome, Wyvern." I smile back, probably too widely and she sets off over to Samuel as we all finish our break and head out again. She talks with him for a few moments before she quickens her pace and soon walks right out of view, probably scouting ahead. I shrug to myself just keep walking, alone with my thoughts now.

I can't help but think that Wyvern likes me, at least more than she does the others, and though under normal circumstances that would be great....... The time and place just doesn't lend to anything more than friendship. I look around at the cracked pavement and derelict buildings with with painful memories threatening to reemerge. Then again, with the world as shitty as it is... maybe letting other people in could do us all some good... I sigh and crack my neck. Best not to make assumptions anyway. I tell myself and shake off the thought. Samuel seems to be holding his arm in a strange way, so I pick up my pace to catch up with him.

"How's that cut doing?" He looks over at me and simply shrugs. "I've had worse." My mind flicks back to his torso, marred as it was. Clearly.... I clear my throat. "Well, ah, just let me know if it needs redressing or anything."

Just then, pounding footsteps echo against the concrete buildings around us and Wyvern comes barreling around the corner. Samuel immediately pulls his sword silently from its scabbard, and an infected deer comes flying around the corner just behind the running girl. She trips and for a split second I swear my heart stops. One moment I'm standing next to Samuel and the next, the wind is in my hair and I'm running faster than I have run in my entire life. Wyvern pulls her knife and brings it down just as the decaying creature does the same with its teeth. There's a sickening crunching sound as she plunges the knife down two and more times before the deer slumps and she shoves it off her.

I'm still moving when I drop to my knees and I skid to her side, eyes wide and looking all over her for the bite marks that have to be there. They aren't. "Are you ok?" She looks at me in surprise for a moment before blinking and letting out a small chuckle. "Yes."

"That was crazy, I've never seen someone take on an Infected like that." I whip my head up at the new voice as two people come jogging up. I almost reach for my pistol when Wyvern chuckles again and stands up smiling. "Nice shot with that last Infected though."

I can feel my brow furrow and I look over at her in confusion before he continues speaking. "Thanks. You're pretty good too. Never seen someone load a bow as quickly as you did." Who is this guy? Where did these two come from, and why aren't we being more cautious? Samuel speaks up before I can and I realize I'm being hasty with the glare I have directed at him. "Who are you?" Samuel asks, his sword still out and ready.

"Mika." Mika who? He gestures to the smaller boy who is standing slightly behind him. "This is Lyle, my little brother." I blink at the boy's stark white hair and skin, only now noticing him at all. Another Immune... Low takes the opportunity to point out the same. "He's Immune." Mika cocks his head ever-so-slightly. "Immune?" He chuckles and look down at his brother. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

Wyvern is looking at him intently and I suppress a flinch before reminding myself that I have no reason to be jealous. You don't even know that she really likes you, Matt. Don't get ahead of yourself. "You're Australian." She says suddenly. I nod. That's what that accent is. I couldn't put my finger on it. I've been out of touch for too long....

Mika stares at her for a moment with an impressed look on his face. "Too right I am." He looks down at Lyle. "She's got good ears, she does." Stop it, Matt. I try my best to work the scowl off my face. "Where are you headed?" Samuel asks.

He throws his hands up an grins. "Here and there. Just tryna survive." Low pipes up again. "We're going to England." I look over at him and then Samuel. Should we tell them? My eyes ask. Samuel nods almost imperceptibly and grunts. "Because it's a safe zone." The boy looks up at his brother and then back to us. "Can we come along?"

Now it's Mika who looks at his brother with a hint of doubt. "We're right here though." His voice has lost it's previous jovial tone. Samuel sheaths his sword now and stretches. "I don't see why not, and seeing as you're Immune, you'd be a great asset." Of course, Samuel is right. I've no reason or right to be against it and the more people we have, Immune or not, the better chance of at least some of us making it to England.

The tall man looks pointedly at Wyvern before nodding and letting a grin creep back onto his chiseled features. Maybe a certain amount of jealousy is understandable... "Yeah, sure." He adopts an almost comic pose. "Let's come with you guys!" I think back to my earlier line of thought before dismissing it entirely and looking over at Wyvern. You could have been injured, or died! Someone should have gone with you. I think to myself. I look away when I remind myself that she is more than capable of taking care of herself. We all are... She frowns at me before dusting herself off as Mika hands her the bow.

She offers a quiet "thanks" and I can't help but think he's not trying to be at all stealthy Why would he be, Matt? He doesn't know about you and Wyve- I stop myself yet again and try to internalize that there isn't really anything at the moment outside of a possible mutual attraction. Give the guy a break, Walker. Still, this is hard as his hand brushes against hers with a wink to boot. "No problem. So, where we off to now?"

"Wyvern was just scouting ahead to make sure the way is clear." Even I close my eyes for a moment in regret at my tone, but Mika seems to take it in stride. "Wyvern?" He turns to her. "That you?" I simply can't hold my tongue and I step in again. "Yeah. And I'm Matt, that's Samuel, Low and Harry." I gesture to each of them in turn before a low bark stops me. I glance at the white canine and can't help the smallest of smiles from flitting across my lips. "Oh, and Blitz, the wolf."

Lyle, to his credit, smiles and looks around at us all. "It's nice to meet you all." He says. There's a sudden pang and my eyes dampen before I force the memories down again. Mika doesn't say anything, and I notice that he's still just smiling at Wyvern. She seems to notice just as I do.

"What?" She snaps. "Your name is really Wyvern? As in the dragon?" No, as in the sports catalogue. I almost blink. What the hell Matt, ease up. This guy hasn't done anything wrong... Wyvern looks at him strangely and narrows her eyes. "Yes."

He grins. "Got a nickname, Wyvvie?" I cringe just as she does. "Call me that, and I'll shove an arrow right up your-" Samuel steps in to save the day, thankfully. "I think we should keep going, don't you think?" A few of us nod and Wyvern simply walks past Mika, who offers another wink. My fist clenches and I have to consciously ease my palm back down to my side before heading off after her without a word. She turns around when she hears my footsteps and I slow down behind her.

"I hope you don't mind." I say quietly. She smiles at me and of course I can't stop the heat from creeping into my cheeks. "As long as you can be quiet." She replies. I can hardly contain my puppy like enthusiasm and I grin like an idiot. "Of course." She looks away then and I think I catch a glimpse of some color finding their way into her own face. Maybe there's hope yet, even in these times... I almost open my mouth to speak, but think better of it and we continue on in silence. Luckily, there don't seem to be any more infected after that initial deer attack.

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

After having scouted the road ahead, Wyvern and I returned to the others and we all set off after a brief inventory check. Apart from Mika, no one had much to say, though my own silence was mostly devoted to not jumping down a guy I had only just met's throat. A few hours passed like this until Samuel hold up his hand again like he does before leading us off the road and into the trees. We set up a temporary camp, Samuel lighting a fire as me and Harry do a quick perimeter check. All things in order, we settle in beside the meager fire and try to work some warmth into our hands and combat the chill that has followed the sinking sun. Harry sits between Wyvern and I once we get back from our patrol, and I'm afraid that the glances each of us keep stealing are not as stealthy as we might think or hope.

After a while, Harry speaks up. "Hey, Wyvern... Have I done anything wrong? You don't seem to think very well of me." I cringe. This can't be good... Wyvern simply shrugs.

"Do you really want to know?" He nods and she takes a deep breath. "Harry, maybe you should have thought twice before bringing out your guns in that last fight." Fair enough.

