The Walking Dead - Among the Ruined [Answers in Blood]

[-QT-]

Floyd - The Road - Scarlett

There had been no sound of bullets, no sign of struggle or even awareness but they had all gone down. Every single one of the bikers Floyd and Scarlett had been after seemed to be shot down by military grade weapons - each individual shot in the head with precision, ultimately keeping them from reanimating. The human in each biker was initially drowned in bullets though, their bodies sprayed by bullets as they crossed an intersection. Whoever had done this had tactically training and planned this before the event, as though they knew they were coming.

"Ain't none of em' alive. They must've crossed the wrong people or sumthin, this wasn't random," Floyd commented, looting the bodies and bikes for any supplies he might find handy. Whoever had killed them took absolutely nothing, not bothering to clean up the scene - which was strange during these times.

Finding a box of cigarettes and a new lighter Floyd immediately began to smoke. He even stripped one of the biker's leather vest off and put it on around his hoodie - if fit snug, but comfortable. "How'd I look?" he joked, taking some urgency out of their situation. Prior to getting to where they were now, both Floyd and Scarlett had searched the area to make sure the people responsible were not around. There were no tracks though, no footprints or scattered branches that could lead them to the shooters. It wasn't that Floyd wanted to follow, but there was possibility that Jess or Hank could be with them - his intention was not to get Scarlett nor himself killed.

Finding a granola bar in the bag of one of the riders, Floyd tossed it at Scarlett. He didn't say anything, the gesture was enough. He himself hadn't eaten since they left the cabin, there had been no time to settle down anywhere for brunch. He went ahead and picked up one of the bikes and oil started to fluidly gushing out of the carbs. He tried the other eight or nine bikes and all the same outcome - engines all fucked up by bullet wounds. What was mostly odd about all of these discoveries was that there didn't appear to have been many shooters. The bullets and holes were the same, meaning the weapons bared were of the exact same caliber. Floyd was no detective, but the fact that there wasn't many leads - meaning tracks - was odd.

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Lia - Apartments - Riley
​

Lia sat on the floor, across from the bed inside her apartment room. She kept one leg outstretched, and the other leg close to herself as she gazed upon the bed like it were some kind of alien vessel. Even though she had been staying in the apartments for two weeks already with Joe, the blonde still hadn't gotten used to sleeping in beds again. It was a luxury she had lost for so long, her body just wasn't used to them. Her back felt sore, and she felt much more comfortable sitting on the floor. Although, there was the chance that she wasn't sore from the bed--perhaps she was imaging it--and that it was entirely to do with the car accident she had lived through.

The young survivor didn't remember much from before her accident. She remembered getting in the car with Joe and that was it. She hardly remembered what they talked about or even who had been driving at the time. She only knew what had happened because of what Joe had explained to her after she woke up. Lia had been out for a few days and was shocked to learn what had happened, but truthfully was grateful to Joe. He took her to safety, got her help, and took care of Renegade while she was out. She wasn't grate at expressing gratitude, but she hoped that Joe could tell she was grateful simply by the fact that she had opened up a little more to him lately.

However, Joe had been the only person she had begun to speak more with. Just because there were other occupants in the same building didn't mean that she allowed herself to become friendly with any of them. No, Lia wasn't the type of person who would very easily trust anyone. A few of them may have seemed nice enough, like Fan for example, but Lia's cautious personality continued to be a wall keeping out most individuals.

Since she had been avoiding most of the group, Lia had spent a lot of time in her apartment room. Thankfully, recovering from her car accident was enough of an excuse to seem antisocial and hopeful to be left alone so she could rest. It was partly truthful, after all. She did need rest. She often had headaches since the crash, and still felt rather sore. There were times, now and again, when being around the others was inevitable though--now turning out to be one of those times.

Like a sudden burst of air in her face, an uncomfortable sensation struck Lia. She straightened her back and sat up for moment before quickly bending over and vomiting whatever she had in her stomach onto the floor. She shook as she sat back up wiping her mouth and muttering under her breath, "Ugh, what the hell was that?"

It wasn't often that Lia got sick, so she didn't worry about it all that much. Even after the world went to hell she had managed to retain her health most of the time. So why did something have to be wrong with her now of all times? These days, an infection or sickness could kill. It was nothing to take lightly, especially when she had no idea what it was. Did she come in contact with a stomach bug? Eat something rancid? Or was she vomiting due to an internal injury relating to the car crash? She wasn't sure if the last one could even be possible, but hopefully not.

Grumbling, Lia slowly stood up--being sure to shoo a very curious Renegade away from her vomit so she could clean it up--and made her way for the door of her room. She exited, scratching the back of her head as she tried to remember the layout of the area. "Ugh, where exactly was Fan again? Jeez, it's just not easy to think when you have a damn headache all the time," she thought before choosing a random direction to go. Lia walked along through the hallway before eventually spotting another person. Thank goodness.

"Hey you," Lia started, coming up from behind the male she had discovered. When Riley would see Lia, it wouldn't be hard for him to see that she wasn't exactly in tip top shape. She appeared pale, had dark circles under her eyes, and kept her messy blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She was far from looking sickly--Lia had a lot of strength in her--but definitely didn't appear to be at one-hundred percent. "Do you know where Fan is? I need to see her," Lia added, waiting to see what he would say in reply.
​

@T.O.M. @Josh M​

Riley-Apartments-Lia

===Before Riley/Mel headed to the apartment===

The search to find Joe had gone on for quite some time. In that period Mel and Riley had ended up getting separated from Nathan. Though not that either party particularly minded, not being too fond of Nathan themselves. As they continued to walk however, Riley picked up some objects along the way. Eventually finding hockey masks that he felt would sit along nicely with his other mask. The only trouble was how he'd go about carrying them. As Mel was more focused on finding somewhere for the two of them to crash after all the nonstop walking, Riley left his partner alone for half hours every day. He never said where he was going or why he left. But every time before the night was through, Riley would appear with a new mask clipped to the front of his shirt.

