Two Friends (With Icystorm)

[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Bailey stared at the other male, but it was unsure whether it was out of pity or pensiveness. Bailey really wasn't sure, as he had no ties to this man and yet was needed. What would she do, if she were here? The scarred male knew that answer right away. She would undoubtedly help him. Yet, she wasn't here and Bailey was alone.

With a long, loud sigh, Bailey shook his head. "I can't. I do have other things to do. Sorry." He wasn't really sorry, but he may as well say that to make the other feel a little better. Not that he knew if he did. But either way, Bailey wasn't going with him. Even if he threatened to keep him here.

The male wondered what he would do. A threat was possible, yet it seemed unlikely as the other had practically begged him to go with. He could attempt to force him to come, but Bailey would likely just get away anyway. He knew the world and how it worked better than this guy. Or, he could let him go. That choice was obviously up to Seth. He would have to decide.
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Seth's eyes narrowed and he took a breath. So that was Bailey's answer. It was not what he was hoping for, but it was what he had expected. The guy could not just give up and help him. It was not as if he was asking for a lifetime of help. A month, two at most, and hopefully not even that long. But if this was how it was going to be, then so be it. They would both have to live with not getting what the want.

Turning around, Seth began to stand up, snatching up Bailey's bag as he did. The bag was pressed close to his chest, and he turned his head to look at Bailey, eyes full of defiance. It was a dick move to pull, but he was running low on options. If this did not work then he doubted there was anything that would.

"You can go." He took a few steps towards the couch, keeping a tight grip on the bag, and then faced Bailey. Using his head, Seth gestured to the door to show the other guy that he meant what he said. Bailey was free to go, but the bag was staying with him. "I will even escort you out if you like." His lips curled up in a thin smile. That little gesture was not the best for the situation, but he could not help it. This situation was bound to end soon one way or another.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Was this it? Was Seth finally going to let him go? Bailey watched hopefully as the other began to turn around. He had successfully gotten himself out of his predicament. Seth had finally realised that it was pointless trying to get him to come. Bailey let out a sigh of relief, glad that he could finally go. That's when the other grabbed Bailey's bag.

Immediately the scarred male's eyes narrowed. Everything, everything of importance to him was in that bag. Did Seth know that? He couldn't be sure. However the look in his eyes when he turned to face him seemed to prove otherwise. Bailey wouldn't leave without it, and it was almost as if Seth could tell. But he had to ask.

"My bag, thank you." Simple and polite, if the other said no, then he would know for sure. That bag meant everything to Bailey, and he would die before giving it up. He silently cursed the other, realising what kind of situation he was in. He was smart, Bailey could give him that. His ice blue eyes stared daggers at Seth, daring him to say no. He had no weapons here, and a fight would not be smart as he was sure Seth was much better with little to no weapons, and that he also had knives in the room. He could only negotiate, and he hated that he had left himself vulnerable.
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Narrowing his eyes, Seth's thin smile faded in favor of a frown. Certainly Bailey was not that dumb. If he did not plan on keeping the bag, then he never would have grabbed it in the first place. Seth took a few more steps back, and once he felt the couch behind him he sat down on the arm of it. It was going to be interesting to see what Bailey decided.

"No." His voice was monotonous and had an almost cold feel to it. It wasn't as if he wanted to act this way, but Bailey had pushed him up against a wall so he had only repaid the favor. "The bag stays with me." Either the other guy left without it, or he took Seth along. Those were not the only two options, but fighting for it wouldn't be wise. He could probably give Bailey all his knives ans still end up winning.

Seth fell back into the couch, letting his legs hang across the arm of it. He set the bag down next to him. The action was almost taunting, because even if he did not have a hold of the backpack anymore, the other guy would never manage to get it. His eyes stayed locked on Bailey, waiting to see what the other would decide.
 
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[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Those few steps back told him all that he needed to know. He had to give props to the man though, he was smarter than Bailey had expected. Or perhaps he got lucky. Either way, Bailey was now stuck between two difficult decisions. If he went with Seth, he'd get his bag back and all the memories that came with it. If he didn't, he would be free to do his own thing, yet everything precious in his world would be taken away. Looking back on it, it was quite clear was choice he had to choose.