Harry looks taken aback. "If I had hesitated any longer they'd have been on us. And the only other weapon I had was my Swiss Army knife, which wouldn't have been very effective." He's got a point, but how in the hell has he made it this long on guns alone? Must've had one hell of an ammo dump to keep him going for so long... Wyvern takes no time to shoot back a response. "Still would've been better than guns. At least that wouldn't have attracted the Infected."

I consider voicing my own thoughts, mixed though they are when Samuel jumps in. "Hey! There were too many dogs. If Harry hadn't brought out his pistols, we'd have been run down." I tilt my head. Maybe. All things considered I think we did alright.... Wyvern looks at Samuel dead on. "We'd have managed. At least then he wouldn't have alerted every Infected in the city to the movable feast in their midst!"

Harry stands up with disbelief and anger clear on his face. "I don't believe this! How ungrateful can you get? If it wasn't for me, you'd be dog food by now!" Well... Wyvern looks up at him. "I'd have survived. You're the reason we had to run out of town!" Her tone has risen to match Harry's, who is clearly having trouble staying calm. "Once again, my pistols are the only defense I have! Don't get on my back for them! I'd have been killed if I hadn't brought 'em out, as Blitz was busy! Not to mention I used them to protect you! And do you thank me? No, you just go on complaining about what I did despite the fact that I did what I did to protect everyone, including you! What else could I have done?!"

Mika comes up and only partially manages to break the tension that has so palpably consumed those around the fire. "Hey, what's going on?" Harry just offers a withering stare in Wyvern's direction before stalking off. "Nothing." He says as he goes. For the first time, I lock eyes with the tall Australian and I cock an eyebrow before nodding my head after him. Mika nods understandingly and walks off after him. I'm no good at talking to people, maybe Mika will be better with Harry than me. Instead, I scoot over to where Harry was sitting and position myself beside Wyvern, who now sits silently staring into the fire.

"Hey." I offer. "Hey." She mumbles back. I let out a sigh. "I agree with you, you know. The guns weren't the best idea, but we could cut him a little slack. Sometimes people don't do the smartest thing when it's life or death." I breathe out again and put my hands out closer to the flames. "That's all in the past now though. I'm sure he won't use his pistols again without a second thought now though." I offer a half-hearted chuckle and then let out another sigh. This is why Mika went to talk to Harry. I think. For a few minutes we sit in silence by the fire until I finally turn to face Wyvern.

I just look at her for a minute, watching the shadows and shades of red and orange play across her face in the darkness. She looks over at me and a small smile creeps across her features and she shakes her head in question. "What?" She asks. I smile wider. Screw the Infected. Maybe the world isn't dying after all. Maybe it's just... starting anew.

Mika

Warm sunlight filters in through the cracked window, dust moats floating in the air, sparkling in the light. The little fire on the ground died long ago, the blackened wood crumbling in the slight breeze. Two sleeping bags lie either side of the fire, one crumpled and open, the other tall with a body beneath it. The body moves as the sunlight fills the room, and a boy sits up, white hair at odd angles, to yawn and rub his eyes. They flutter open as his hands drop onto the sleeping bag, his pale irises flashing.

"Mika?" He asks.

Like clockwork. "Yeah, mate," I smile at him.

Lyle doesn't respond. It's his way of making sure I'm still me. Every morning, I sit and wait for him to wake up just to prove it's me. I'd decided it's completely pointless, and I don't like the ritual, but it makes Lyle feel better, and maybe less alone.

"Brekkie?" I ask. Lyle nods.

Setting about to make some porridge, I contemplate our predicament. After running from some goons that tried to kill Lyle, saying he's a carrier of the disease, we ended up in some ruined city. I had to hole us up in a small house on the bottom floor, and so far it's proved pretty safe. Of course, we ain't gonna stay here for much longer. I've learnt that the longer you stay in a spot, the quicker the Infected can find you. Lyle and I never stay in one place longer than a night or two, just to be safe.

With the porridge made, I fill two chipped, plastic bowls and hand one to Lyle, who passes me a spoon in return. We eat in silence, and Lyle washes up, using the sink and the last of our water. I destroy the fire I'd rebuilt, and pack our little camp up, shoving the sleeping bags into my hiking bag. We only have a couple of day's worth of ration left, and again, we'll have to skip lunch. In more ways than one, I wish I hadn't relied upon the none existent safety of our last camp where we spent ten years. I took all the food I could fit into my bag, two sleeping bags and bowls and spoons and forks. Everything else was left behind. Obviously except for my first aid kit. Which Lyle carries in a small bag with my crossbow schematics. Strings, bolt repair kit, and tools of some import. There are a couple of knives, as well as a pistol and a flare gun. I doubt I'd ever use the guns, but them being there makes me feel a little safer.

"Right," I heft the hiking bag onto my back and pick up my crossbow. "Ready?"

Lyle slings the small bag with the first aid kit in it over his shoulder and nods. It bothers me how little he talks now. Believe it or not, getting him to shut up was the trick. Now it's getting him to speak. And he has this frown, when we see a dead anything, or come across some mounds of mouldy shit. He's barely fifteen, but acts like he's fifty. It kills me inside. But I can't say that to him, he'd feel really bad.

Walking out of the small house, we set along the road at a steady walk, heading away from the rising sun. The houses start to change, and around us are tall skyscrapers that have seen better days. The sun reaches its zenith and starts the long track toward the horizon. I look down at Lyle, who has a blank look on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" I ask him.

"Home," he tells me.

I frown. "The earth is our home, mate," I tell him. "We're as free as birds."

Lyle doesn't smile. "I want a home," he says, not looking at me. "A place where we can stay and not have to keep moving around."

A wave of sadness washes over me at the thought of Australia, and how the place must be. Ruined, I bet. And I never got to see my friends again. It's just been Lyle for the last fifteen years. I love my little brother, don't get me wrong, but I miss people my age. Back at the old camp there were tonnes of people, and I loved it. But these past five years have been lonely.

"Yeah, I feel ya, mate," I nod. "I reckon once this is all over, we'll find a place."

"Do you mean when we die?" Lyle looks at me then with a solemn expression on his face.

"No, I mean when these doggone Infected die out," I grin wide. "We ain't gonna let them take us, are we Lyle?"

"No," he shakes his head. "You're not allowed to leave me, Mika."

"I won't ever leave you, little bro," I sling an arm over his shoulder. "It's just us, hey. Mates for life."

"Yeah," a small smile tugs at his lips. "I reckon that's the best thing in the world."

"You and me," I nod.

Silence stretches between us as we walk, but this time I feel better. Lyle still has a small smile on his face as he looks ahead. I wonder what Mum and Dad would have thought of him, had they lived. Obviously they'd have loved him, because he's their son, but I mean, what kind of person would they see him as? Jeez, what kind of person would they see me as? And Kat, I wonder what she'd think of me now.

"Mika," Lyle whispers.

I look up and my heart stops iny chest. I drop my hiking bag and grab my crossbow, aiming it at the group of Infected directly in front of me, with their heads down. My eyes catch a glimpse of movement, and I lift my gaze to find a woman standing across the space, almost in line with me, a compound bow loaded and aiming at the Infected. I can't help but stare at her features, so delicate and beautiful. It's only now that I realise she has an expectant look on her face. I lower my weapon and give her a confused gesture by lifting my hand. She points to the Infected with her now, and I nod, lifting my crossbow up again. I hold up a hand and count down from five before firing my first crossbow bolt.