It wasn't the most stylish of looks with the clips Riley used being made very obvious. But the symbolism was there for Riley and that's all that mattered. For every occasion he'd have a mask suited to how he felt. He'd never be without a barrier between him and the 'real world' which wasn't something that the scout wanted to be a part of. On the last night of his random disappearances though, Mel stood ready to chide her partner for his continued absences.

"Mel..I..."

"Stow it, Riley. I've been keeping an eye open. Unwilling to go asleep without knowing whether or not you'll be out looking for...Some random shit or by my side ready to shoot a Walker in the head if it were to find us. This is why we keep moving, Riley! This is why we have to! You're like a jumped up squirrel who's always looking for something but fuck if I know what!"

Mel exclaimed throwing her hands up into the air before dropping them back to her side. Ever since she first met Riley, she knew something was off with her partner/friend.

He was unstable, either unable or unwilling to speak for long periods of time. Preferring to shoot out some tidbits here and there or just small phrases if necessary. But what caught her attention more was the skull bandanna that the scout wore to hide his face at least partially. When she pressed him on why, the answer she got was one that surprised her. After killing a man who had tormented him back in high school, Riley was sent to juvenile detention and went through the motions there until everything went to shit. When it did? He walked all the way back to his house and retrieved his bandanna because he couldn't go on living in this world without keeping something between him and them. Them didn't just refer to the walkers either. It referred to everything in this ruined world.

'Without a mask, Mel? I'd have to see this world with my own eyes and not through the lenses of something else. I'd have to confront that the world I live in now is no better than the one I left all those years ago.'

As Mel scolded him like a mother would her naughty child, Riley could only keep his head down and take the verbal lashing. He knew it wasn't right of him to leave Mel on her lonesome. It deprived her of sleep, left her outnumbered if walkers or humans showed up. But after losing his bandanna and getting the mask from Vincent, Riley still didn't feel 'whole.' The thought of finding other masks-other shelters from having to face the real world was too tempting for the unstable scout. So off he went during the day to find new masks and clips to pin them to his hoodie. But if he returned to find Mel as a corpse or even half-eaten by Walkers? Then he'd know it was all his fault.

"I'....I'm sorry. I...Don't have an excuse...Was wrong. Shouldn't have left...But." Fumbling around with the zipper on his hoodie, Riley pulled out a machete he had found in his scavenging along with the three masks that dangled like medals of a war veteran from Riley's neck.

"I..Knew you wouldn't understand. That you'd get upset with me. Every right to! But I couldn't help it." Was all Riley could muster up to say as Mel stared in a mix of disbelief and confusion. Had Riley left every night forcing her to keep moving by herself to avoid getting set upon by walkers or bandits just to get his precious masks? Taking a step towards her partner, Riley took a step back but kept the machete at his shoulder. Mel was one of the few people in this world that Riley couldn't see himself harming even if she were to harm him.

"So, that's it huh? You could have been out going and getting...Water bottles? Food? But instead you pursue this vanity project and bring back masks that we can't use for anything useful!" Gripping Riley by the collar, the hockey masks rattled around and battered Riley's chest as Mel pulled him down to her level and almost pressed her forehead up against his."I don't have any intentions of being eaten alive or being taken advantage of by some shitbag wanderer. You got everything you need?"

"..Yes"

Letting go of Riley's shirt collar, Mel briskly walked past him with her supplies in tow. Glancing over as his partner got the lead out, he quickly followed pursuit. He could tell that Mel had more she would have liked to have said to him. She would have ripped him a new one if the opportunity presented itself. But he could tell that beneath her rough exterior, she could see Riley wasn't all there and that he hadn't intended to put her in any danger by randomly leaving throughout the day in order to search for masks. Didn't make Riley's actions right but it left it to the point where lashing out at him wouldn't have done more than put the guy in an even worse place. Following alongside Mel, both parties glanced up as Riley frowned at how cloudy the sky seemed to have gotten and it didn't take long before raindrops could have been felt falling on the two of them.

"Well, isn't this just fucking great. I've gotta put up with you and then it starts raining. Even when times are already as low as they can go, life still has a few choices to kick us right in the ass-..Riley? You okay there?" Mel asked glancing over at her partner who stopped and glanced up at the sky.

"..Can we go, Mel? This place is making me sick."

"..Heh, so you can run into town armed with just a guard's pistol and a socket wrench, fight off who knows how many walkers? But a little rain is what scares you?"

"I never got to walk in the rain much in prison..When we did? It didn't feel nice. Not at all. The same feeling here.." Riley's voice trembled and Mel felt a small pint of pity run through her body. This kid was about the same age as her yet at times like these? He almost felt like one of the snot nosed little kids she'd seen running around back at Morgantown. Walking over to Riley, she'd seek to pull his hat off and watched as the terrified expression on Riley's face slowly came to a more confused one as his hair began to droop downwards from the rain getting it wet.

"Not so bad now is it? So what if you didn't get to stand in the rain with your juvie buddies? You can't tell me that when you were a kid, you didn't stand in this shit out for as long as you could. 'Sides it's something to take your mind off...Everything else that's wrong with this fucked up place we call the place you and I live."

Pleased with what she had done, Mel turned on her heel to keep on walking. A little bit of rain wasn't going to stop them from finding a place to crash. Before she got too far however, she'd feel something pull her hood over her head causing her to lash out with an elbow. The blow caught Riley right in the jaw and sent the teen topping to the ground as his masks swung from side to side. Looking over her shoulder and seeing her partner on the ground, Mel rolled her eyes.

