Zombie Story: Threads of a Tire p2

Garth wrote:

"No I don't, what are you talking about? This beard gets me all the ladies."

I smile and laugh at the old joke.

I laugh with him, even if it is only a few laughs. Then I sigh, deeply. I look around, not for anything specifically, just to look, to remember~ Why am I here? I should have just kept on wandering, killing zombies, surviving.

"hey, you think we should stay here? I mean, this place seems like it would be stable, at least for a little while, but sooner or later this place will fall into chaos, ya know?"

"I'm good with staying here, but I know what you mean. Where would we go, do ya think? Maybe go off to Europe? See the grand cities of the world?"

I half-grin.

Garth wrote:

"I'm good with staying here, but I know what you mean. Where would we go, do ya think? Maybe go off to Europe? See the grand cities of the world?"

I half-grin.

"I don't know, just, not stay in one place for long, keep traveling-"

"I tried that. Wasn't so bad, but then you lose any chance of connecting with people. Or the benefits of a stationary society."

"Never were much of an adventurer, were you? I was never one for the sedentary life. Too easy. Too.... dull"

I smile.

"Nope. Never was much of one. I always need that anchor. That one place. Well, hey, if you wanna leave, that's fine. I can come with."

"ha, your the boat with the anchor, I'm fish in the sea, try not to chop me up please? haha- Yeah, thinking about leaving this place, already spoke to Aodh about it, he's fine with it, he'll keep in contact with whomever it was who had contacted him earlier this week."

I stretch.

"well, I think, the sooner we leave the better. and you might as well see where I've been holed up since we got here."

I start to head out.

=Meanwhile=

A Zombie horde is on it's way to Kinsale, about three hours from contact with the deserted town.

I follow him.

"Might as well."

=waits for the runner to show up=

=it was another half hour, before I finally reached the coast. I took out the binoculars from my bag, and looked through them. I saw what looked like a very small port, straight ahead. What the hell? May as well dock there=

So I lead Garth, my old friend, to the house I had been staying in. I kept it clean enough: there was no trash, I washed the floors routinely, kept everything dusted, even vacuumed from time to time. Even my Machetes were in pristine condition. because I cared about them. My Machetes were like extensions of my arms, and like my arms I kept them in working condition. I still had pails of clean water unused, both the water I'd gathered from the ocean and rain water. The salts left over from the purified ocean water I had used to flavor meats. Most of my diet consisted of oats and vegetables, the protein I need in my diet mostly came from beans.
My Rigorous daily workout routine kept me fit, and the muscle confusion made me strong. I had worked out everyday, focusing on different muscle groups, training, pushing myself to the limit, to near fatal exhaustion. Aodh even had to help me a few times because I couldn't go on, the old man was kind. I kept myself disciplined, I didn't want what happened to me in Arizona to happen to me in Ireland. Caesars Legion only existed in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, northern Mexico, Colorado and southern Las Vegas. I remembered those days, I had a cold fire burning within me. A very dark and cold fire. I feared every dream I had in those days. Every night I slept, I had a different dream, and all of them came true. All of them. I had predicted the future before, it was my future, I could only ever predict my future, and for the most part there was nothing I could do to change it. That was, until the Arizona Event happened. I only ever acted on those dreams once, and it saved my life. I regretted the decision I had to make, but I did for the sake of self preservation. I had Killed and maimed 25 Legionnaires. In less than 30 minutes. I killed them, most of them, in their sleep. The group I had been traveling with was about to wander straight through the camp, I recognized the scenery, and immediately told them to stop, I went ahead, alone with my machete. I only had one then, I picked up a few more as we travelled. We rode through the camp afterwards and they saw what I did. In the midst of the fight, when a patrol saw me killing them, I freaked out. Literally went into rage mode. I went Berserk and killed 8 of them, and maimed 4. I killed thirteen in their sleep, and killed twelve more in a fight. That was the first time I had killed. It was traumatic and it scarred my psyche. My dreams kept coming though. They never cease. Haven't. I forget them sometimes, when I wake up, and then they happen, and I remember and I become scared. Seeing my own personal future tells me that I have a destiny, that there is a hand guiding me to my doom.
I showed Garth the house, led him through it, gathering my things.

I looked around the house, admiring the cleanliness.

"Nice place."

=wonders what the reaction will be to the news=

Garth wrote:

I looked around the house, admiring the cleanliness.

