ZRP-2 Chapter 6: Scattered

---Three Weeks Since The End of Chapter 5---

-Fall-

=Three weeks. Three long weeks, since the fall of St. Louis, and things were taking a turn for the worst. Ever since they were forced to flee the city, the former occupants have become scattered and separated. Marcus and the civilians, due to blocked roads or dangerous hazards, have been forced to travel East, and by now are somewhere in Illinois or Indiana. What's more, the group was divided further by deserters, many of whom were former residents of the lockdown town. After being driven out of another home, and under Marcus' leadership to boot, they left to try their luck somewhere else. Sam and Eve, among others, remained with Marcus.

 Cooper, and those on the train, were forced to move east as well, though the tracks they were on forced them further south and  into Kentucky. The group is mainly all the fighters of the compound, along with Andrew and Sarah, the latter being carefully watched by Cooper and his men.

 As for the boat, they followed the river south until turning at the bend by Cairo, moving north east along the Ohio river. James and Hibiki, along with their pilot and one extra occupant, are all there is on the vessel, moving between the two main groups, doing their best to relay updates, though it wasn't always successful. For now, all they can do is survive=

--The Boat--

(James)
=Standing out on the bow of the ship, I shivered a little beneath my blanket. We were now in the middle of Fall, and it was starting to get chilly, especially this early in the morning. I had no idea what time it really was, but I guessed maybe around eight. We hadn't had contact with the others for two days now, so I had to believe they were okay. Our supplies on the boat were starting to run low, but at least there was the occasional fish or two we managed to snag. At some point, we were going to have to stop at a town, anywhere we could, to resupply=

--The Caravan--

(Sam)
=Our caravan was now parked out alongside a road, maybe twelve vehicles in all, cars, vans, even the bus and the tank. Guards were posted everywhere, though not all of them really knew how to shoot. Eve was sleeping in the backseat of the car, while I sat up front, doing my best to stay awake. I'd been up all night, making sure nothing snuck up on us, and it was starting to take its toll=

Hibiki was curled up on the couch again, wrapped in blankets. A small bulge was forming already.
"Eve..." she said softly.


Eve woke up slowly, looking at the roof. Her shoulder throbbed a bit but was mostly healed. Three more weeks at most before she could use her bow.
"What time is it?" She asked.

--The Caravan--

(Sam)
"Morning, Eve."
=I looked at her through the rearview mirror, before switching my attention back to the front window, and outside. There was a slightly thick mist out this morning, so our view was obscured. Hopefully it would clear up later. I turned the mirror a bit so I could see my reflection. Three weeks, and my hair was a little bit longer. Not shoulder length or anything, but around to my earlobes=

"Come on, if we move quick we may be able to get something good at breakfast."

--The Boat--

(James)
=Turning around, I walked back inside and into the lounge. Hibiki was either asleep or just now waking up, I couldn't tell which. She was still curled up on the sofa, and I walked over to her and affectionately rubbed her head=

Eve carefully sat up.
"Ok..." she rubbed her eyes, then winced. "I'm up."

Hibiki slightly nya'd like Eve. "Hey."

--Caravan--

(Sam)
"You sure? I can let you rest and come back with the food if you want."
=I didn't want her exerting herself too much. She needed time to fully heal=

(James)
"Hey you.."
=I leaned down to kiss her, despite the....obstruction. Add the three weeks to the first week before, that was how long it had been since I last had a decent razor. So as I kissed her, my beard, mostly a few centimeters of stubble, brushed against her face=

"Thanks Sam..." eve said. She wasn't going to fight her. Eve felt like shit still. Bullets hurt.
"You better come back with a good morning kiss though." She said sleepily.

Hibiki kissed James back. "You need a shave."