Narrowing his eyes, he shook his head. "God damn you," he muttered under his breath. However his path was clear. "Fine. But you listen to me on this trip. Otherwise I'm leaving your ass behind and you can keep the stupid bag." It wasn't a good trade, but it was the best Bailey could do.

Standing, he sent a glare across the room towards the other male. The way he was sitting easily pissed him off, but he wouldn't voice his thoughts. "Also, I want my weapons back." For a moment, the idea of shooting him on the road appealed to him, but he wasn't a man to go back on his word. However it didn't mean he wouldn't make the other's life easy, in fact, he planned to be quite harsh on the other on the road.
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Looks as though he had won. Seth grinned, the cold feeling leaving him. He hadn't been sure if taking Bailey's bag would work, but it seemed to be important to the other guy, so his gamble had paid off. He felt a bit bad for forcing Bailey into this situation, though. The guy had probably come into this town, expecting it to be like any other, not have some stranger force him to give into a strange request.

"You don't have to damn me, I have damned myself long ago." Seth swung his legs off the arm of the couch and sat up straight, finding amusement in the other words that Bailey spoke. He had no problem giving the guy his weapons, but listening wasn't something he was good at. So long as whatever was requested of him was within reason, he would put in an effort to follow Bailey's orders.

Reaching into the bag, Seth pulled out the first weapon he found- a gun- and slid it over to the guy. "You can have the rest of your weapons before we go. Mason will bring you your other gun once he is done fixing my shoulder." He wanted to ask the other where the other weapons were located since he didn't want to go and dig through someone else's bag, but first it was about time he got his shoulder taken care of. Keeping the bag with him, he stood up and walked over to the door and opened it. Seeing Mason standing there with medical supplies he nodded for him to come in. Of course Mason would have been waiting, the man was too loyal.

He moved back over and sat down, untying the shirt from his shoulder and speaking to Mason. "Normally I would do this myself, but I need to speak to you, and it might help for you to have something besides my words to concentrate on." He could see a nervous look come over Mason, but his man did as he was told and began to tend to Seth's wound. He gave Mason a minute to work before speaking. "You're in charge now, Mason. I'm leaving."

Mason stopped what he was doing, a look of horror crossing his face. "What? Why?" When Seth did not answer, he looked to Bailey. Did this stranger have anything to do with this? Mason's eyes begged for answers, while Seth's eyes were narrowed with a warning for Bailey to not tell too much.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
As the gun was slid over to him, Bailey had the faint itch of just shooting him there. Though it was likely he wouldn't have made it out alive. After all, this was his base or something and his people would no doubt be loyal. It was a bad idea through and through and so the male pushed the urge down.

Bailey grunted, signalling he had heard what the other said as he watched him go open the door. Still sitting against the wall, his eyes followed Seth's movements. He recognized the one standing outside, as he had been with him when he was taken against his will.

As Mason came inside, Bailey didn't move but simply watched them. He wondered how Seth would break the news, as it seemed like the other was very much dependent on him. It didn't seem like it would go over well, and the minute of silence they had seemed to prove his point.

When Seth finally spoke, the scarred male's lips lifted just a little in but otherwise no emotion crossed his face. He looked from Mason to Seth, shrugging ever so slightly. If Seth didn't want him to say anything, then so be it. He wasn't about to ruin another man's relationship. Besides, Bailey had a tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time and it was probably better if he just stayed silent.

He wondered what Seth's explanation would be. Would he tell him the truth that he was going to search for a long lost friend? Or lie and say something else? It was looking more towards the latter, as Seth after all had given him a look not to say anything. Either way, Bailey wouldn't involve himself in that. He just wanted to get out of that place and onto the road.
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Seth was grateful to Bailey for staying quiet. The other guy could have told Mason everything and then it would have been hard to force Mason to stay here, and it was possible he would have lost the trust of some of the others. That would have made for a dangerous situation, and who knows what the outcome would have been.