"..Couldn't just ask me to put my hood up? Instead you had to try pulling it up yourself like some kinda creeper. Lucky I didn't hit you right where it hurts." Mel grumbled as she extended a hand to Riley and helped him to his feet. Wiping the blood that was oozing out from his busted lip, Riley nodded in agreement. It might have just been better for all parties involved if he had just told Mel before he did so. Keeping his sleeve to his mouth, Riley muttered out a response. "If I had asked you to though..I didn't want to come off as a nanny. I just figured I'd experience the rain this time around."

Mel only shot Riley a quizzical look before shaking her head. She may have been friends with the guy. But even she couldn't quite understand where his mind drifted off to at times. From that point forward, the two continued on in relative silence. Stopping every now and again to drink/eat from the supplies that Mel had been thoughtful enough to bring with. Something she used as leverage to make more comments at Riley's expense which was to say very often. But as time continued to pass and the two realized just how long they'd been walking, it occurred to Mel.

"..We don't have a fucking clue where we're going, do we?"

"...We're looking for Joe."

"Well, yeah no shit there Einstein. Mind telling me where he is?"

"..."

"That's about what I figured."

Throwing an empty water bottle away in exasperation, Riley quietly and without comment sprinted away from Mel. Watching her partner go, Mel quickly went about trying to gather up the supplies and continue after Riley. Was he on yet another mask hunt? Friend or no, she'd kick his shit in if that was the reasoning behind all this. They had just sat down and ate and maybe they'd have caught some sleep. After they y'know worked out exactly where they were going to eventually end up.

"RILEY! SLOW THE FUCK DOWN!" Mel called out to her friend and not really to her surprise, she soon caught up with Riley.

The masks clacking together, Riley was slightly hunched over with his hands on his knees. "Still..Out of shape. But I think I found a place we can crash. If nothing else."

Noticing what appeared to be some kind of apartment complex off in the distance judging off where Riley pointed his machete, Mel shrugged. It wasn't exactly shangri la but you couldn't afford to be picky when it was between sleeping out in the open where you could have your guts torn out while you're in the middle of your favorite dream or in a shitty bed infested with bugs. As the two started off to the apartment, Mel glanced over to Riley.

"Why'd you run here?"

"..Wanted to make up for earlier. For what I did to you.."

====After they got themselves settled in at the apartment===

Running into Joe by good fortune, Mel explained what the two had gone through in their quest to find him. Riley stood off to the side somewhat happy about having somewhere to sit down. Somewhere that didn't mean the outdoors on the side of the street or near some decrepit looking trees. Or abandoned cars or something of that nature. Mel and Riley had been allowed a place to stay at the apartment and finally deciding to catch up on all the sleep that Riley had denied her with his shenanigans, Riley stood guard in front of Mel's door. Siting up against it as a matter of fact.

Nobody would interfere in her sleep if Riley could help it. It was his fault that she was sleeping so much anyway. He wanted his masks and Mel wanted someone to watch her back while she snoozed. He had gotten what he wanted and now it was Mel's turn. He'd also have to catch up with Joe at one point or another but that was neither here nor there. As Lila approached the teen, Riley quickly pulled up the hood of his jacket so she couldn't see his face and quickly slid a mask over his own face before turning to face her.

"No...I haven't. My name isn't 'you' either. It's Riley.."

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Josh M​

 

[Akashi]

[btn=#a69117]Damien Orwen - Somewhere on Highway 65 - Verona, Scott, Hemsworth, Christopher, Colton, Aubrey[/btn]
​

After a while, they finally met up with Hemsworth, Colton and the rest. Both the truck and the car were on the side of the road. The area was wide and there weren't many trees or a small forest on any end. The men that came with both Damien and Verona got out, and so did the latter. "I hope you guys got the fuel as well.." Verona curiously asked, nodding towards Colton, before she noticed the young teenager they had all captured. Verona didn't say anything much other than looking over at her boss.

Damien was slightly serious, as some of the men that came with him made sure no one would interrupt this little 'meet'. They had their guns pulled up to make sure the area was secure. Well, despite how open the area was, taking any chances was a no-go. Scott came along and explained the situation, and what they know about the one they captured, and the fact that her name was Aubrey nonetheless, and that she was indeed with a group earlier.

Taking a few steps forward, Damien glanced over at Colton and saw the serious expression on his face. The man did not say anything, but rather looked at Aubrey for a few moments in silence. No one talked. He pulled a packet of gum from the side pocket on his leather jacket. "Untie her.." Taking his time to pull a gum out from the packet and unwrapping it, before he started to chew on it. He approached Aubrey before crouching down on her level. "So I hear your name is Aubrey.." As he spoke, he wanted to share the packet of gum he had on him. "Want some? It's strawberry flavor. What'ya say?"

@HellHoundWoof @Wolverbells

 

[Wolverbells]

Aubrey - Hwy 65 - Damien, Colton, others

Aubrey had finally met the eyes of the man who everyone had been so eager to get to.

Damien.

If it were under other circumstances, and the girl wasn't exactly fearing for her life, she might have been impressed with him. Unfortunately, at the moments, all she could think about is how she wished she could've gone back with her gut feeling at Magnus's cells and helped the people. She hadn't been a full out bitch at first. For several weeks, if not months, the blonde had fought with her morals and wanted to help everyone that the men had captured. In fact, she almost did once and was caught, putting her in a bad spot with many of Magnus's men.

It didn't matter now. Karma was here and it was going to bite her in the ass.

Once untied, Aubrey stood in front of the bed of the truck where she had just sat, rubbing her wrists. Damien had approached her and came down to her level, which she found slightly offensive for some reason, but chose not to acknowledge the feeling. The blonde merely nodded as he spoke, too scared to say no to him. "Uh, yes please? If you don't mind, that is." Luckily, her voice had not given away how unbelievably nervous and scared she was. She wanted to tel Damien that she did not mean him or any of his men harm; to tell him that this was a massive misunderstanding and that they could part ways without ever having to see each other again. Aubrey was smarter than that though. Colton had advised her on what to do around Damien and she was set on abiding by that advice to be able to survive.