Lyle hands me a second bolt and I load the crossbow. Lifting the weapon to aim again, I notice the white haired woman has already shot down two of the Infected, loading her bow again with deft skill. I keep shooting until there are only two Infected that have now realised what's happening. One charges off toward the woman and Lyle tells as the second turns to us. I take a crossbow bolt from him and load it just in time to shoot the ugly bastard in the face. I'm off and running before I realise what I'm doing. Across the space littered with dead, moudly bodies, and over to the white woman on the ground, the Infected over her.

"Shit," I curse. No crossbow bolts.

The woman pulls out a knife before I can do anything, and starts stabbing the Infected in the skull until it slumps over her. A man with white hair and pale skin drops down beside her, and I notice another group of people standing a fair ways off. Lyle comes up beside me with the hiking bag, and I grin at him before walking over to the woman that had in some ways saved us. She's still lying on the ground, giggling.

"That was crazy, I've never seen someone take on an Infected like that," I find myself saying as I stop near her, crossbow resting on my shoulder.

All heads turn to me. Everyone just stares in confusion. Except the white haired girl, who's still laughing. She sits up and looks at me, laughing again. I quite like her laugh, it's very nice.

"Nice shot with that last Infected though," she says, her accent kinda like Lyle's: all over the place.

"Thanks," I grin wide at her, taking advantage of the opportunity to stare at her face. "You're pretty good too. Never seen someone load a bow as quickly as you did."

"Who are you?" One of the men asks. The one kneeling by the woman, the one with the white hair, gives me a look.

"Mika," I smile at him cheerfully, and point to Lyle. "This is Lyle, my little brother."

"He's Immune," a boy around Lyle's age says.

"Immune?" I blink at that. But I suppose it makes sense, he hasn't gotten Infected yet, and I guess that means he never will. I chuckle with relief. "Yeah I guess that makes sense."

"You're Australian," the woman says suddenly.

I'm taken aback by the expression on her face. God she's beautiful. I grin wide at her and wink, which makes her smile. "Too right I am," I look at Lyle proudly, as though I'm the one that found her and I'm showing her off to him. "She's got good ears, she does."

"Where are you headed?" The tall, older man asks. He has a huge sword in his hand. It makes me a little nervous.

"Here and there," I try to sound nonchalant as I shrug. In reality I have no idea. "Just tryna survive."

"We're going to England," the younger boy smiles at us.

"Why?" Lyle asks in a small voice.

"Because it's a safe zone," sword man grunts.

Lyle looks at me with wide eyes before looking at sword man. "Can we come along?" He asks.

"We're right here, though," I say in a low voice. The hostile look from the white haired man makes me feel uneasy

"I don't see why not, and seeing as you're Immune, you'd be a great asset," sword man States.

"The more the merrier," the boy grins.

I look at the white haired woman, who has a expectant look on her face. I smile wide at her, which makes her look away. Oh yeah I'll tag along with this group. "Yeah, sure," I'll admit it's mostly to see this woman's beautiful face more. "Let's come with you guys!"

The white haired woman gets up and brushes herself off. I pick up her bow and hand it to her, looking her up and down. Damn she has a nice figure. She takes the bow but I don't let go. She mumbles a quick thanks as I let it go, our hands brushing. Her face glows red at the cheeks, making me grim, and I can't help but wink at her. I turn to sword man, who radiates an air of authority.

"So, where we off to now?" I ask him.

"Wyvern is just scouting ahead to make sure the way is clear," the white haired guy says tightly, fists clenching at his sides.

"Wyvern?" That must be the woman. I look at her, but her eyes are on the white haired man. "That you?" I ask her.

"Yeah," the white haired guy moves closer to Wyvern. "I'm Matt. That's Samuel, Low and Harry," a bark draws my attention over to a huge, white beast of a dog, and I can feel the colour drain from my face "Oh, and Blitz, the wolf."
God damn! A wolf! But these guys look pretty good for a team. Low, the kid around Lyle's age, seems like a cool guy. And Harry, with the weird star on his forehead, seems like he knows what's what. Samuel I'd like to get to know better, and Matt I hope doesn't try to kill me in my sleep. And then Wyvern. My eyes rake over her body again and I grin wide at her, making her raise an eyebrow at me.

Lyle smiles at everyone. "It's nice to meet you all," he says quietly.

"What?" Wyvern snaps at me.

"Your name really Wyvern?" I ask her, trying to get a rise out of her. "As in the dragon?"

"Yes," her eyes narrow, and my smile only widens. It's quote an interesting name though.

"Got a nickname, Wyvvie?" I wink at her, and Lyle gives me a look as if to ask, 'what are you doing?' Flirting, dear brother. This girl looks like she's never encountered it before.

"Call me that, and I'll shove an arrow right up your –"

"I think we should keep going, don't you think?" Samuel says, cutting off Wyvern's threat. I frown in disappointment, our intraction clearly over.

Wyvern pulls the bow over her shoulder and walks by me. I wink at her and watch a smile spread across her face. Matt has has fists clenched and gives me a glare as he walks after her. Oh God, are they like, a thing? I hope I'm not messing something up. I look at Samuel and lift an eyebrow. He just smiles and shakes his head.

"We off then?" I ask.

Samuel nods. I take the hiking bag from Lyle and pull the straps on over my shoulders. I walk beside Samuel as he leads the group after the two white haired people ahead of us. Samuel explains how Immunes work, and what's happened with the group so far. The more he tells me about everyone, the more I want to know them. Especially Wyvern, who fought off a mountain lion. A mountain lion! She has got to be, hands down, the most amazing woman I've ever come across.

We finally stop for camp, and I set down my hiking bag. Lyle sits beside it, eyes trained on the wolf, who is watching him curiously. I chew on my bottom lip as I look at it. The wolf, Blitz, seems to follow Harry. I wonder if it's his pet or something. I look at Lyle, who is smiling wide.

"Nah, mate," I shake my head and Lyle looks up at me. "I don't want to have to fish for your hand in his gut, eh."

Lyle huffs and looks away. I'm about to say more when I hear yelling. I turn around to see Harry glaring at Wyvern, shouting at her. She has a ferocious look on her face, Samuel seems about ready to bash their heads together, and Matt looks like he's going to implode. Instinct kicks in and I walk over to them.

"Hey, what's going on?" I ask them.

"Nothing," Harry snaps as he walks away, giving Wyvern a death glare.

Sheeat! These guys really don't mess around. I look at Wyvern, who looks totally miserable. I'm about to sit down beside her and ask, "Yo girl, you a'ight?" when Matt gives me a look. Yeah, mightn't be too great an idea, don't want those pretty hands of hers inflicting pain on me. I decide to go chat to Harry, because the poor kid seemed really upset. I go looking for him and find him leaning against a tree, earphones in, head bobbing away to music as he smiles fondly, no doubt at a memory. He notices me and looks up, pulling the earphones out of his ears.

"Hey," he says, smile wide.

I notice the giant arse wolf sitting next to him and remember how intently Lyle was looking at it. I smile at Harry and say, "Hey. Is that your wolf?" Harry nods. "Can I touch him?"

"Sure," Harry shrugs casually. "But don't try that when I'm not around or you might lose your hand."

"Okay," I nod. No shit I'd lose a hand, look at the thing. But that means Lyle can't touch the bugger. He looks pretty mad, but I can't change my mind now. I reach a hand out to touch him, and the damn thing growls at me. I recoil my hand and decide I won't touch him.

