ZRP-2: Brave New World

Hibiki smiled.
"I love you, too."

---

Eve rubbed Sam's back.
"It's all I can do...It's not enough..."

---

Miranda bumped against Andrew.
"So, what're you planning?"

=I look at Miranda=

Well...I thought I'd just improvise at this point

=I make my way inside the Inn=

You know, just make it up as we go along. The way we used to do it.

*Sam*
"Right now....it's more than enough Eve. It's more than enough."


(James)
=We stayed like that for a bit, just embracing each other. I was too lost in the moment to say anything else, afraid that some form of noise would tarnish this reprieve. So imagine my frustration when there was a firm, steady knock at the door. I groaned in frustration, briefly considering ignoring the knock on the door. After all Marcus said I could take as much time as I needed. But deep down I knew he wouldn't send someone here so soon without good reason. Before I did anything though, I looked into Hibiki's eyes=
"Why does someone always have to ruin the moment?"

Eve cried a bit more.
"Thank you."

______

Hibiki smiled.
"Guess it's good we didn't do more."
With a smile, she nudged him onwards.

*Sam*
=She patted the girls head, pulling away from the hug=
"Thank you Eve, for coming to see me. But right now, I'd like to be alone. But I'll come out later, okay?"

(James)
=Giving her one last kiss on the lips, I rose from the bed, more than thankful I opted for no sex. (yeah I just thought that. Bite me) Walking to the door, I opened it, not at all surprised to see one of the town guards outside=

"Yeah, what is it?"
=Didn't bother hiding the irritation in my voice=

Eve slowly pulled away. "If you need someone to stay with you tonight, I'm good with the floor...I don't think the kids have a problem with being alone."
Eve smiled softly and walked out to find James talking to a guard.

_____________

"If you wanted to repeat last night, then try harder." Miranda said, grinning.

I follow Wrex out the door. My new axe resting in my left hand and on my shoulder. And we head back to the Inn.
Jennifer should be okay, I mean, why wouldn't she? Might as well check to see that she is. And to get my gun back.

So...that's the way it is...well, you asked for it

=I give her a kiss, the last two years of bottled up emotion being released=

Well...you wanted me to try harder...

=I then hug her, just out of the passion of the moment=

*Guard*
"I'm sorry, but Marcus needs to see you."

(James)
"He said I could take all the time I needed before seeing him."

*Guard*
=He almost looked like he hated himself for what he was about to say=
"That was before one of our scouts spotted a horde headed for the town."

(James)
=Okay, that got my attention=
"What?"

*Guard*
"We think the smoke from the fire got their attention. I don't have all the details, but Marcus needs every available fighter now."

Hibiki was up, sword already on her back. Eve was behind the guard.
"Let's go James. Your family is at rest; let's ensure the remaining family stays safe."
Eve nodded. "I don't want any more tears."

(James)
"Alright."
=I moved around Hibiki, going to grab my gear. Bow and quiver slung over my shoulder, and pistol strapped to my hip, I followed the guard as he led us out of the inn. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Marge again. She had her pistol on he counter, and a look I never once saw before. Anticipation maybe, but I couldn't tell. To my surprise, when we got out of the inn I already found Marcus waiting for us on the street. He must have been impatient, or this was too big to wait=

"Marcus, what's going on? He said something about a horde?"

*Marcus*
=He looked....as tired as I did. I guess like me he wanted to rest, but circumstance prevented him from doing so=
"James....I'm really sorry to do this so soon after what you've been through. But I sent out a scout after you had left, to look keep watch for the Shepherds. He came back with news of something just as bad: a horde, maybe 40 by his count, is heading here from the South. The smoke must have attracted them or something."

Eve went for Sam.
"Sam! Incoming horde!"

Hibiki strapped her gear on and went outside. "Forty? Not that bad." She sighed. "Just take three cars and play Grand Theft Auto."

*Marcus*
"The number isn't what we're worried about, it's how we deal with them. We have the ammo, but gunfire could attract more hordes. What arrows we do have were spread among you, the girl, and Andrew, so that leaves out silent kills."

(James)
"Crap....any ideas?"

"I have a sword. I'm sure we can bring out axes and such to fight them." She frowned. "Just need to bash their heads in. Save the arrows...save the bullets. There are enough of us to take them down."
She shrugged.

*Marcus*
"True, but we still need to take one other thing into account: this is the first horde we've seen so far, and we have no idea how many more could have seen the fire. We should be fine with anything coming in from the North, they'll reach the fire first. But East, West and South are the biggest concern right now."

(James)
"So we take down the first horde....as for the others we'll need a substitute for their attention."

"We set a bigger fire."
Eve stood at the door, bow in hand.
"Use fires to divert the horde to the Shepherd camp."

Abel lied down on the bench outside one of the buildings getting some rest, after all his last bit of sleep was on a road, so sleeping on a bench was quite a step up. He was later awoken from some yelling of a child, not yelling at him, but he still heard what the kid said.
"Incoming horde?"
Abel said quietly.

*Marcus*
"Believe me, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to send those hordes right up their ass, but what makes you think they'll still be there?"

(James)
=I couldn't help but glance at Eve=
"He has a point Eve. If I were them, I'd have cleared out by now."

Abel sat up straight, and rubbed his eyes a bit. He swung his legs over and his boots came into contact with the cracked dirt covered road. He grabbed his shotgun and slung it over his shoulder, and saw the town leader, along with the loud man. Being as curious as he was, Abel started to walk over to see what it was they were discussing, though neither of them seemed too fond of Abel.