 

[Akashi]

[btn=#94770d]Damien Orwen - Highway 65 - Colton, Aubrey, Others[/btn]​

A smile was plastered on his face when the young teenager took the offer. "Good." He added, before standing up, and walking towards Colton. He threw his packet of gum towards Hemsworth, who immediately reacted good enough to catch it. Turning around once again, his gaze was locked onto Aubrey. Standing by Colton, he placed his hand on his shoulder. "I hope Colton here, and any of my men didn't harm you.." His expression was a bit more amused by her reaction, before he moved away and leaned against the truck, followed by him folding his arms before his chest.

"Savor the taste." The man referred to the gum in her mouth. "It'll only last a while. And you might never find one in the same flavor again, or perhaps no gum at all." Damien was silent for a moment, as his expression became serious. His demeanor changed ever so slightly.

"I've bet you've tasted despair as well." He started, before he tilted his head up, looking at the blue sky, as he sighed. "We've all been through something rough since all of this started." He stretched his arms to the side, referring to the world and its current state, moving his attention back at Aubrey again.

"So kid, I was also told on my way over here that you.. You've been with other people, holed up somewhere. Might telling me where it is?" The man curiously asked, with a simple smile plastered on his face.

"Oh don't get me wrong, or my men actually. We just like to take precautions. I mean, the dead is not the only thing out there after your life nowadays. Am I wrong?" Damien smirked. Honestly just by looking at the young teenager, he could see it written all over her face. She had been through something, something everyone around her could relate with.

"Aaand.. I bet you've been through the same, no?"

"Mind telling me why you were also all by yourself back at the gas station? Where you waiting for something, someone?"

@Wolverbells @HellHoundWoof

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Lia - Apartments - Riley
​

Thankfully, Lia didn't have to stand next to the apartment dweller she had approached for long before he reacted to her. The teen pulled his hood up over his face and adorned himself with a mask first thing, as if he had a dirty secret to hide. She could've complained about it, but a lot of people seemed to showcase some odd quirks these days. Instead, she focused on his reply, which turned out to be far more annoying than his sudden urge to hide his face from her.

"Well, excuse me for substituting a replacement word in for your name when I didn't know what it was. Riley, whatever," Lia grumbled at a low volume. She squeezed her eyes closed and pinched the bridge of her nose before letting out a sigh. Dammit, her head hurt and her stomach was still bothering her. Even thought a complaint had managed to slip out, she didn't really feel much like complaining for once. She just wanted to see Fan and get some more rest. But, apparently, this Riley guy didn't know where she was either.

At a slightly louder volume, Lia decided to ask him another question. "Okay, well, if you don't know where Fan is, do you know where Joe is?" Because you're being no help to me at all, whatsoever. "Maybe he'll know where she's at. I'm feeling a little... blah... and I figured she'd be the best person to help me out with that." Stubborn as she was, saying that she felt blah was an understatement. Lia was so stubborn she even hated admitting when she felt sick--which was exactly how she felt at the moment. But calling herself blah was better than saying she felt sick in front of a stranger. She wouldn't show weakness in front of someone she didn't know. Ever.
​

@T.O.M. @Josh M​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Jake - Roxie - Caleb/Aiden/John/Becca/Adam
​

He wouldn't care to admit it, but Jake was happy to be out on the road. His head felt clearer than it had in days thanks to the small town of Roxie's silence. Since when had silence been such a value to him? Ever since he had begun to take care of his nephew, Andy, who just couldn't seem to stop complaining about anything. Jake felt for the kid, really he did. After all, he had lost his parents and suffered through painful things--such as having his braces forcefully removed from his face. But still, the kid could've been a bit nicer. He was no parent, but Jake tried his best.

Brushing any thoughts about Andy out of his head for now, Jake smiled to himself as they walked along. At least the kid was back at Morgantown and Jake was out on a run away from his whining. He walked along the others, glancing to them quietly, realizing he didn't know most of them as much more than acquaintances. He spent so much time babysitting the kid, Jake really hadn't got a chance to know anyone else. This run would be good for him. Maybe, for once, he would get to help out the community and maybe even experience a little normal conversation with some of its members.

At the rest stop area they had discovered, Jake found himself peering through the window at a rather interesting advertisement poster before his thoughts were shaken away by Caleb's voice. "Sure, I don't see a problem with it. This area seems relatively quiet. How about we split up into groups of two or three?" he offered. Jake, usually nonchalant and calm, was more than willing to go with the flow. Usually okay with following directions, he okay with doing whatever the group wanted.
​

@Atomyk @ResistingTheEnlightened @Rithas​

 

[dalecOoOoOoOoOper]

John - Roxie - Jake/Aiden/Caleb/Becca/Adam

Sweat. Lots of it. Not comfortable in a uniform either. His trust for Aiden was like a brothers, and by instinct sat next to him somewhat also out of distrust of the others. All of them seemed like very dangerous people with their serious attitudes, although John understood this, seeing as he himself was giving such a demeanour, yet more or less with more worry in his face as he looked out of the window of the truck, biting his nail gently. As he turned to look at Aiden, he smiled somewhat out of safety for his friend.

"Hopefully nothing happens on out search. Wouldn't like for us to be ambushed along the way, heh." John chuckled, looking at the rest of the members in the can as he chuckled slightly. "I'm John.. For all of you. That way we can communicate better..." In reality, it was just him speaking out of nervousness. It was awhile since he's been on a supply run, especially after the events that had transcribed from the events at the Wal-Mart. John was more than sure Scarlett was dead, Floyd had probably killed her. For the most part, he felt sad over it, her death, but the other small part of his head was glad for her death after abandoning Phillip and him. He pushed that thought out of his head before focusing on the main task again.