"Mason, I believe you were doing something." His eyes locked onto Mason's so the man understood to get back to fixing up his shoulder. Mason got back to the task, and when he reached under the couch to pull out the small bottle of alcohol, Seth closed his eyes and clenched his jaw when the liquid was poured over the wound. Damn, that really hurt. He waited for the pain to subside and then spoke.

"You will do fine, Mason." He hadn't wanted to tell the truth, and he hadn't wanted to lie either, so he opted for ignoring Mason's question. "You will be safe here, and it isn't as if I won't be back. It will take more than a little journey to end me." He opened his eyes and flashed Mason a smile. He didn't plan on dying while away, and Mason knew he was more than capable of protecting himself against zombies and other people.

Silence filled the room as Mason continued to work while thinking about what Seth said. He didn't want to be left alone to lead these people, he was scared to, but he trusted his leader and if Seth wanted him to take care of the place while he was gone then he would do it. "Alright. Just please come back."

Seth nodded that he would and then whispered a few instructions to Mason, telling him who to keep and eye on and who would be the easiest to deal with while he was gone. Once Mason finished fixing up his wound, he looked to Bailey. "What do I need and do you need anything?" He might as well supply both of them while they had the chance.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
So, he still felt pain. That shit hurts anyone. Bailey couldn't help the small smirk when he saw the other close his eyes as the alcohol poured over his wound. The wound he'd given him. He still didn't feel bad in the slightest. He deserved it. Without him, he wouldn't be stuck on this stupid "journey" to go find someone who might be dead.

As they talked, Bailey wondered the likelihood of their survival. Depending on how far they had to travel, their route, they would likely be fine, but a small mistake could be the end of them. Or even a culmination of small mistakes. Even though zombies were stupid, they were persistent. The scarred male didn't know anything about the abilities of the other, he just hoped that they were good enough to survive.

His eyes glanced to Mason, staring at him intently. In his honest opinion, the other didn't seem like the type to be able to lead. He wondered if they managed to get back, if everything would still be the same? Probably not something they needed to worry about right now. "Food, water, whatever you can spare. Weapons too, though I think we'll be fine. Any medicine shit you got here?" He asked, taking his gaze away from Mason and on to Seth.
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The food and water would be easy enough to supply, as would weapons, but the medicine was something he had no clue on. Anything medical related was not something he paid much attention to, deciding to leave that to Mason and one of the others. Seth looked to Mason, raising an eyebrow questioningly. The other man nodded and left the room, presumably to go grab whatever they had.

Getting off the couch, he dug out the knives he had just put away and set them in a pile on the floor. He supposed he would be needing a backpack. That was not a joyful thought. It would rub his shoulder wound, but it would also make his movements slower, and when surrounded by danger he relied on agile movements. Although he would carry Bailey's, and Bailey could carry his.

Mason came back into the room carrying a decent sized chest and Bailey's other gun. He set both down next to Bailey and unlocked the chest. "We have quite a bit, so take what you need. Hopefully whatever you want is in there." He backed away a few feet and waited for Bailey to get done with the medicine so he could put the chest back.

Seth had been watching the other two males, but now turned his attention to his knives and put them in his pockets. "Mason, you keep that gun of mine since you need it. And don't argue with me about it." He picked up the backpack and set in on the couch. "What other weapons do you need out of here, Bailey? And where are they? I don't want to go digging through your personal items."
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
When the box of medicine was put in front of him, Bailey immediately went to work. He was picking out many different things, and he clearly knew what he was doing. His only concern was that there would be little left for the others. However, they probably weren't going to get hurt very easily and they had basically cleared out all hostile things in the area. Plus, medicine wouldn't really help against a zombie bite anyway.

Done, he pushed the chest away and looked to Seth. "There's a handgun in there that I need. Also a dagger. Both are in the front pocket." And a photo, he added to himself, but he doubted Seth would give it to him. Also, he didn't want anyone else to know about it either. It was a very private thing.