--Caravan--

(Sam)
"Heh, I'll try."
=Getting out of the car, I grabbed my rifle, a model meant for hunting, slung it over my shoulder and headed for the already growing group of people by the bus. The bus and the tank had become the supply vehicles, carrying the bulk of our food and ammo, with the bus carrying more on account of space. Unfortunately, our supplies were running short, though how short was anyone's guess since Marcus and his men made a point of not letting anyone know how little we probably had. Something about not giving people reason to panic. Anyway, I was third in line, and we shuffled slowly, one person at a time. When it was my turn, I walked away with two cans, one baked beans the other some tuna. Once I was back to the car, I opened my door and sat down, grabbing the can opener from the glove box=

"Which do you want? Beans, or tuna?"

--Boat--

(James)
=Grinning a little, I let myself collapse on top of her=
"Find me a decent razor and we have a deal."

--The Train--



(Andrew)

=I got up and stretched a bit, scratching my head and yawning. Everyone here, myself included, felt tired, frayed and strung out. I looked in an improvised mirror and felt like I was looking at another person: three weeks worth of stubble had accumulated on my face, my hair had grown out a bit, and a bit of light had been taken out of my eyes. Only my sister looked better than I did, her hair longer than it was three weeks before=

It's not a matter of if someone will snap...it's a matter of when...

=I went over to Mira, who I was thankful for being alive. I rubbed her head affectionately, the ghost of a smile on my features=

"Do I look like a cat?" Mira asked, rolling over.

Eve looked at them. "Beans please."
She then looked at Sam in a famiar hopefullness.

Hibiki groaned as James fell upon her. "I'll try Macy's when we get to town." She said. "My razor's touched places you wouldn't want your face touching."

--Train--

=I shook my head and chuckled=

No...

=I scratch my chin=

But I do look like fucking Les Stroud...damn I need to shave

--Caravan--

(Sam)
=Nodding, I used the can opener to open the beans first, handed them to her, and then opened my can of tuna. It still had water inside though, so I had to hold the can outside and squeeze the water out=

(James)
"Yeah, I'll have to say no."
=Climbing off her, I crossed the small lounge over to the tiny kitchen. Checking the pantry, I found there wasn't much left; some cans of food, two bags of jerky, and a couple bottle of water. There was also a wet bar, but alcohol dehydrated. Better to use it for molotov's=

"Not much left to eat. What do you want?"

Abel sat on the floor of the train cart, leaning his back against the metal wall as he chewed an unlit cigar in his mouth.  It had been pretty terrible living in a train for the time they had been, shitting in buckets and tossing them off the side of a moving train wasn't the ideal way of living.  Abel, on multiple occasions had considered leaving the group and very well may have if all his survival gear and his car weren't back at St. Louis where the Sheperds were now stationed.

Abel kept his hair short by cutting it with a knife, though it looked rough, it worked.  Having nothing else to do, Abel had taken his .45 apart and cleaned it too many times to count, it was also something to do to keep hunger at bay, as they were forced into a rationed diet.  To Abel, there were no surroundings, there was just him and his pistol, he blocked out the rest of the world as he continuously ripped his weapon apart.

Eve looked at Sam.
"....good morning kiss?" She asked softly.

Hibiki groaned. "New York Steak, lobster, a glass of wine, with a side of chicken noodle soup, a house salad when th an italian vinegrete, and a dessert of a chocolate and brownie sundae drenched in fudge and caramel."

Mira sighed. "I need a shave. Wish myrazor had made it...I think I left it with that girl's stuff by accident..."

(Sam)
=I had just started putting a piece of tuna in my mouth when she asked=
"Not....not right now."

=Honestly, the past three weeks had been hard for all of us, including me. Most of that time had been spent spent caring for Eve, but that didn't make me care anymore for her. I just.....didn't feel any different towards her than when we left, and certainly not enough to kiss her. Especially since the last time we kissed was just to get her to calm down, shut up, and do her job of defending the damn compound. And it made me feel like a bitch, playing on her emotions like that to make her do something=

(James)
"Maybe next stop. For now, all I have is.....a few canned goods and jerky. Take your pick."

"Jerky." Hibiki said.