After they had stopped at the Tastee Shack, John came out of the vehicle as he sighed, feeling a bit better that he was out of the crowded car. Sighing, he put on the beret again, the dead courtesy to his fallen as he heard Caleb talk to them over the roads. Tilting his head a bit, he pointed down the same road they were on and nodded over "I'll take the central road. Who's coming?" He looked over at Aiden and at the others before sighing again through tight lips and through his nose. "Aiden?"​

 

[Wolverbells]

Aubrey - Hwy 65 - Damien, Colton, others

Aubrey was slightly taken aback by the man's kindness, even if it was all just an act. She had taken the gum and thanked both whoever gave it to her and Damien as she began to chew on it. Although she had never been a fan of strawberry flavored food, the taste of the gum made her mouth water as she chewed. It brought back fond memories and she found herself looking back at her life before the dead, hardly hearing out Damien. Luckily for her, she had snapped back to reality before anyone could really notice.

"Oh. No, they weren't excessively harsh." She muttered, not bothering to look at anyone except for Colton. The other men quite frankly made her mad and anxious, while Colton did not. She had guessed that it was probably their closeness in age, and the fact that he actually spoke to her. Even with a gun pointed to her head.

Her hazel eyes flickered back to Damien as he began to speak about despair and sighed internally. She wished he would get to the point. If she had learned anything from Magnus or from Tremblay, it was that these men had a thing for theatrics. 'Get to the point already' she thought as she kept hearing him speak. Finally, he had gotten somewhere. They wanted to know more information about where she had come from.

"Sure," she finally said, after giving it a minute or two of thought. She hadn't parted on good terms, and after not given her what she wanted, it seemed a fitting revenge if these men went and paid them a visit. "I was being kept as some apartments. The two men that I was with decided to go in and check them out, and that's how we came across them. They took our weapons and we were kept inside the complex at all times. I'm not exactly sure what the names of the streets are, but I can draw you a sort of map." Her offer was genuine. Although Damien seemed to be taking some type of joy in their little meeting, Aubrey had not graced anyone with a smile since the minute she had been thrown into the truck.

"The dead have yet to kill me. The living put a bullet whole through my arm. I understand completely." Her left hand automatically went up to her right bicep and squeezed slightly as she remembered incident. Damien's next question threw her off a bit. Why were those men so interested in her being at the gas station?
"I met a young man who helped me get in there so I could eat something. He offered for me to stick with him, but I didn't know the guy. He could've been a rapist for all I know. So I stayed to eat, and he said that he'd try to find me later on to make sure that I was still alive. I had no plans in sticking around until they showed up." She had gestured to Colton and the other men when mentioning them. Aubrey had opted to keep it short, simple, and vague when talking about Abel. She had actually taken a liking to the young man and felt as if he should be fought no harm because of her. Those at the apartments, though, were a different story.

 

[Akashi]

[btn=#8a7607]Damien Orwen - Highway 65 - Colton, Aubrey, Others[/btn]
​

Damien was slightly surprised by how easily she responded. Perhaps the woman was expecting questions like that. That made him wonder if what she said was actually the truth or not. Letting them know where she hailed from this easy, meant that something may be iffy. "Hmmm.." His attention did not divert, as long as she was talking. "Then tell me something else young lady.." He started, wondering what her reaction would be with what he had to say.

"Since you don't seem to be reluctant in telling us where this place is.."

"These people are holed up in some apartments, as you say. I assume it would be a building, no?" The first thing he wanted to confirm was exactly what they used as a safe spot for the moment.

"And they happened to take your and your friends weapons. I guess they must've been taking precautions.. Just in case." It was not surprising. Nowadays, they had stumbled upon a few communities and trust was not easy to get, especially not from strangers. The dead was not the only threat, and that fact alone had been proved so many times over and over again.

"How secure is this place? How many men are we talking about here? Since you're sharing, how about you tell us more about how this place works."

Damien wanted to know how many men and women were inside this complex. "While you're at it. Tell me exactly why you left that place again? And oh. Yes. Who may be running this.. Complex?"

@HellHoundWoof @Wolverbells

 

[Josh M]

Asya- Apartments - Riley, Lia


Nothing was working. Since Rick's death, Asya's whole mind frame had changed. the young woman had bee. Practicing her gun play more, she was now a tougher person Sure she wasn't Cutter, Fan, or Hank, but she was getting there. Seeing the two teens, Asya walked her way to them her white top was noticeable clean, along with her jeans. Addressing Lia, the young girl might have remember seeing her with Fan, as she was Fan's assist of sorts. Pulling out a small pill bottle, she had a pill to Lia.

"It's a twenty four hour virus. I had it the other day, so did Carter, Joe, Greg, and Fan. Just take this for your head, and I'll make you some soup. Sound fair? You also are looking for Joe? He's outside. Thom and his men from the "kingdom" are here. "


Asya would turn to Riley. The mask. That was the first thing she noticed, and it was hard to miss.

"You know, I know a lot of people wear masks now a days, but I guess you took that to heart? I'm Asya, by the way."


The girl softly giggled.


@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @T.O.M.

 

[Wolverbells]

Aubrey - Hwy 65 - Damien, Colton, others

Aubrey had listened quietly as the man spoke, her head tilting slightly as he kept questioning her about them. He was unsure, that she could tell. 'He probably thinks I'm lying,' she thought as she looked at his body language for some type of indicator. Every now and then she'd also look at the other men, and single woman, to make sure that nothing was being planned or that she hadn't missed some type of cue that Damien gave them to cut her head off.