"Nice place."

"haha, thanks, I do my best."

"Your best is badass. I give you props, dude."

"ha, thanks man, I appreciate it."

I gather all my things about me.

"Well I'm ready if you are."

"I just need to stop by my house, and grab my weapons and my cash. I'm all set otherwise."

=goes over the report again to double check=

still not good

Garth wrote:

"I just need to stop by my house, and grab my weapons and my cash. I'm all set otherwise."

"Alright," I said nodding my head, "Let's start."
After I said that, I looked up and saw Aodh in the second story of the house near mine. By the look on his face he knew what I was doing. He also knew that I had a Radio stashed in my stuff to talk to him, and give reports. We had talked about something like this happening for a long time. He watched me train everyday since I got settled in. There was a mutual respect between us. I knew about his stash of weapons, his past life, as it were, he was a very capable man, if anyone could survive sitting in one area for a long ass time, it would be him. As for me, I've never been one to sit around. He knew my story, and when I've got the time, Garth will as well, and maybe Alex, if we ever cross paths again.

We left the house, took one of the regular golf carts, it wasn't really a golf cart in my opinion, it was like a mini-truck, with a flat bed in back. I didn't really know what to call it. I put some of my stuff in the back, and kept my machetes on me. I started driving, the Golf cart was solar and electric. Granted, It would take a while to charge, but I wasn't immediately worried. on the way out, in the rain, I saw the same runner that I had sent back out, trudging in the rain. Decided it would be nice to give him a lift. So I did, he sat on the edge of the bed of the truck. passed through the first gate just fine, slowed up at the second gate because people were in the way. I let him off, there, where he went and talked to some bloke (Zeru, you still have to create a Character sheet for your ZRP person). I watched him Hand the response back to him, and I drove around, looking for Garths new house.

=gets on his moped and heads to the inner part of the safe area to deliver the message=

=I got to the shore, and found a nice place to anchor my boat. I had a feeling though that I wouldn't need it anymore, so before I left, I grabbed as much as I could carry: food, water, useful maps, and of course my weapons. I walked onto the small dock, and made my way onto land=

=arrives at the resort and hops off the moped and heads inside=

=I walked along the dock, my crossbow out. Not a sound was heard, nor a thing was seen. So far so good. There wasn't really much to look at: just a bunch of small houses that made the place look like a trailer park. A sign on the road said "Old Head." Must have been the name of the place. That, or it was pointing to another road. I started to walk South=

=arrives at the meeting hall and knocks=

I gave Nic directions to my house, even though I thought he had been there before. Once we got there I hopped off.

"Hey, want to help me get this stuff loaded? I have one trunk full of firearms and accessories, one with various bladed and blunt weapons, and a Riot shield. My survival kit is small and easy to carry."

Garth wrote:

I gave Nic directions to my house, even though I thought he had been there before. Once we got there I hopped off.

"Hey, want to help me get this stuff loaded? I have one trunk full of firearms and accessories, one with various bladed and blunt weapons, and a Riot shield. My survival kit is small and easy to carry."

I find it funny. I know my way around the countryside. But not around this bunch of shacks. Well no, that's not true, I did know my way around. I just couldn't focus. I got to his place.

I looked at him, "You know you can't take everything, right?" I turned and looked at the limited space. "The more we carry, the more we become a target for Raiders and persona non grata. Ya know?"

"And when we come across traders?"

I raise an eyebrow and look at him.

=opens the door=

looking for the leaders of this area

Garth wrote:

"And when we come across traders?"

I raise an eyebrow and look at him.

"what are you getting at?" I looked around, mapping out the next couple miles in my head.

"Well, what would you give for a working version of the civilan model of the M16, the easiest weapon to clean and modify? And before you ask where I got that, i travelled America for a year and a half, remember? We are a bunch if crazy gun nuts."

Garth wrote:

"Well, what would you give for a working version of the civilan model of the M16, the easiest weapon to clean and modify? And before you ask where I got that, i travelled America for a year and a half, remember? We are a bunch if crazy gun nuts."

"Oh, right, that was when I was with... yeah. Guns and I don't mix, unless it's a pistol, but that's beside the point. Fine then..."

I help Garth with the boxes.

We put the two trunks in the back of our little golf cart type thing. I stop for a moment next to the one with the melee weapons in it.