Eve sighed, then went back to eating.

(James)
=Grabbing one of the bags, I tossed it to her while I busied myself with opening the can of anchovies. It was the type with that little wind up thing, and I curled the lid back to expose the fish. They smelled good, and salty. Hell, they tasted salty as well, bringing back memories of pizza nights and anchovies toppings=

(Sam)
=In the silence, I went back to eating. It was going to be tough for the group, though technically it already was. We were running short on gas, abandoning two vehicles already to save up. It wa starting to get cramped now=

Hibiki began chewing.
"Wish I knew how Eve was doing..."

Eve finished her beans and laid down again.

(James)
"Last transmission said she was doing fine. Hopefully that hasn't changed."
=As we ate, ones the soldiers, guy by the name of Trevor, walked into the lounge=

"Morning Trevor. What's the word?"

*Trevor*
"We're going to be coming close to a town, according to the map. We'll make a stop, check for supplies."

(James)
"Got it. We'll be ready by then."

(Sam)
"So, feeling any better?"

Hibiki remained quiet

"Sore..." Eve said. "I think I still have delirious spells...what do I say when I'm like that?"

(Sam)
=I blushed a little. She tended to mumble how she was so in love with me and wanted to cuddle up with her "cuddly fire head." But I didn't have the heart to tell her, yet=
"Uh, mostly you keep saying Sammy. Where is that cat anyway?"

(James)
=He left, and I moved to sit down by Hibiki=
"You feeling up to a walk?"

MEANWHILE, AT ST LOUIS

Sammy was leading some survivors to safety. She's a fucking amazing cat.


Eve shrugged. "I hope she's ok..."

"No." Hibiki said blankly.

--St. Louis--

=The recon team that had been on the roof of one of the towers, had still been in the city for the past three weeks. They had since moved from the roof, albeit slowly and quietly, until they managed to make it out of the tower and the compound. Most of the walkers had moved on, and they were moving south, the four of them hoping to find a vehicle. They came across a cat along the way, and it actually looked like it was guiding them. But it may have just been a delusion=

*Soldier*
"So, we all see the cat right?"

*Soldier*
"Yes Jim, we see the cat. Now shut up, we're trying to sneak out."

--Caravan--

(Sam)
"Cats have nine lives, she'll be okay."

-Boat--

(James)
"Why not?"

Hibiki just looked at him, her eyes hollow.

Eve shrugged. "You should be a catgirl. That way I you can have nine lives too."

Sammy guided them more, heading for...a parking garage.

--Boat--

(James)
"Uh, a blank stare won't explain everything to me Hibiki. Come on, what's wrong?"

--Caravan--

(Sam)
"Ha ha....no. But I certainly don't mind being enough of a cat girl to cuddle."
=What? Just because I was a little conflicted, didn't mean I was too conflicted for contact=

--St. Louis--

=The team kept following the cat, mostly since it was already headed for their destination. They had no idea if there were any cars in the garage that were still fueled up, but it was worth a shot=

"We left people behind. Some of them women. James, what if they are captured? You know what the Shepherds do to them?"

Eve smiled. "...after breakfast? Some...cuddling? Please?"

Sammy hopped onto a trashcan, looking around. Then she began to hiss.

(James)
=I sighed, slumping where I sat=
"Yeah....yeah I know what will happen. Or, what has happened anyway. But what do you want me to do about it?"

(Sam)
"If we don't have to drive in the next few minutes, sure."

*Jim*
"Oh, great. Now it's hissing."

*Soldier*
"Oh don't be such a pansy. Lets just get in there, find a car, and move."

Sammy jumped in front of them, blocking their way and hissing at an alleyway.

Eve looked happy at that prospect. "Or...we could share a seat and help lighten the load in other cars..."

Hibiki looked at her feet. "Kill every last Shepherd, even if they beg for mercy."

(Sam)
"We'll cuddle in the backseat, but if we're moving no seat sharing."

(James)
"That was already the plan Hibiki. But why don't you want to move, or go to the shore?"