Harry shushes the wolf, and he lowers his head. Biting my lip, I decide to go for it and stroke his head. The fur is super soft, and he's really warm. I hope he doesn't eat Lyle, the kid reckons he can talk to animals.

"How did you get him?" I ask Harry as I stroke Blitz's head.

"Found him as a puppy," says Harry, "an infected bear had killed his parents an siblings. I distracted it with my gun while I ran in and saved him."

I find myself smiling. Kinda like me and Lyle, "So you two have become real close, huh?" I ask absentmindedly.

Harry nods. "We've saved each other's lives dozens of times over. In fact, for a year and a half, he was the only companion I had in the world," he tells me, smiling down at Blitz, who looks at Harry and shakes his tail.

I stop stroking him and step back. "A real bond," I nod and smile. "It's nice to see that. I'm guessing from the colour of his eyes and fur that he's immune?"

Harry frowns, "Yeah, that's right. And naturally, like most people, which is way better than the artificial immunity I have," he tells me.

Wut? "Wait, you have artificial immunity? How did that happen?" I ask, wondering if I can get it too.

Harry tells me about how his Dad was a scientist and managed to find the cure before everyone was killed. He explains how when he's bitten he'll pass out for a while as his body fights off the disease. That kinda sucks, but immunity is better than no immunity. Harry is lucky, I hope he appreciates the greatest gift his father could have ever given him.

"So the cure is in your blood?" I can't keep the amazement from my voice.

"Yup," Harry tells me. "And before you ask, yes, a scientist could derive the cure from my blood quite easily, provided we get to England. And the Immune people with us would make it even easier."

I try to contain my excitement and keep my tone casual. "Well, now we have to get to England. The fate of the world depends on it," I grin wide.

Harry agrees, then sighs forlornly. "Unfortunately, Wyvern just thinks I'm a liability. I just don't know what to do to get along with her," he frowns.

The poor kid. "This is really eating you up, isn't it?" I ask him.

"Yeah," Harry sighs out the reply. "She's the first person I've met who I just can't seem to get along with. And that would be fine, except for the fact that we'll be traveling together to England, and will have to rely on each other."

I give him a big smile as I come up with an idea. "Well, we'll just have to work on that. Tell you what, how about I try and teach you how to use the crossbow? That's a much more silent weapon, and I think Wyvern would approve of it more than the guns." I offer, which makes Harry look up with excitement.

"Thanks, I'd like that," he says, smiling.

"Good, we'll start tomorrow morning," I rub my hands together evilly. "And if everything you said you've done with a gun is true, then I have a feeling you'll pick it up rather quick."

"Great, thanks. But I'll keep the guns until I do, because without them, I'm defenseless. Now, we had better get back to the group, I can smell that Matt is finished cooking," Harry straightens, and Blitz jumps to his feet.

We walk back to the camp just as Matt starts serving food. I wave Lyle over, who brings our own bowls. He hands the to Matt, who smiles at Lyle, when we hear a scream. My head whips up and I rush over to grab my crossbow. I pick up the bag with the bolts in it and run with everyone over to where the scream came from. We stare in silence, looking like a bunch of stunned mullets, as Samuel beats the living shit out of some guys. A sword goes through his side, and he kills the two men with swords before dodging some swings from a big srse battle axe, and punches the last guy in the throat. He turns to us, panting and covered in blood.

I lift my hand to my ear, pretending it's a phone. "Triple zero," I begin, and pause as though I'm listening to a response. "Yeah, our friend has just been stabbed with a sword, wanna send an ambulance? Also for the guy who's windpipe was just punched in. We're currently in the middle of nowhere, which is a forty minute drive from Jack Shit country. Thanks mate, see you in a bit."

Everyone stares at me, and I look back at them expectantly. "What, we gonna let the sod bleed out?" I bark.

Matt leaps into action and runs off, returning with a first aid kit, to fuss of Samuel. Wyvern is still staring at me like I have two heads.

"What, sweet cheeks?" I ask.

"I ... You," she blushed and looks away. I don't understand. Is she really so hostile? "Shut up," she snarls, and storms off. Okay, I see it now.

My eyes land on Lyle, who is walking over with our first aid kit. "Want help?" He asks Matt.

Matt nods, smiling. "Yeah, sure," he says, pulling off the armour on Samuel.

All I can do is stare at the scene before me. Maybe joining these guys was a mistake. Holy hell!

Samuel stood there, watching as everyone saw the massacre he had made with only his hands. With Mika's strange joke he gave a huff before turning to the only survivor, though with a broken leg he wasn't going anywhere. "You tell the others to stay away, or that broken leg will seem like a picnic compared to what I'll do to you."

"What do I have to fear? You won't draw your sword on anyone if they aren't infected."

Samuel quickly fished out one of his knives and with a twirl of the blade he drove it through the man's hand, pinning him to the ground. The man cried out in pain as Samuel growled. "I have other means." With a quick punch he knocked the man out and left him, hand pinned to the ground and his leg angled in an unnatural fashion.

Matt had hurried off to get his first aid kit, and Lyle comes asking if he could help. Samuel sighs as he is once again forced to remove his shirt at the behest of Matt. Going to the fire he sits down and pulls the armored shirt off to reveal the scar riddled torso and the two fresh wounds.

The one on his shoulder wasn't bad, a small cut from a ricocheting blade, but the one on his side was bad. The flesh was split and it revealed the fat and muscle beneath the skin. "You're gonna have to stitch that one up," Samuel said as he pulled out a curved needle and thread from his pack with a metal cup. Putting a little water in the cup he set the needle in for it to boil. He could feel the eyes on him. The two people that hadn't seen his scarring were staring at the old wounds that had healed over, the others seemed to look at him like he was some kind of danger.

"You all can relax," he said suddenly. "Those men were after me."

"What do you mean they were after you?!" Wyvern growled at him.

"I mean that they wouldn't have harmed you unless you planned on interfering." Samuel took the needle out of the boiling water and handed it to Matt. There was a little hesitation, but as the needle pierced Samuel's flesh, he didn't flinch. Samuel could feel the pain, but it was so dull after a lifetime of it that it took a lot to make him flinch.

"That doesn't answer my question. Why were they after you?" Wyvern crossed her arms to show that this conversation was going to happen whether he liked it or not.

Samuel sighed as the skin was drawn together. "When I was nine years old my family was murdered, I nearly died too. When I was strong enough I headed out on my own. A few years later I stumbled onto a fighting ring called The Tournament. Rules are simple. It's a fight to the death and you keep what you kill, whether it be the loser's belongings, women, or title. After a few years I became Tournament Champion"

"That's where you learned how to fight," Low said in understanding.

"That's where I learned how to kill," Samuel corrected. "A few years ago The Tournament was overrun with the infected, killing most of the leaders. A few escaped, and those fighters that recognize me still want my title. That's who those men were. Men that couldn't let go of something has been dead for years."

Matt had finished his stitching and covered it with a bandage. "Why did that last one say you wouldn't draw your sword?" Mika asked.