"They're the only semi-big buildings that I saw while I was in the town. It's a typical apartment complex with gates and what have you. Although the gates are now manually open." She grew a bit nervous when his questions began to be aimed more towards herself rather than anything. She honestly just didn't want the man to go deep into details. "At first they did take the weapons for security reasons, but then the days passed and they wouldn't give them to us. I couldn't take it anymore. Most of the people there were slightly hostile towards us and even with my pleading, they thought it was safer to just stay put."

Crossing her arms, Aubrey gave it a minute or two before answering his other questions. She didn't know if she wanted to reveal her past to these men or not. It was probably for the best if she didn't, seeing how everyone seemed to have had contact with Magnus.

"The place is pretty well guarded, but the walls aren't heavily reenforced. They've got a couple guards at the gates and I know for sure at least one person is always on the roof. The complex houses at least twenty-five men and women. They've got a room for weapons and they seem to be well off in food. There's one lady there that makes the final decisions, her name is Fan."

"But before I answer any other questions, I would like to ask one. Will you be taking a look at these apartments? I honestly could care less what happens to most of the people there, I would just like to go and get my weapons back. They have.... sentimental value." Her tone held no sarcasm. She had a genuine look upon her face and was being fully sincere when speaking to Damien. Aubrey could only hope that the man would interpret this in her words. "I left because I feared for my life in that complex. Even with Enrique and Hank there by my side."

__________________________________________________________

Scarlett - The road - Floyd

Following Floyd had seemed like the best option at the time, but now seeing the bikers completely shot down made Scarlett second guess her own judgment, along with Floyd's. Her eyes had scanned each and every person, along with their surroundings, fearing that whomever had shot the people were still there.

"I don't think this part of town is safe." She said, blatantly, possibly pointing out the obvious.

Still, the woman began to search the bodies of the bikers without showing empathy nor sympathy for them. Death was nothing in the mind of Scarlett. Not anymore at least. She had found nothing special but a silver ring on a man's pinky and a switchblade. Most of the clothes were too bloody for her liking, so she decided to leave them be. Floyd's voice caught Scarlett's attention, and she quickly looked up only to find the man practically modeling a vest for her. The woman laughed a bit before rolling her eyes and muttering to him that he looked 'captivating'. Laughing felt foreign to Scarlett, which was the reason that she had stopped herself and only smiled now and then. It was the first time in months that she had actually laughed.

The humor left her, though, when Floyd once again wanted to follow the trail of the shooters. She had caught the granola bar and thanked him, but besides that, she had kept quiet as she looked at him. Scarlett wanted nothing to do with whoever had shot all of these men down. She understood that Floyd was desperate to find his friends and family, but this would probably get them killed.

After a moment of silence, Scarlett sighed and walked over to the blonde man, breaking off a piece of her granola bar and handing it to him, giving him a small smile, though her voice still held a great amount of sadness in it. "Alright then. Let's go find your friends."

 

[Akashi]

[btn=#996900]Damien Orwen - Highway 65 - Colton, Aubrey, Others[/btn]
​

So there were more than a dusin people inside this complex. It was small but a building nonetheless. That gave him an idea. The complex should be surrounded by other buildings as well. The young teenager's friends must've been this Enrique and Hank. The place was guarded well, and they had at least one man on the roof. Assuming that much, Damien figured that they may just be on the top floor of the building, accessing the roof much easier in that way.

"I see." He began. The people inside the complex must've made sure that the dead wouldn't bother them. They even had their own room for weapons, much like the armories Damien has throughout his outposts and obviously the Haven Community. There was something else the boss figured out. This young teenager, named Aubrey, pretty much gave the information just because she did not get along with them.

"So they like to keep things for themselves. I guess things can't be that easy, right?" He rhetorically asked Aubrey, ever so often glancing at the rest of his men, Colton and Verona. Pondering on the situation, he decided to make things a little more exciting.

Walking towards the car he emerged from, with his back turned against Aubrey, he continued. "All of us.. We're from a community as well. Or rather, we have a group of people who rely on us." He turned to the side, before taking a small pause.

"We don't kill, but I'm sure that's hard to believe. I'd probably not believe myself in your current situation. Ha!" The man smirked, opening the car door where the drivers seat was.

"Anyhow, we're canvassing and searching around for people just like you, actually.. And obviously other communities. It's actually a good thing you met me, Aubrey." Damien was actually quite genuine with what he said. He did believe that this young woman may find herself a place where food wont be a problem, and the fact that she'll actually get to be however she want. It's a free world after all. Yeah, a free world.

A moment later he sighed, as the silence echoed throughout the area. "You know what? We're going to pay this place a visit. Now actually. And while we're at it, we'll see if they can help us help them and the other way around. We're quite civilized so pardon the first impression." He smiled towards Aubrey, before glancing at the rest behind her.

"We don't bite either. Besides, I'm sure we can come up with something when I get to talk to this Fan who runs this complex. So all in all. We just want to make friends with others.."

Verona understood what he meant and decided to jump inside the car, before Damien closed the car door behind her. The engine revved up and the car was ready. The men that came Damien did the same, entering the same car.

"You know, as the saying goes. The more the merrier. And together we are stronger." Damien softly laughed.

"So Aubrey, get in the car and lead the way. Show us where this place is, and I may as well give you something else in return. You know, like that gum you have in your mouth, but just all the more better."

Damien walked slightly away from the car and opened the passenger door. Smiling towards Aubrey. "You may be reunited with your friends, Enrique and Hank. So, what'ya say? Hm?"

"Also, we may just let you in on our community, and the best part about it all is that food wont be a problem." An idea struck his mind the moment he mentioned that, opening the booth of the car and digging through one of the bags inside. He found some canned food. It was white and blue, and it was actually dessert. Chocolate dessert. Grabbing it, he threw it towards Aubrey. "There's way more where that came from."