"The next closest camp."
She looks impassive. "It is my atonement; destruction of a camp using the very thing they call divine judgement."
She looked to James.
"We would need the gate destroyed; what is the best way?"

(James)
"I like her thinking. We get a few hordes off our backs, and deal with the Shepherds using their own soldiers."
=It seemed wrong to take delight in that, sending walkers to kill them. But at this point I really didn't care how they died, so long as it was painful=

=I stop as I over hear the news=

Come on, I think I have a solid plan.

=I then rush over with Miranda at my heels, pausing only to regain my breath=

James...I think...I have a way...to destroy... the gate...

(James)
=I was surprised to see Andrew run over to us, though when he said he had an idea on how to get through those gates, my surprise turned to curiosity=
"Well, don't wait on our account Andrew. Do tell, what's the plan?"

=I stop to catch my breath and think=

Let's make my professors proud..

=I ponder a bit more=

Does anyone here have a vehicle that they will part with, small tank of gas, a few strips of cloth and a lighter?

=I wait for an answer=

*Marcus*
"Seems a bit excessive, don't you think? Besides, working cars are rare these days, you want to use one to blow up the gate?"

(James)
"It's not even a gate, just a road block. Two cars parked across the road."

=I ponder this=

Well...this solution maybe simpler than I thought...

=I look at the gate to the town we were in for a bit of inspiration, eyeing it up=

Not blow it up...I was thinking of something different...you ever heard of the term 'fireship'?

(James)
"Still seems like a waste of a very valuable resource Andrew. Both of the car, and the fuel."

=I nod, frowning slightly=

I don't know...if there's a simpler solution...I think it's staring us in the face.

=I continue to frown a bit=

(James)
"What about a signal? Instead of wasting a car, we start a fire by their camp.....or if there are other hordes on the way, find them before they get close to us and lure them towards the Shepherds."
=Marcus looked at me like I was insane=

*Marcus*
"You want to use bait?"

(James)
"Maybe.....look, right now our first priority is the horde headed for us, we can deal with the others later."

=I nod, and think about a signal=

We'll need someone to be the bait...and I don't know of anyone who's willing to do it...

=I shrug=

(James)
"Well.....I was always the fastest of the group."
=Yeah, I know. I just volunteered to be bait, for a zombie horde. But I want to make it very clear, I am not crazy, at all. Oh no.....I was worse=

=I look at James, trying to resist the urge to stare=

Well...let's just hope this works. Good luck.

=I give him a thin smile=

(James)
=Doing my best to return the smile, I shook my head a little=
"Like I said, let's focus on the first horde, then we can work on the others, and the Shepherd camp."

I come within speaking distance of the group that was talking.
"Did I hear something about a horde?"

=I look back to the speaker, who looked like he went through hell=

You heard right then.

=I turn around=

My apologies...names Andrew.

"Uh..."
I thought for a moment, for some reason I thought it would be a bad idea to give them my real name, so I say the first thing I think of.
"Call me... Buckeye."

"What James said." Hibiki put forth.

Eve stepped forward. "I'll be the bait."

(James)
=Marcus and I, and maybe a few other people, almost immediately turned to Eve and said 'No'=
"Eve, I appreciate the gesture but there is no way in hell I'm letting you be the bait. Call me a chauvinist or over protective, but I'm not letting a child, no matter the experience, go out there as bait."

=I look at the man, my brow cocked up=

Well then Buckeye...you came at a good time.

=I point out past the gate=

We got a horde of walkers headed our direction...and probably more on the way.

=I look back, and of course can't help but be a bit stunned=

"Well any way I can help..."
I was also surprised at the kid, I hadn't known exactly what it was people were volunteering to be bait as, but I could only assume it had something to do with the horde.

I follow tyler back to our room. Walking in and opening the door for him. Noticing Jennifer.

"Sank you."
I make my way over to the chair and... well... sit on it. Half tempted to reach inside and grab my book. I haven't read it in awhile.

Closing the door behind us I sigh. Wondering what the hell we are going to do next. I set down on another chair and place my bat against the wall. I start to pump my shotgun till every round is ejected. Then proceed to clean my gun.

Eve sighed.
"How else can I atone." She challenged. "I'm small, fast, and know how to get around. You need every reliable fighter you can get defending the town. I can draw the others hordes to the camp and set fire to the Shepherd camp. My father's name will be enough to open the gate."
She crossed her arms.

=I look at the crowd, then back at Buckeye=

Well...we need an extra set of weapons. You up for a fight?

=I turn back and continue to watch the crowd=

(James)
"Eve, you've done more than enough to atone for what you've done. Take my word for it, the account is settled. And what makes you think your father hasn't spilled the beans to the other camps by now?"
=I looked from her to Hibiki, a pleading look on my face=

"Hibiki, please. She's your daughter, tell me you're not going to let her do this."

I load my shotgun up again, and put my bat into a knot again. Shifting my mask I look at tyler. "That crowd outside, I am going to see if they need any help with something. Since the town has done more than enough for us, we might as well as pay it back. You wanna come with?"

I nod to Andrew.
"Just point me in the right direction, and I'll go to town on those rotting zombies."

"You haven't lived with her for two years. Stopping her takes hAlf the hordes in Texas."
She sighed. Hibiki laid a hand on James' shoulder. "She knoss her father. If she thinks she can do it...James, it's not just when you say enough. It's when your heart says enough."

(James)
"And I'd like to know her for that long. Pessimistic I know....."
=I just knelt in front of Eve, my own hand going for her shoulder=

"Eve....please, I'm asking you, not to do this. You saved your mother, you saved us. Now it's my turn, to help save you."