Samuel closed his eyes as it became obvious that he didn't want to tell this story. "I was about fifteen and I was put in the arena with this girl, probably a little younger than me, she and I fought and I killed her. Later that night, when I was in my chamber and removing my armor, a boy came in and tried to knife me in the back. I asked him what he was there for. If you want to challenge someone the fight has to take place in the arena. It's a spectator sport. The boy said that I murdered his sister. I had been led to believe that all the fighters were there voluntarily. So obviously the girl had to have made the choice to be in The Tournament. His response was that if she didn't fight, they were going to kill him. I went to the Ring Master, the guy in charge of the whole thing to find out if this was true. Apparently, no one was willing to challenge me because they didn't think they could win. So he had been forcing people to fight me through threats and blackmail. When my next fight came I didn't draw my sword. I couldn't do it anymore. Knowing that I had killed people that didn't want to be there. So I won't draw on someone that is still alive."

Samantha Banes

Shouting in the night wakes me abruptly from my sleep and I jump up, looking around wild eyed. An angry voice filters through the trees from not so terribly far away. "I don't believe this! How ungrateful can you get? If it wasn't for me, you'd be dog food by now!"

I hope up and start to gather my things. This warrants a quick look around. They sound like they're talking to someone, maybe a group. I pull my rifle strap up over my head and pull my shirt back on before looking around for anything I might leave behind. All good here.

"I'd have survived, you're the reason we had to run out of town!" A different voice, maybe a girl? All I really hear is "we." Definitely a group. Definitely worth checking out. I head in the voice's direction until I can hear others, speaking softer and less angrily than the other two. I think back to my brother's game, when one of us would close our eyes and say "warmer" or "colder" as we tried to find one another. I'm getting closer to the voices now. Warmer.... warmer.... I crouch down and hold my rifle still against my back and peek through the bushes.

There are three people variably standing and sitting around the fire, two of whom are engaged in what seems to be a heated discussion. Looks like they're about to put their dukes up right here and now...

The boy and girl throw a few more words at each other until a fourth guy comes walking up. Hello. "Hey, what's going on?" Australian. hot. Angry-boy waves him off and heads away from the fire. Straight towards my hiding spot. I scramble backwards a few feet before freezing and staring, wide-eyed at him as he leans back and sits down against the tree I had previously been directly behind. He takes a weird looking slim silver rectangle from his pocket and puts some wires from it into his ears. What the-... Are these people aliens?

The three people still by the fire look at one another before the new guy, the hot guy, heads over after Mr. Angry. He pulls the wires from his ears as he gets closer and looks up at him, but I can't see his face on account of the back of his head.

"Hey." Not so angry now. Hottie-Aussie smiles and points to the side. "Hey. Is that your wolf?" My heart stops. Wolf? What wolf?! I look in every direction in a sudden panic until my eyes rest on a very visible, very big, white wolf. That's staring at me. My hand goes up to my mouth and I suppress a cry of terror when Aussie boy reaches out to pet the massive creature, and he growls, a low, terrifying sound.

Who the shit has a pet wolf?! I think to myself. More importantly, how the shit am I going to not get killed and eaten by Angry's pet wolf? I sit there in scared silence while the beast watches me in the bushes while the other two talk. Finally, Hottie and Angry get up to go wherever they're going, and after only a brief lingering stare, wolfie goes with them.

Oh. My. God. I breathe a sigh of relief and my shoulders slump. This is an interesting group of people. I almost laugh out loud and end up more making a choking sound when I try to hold it back. I don't really have anything else to do, and I'm not sure I really want these people to know I'm here yet, so I simply sit in amongst the leaves for a long while.

Things seem to die down until another guy I hadn't seen yet comes walking into my field of view to break up some sticks, for a fire I guessed. Is that a sword? I make a note to myself, don't mess with this guy, Sam. He looks like a total badass, even just breaking up kindling makes one think of necks being snapped. He's probably got a name like..... like..... Bruce, or maybe Victor.

Yeah, that sounds about right. No, spelled with a "k," for optimum badassery. "Viktor" I think to myself. Definitely don't wanna rush in when he's around. Looks like he could snap me like a twig. I look at my arms and flex. I bet I could take him.

Suddenly, there's a rustling from the bushes and a number of men come out into the clearing, taking slow, careful steps around Viktor. Uh oh. These guys definitely don't look like more friends...

Viktor looks up at them calmly and I can see their mouths moving, but can't make out words. Probably something like, "Wrong place, wrong time fellas." Sounds about right. These guys look afraid of Viktor, but kinda like they wanna fight. Crazy people all over the place nowadays. Who'd want to fight this guy willingly? Do they have a deathwish?

Viktor throws his handful of sticks at one of the men suddenly before bringing his booted foot down on another guy's knee. I can hear the crack from here, followed shortly by a bloodcurdling scream. That's gotta smart. I almost cheer out for Mr. Badass before I remember I'm not watching the Terminator. This is real life. Broken-Knee hits the dirt hard and Viktor slips under the wall of blades that swing down around him. What's with these people and swords?

He looks like he's not even really trying until he slows and one guy with a machete and a really gross rattail haircut swings at him. I flinch, first at the pain that must be coming for Viktor and then at the harsh sound of metal-against-metal. My eyes widen in disbelief.He really is the Terminator... Of course he isn't, I tell myself, because then the short blade skids down the apparently armored shirt and down right into Viktor's arm. It's like he doesn't even feel it as he spins the guy around and uses him as a shield, taking his friend's blades right in the belly when they try to jab at him and waving his arm around, machete in hand, like a crazy life-size puppet.

He throws Rattail to the ground only to take a sword in the side, which he dismisses just as he did his shoulder. Who is this guy, Rambo? Viktor promptly pulls the swords from Rattail's body and impales the two lackeys, pinning them to the trees like a messed up game of pin the tail on the donkey. I still can't really comprehend what I'm seeing when the last guy runs at him, swinging a big hammer like he's Thor.

Viktor just kinda stares the guy down and takes the hammer blow to his arms before just straight kicking the nordic god wannabe in the gonads, followed by a rabbit punch that leaves the guy with a visibly sunken throat. "Huh." I actually say, and luckily, it would seem that the wonderment the other witnesses were experiencing was powerful enough to drown my words out.

Viktor leans down then like nothing happened and picks up his sticks, bringing them over to the small fire and sitting down with a wince at his injuries. Everyone is just staring at him in awe when Hottie speaks up. "Triple Zero? Yeah, our friend has just been stabbed with a sword, wanna send an ambulance? Also for the guy who's windpipe has just been punched in. We're currently in the middle of nowhere, which is a forty minute drive from Jack Shit country. Thanks mate, see you in a bit." He makes a show of putting the "phone" down, though apparently the only people who thought his performance was actually funny were me and the man himself. I almost laugh again at the imaginary crickets suddenly chirping in everyone's mind.

He looks around at everyone. "What, we gonna let the sod bleed out?" The others unfreeze and the guy by the fire, jesus he's white, jumps into action, pulling a red bag from his bigger, green bag. He scampers over to Viktor, who pulls off his shirt to reveal, of course, the most scarred and battle worn chest and back I'm sure I've ever seen. Definitely related to Arnold...

Whitey sets his red bag down and pulls out some bottles and a roll of white cloth, getting to work on Viktor's new wounds. Yet another, though smaller, person takes a few steps forwards and asks something, to which Whitey nods, smiling. What. In the hell just happened. I watch for a while longer while Viktor explained himself to the group. That explains the unreal levels of awesomeness coming off this guy. For some reason, though, I don't think Viktor is really as fitting a name as I thought.

I breathe out slowly and close my eyes for a minute. As soon as the talking on the other side of the bushes ceases, even only for a moment, I push through the leaves and take a few steps forwards. All eyes turn to me and my face grows hot.