He leaned back, waiting for Mason to take the chest and for them to get going. He wanted to be out of there as soon as possible. Not necessarily for Seth, of course. Bailey simply felt uncomfortable around a lot of people. and in this day and age, the few people who were in the building was classified as a lot in the scarred male's mind. "Can we get going?"[/fieldbox]
 
Seth took the gun and dagger out of the front pocket and made sure everything was zipped up. He watched Mason grab the chest and as the other guy was leaving the room, he called out to him. "Find me a backpack and meet me downstairs, Mason." When his guy nodded, he turned his attention to Bailey, bringing the weapons over and setting them next to him.

Once he grabbed the backpack and slung it over his shoulder with a wince, he made his way to the door. "Yeah, let's go." Without waiting, he headed out the door and down the stairs. He had to tell everyone else what was going on, and hope for the best. With that on his mind, he had no room to worry about Bailey following him. It wasn't as if the other guy was going to go anywhere, not while he had his backpack.

Passing his men that were next to the stairs, Seth ignored them and walked into the next room, where they kept their food. He waiting for Mason, and once Mason showed up, he took the backpack and began filling it with food. By now he could hear the rest of his men whispering, wondering what was going on.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
"Who is he exactly?" Bailey asked Seth as he stood, stretching up. The way Seth treated him seemed to be different than the others. But then again, what did he know? They could be related or something. Or maybe the male was simply looking after him. There could be a million possible reasons, and there was no point in guessing it. He crossed his arms, but followed after the other male.

As he followed, he looked towards the other people that were around. He sent some of them dirty looks, especially the ones that came close. He really didn't like people, and he especially didn't like the fact that his backpack wasn't on his back. He felt almost bare without it, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it. Not while the deal(blackmail) stood. Bailey would just have to follow through, and maybe come out alive. Not that he was planning to die, of course.

"Only bring the bare minimum. Any extra food will slow us down." Bailey stated, glancing around warily. He didn't say anything extra, as the whispering started getting louder. He didn't want to risk setting them off. They could be barbarians, or anything. He felt uncomfortable but didn't show it. He had kept his facade up for so many years, it wouldn't drop now. He waited for Seth to address them.
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"Mason?" Seth tilted his head in thought. Who exactly was Mason to him? Like most everyone here, he was a guy that came from the streets or hung out with the homeless crowd. A guy that before all this happened, probably didn't like how Seth was taking over the streets and making people obey his rules. Now, though, well now everything was different when it came to survival, but trust was still hard to come by. Some people still held grudges.

"He is the guy I trust the most." After all the zombie shit started happening, people started following him because of his leadership skills, and Mason had latched onto him and stuck by his side through everything. Some days it annoyed him, but most of the time he didn't mind the guy following him around. But now he was leaving without him, and he had to trust Mason to keep this place from falling apart. It was probably too much to ask, but he didn't trust anyone else enough.

Doing as Bailey said, he only packed what was needed, including water, and then handed the bag to Bailey. He couldn't put off speaking any longer, so he turned around walked to the doorway so he could address his men while looking at them. "I'm leaving." The noise in the room grew in volume and questions were thrown at him, and some were even thrown at Bailey, but what was actually being asked was lost in a jumble of voices.

Seth waited to see if they would calm down on their own, but when they didn't, his voice rose above everyone's. "Shut the hell up!" Those that were confused were silenced instantly, but those that were upset or angry took longer to quiet down. "What I am doing is of no concern to any of you, and while I am gone Mason will be in charge." The look he cast the group stopped anyone that might have wanted to say something. I don't know when I will be back, but you will listen to Mason or else your life will be hell when I get back, and I will be back." He nodded to Bailey and began walking towards the door. "Lets go."
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Bailey shrugged at the answer he got, which wasn't really the one he was looking for. However he wasn't about to ask him to elaborate on it. Too late for that, as he noticed the noise in the room was getting louder. It looked like Seth's people were getting nervous. Perhaps when they were on the move he'd maybe ask.

"I'm leaving." Bailey watched with interest at the men, and not surprisingly questions were thrown around. He couldn't quite make out the ones he thought were directed towards him, and he didn't bother asking them to clarify either. He'd let Seth handle them, as the scarred male was an outsider and would probably make things worse had he tried to help.