"Now get in the car and lead the way. Oh and before anything else. We don't really want to startle or make a bad impression on this complex, so make sure we know where to stop so they wouldn't notice us." Damien looked over at Colton before he nodded him over.

"You're with me." In his car, there would be Aubrey, Colton, Verona, Damien and one more. While in the pickup truck Colton came in, there'd be 5-6 other of his men.

@HellHoundWoof @Wolverbells

 

[Wolverbells]

Aubrey - Hwy 65/back to the apartments - Damien, Colton, others

As Aubrey heard Damien go on about who they were and what they did, for a good minute she feared for the people that she had willingly ratted out. He was looking for people like her. His words caused her to look around at the men that surrounded them, which then made her frown a bit. Was she really like them? Was she only ever going to be some kind of ruthless thug that went around causing death? She had never meant for any of this to happen. This was exactly how she got involved with Magnus.

It was too late to back down now, though. Damien stood by his vehicle, holding the door open for her to step in. The girl gulped as she nodded and began to walk over, her eyes darting between the vehicle and the other men. They posed no threat anymore though, as they all began to pile into vehicles. It made her feel slightly better, but she had little time to acknowledge anything else as her attention was drawn back to Damien, who had just tossed her a blue and white can. "Chocolate?" She felt like a child on christmas day as her eyes scanned the can, which brought a smile on her face. It was funny, in a way, that such a small trinket would make her comply without thinking twice.

The blonde quickly got into the passenger side seat and waited for them to start moving before she start pointing and giving verbal directions of how to get to the apartments. In the back of her mind, she did feel awfully guilty about what she had done, but Damien himself told her that he was just going to speak to Fan and offer to help them in exchange for their help. It was a win-win situation. At least this is what she had been telling herself through out the ride back so that she wouldn't do something unbelievably stupid. All she needed was to get her weapons back and leave to try and go find Abel again. He was the one person that didn't know her for her horrid mistakes and she wanted to feel as if she wasn't being completely judged.

"I would say to park about a mile and a half before getting there. They will probably hear us before seeing us. Theres a small wooded area right across from a Walgreens and it was about a mile and a half away. The trees can be cover."

 

[Rithas]

Aiden - Roxie - Caleb/Becca/Jake/John/Adam
​

Sitting next to John, Aiden waited patiently. Supply runs were always dangerous, no matter how safe it seemed it could always turn like that to extreme danger. His death could happen at any moment if he didn't keep his eyes keen and his senses sharp. Stepping out of the car, Aiden yawned. He looked over to John before shrugging. "Sure, central road it is." He smiled, "But I die on the way there I'm haunting you." He walked over to John. "I'm ready, dunno if anyone wants to join us or what"

@ResistingTheEnlightened @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Lia - Apartments - Riley/Asya
​

Before the strange, mask wearing young man could even utter a syllable to her, someone else approached and offered an answer to Lia's questions. She had seen this other young woman around before, but hadn't known of her name until just then. A wave of relief brushed over Lia when Asya told her others had come down with a virus of the same symptoms, meaning it was more than likely what she had. Reaching out to take the bottle of pills, Lia nodded.

"Okay, that'll be... fine," Lia replied, hesitating toward the end. She wasn't really keen on the idea of other people taking care of her, but after having been in the car accident from before she had started to get used to it. Soup would be good for her, and it wasn't like she could eat anything else while she had a stomach flu.

"So Joe's outside with Thom, huh? I can't say I know anything about him. But I guess I'll go see what he's up to in a minute as long as I don't feel nauseous again," Lia mumbled, rubbing one of her temples.

Renegade, who had been wandering around behind Lia, approached the three when she heard Asya giggle. He wagged his tail happily and wandered over to her. He glanced between her and Riley before moving to nudge Riley with his nose. Because he was the quieter of the three at the moment, Renegade was interested in getting his attention.
​

@Josh M @T.O.M.​

 

[Hell Hound Woof]

Colton-Highway 65-Aubrey, Damien, Scott, Verona
​

Colton had kept his mouth shut until Damien started talking about them going directly to these apartments. That could go really badly. Damien walked up to Colton and told him he'd be riding with him. Colton nodded and put a hand on Damien's shoulder to get his attention.

"Enrique is dangerous, if he sees me some shit could happen. I need us to not do anything," Colton said in a serious tone. He wasnt requesting anything of Damien, just stating the necessity of not doing anything crazy. And with that he climbed into Damien's car. He didnt like this, he kept his weapons safety off and looked out the window. Carefully watching.

"If we go down I'm blaming you," Colton said under his breath looking towards Aubrey.​

 

[Krieg]

Joselina - Cricin

Natchez Streets
​

Fayette.

Food, Water, Supplies

The proposition rattled Joselina's frantic mind, the deranged woman tilting her head in confusion, taking a few timidly steps forward. Could she trust these individuals? Did this Fayette even exist? So much doubt and distrust brewed in the pyschopath's heart, how she wish she could say more, yet confined to a broken voice hidden in some foul muzzle. Deep, dark eyes beamed towards the man as Joselina eyes the car, tugging up at her saggy jeans, the abomination of a woman making odd clicking and clacking noises with her tongue, muffled yet echoing in her metallic cage.

Even in her madness, there was intelligence, and as it stood, Joselina was at a crossroads.

She could wander alone once again, as she had done for months, looting, killing, and if needed, raiding Morgantown for her survival and also for vengeance of that betrayal. It was that barbarism that both frighten Joselina and seduced her, a struggle within her soul to either embrace the insanity or spurn it away for the sliver chance of redemption as a human being. Yet on the other hand, she could go with this strange man, believe in this Fayette, maybe even start anew. But how could she trust them? The thought of being banished once hurt her enough, twice? It was unbearable, the thought of being this horrid monster both benefited and cursed Joselina.