"Um. Heya?"

Wyvern

I stare at Samuel silently.

"So, you're saying you won't kill someone?" Mika asks, frowning.

"No," Samuel shakes his head as Matt starts bandaging his side up, with Lyle's help. "I'm saying I won't draw my sword on another living person."

"Oh," Mika frowns for a second, then shrugs and smiles. "I'd say that's fair."

"Mika," Lyle says softly.

"Still here mate," Mika frowns at his little brother.

"Mika," Lyle looks over at his brother with a mighty frown of his own. "Stop talking."

Mika seems to take it in stride and shrugs. I watch Matt bandage up Samuel, wondering why my emotions are starting to get uncontrollable. My gaze shifts to Lyle, who looks to be around fourteen or fifteen. He's so quiet and solemn looking. Not like Low, but then again Low is fidgety and a little awkward. I wonder what Alexis would have been like, had she lived. Would she have been quiet and solemn like Lyle, of still retaining her childlike innocence like Low? My breath hitches in my throat at the thought, and I swear I see a girl with long, dark hair and hazel green eyes standing near Harry and Blitz.

Harry, I've been so rough on him. He only has his guns for self defence, it wasn't fair of me to attack him how I had. My opinions still stand, but maybe I overreacted. I don't know, I can't think straight. I need to get away from here, from these people. From Lyle and Low, who are making me think of Alexis. From Matt, who confuses me so much, but I can't help the smile that crawls across my lips every time he looks at me.

"I ... I'll be back, I have to um ... Go to the bathroom," I announce, and everyone gives me a look.

"Try to be safe," Samuel says, like I'm a kid he has to look after.

A smile lifts the corners of my lips as I look right at him. "Yeah, I will," I nod.

Turning around, I walk off into the trees, and the second I'm out of earshot, I take off at a sprint. Running as fast as my legs will carry me, I let the tears blur my vision. A tree seems to appear out of nowhere, and I dodge it just in time, my shoulder scraping against the bark. A hiccup of pain jolts through me and my headlong flight is cut off, my feet tangling in some roots. I fall to my hands and knees and stay there, sobbing pitifully, tears splattering onto the leaves underneath me.

"I'm so sorry, Alexis," I manage through my sobs. "I'm so s-sorry."

My elbows give out, and I drop my head onto the ground, sobbing into my arms. When my tears are spent and my throat is raw, I remain lying there, eyes closed, trying to tell myself that me being alive isn't a bad thing. But what's the use? I don't have my family anymore. Why do I bother?

My eyes drift open agonisingly slow. It feels like they're made of lead. My skull throbs with pain, and everything hurts all over. Slowly and carefully, I sit up and look around, my eyes widening in horror. The room is completely trashed, and there is blood everywhere. On the wall, coating the smashed up he'd and chest of drawers, everything. I notice a mangled hand sticking out from under some wood and leap to my feet. I pull planks of wood away to find my father's chewed corpse.

"Dad!" I cry, dropping down beside him. His neck has been torn open, and his chest caved in. The back of his head is sticky with blood, but I lift it regardless and press my forehead to his, crying. "Dad, no."

Putting my dad's head down on the ground delicately, I get up to look around for Alexis's body, but I don't find it anywhere. I go into the hall and spot Mum on the ground, leaning against the wall. She's breathing raggedly, eyes closed in pain. I creep over to her and drop down beside her, afraid to touch her in case I'm imagining this. Only I'm not, because her eyes flicker open, and she turns to me, the whites of her eyes starting to eat up her irises.

"Mum," I breathe.

"Wy," she croaks, a half smile on her face. "Where's your Dad?"

A small sob from me answers her question. She looks around, and I can see her eyes start to cloud over. She turns back to me and lifts a bloody hand, placing it on my cheek. I press my face into her palm, her skin cold and sticky, but I don't care.

"Take care of Alex, for me," Mum says.

"Alex is dead," I whimper.

Tears well in Mum's eyes. "Then it's just you, my brave little Wyvern," Mum pulls me closer to plant a kiss on my forehead. "Run away from here. Go. Survive."

"But –"

Mum hisses in pain and looks at me. "Go," she growls.

Without a moment's hesitation, I get up. Mum's eyes are almost white now. My feet scramble on the wooden floor as I back away from her. She reaches into her shirt and pulls out a gun, loading it. She turns to me again, a forlorn expression on her face.

"I better not see you again until it's your time, you hear me?" She says, voice ragged. "I want you to live, Wyvern. It might seem difficult, but we did it for twelve years. You can do it too."

"Mum," I choke out.

"Go," she whispers. Her eyes close and she lifts the gun.

I don't need to be told again. Spinning on my heel, I bolt out of the hall, through the kitchen, and out of the back door into the early morning air. I don't even make it to the store shed when I hear a bang echo through the silence. Frozen in fear, I look around to make sure the gunshot doesn't attract anything. Nothing moves, so I slip into the store shed and look around, body trembling, tears rolling down my eyes.

After gathering provisions, I grab a gun with a silencer on it, and a tonne of ammo, putting it into my back, along with some cooking utensils and kitchenware. I don't bother with clothes, although a shirt and shorts probably won't be very useful. Luckily there are always slare clothes in here, for emergencies like this. Changing, I pull on a pair of old boots that are a little too big for me, and put the pack on. But I can't leave. I won't leave.

"Mum," I whimper to the silence. "Mummy, help."

Numbness fills over the pain. I should have tried to help, I could have done something. I'm Immune, I wouldn't have gotten Infected. Then maybe Alexis would still be here.

Pushing myself to my feet, I stumble back toward the camp. I stop a couple of times, working to summon up the strength to take another step. Everything that I push away is a-whir in my chest, my will to live slipping away. Emotion floods my mind, and every step back to camp feels like I'm taking a step toward their deaths. Everyone dies. Why do I want to go through this again? I actually care about them all. Matt, Samuel, Low, even Harry. And yeah, I suppose Blitz. And why not, let's add Mika and Lyle to that list. They're all like brothers I never had. No, that's not true. They're my friends, and I don't want to see them die.

"Wyvern?"

I look up to find Matt standing there, looking at me. He has a concerned frown on his face, and he has one foot forward, like he's uncertain he wants to come near me. All I can do is just stare at him. He really is like Jack Frost, beautiful and white.

"Matthew," I say his name, but my voice sounds strange, not like my own. It sounds ... Emotional.

Matt's frown grows. "Are you okay?" He asks.

I search for a witty remark, but my stupid tongue doesn't listen to me. "No," is what comes out, instead of, "Yeah, of course I am. The world is messed up, but I'm still alive. Hurray."

"What's wrong?" He takes that step forward. Then another.

Don't touch me. "Everything," I mumble. My eyes are glued to his.

He's standing in front of me now. "Is there anything I can do to help?" He asks.

Stay away, don't talk to me, don't touch me, and let me run away. "Dunno," I shrug a shoulder that barely lifts.

"Well, do you want to talk about it?" He leans closer to me.

Why the hell would I want to talk about it? My family is dead, my mother killed herself before she turned into one of those things, the things that killed my father and sister. "Not really," my head shakes side to side.

"Do," Matt licks his lips, my eyes dropping at the sudden movement. "Do you want a hug?"

What part of don't touch me didn't register in your brain, God damn it? "Yes," I mumble.