Eve sighed. "Afraid of me on your lap? Means I'm open to be tickled." She giggled.

Hibiki shrugged. "I just don't want to."

(James)
"Well, I don't like leaving you here on the boat.i want you close."
=That and I was sorta hoping to get her off the damn thing so that the boat didn't become her whole world=

(Sam)
"No, I just want to be able to drive."

Hibiki stood up. "Alright..."

Eve looked at her lap. "Someone else can drive..."

(James)
=Smiling, I patted her leg and stood p=
"Thank you. Don't worry, it'll be good."

(Sam)
"Nope. No one else is driving this car. It's my baby."

"But...I want to be your babe..." Eve grinned a bit.

Hibiki nodded. "Yeah..." she touhed her stomach absently, feeling the bulge.

Three weeks. Three entire weeks on this fucking train. Stuck in this box, wondering what's going on the outside.
It's maddening. You can't get off because you'll die in a matter of days. And that may be happening anyway.
The food supplies are more than likely running low along with the water. So we all could very well be dwindling away.

(Andrew)

=I look to Sarah, who had become more withdrawn as we traveled on. And It worried me=

I'm worried about Sarah more...

=As I said her name, she looked at me bleakly for a moment and then found a different corner to go to=

She refused help from anyone, including me.

=Sarah looked at me again, this time with a cold and mistrusting stare that bored into me. It nearly made me jump=

And I thought we were close...

Could you talk some sense into her...please? It's just not like her to act like this...

--St. Louis, Hotel--

=In the kitchen of the hotel, in the now empty and powerless freezer, a man was tied down to a chair. His body was covered in bruises, cuts with trails of dried blood, and burn marks. Fingernails on one hand had been completely removed, while the other hand was broken, piece by piece. And he was not alone; across from him, unbound and clearly irritated, sat the Pariah=

(Pariah)
=Sighing, he wiped at his face with a handkerchief, somewhere between bored and annoyed. The prisoner was not giving any information, despite the brutality he had been through. Something of a testament in a way, to the metal of the soldiers who had been protecting this place=
"Okay come on dude, we've been at this for three weeks. I'm starting to get bored now, even with all the stuff I got to try out. So how about you make this easy, and just tell me where your friends went, where they plan on going. I promise, I'll put a bullet between your eyes if you tell me, nice and quick. A release."

=The prisoner, awake, simply stared back at Pariah, his expression one of fierce defiance. He was not ready to give up to this psycho, not when the lives of everyone who survived were at stake. Besides.....he honestly didn't know. But, he figured that so long as he let the Shepherds think he knew something,the longer they would stay here, and off the trail=

(Pariah)
"You've been giving me the silent stare for a while now, and it's pissing me off."
=He got out of his chair, unsheathed his knife and calmly grabbed the soldiers right upper eyelid, painfully pulling it away=

"I could always just cut off your eyelid.....cut that defiance out of your eyes too. But you know what? I've got a better idea."
=He whistled, and the door to the freezer, slightly ajar, now swung open. A brawny Shepherd walked into the room, pulling with him a used woman by her blonde hair. She still had some will in her, enough to cry out and claw at his hands, despite the thick gloves he wore. She tried to kick him, but whenever she tried he slapped her hard. Dragging her into the room, he sat her down on the chair. As she and the prisoner made eye contact, a flicker of recognition went between them, and the bottom of his stomach fell out. Pariah came to her with the knife then, bending his knees so that he was now at head level with her. He draped an arm around her shoulder, the tip of the knife now aimed towards her throat. Her breath came out in panicked gasps as she whimpered in fear=

"You don't seem to give a damn about what happens to you. But what about her?"
=He dragged the tip down, so that it made a shallow cut over her collarbone and just ending just beneath her top most rib, causing her to whimper more in pain. The look in the eyes of the soldier went from defiant.....to afraid=

"Ah, so there is something you fear. Good, we can use that. Tell me what I want to know, or I will start with her eyes, and work my way from there."