"I kinda forgot all that was in here..."

I open it up and take a quick inventory of it.

"Three tonfa, two original, one modified. A modifed fire axe. Five Reapers. 2 knives....huh"

=You'd think walking down a deserted road, with the shells of buildings alongside it, would be creepy to most people. At the very least, unnerving. However, after two years of walking through all this stuff in Europe, to me it was SSDD. Same Shit Different Date. The one thing that got me worried though was the lack of stenches. Normally, I would have seen four of five of them by now. But that road was dead (no pun intended)=

Garth wrote:

We put the two trunks in the back of our little golf cart type thing. I stop for a moment next to the one with the melee weapons in it.

"I kinda forgot all that was in here..."

I open it up and take a quick inventory of it.

"Three tonfa, two original, one modified. A modifed fire axe. Five Reapers. 2 knives....huh"

I turned around when he was looking at the melee box. I walked around the cart to make sure none of the tires were flat. I came back around when he mentioned 'Reapers' - of which I've never heard of or seen.

"What's that?" I said referring to when he said 'Reapers'.

=waits for a responce from the council=

"What's what?"

I look at him.

"That thing you mentioned, 'reapers' or whateverthefuck it was. ha"

I reach into the box and pull one out. It looks like someone took brass knuckles, and had a blade run across the front of it. They are very small, and very lethal, if used right.

"This."

=is still waiting=

Garth wrote:

I reach into the box and pull one out. It looks like someone took brass knuckles, and had a blade run across the front of it. They are very small, and very lethal, if used right.

"This."

"Holy mother Columbine, MINE." I make a grab for the Reaper. I have a thing for sharp objects. Sharp objects on my fists? Fuck yeah. I felt like I could go god-mode and rip a hole in every zombie fucker I saw. or rather slice 'em open. Biology for the win, cutting their tendons, making them crawlers. I could see myself now, just slicing through zombies reveling in the blood shed, letting the rage take over. I was such a beast. I am such a beast.

---

The council members, in session, are arguing about what to do with the slummers outside the wall. They were divided on what to do with them. They needed them for recruitment, but they didn't want the riffraff around. Some wanted them to start farming, earn their protection. They hear a knock on the door, but they are too busy arguing to notice. One of them, Mr. Tarsten, is watching them silently.

=taps on the table and waits=

I hold the Reaper a little bit out of his reach.

"Promise you aren't going to lose it? These things are rare as hell. I only have 5, and I doubt I can find any more."

"Fuck like I'm going to let that out of my sight, I'm gonna take care of that like it's my baby." I make another grab for the Reaper.

I pull it out of his reach again and flip it, so I am holding the blade. I extend it, handle first towards him.

"Want another one? You just have to ask."

=chucks a small knife into the middle of the table=

=It was starting to get dark, so I headed for a nearby building. It was pretty typical: just a blockish building, flat roof, two stories. Perfect. I walked in, my flashlight in one hand, a pistol in the other. Nothing was inside, so i kept walking to the back, and found some stairs to the roof. I was not going to sleep on the ground floor, and risk some stench having me for a midnight snack. The stairs got me to the roof, and I found a cinder-block to keep the door closed. I lay on the roof, a spare shirt over my head for a blanket. I didn't quite go to sleep, but I managed to relax for a bit=

=gets no response so he retrieves the blade and loads a single bullet into his pistol and shoots it into the ceiling=

=I woke up at the crack of dawn, and gathered all my stuff up. Then, I checked over the side of the building for any signs of stenches. None. I pulled my crossbow out though, and made my way to the ground floor, and from there continued South along the road=

The room looks at the new comer for a moment, then go back to Arguing about what to do. The one silent guy stands up and room goes silent. He composed himself like he was the leader. The room was silent.

"I think we have a guest who would like to speak. So, gentlemen, take a seat and listen."

He gestures to the newly arrived person [zeru].

---

"Yes, please. Two will work just fine. So yes, I'm asking." I grabbed the handle of the blade, and eased it out of Garth's hand. I cradled it, like a skilled swordsman cradling a new sword. I now had, in my possession, a weapon that could do serious damage in the right hands. I hadn't been training for all this time for nothing. I was training to kill. To be a force to be reckoned with. My run-in with Caesars Legion changed me. I saw what they did. I knew what they did. They made me a killer. I regretted nothing.