A small smile spreads across Matt's lips as he opens his arms and pulls me to his chest. I don't move at first, just feeling Matt's body pressed against mine, and how odd it feels. Then, slowly, I lift my arms up and hug him back, pressing my face into his collarbone, fighting back tears. I don't realise how tightly I'm hugging Matt until he taps me on the back. I pull away to stare at him with wide, watery eyes.

"You have a really tight grip," he kinda laughs.

Instead of saying something, anything, I lean forward and press my lips to his briefly, before pulling away. He blinks at me in shock, eyes wide. Then the biggest smile spreads across his face.

"Okay?" I ask, voice hoarse.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He asks.

"I guess," I shrug, this time my shoulders rise higher. "I just ... I don't even know why I did that."

Matt bites his lip. He must do that when he wants to say something to me. I wonder if he's wanted to kiss me before. What if he had a whole scenario in his head, and I just ruined it? God damn it, impulse! This is why I hate emotions, they take away my careful thinking.

"It's okay," he finally says.

"Good," I wrap my arms around him. "I just hole I didn't ruin anything you had planned in that head of yours."

Matt blinks at me. "I ... Never thought of kissing you," he admits. "I was still trying to decide if liking you was okay."

"Is it?" I lift an eyebrow, starting to get a hold of my emotions.

"Yeah," he grins. "What now?"

I stare at him for a while and then shrug. "Take it as it goes, play it by ear," I smile softly. "Whatever you want I guess."

"What I want is to kiss you again," he says.

"Okay," a grin creeps across my face as he slides his hands across my neck and into my hair, pulling my face to his. Our lips press together in an awkward kiss, warmth spreading through my body. When Matt pulls away, he's smiling wide, colour in his cheeks. "We should go back go camp."

"Oh, right," Matt chuckles. "There's a new person at the camp."

"What?" I blink.

"Yeah, her name is Sam. I think Mika is flirting with her, too," he frowns. "Like he was with you."

"Matt," I bite my lip. "Matt, don't worry about it," I lay my head on my chest. "I prefer you anyway. You're like me, and I trust you."

"That's good," Matt mumbles.

We stay like that for a while before breaking apart and walking back to camp. I sit down by the fire, and Mika comes to sit next to me. I look around and spot a girl talking to Lyle, a small smile on his face as he explains something to her, eyes wide with as she listens. I turn back to Mika who's giving me a lopsided grin.

"What?" I ask.

"You all good, Wyvvie?" He asks.

"Don't call me that," I bite out.

"You all good?" He repeats.

"Yes," I smile and look at the fire.

"Good. I don't like seeing you look upset," he looks at me from under his lashes. "You're too beautiful to look upset."

"Shove it up your arse," I hiss, and get up. I walk over to Lyle and the new girl, and they both look up at me. "Hey," I say in a small voice.

"Hi," Lyle nods.

"Are you Wyvern?" The girl asks, eyes wide.

I nod. "Yeah, who the hell are you?" I don't mean to sound harsh, but my words don't want to cooperate with me tonight.

"My name is Sam," she says in a small voice.

"Nice to meet you," I sigh. "I'm going to go to sleep," I turn around and walk away. "I really need to sleep."

I sit down beside my pack and watch as everyone starts to get ready for the night, and to sleep. My eyes land on Matt, and we share a private smile. I feel better. Ten times better. I think it's because I have Matt. Yeah, that could be it. Thanks Matt.

Harry Falconer

Harry looked over the new arrival. She was small and lean, wearing a green army cap backwards over her short red hair and army BDU pants. She had a number of stars tattooed on her shoulder and bicep.

And, more importantly, she was the cutest girl he'd ever seen. Blitz growled, and she retreated a step, paling.

Harry shushed him and said, "Don't mind him, I've got my wolf under control. Come over."
And she joined the group, looking warily at everyone.

"Who are you?" asked Samuel warily, getting up as Matt finished dressing his wound.

"I'm Samantha Banes." she said nervously, and Harry could tell that she felt a little intimidated by the group. "But call me Sam, please."

Samuel asked, still looking wary, "Where did you come from?"

"I was sleeping in the woods, some way off, when I heard voices, so I came up. I was thinking that, maybe, I could join you guys. Safety in numbers, right?" she replied.

Samuel scrutinized her and so did Harry. As far as he could tell, Sam didn't seem to be hiding anything, and had no ulterior motive. And Harry was good at detecting this sort of thing. Plus, he could see that her short red hair, really showed off her cheekbones and cute features- What is wrong with me? thought Harry as that ran through his head.

"You any good with your guns?" asked Matt, looking at her cautiously.

"Yeah, a crack shot." she said, showing off.

"You have that in common with him, then." said Samuel, gesturing to Harry.

"Bu her guns have silencers." pointed out Harry, eager to get the group to let her stay. "And she looks like she knows some fighting skills."

"I do." agreed Sam.

"Very well, I suppose she can stay. I'm Samuel." said Samuel. "And this is-"

"I'm Harry." said Harry, cutting Samuel off. He smiled at her, trying to make a good impression. "And this is Blitz, the wolf." he said, pointing to him.

"He your pet?" asked Sam, looking at him warily.

"More like my friend." said Harry, stroking his hand over the top of Blitz's head.

The others introduced themselves in turn, until they came to Mika.

"Hi, Samantha. I'm Mika." he said, grinning at her.

"Please, call me Sam." she said, smiling back.

"Sam?" Mika mused. "That's cute. Just like you." and Sam blushed crimson.

Harry felt jealous. What did you expect? he told himself. Mika seems the expert at getting girls around here, what chance did I think I had? HArry didn't resent Mika. On the contrary, he rather liked the guy. However, he did envy his flirtatious skills, not to mention his looks. Harry knew he was good looking, but not as much as Mika.

"So, we're having dinner. Care to join us?" he asked Sam, who was focused completely on Mika.

"Uh, sure, I guess." she replied, turning to Harry.

Samuel said, "Okay, I guess. let's head back."

And as they did, Samuel filled in Sam on their goal of reaching England, and why. She agreed on all of it, and seemed happy about there being a safe zone where they could take refuge.

Then they sat down, Sam sitting between Harry and Mika. Mika turned to speak to his brother about something, and Harry took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with her.

"So, what's your survival story?" he asked her. "How did you live through the fall of the world?"

"You really want to know?" she replied, looking quizzically at him.

Harry nodded, and so Sam began. Sh told him the whole story of her life, and what had happened to her. She was surprisingly open and talkative, for someone who'd been alone for as long as she said.

"By the way," she said after she ended, "How did you get that seven pointed star on your forehead?"

Harry explained that Slavemaster Yuko, under whom he had briefly served, branded the sign on to all whom he considered his property, and Sam's eyes widened.

"That's harsh" she said. "Do you think he'll come after you?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I and Blitz are too useful to him to let go. He values immune slaves."

Sam looked at Harry confusedly. "You're immune? You don't look it."

Harry explained, "My father was a scientist who was working to find a cure to the disease, and succeeded. I was the only person to be injected with it before the lab was destroyed by the infected. So, now I'm immune. It's not as good as natural immunity, as I become unconscious after being bitten for a couple of hours, while my body fights the disease, but I do have immunity."

Sam's eyes lit up with wonder. "I wish I had that." she muttered amazedly.

"Well, if we get to England, you can." said Harry, and Sam looked at him quizzically.

"The cure literally flows through my veins," he explained. "And a scientist should be able to to derive the cure from my blood. And the Immune people with us should make getting the cure even easier."