*Prisoner*
=It was too much, and he simply caved=
"I don't know, I swear! Please god, do what you want but leave her alone! Leave my sister alone!"

(Pariah)
=His face lit up like it was his birthday and he found a present=
"Oh, your sister is she? Well then that makes this so much easier, because I think you not knowing anything is a load of bullshit. So tell me now, where did they go?"

*Prisoner*
"Please, please, please god I'm telling you I don't know where they went, I'd tell you if I knew!"

(Pariah)
"You know.....it's strange, but I think I believe you. But, since you made me waste my time here, for three weeks......you little man, need to be punished."
=And with a manaiacal grin, he brought the knife to her eye. Outside, the two guards stood calmly, even as they heard her scream=

A fat globular sun hung in the air like a wet matted balloon as a pair feet were dragged across the disused tarmac of a bygone age. A figure clothed in red paused at chaotic scene stretching across the breath of the road. There was a turned over lorry sitting on its side crudely covered in yellow tarpaulin that once acted as a protective wall against the elements but was now tattered with holes. The red figure approached closer wishing to scavenge the innards of the vehicle. Her bare brown eyes scanned the road ahead of her looking for signs of danger. The position of the road and the curving nature of the tree line made it hard to distinguish silhouettes between the ridged terrain. Finally satisfied with her analysis of the outlying road she slid over to the back of the truck. Her hands ran across her small pack before finalising her approach. Her loaded gun was a crude weapon, difficult to load with its revolver chamber but light and hardy enough to survive the knocks and bruises that came with a nomadic life. She rummaged around, rustling her pack profusely until she found her pen knife. The device had rusted and stiffened during its prolonged use but it still provided a sense of security in its weighty presence. The blade partnered with a gun could be a life saver, at least in theory as practice had been a far more complex scenario.

The survivor, now adequately armed moved closer to the Truck’s hopefully bountiful rear. With fingers in reach she traced the shape of its shell, exploring the skewed impressions of the metal. She reached for the jagged handle of the Lorry’s bay doors, now the only remaining barrier. A rusty squeak echoed as the survivor yanked the door open with all her strength, thankfully it was unlocked. The movement of the previously dormant structure violently freed specks of dirt as they began to lightly flutter around the air, the irritation of which caused the survivor to audibly sneeze. The woman grunted in frustration. This reaction was beginning to ware on the vagrant, the discomfort of allergies was becoming increasingly prevalent in her daily life. A routine of antihistamine and painkillers had been tradition since her independent travels on the road and the repetition was taking its toll. There were no more sick days, no respite, just this tense unrelenting air of danger. An impossible to articulable feeling, something that could only be fully realised when felt first hand.

With her idle mind focused and irritable sinuses ignored the red hooded woman swept inside the truck’s innards. The lopsided vehicle was now bare to the light of the day as rays of the sun swooped in to illuminate the decrepit ribcage of the metal beast. Cardboard boxes or the remains of them surrounded the survivor. Their damp nature sullied the air with a pungent moistness. It was clear that over the period of time that this Lorry had been abandoned it had suffered several leaks, completely contaminating the contents of its holding. Each box was drenched in months’ worth of rainwater and mould. Nevertheless the survivor hovered on tiptoes in anticipation. It had been eons since she had last seen a bounty so untouched by other scavengers. She surveyed the corners of the bed with a cursory glance, double checking that she was in fact alone inside the truck’s belly. With an ever increasing frantic pace she began ravaging the boxes, examining their contents for recoverable goods. To her rare luck the shipment appeared to be something at least mildly edible, Cat Food. This small chaotic site of horror might have saved her life. She tore one box open, a large pallet of dried cat food revealed itself, yet the woman ignored it. Her eyes were instead fixated on the canned goods. Not only would they be theoretically uncontaminated by this less than desirable environment but they would hopefully be far more nutritious than their dehydrated counterparts. Greedily she scooped all she could straight into her rucksack, unhooking it off one of her shoulders. The pragmatic side of her mind was eased by the discovery of this nourishment yet a much larger, consciously aware part of her convulsed in disgust over the unattractive ingredients she would soon be consuming.