Decisively, however, this struggle came to an end as the woman approached the car. With tighten shoulders and muscles, the toned savage approached, one step after the other. Looking carefully at the kindly blond man, Joselina stood before the front passenger seat, staring into the man's eyes. With another tilt of her head, she lured uncomfortably close, dark eyes beaming into the man's, as if she was peering into the survivor's soul.

"J-Jos..." she rasped slowly, her face trembling lightly.

"J-Jos...eli..na...."

Gulping deeply, the shaky, tall six foot woman slowly lowered herself into the car, feeling like a foreigner in what was once the main method of getting to Point A to Point B starting in the 20th century.

Of course, Joselina was always more comfortable with bikes.

@Rithas​

 

[B l u E s]

DANIELLA, ABELARDO, & JOAQUIM
Natchez-Adams Elementary School and Kindergarten ~ Apartment Complex on the same street
[Interaction: Anyone]


All I see around me is darkness, swallowing me up. I'm in a small room. Behind the door of this closet, I can hear the continuous moaning and rhythmic scratching sounds. They are slowly coming for me. I have nowhere to go, I'm trapped like a feral creature. My hands are empty, I look around for something to arm myself with. Anything. I feel a sharp pain in my abdominal. I place my hands on my side, wet with the crimson blood pouring out of the wound.

Fuck!

Walkers are patient creatures ready to pounce at you in your weakest state and right now I'm weak. Weaker than ever. Weak like a wounded rabbit running away from a fox in vain. Wounded and bleeding like a fountain. My legs are weakening as force the door close, but they are too many. I close my eyes taking in a sharp breath as I feel my life slipping away.

My shoes are slipping from it and the door is banging, fingers slipping inside the cracks of the wooden door ready to crack on me.

I just can't give up, just not yet.
But I'm just so tired...

I could feel my consciousness fade away as my foot slipped slowly and I lost strength to hold the door.
I couldn't hear the sounds of their moans anymore, not even the bullets resonating all across the school and my father's voice booming across the gym.

" How is she doing? "

" Stable, I guess. "

" Joaquim! Enough with this cube! " Abelardo shouted as he hit the hands of his son playing with a Rubik cube. Both shared a moment of silence as they shared an intense stare before looking through the crack of the door and glancing at his father. " She's stable, what do you want me to tell you. She fell from the freaking second floor, do you think she will just pop on her two feet like nothing happened? " Joaquim said sarcastically as he bent down to grab the only hobby he had since the beginning of the apocalypse: a freaking unsolved Rubik cube. " And stop shouting already. You will wake her up, " he said

Abelardo looked through the crack unsure as he mumbled something under his breath before speaking out quietly. " Why can't she pop on her two feet? " he asked worriedly.

" Well, she had a piece of wood that pierced through her side. She was pretty lucky that it didn't damage any of her organs, or else it would've been fatal. " he said calmly like it was an everyday thing.

" Dios no lo quiera (God Forbid), " Abelardo said before turning around looking at the hall ahead.

He felt guilt yet was angry at her for being so weak in this world. She just had to choke at the sight of those walking dead children running at her with their rotting body and had to fall off the stadium right on the damaged floor of the gym, just to end up in the pit of hell.

He barely made it down there with enough bullets to save her, but not only did they make enough ruckus for the whole neighborhood to know they were there, but now she was injured and certainly not getting on her feet anytime soon.

Abelardo placed his hands on his chin as he licked his dry lips all the while scratching his beard. They couldn't stay here with limited supply and barely any food to last a week. Talking about food, that was the main reason they even were in that damned elementary school: for the cafeteria. But she dropped all of what they retrieved from it with her gun. Which left her without a handgun to protect herself.

He looked down at his hip and unclipped his gun: a Colt Python " Give it to Daniella when she wakes up. It will keep her safe until we find a new weapon for her. " he said giving the gun to his son. Joaquim looked at the gun with a raised eyebrow before shrugging. " Okay. You know she won't even be able to handle it without practice right?" Joaquim said. " It's better than nothing at the moment. Call me when she wakes up, I'll be cleaning the car. " he said and Joaquim frowned, " Haven't you been cleaning it since you came back this morning? " he asked him. " Yes, but I can't stand smelling her blood. Me subleva! (It angers me). " he said as he started walking away to go to the underground garage.

*I don't speak Spanish. If any mistake, blame google translate.​

​

 

[Hell Hound Woof]

Cutter-Apartment Gates- Thom, Fan, Danny, Hank
​

Cutter grumbled and looked through the cart that held their goods, he checked through all the containers and smiled when it was all there. Upon the cart being pulled in Cutter hopped out and began unloading the cart, taking things to near the apartment door. There was a cow as well, it was protected too.

"What the hell are we gonna do with a cow?" Cutter shouted at Fan not really expecting an answer, he really only said it to bug her. He figured she'd think of something for it. Cutter continued to move containers to the building, taking some time. He heard a shout towards the back of the complex and dropped the boxes quickly before drawing his pistol and running behind the apartment building.
​

Enrique-Apartments-Myriah, Emma, Rob
​

Enrique had been asleep until he heard the patter of feet on the metal fire escape. He sprung from his bed and moved to his window to see a woman, a man, and what was clearly Emma move past. He angrily strapped on his boots and moved to the window. By the time he opened it they had reached the ground level and Enrique was taking no chances. He looked down and spotted Emma hugging the woman, when they pulled out of the hug he could tell who it was. There was a moment of confusion, then an immediate surge of anger. This woman was supposed to be dead.

"Myriah!" Enrique shouted as he jumped onto the ladder and slid down to the ground, he quickly moved forward with fury in his eyes, "How the fuck?!"

​