Sam nodded in astonishment. "I can't wait! We can save the world!"

"It's gonna be hard, Sam." replied Harry, staring into the fire. "We're gonna have to cross the Atlantic ocean. Not to mention that we'll need a boat. Who knows what could happen?"

"We'll just have to make it together, won't we?" she said with a smile. Her hand moved slightly, brushing Harry's, and a tremble went up his arm as he began to blush.

"Oh, sorry." she said, moving it away.

"it's fine. I mean, it's more than fine, it's..." he said, feeling nervous about what to say to her. He stopped as Sam was looking at him curiously.

He stood up abruptly and said, "I've got to go." and walked off into the forest.

What's got into me? he wondered as he strode into the woods.

Ten minutes later, Harry was thinking of going back. He was feeling rather lonely. Blitz had gone off hunting (He hadn't been satisfied with the portion he'd been given) so Harry was all by himself.

He was about to head back to the camp when he heard a slight rustling sound, and turned, drawing his pistols, to see two pistols pointing straight back at him.

"Hello, Chuck." muttered Harry. "Why don't you come out and let me see you?"

The man stepped out of the gloom and looked at Harry, his hard gaze seeming to penetrate through him. His naturally dark complexion made his face hard to make out in the gloom, but Harry knew that it was Chuck. He too had the seven pointed star branded on to his forehead.

"I shoulda guessed that Yuko would send you, old friend." said Harry with a chuckle. "You wouldn't kill me, would you? We were like brothers."

"I don't want to, Harry." he said, staring straight ahead. "But if you don't come with me, I'll have to."

"Chuck, I have two pistols pointing straight at you. Given that I was always the better shot, do you think you'll live to reap the rewards Yuko undoubtedly offered you if you fire at me?"
said Harry.

"At least my pistols are better than those pieces of shit you have." retorted Chuck.

"True," Harry conceded, "My pistols were out of date forty years ago, while yours are...Wait, those are mine!"

"Yup," replied Chuck triumphantly. "I got the pick of Yuko's arsenal to finish the job. Your Zephyrs, one of kind pistols, made for the security officer of your Dad's lab, equipped with silencers were obviously the best weapons on offer."

"Well, good for you." grumbled Harry angrily. "So, what did Yuko offer you to bring your best friend in, eh?"

"Freedom." replied Chuck, his voice shwoing his relish at the prospect. "I'll be able to go where I want and how I please."

"You're free now." challenged Harry. "You don't need Yuko's permission! Come with me, join us. We can escape Yuko's reign."

Chuck laughed scornfully. "You think you can escape Yuko?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "Harry, we both know that his reach extends across the former USA. He has men as far afield as New York!"

"Where they bring the slaves in. Yes, I know. Yuko has over two thousand slaves, doesn't he? That includes you, and once me. You know what he made us do."

"We were his searchers, Harry. Yes, it was hard work, but we lived better than the others." replied Chuck.

"Hard work?" said Harry incredulously. "He sailed us everywhere from Panama to Alaska so that we could improve his collection and please his palate!. Don't you remember going deep into Infected land, risking our lives for a case of caviar, or a rare statuette? We nearly died several times over! And he had the other slaves working in the mines to get him coal, or struggling in the factories to get him bullets! We can escape him!"

"No one escapes Yuko!" yelled Chuck exasperatedly. "He has over three hundred soldiers, and you know it! If you don't come with me now, he'll torture you again! You remember the injections, don't you? Well, he'll do worse if you don't come now."

"Ah, yes." muttered Harry, reaching his hand back to just below his neck, to feel the for dark brown bumps where the four torturous injections were given, the bumps hidden just below the collar of his army jacket.

He felt each one in turn, calling out the injection's name. "Fear, sorrow, Hatred and Torture." he called out.

Chuck winced at each name, each sensation felt by just calling out the name.

"I guess I've been off the meds too long." said Harry with a grin. "The names mean nothing to me any more. But don't you see? We can be free of that!"

"Enough!" yelled Chuck. " A death squad is on it's way here to join me. You know the kind. Seven of us, prepared to bring you in alive is possible, dead if necessary. If I don't do this, the others will. And you won't believe who's leading it."

"Who?" asked Harry, furrowing his eyebrows.

Chuck smiled sadly. "It's Mary." he said, and Harry's heart chilled.

"Well, it seems that Yuko has sent both my teammates to take me out. Altohough Mary was always a weird one. Still, I doubt she'd be willing to kill me."

Chuck replied, "Yeah, considering how much she loved you. But she's changed"

Harry said defensively, "She did not love me!"

Chuck laughed. "Come on! When you weren't around, she was always talking about you. And when you were around, she was always focused on you. But as I say, she's changed. She seems to feel that you've betrayed her, and wants to get back at you. And she was always second to none but you with guns. And considering she has the whole team, I think that she has a good chance of defeating you and your little group."

"And you, Chuck? What do you think?" asked Harry.

Chuck's hands shook a little as he said, "I don't want to see my brother get hurt. But orders are orders. And I was ordered to bring you in, dead or alive, and your wolf alive at all costs. Where is Blitz, by the way?"

Harry grinned and whistled, and Blitz leapt on Chuck from behind knocking him to the ground, and the pistols fell out of his hands. Harry laughed. Blitz had arrived some time during the conversation, and had been slowly approaching Chuck until Harry gave the sign to attack.

Signalling Blitz to keep Chuck pinned, Harry strode over and picked up his pistols, saying, "I'll take those if you don't mind. Here, have these." and emptied his old pistols' bullets in his pockets before dropping them next to Chuck.

"Now Chuck," he started, sitting next to him, "Are you willing to do me a favour? If you don't, then I'll probably end up dead, and you wouldn't want that."

Chuck sighed resignedly and replied, "Fine, what is it?"

"Keep Mary away from me for 72 hours. Lead her in the wrong direction." said Harry.

Chuck laughed. "Three days? You gotta be kidding! I'm qilling to do anything to save you, man, but you ain't gonna make it away anyway."

"Give me a chance, old friend." pleaded Harry. "For old times' sake?"

Chuck sighed resignedly. "Fine. 24 hours."

"48." said harry, and Chuck reluctantly agreed..

Suddenly Harry heard a voice, "Hey, Harry, was wondering where you-wait, who the hell is that?"

Harry turned to see Sam, looking at him and Chuck with astonishment.

Harry signalled Blitz to get off, and Chuck stood up, and said, "Stay safe, bro. I hope this all ends well, without me losing my best friend."

"Likewise." replied Harry, and Chuck nodded before running into the forest.

"Who was that?" asked Sam, looking confused and frightened.

Harry looked her straight in the eyes and grabbed her shoulders. "Keep this a secret for tonight, please."

Sam's eyes were full of confusion as she said, "But who was he, and why was he armed and why did he say he didn't want this to end with you dying?"

"I'll explain all of this tomorrow." promised Harry. "But for now, I don't want to worry the others, and what could be their last night of peaceful sleep.. Please keep it a secret."

Sam eyed him warily but nodded, and Harry sighed with relief. They then walked back to camp, and Harry forced his mind to turn to other things, so that he could sleep well.

I'll still learn the crossbow with Mika, even though I have my Zephyrs with silencers now, and gotten rid of the old rubbish. he decided. A crossbow bolt can be recovered, but not a bullet. This way, I'll be able to make my weapon last.

But Harry knew that that was merely a side event compared to the what was about to happen to the little group.