Satisfied with her bounty the woman shimmied outside over the newly dislodged boxes and bags of pellets. Her eyes burned slightly in the new morning sun, her consistent lack of sleep wrought havoc on her sight. A singeing sting existed as a constant in her eye sockets. The only relief freeing them from this pain was rest, an all too impossible resource to secure these days. She clambered upon the mossy knoll behind the truck, scanning both behind and ahead of her. She was at a crossroad; she could either double back to the areas’ she’d searched yet knew or explore the new possibly dangerous lands in front of her. Sighing, fully aware of the reality of her situation she continued forward. Nowhere was safe anymore, not even her old proving grounds, and even if they hypothetically were she would soon starve as the surrounding hovels and towns had been brutally cannibalised. Uncertain, the survivor's ragged boots once again skidded along the twisted and cracked tarmac of a former world.

--Boat--

=As James, Hibiki and Trevor got ready to disembark from the boat, the boat itself neared the first of two towns, one the city of (I wish I was making this up) Metropolis. They were still a mile out, and as they drew closer the sun rose higher into the sky=

(James)
=During the evacuation, there really wasn't much time to grab any essential pieces of gear. Or clothing for that matter. Right now, I was wearing a pair of beige pair of cargo pants, a green buttoned down shirt and a brown outdoor jacket. Maybe it was a matter of taste, but I felt like the colors didn't really mesh together that well. But hey, end of the world right? Why get picky? On the bright side, I was at least able to hold onto some of the essential bits, such as my P90, but only with two more clips of ammo. My bow was slung over my shoulder, quiver full with fifteen arrows, and my knife was in its sheath, clipped to my belt. When I was....well, suited up, I stood out on the rear deck of the boat, waiting for the others=

((I'm not gonna be on for 5-6 days, guys. Auto-pilot me 'til then, if needed.))

--Caravan--

(Sam)
"This is a '67 Impala Eve, she outranks you.....for the moment. But don't worry, if it came down to it, I'd save you in a heartbeat."
=As the sun rose, the light mist began to dissipate and suddenly I could see more of the road ahead, and our surroundings. To our right, a line of trees, probably a thick wood. To the left, was a wide expanse of green fields, fenced off with barbed wire and wooden posts. There were several walkers in the field, spread out and aimless. Normally, I would have been worried but there were so few of them, and we'd probably be long gone by the time they got close=

Falling back into the physically occupying routine of walking the woman escaped into her own mind. The tedious nature of her life now was a far cry from the reality that once concerned her. Simple chores were previously the height of her responsibility, there was little concern over the procurement of food, water and even fuel. It was all just there, a miracle by any stretch. All you needed was a free hand to turn a tap. Why look for it when it can come to you? Dwelling on these thoughts the woman that sauntered across the asphalt river that cut through the trees couldn’t recognise herself. Who she was now, where she had come from, all of this was a fantasy, a memory ever slipping from her focus. Warm showers, shaded pavements, iced drinks. That was all she could recall, pointless fragments. Her education had twisted into a mosaic of useless facts and dates, everything from her old life, her normal life was now so inconsequential. Her world had seemingly changed in a flash, one big searing light that took over homes and souls. She didn’t know much about them, they were monsters in her eyes, creatures that had defiled death. The one constant of life on Earth was death and that had been eradicated. Corpses were no longer vacant vessels but walking forces of pure animalistic instincts. She didn’t know how or why but the dead were no longer quiet, they seemed to survive everything.

Her tangential thoughts were cut off, there was a figure in the distance a distinctly humanoid shape. Sighting the silhouette ahead of her the woman halted and without even realising stood in a defensive posture. The head of the shape was acutely angled to the side, such an unnatural position was an easy identifier. The walking corpses for whatever reason let their heads hang low on their bodies, often at uncomfortable forty-five degree angles. Their necks would become cavernous in shape as their heads would lazily rest on their gaunt, bony shoulders for months at a time. She reached back for her gun, the revolver sitting neatly on her belt. Her eyes never left the target, perhaps a mistake in hindsight. She should have left the creature's vision before he spotted her. Yet it was too late, her position in the middle of the road caught the creature's attention. It irked forward, a motion not dissimilar to a dogs’, it used its arms as an excited gesture waving them about uncontrollably. Clearer now she could see the full depths and depravities of the corpse's outline. It was a man, or at least used to be a man. What little ragged hair remained on the man’s head stood out as it was split into islands of matted tuffs. A common sight in the older corpses.

She pulled out her gun, readying her aim, could she shoot? Was it the right time? The walking body lurched as an invisible power pulled him along. He was gaining speed. This was the most impossible thing to imagine when examining the dead from a distance. Their speed. While not many could muster a full walk cycle, let alone a sprint, they made up for it with their reliance on their mass. Their bodies were used for distance hunting. The hungered corpses could shift and alter their weight in just the right places, pulling themselves forward with a mighty thrust. It was the bumblebee that this move seemed to originate from. It was always a remarkable moment for anyone who saw the spectacle of a bee flying. Their stout wings were seemingly too small for their plumb robust bodies. Flight with those wings alone would surely be an impossibility. Yet the Bee was an adaptive insect, they like the corpses shifted and twisted their bodies to extend the breath of their mobility. Yet when beholding this motion from a corpse there was no sense of whimsy, or exhilaration, only terror.  

Jaws. That’s what they were called. The red hooded survivor had heard other names but few of them stuck. Mentionable ones like deadheads, jacks and even the quixotic name Diablo had a certain impact on her, but nothing as strong as Jaws.

Jaws was now pushing closer, the woman tried to coerce him around the debris of a discarded car in an attempt to easily trap her pursuer. She still held the pistol in hand but it was a last resort. On her last count all the chamber held was tree rounds. Firing upon Jaws was never an ideal option in any scenario as the noise of gunfire attracted the larger hordes. Giant groups of convulsing carcasses leaping forward in lurching bee like motions could come swarming down on you in minutes.

So the woman instead started ducking through the carcasses of rusted cars leading her shuffling companion along narrow passageways. This seemed to slow Jaws down as patches of his disheveled clothing caught on the jagged edges of smashed doors and twisted frameworks. With the monster staggering over itself the woman in red was free to leg it as far as she could, there was no point wasting energy or time on disposing of Jaws if she could escape. It was better to run then risk possible infection. Briefly she looked behind her after making comfortable headway. She saw the creature curled up into itself. It was depressing and painful to see what so resembles a human lost and in such discomfort. With a frown, she turned away and continued in hopes of finding some shelter to restock and rest.

Hibiki had saved more then James, but didn't have most of her clothes. She tucked some of it in Eve's stuff. Like most of her lingerie.
Picking up her rifle, Hibiki adjusted her pack. She had managed to change her clothes once a week, washing the rest. It was her mild luck, but then again, hand washing sucked.
With four clips to James' two and two clips for her pistol, and her katana cleaned and sharpened, Hibiki was in a black tank top and dark jeans that got ripped on the left thigh during the fighting. She finally made it outside by James, looking around quietly.

Eve leaned oger and kissed Sam's cheek. "Thank you." Was all she responded with, then finished off her beans.

--Boat--

(James)
=Sometimes, I really hated my poor luck. Like how Hibiki managed to hold onto more ammo than I could. But, at least I still had something. The door to the cabin opened, and Trevor walked out. A least, I think it was called the cabin. Three weeks and all I really needed to know was how to drive the boat=
"Trevor, any idea where we're about to make landfall?"

*Trevor*
=He tried to choke down some laughter, but it was still apparent he found something funny=
"Oh yeah, I know where we're headed. We're about to take a walk in the great city, of Metropolis."

(James)
=I blinked, and turned to face him=
"What?"

*Trevor*
"That's what it says on the map."

--Caravan--

(Sam)
=I smiled a little as she kissed me, then turned my head when someone tapped on the window for the passenger side. Marcus stood outside, peering through at me. He made a come hither gesture, and I got the message=
"Wait here Eve."

=Then I got out and went to speak with Marcus=

Hibiki facepalmed.
"James. I swear. If you get spandex, I am going to fucking kill you."

Eve saw it and looked a bit down. She touched Sam's cheek. "Don't keep me waiting."

--Boat--

(James)
"I think it's safe to say I want be getting any spandex. I'm just a little surprised is all."

*Trevor*
"You and me both. But unless you want to pass it up....."

(James)
=Rubbing the side of my face, I simply shrugged=
"No, no lets just get it over with. But if I see any statues of Superman, I think I might break something."

--Caravan--

(Sam)
=Marcus and I walked a few feet away from the car, I guess for the privacy=
"What's up?"

*Marcus*
"You wanted me to keep you in the loop, so here we go. Our supplies are just about gone. Chances are lunch and dinner are all we have left before we got nothing."

(Sam)
"Oh, great. What about fuel?"

*Marcus*
"Well those cars we found three days ago had enough fuel in the tanks to keep us running for maybe four more days. But we need a town, somewhere with food."

(Sam)
"Anything in the map?"

*Marcus*
"Actually yes, we have one place around three miles due east of here. Hopefully the town has some food."

(Sam)
"Okay. So we should move soon, yeah?"

*Marcus*
"Yup. Another ten minutes to let people unwind, then we move."

(Sam)
"Got it, thanks for the info."
=I turned around and walked back to the impala. Sliding into the drivers seat, I looked back at Eve in the mirror=

"Ten minutes and we move. You want to take a walk or something?"

Hibiki sighed. "Break them with what? Your balls of steel?"

Eve shook her head. "I'm fine. Walked enough for two years. Sitting is a luxury ya'know?"

(James)
"I'll think of something."
=We got closer to the city, but I guess city was probably not the right word. It was more like a large town. But we didn't pull into the dock area. We stopped maybe a hundred feet west, hidden by the trees along the riverbank. I was first to hop down, and sorta regretted it, since I landed in the mud, and sank by a few inches=

"Looks clear."

--Boat--

(Sam)
"Yeah, it kinda is."
=I was content myself with just sitting there for the next few minutes=

--Train--

=Cooper walked back from the engine to the box car holding everyone=

*Cooper*
"Alright listen up!"
=He shouted, commanding everyone's attention=

"According to the driver, we are just about out of fuel, so we have at best another three hours, at our current pace before this train is dead. However, there is a town further down the tracks, within walking distance so we should be there by sundown, latest. So I want you all to check your gear, grab everything you can carry, and get ready for a walk people."

Hibiki wrinkled her nose, then leapt farther up. "Guess so."

Eve sighed softly. She rubbed her face a bit, then laid across oss the backseats again. "Whenever their ready I guess..."

--Boat--

(James)
=Trevor jumped down, and looked to me for what to do next=
"Alright, we keep to cover until we know how bad it is. Just....do what we normally do."

=Not that it needed to be said really. But it didn't hurt to have reminders. I led us away from the boat, which was already pulling back. It was risky for it to come this close t shore, so next time it came to pick us up it would have to be by the docks for the town. Creeping through the trees, I kept my eyes open and ears on alert, listening for anything=

--Caravan--

(Sam)
"So.....think they're okay? James and Hiikii mean."

So, we're finally doing something...
I pretty much never took anything out of my coat, so I didn't have to gather anything. So I just stand up and wait.
It's pretty scary all of a sudden. How we've been safe for nearly a month and now we're being forced out.
The realization kicks in. We could all die out there. By zombies or raiders. Either way, I'd prefer to live.