Glancing over to the other male, he waited for him to do something. The noise level wasn't going down any time soon, and it was best they started out today. Before it got dark. That's when the zombies were out and about, and he didn't want to take any chances. He wasn't alive for nothing. He planned out most days in advance, except for this one, and tried to stick to it as much as possible. Unfortunately, this had ruined all of them.

Finally Seth shut them all up, and said his piece. Bailey could tell that his men would listen to him, but it was likely they would have doubts. He was more worried about Mason though, even though he didn't know any of them. Mason just didn't seem like the type to lead, and he figured he might have trouble keeping everyone in order. However it wasn't any of his business. They were finally getting out, and Bailey hurried followed after Seth in case they decided to do something rash. "You sure he's going to be okay?"
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The question caused Seth to shake his head. "No." Mason had learned a lot from following him around, but that did not make him a leader. The guy was extremely good at following orders, and that is what he had done. He had given Mason an order, and he knew it would be followed the the best of the guy's ability. "But he has a few friends that will help him." Just so long as those friends didn't fuck everything up.

Not wanting to worry about his men for the time being, he stepped outside and was greeted by an unpleasant sight. Jack was leaning against the wall next to the door, a thoughtful look on his face. His clothes were surprisingly well kempt like usual, and the signature fedora sat on his head.

Seth gave the hated man a warning look, daring him to try something while he was gone. A reason to kill the bastard is exactly what he wanted, but he would have to wait until he got back to see if his wish would be granted. He could only hope so, but it could be awhile before he got back. The journey hadn't even started yet.

Seeing that Jack was going to do nothing but smile, Seth turned away and took the first few steps away from the house he had called home for most of his life. It was hard to leave it, but to see his friend again would be worth every step. "I have no idea which way to go, so I will let you lead the way." He looked at Bailey. He didn't trust the scarred male, so he could only hope he would lead him in the right direction.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Bailey gave him a surprised look when he said no, though he really shouldn't have. After all he asked the question expecting a no. Did he really think that Mason's friends would keep him safe? Then again, Bailey didn't know how things were run around here. All the other places he'd been to like this one, the leader was someone they all had been willing to overthrow the second the chance was available. "Don't be certain that it will be the same place if you come back."

As they headed out, they both stopped at the door. A familiar man was leaning against the wall and Bailey immediately didn't like the look of him. He didn't say anything however, as he didn't know Jack and he didn't want to cause any more trouble for Seth. Turning away, he continued walking after Seth gave his warning stare towards the other.

"I don't see the point of telling you directions, so follow me. Don't fall behind," Bailey added, wanting to say more but knowing he couldn't just leave the other male. He had his backpack, after all. He had a pretty good idea of where he was going, but the road was long and they couldn't just cut a straight line towards it. At least they could make some distance today, night was far off and no zombies were around.
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Letting out a sigh, Seth ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know." If he figured everything, it was a fifty/fifty chance that the place would be the same when he returned. His men knew what would happen to them if they tried anything he did not like, but if he was gone too long, well, they would probably count him as dead and someone would no doubt try to take control. That would be a pain in the ass, but he would deal with with whatever was thrown his way.

"Fine by me." He had no problems with letting Bailey take the lead. Not having to think about which way to go would make it so he could keep an eye on the area around them since once they were out of his territory anything could happen. Wouldn't that be a pain in the ass if some zombies showed up at the beginning of this little journey. As for falling behind.. "Don't worry, I won't." The other male would soon learn that he could keep up just fine.

As they walked, Seth stayed quiet and fairly relaxed, but he always made sure to be on the lookout for any sort of movement. The only problems he was having was the backpack. Every so often he would have to carry the backpack on one shoulder to give the injured one a break.
 
[fieldbox=Bailey Fallen, #e0ffff, solid]
Well at least he understood the risks. Bailey simply shrugged his shoulders as he walked. If he knew the risks then he could play the game. Totally fine with him. Not like Bailey really cared. That was Seth's fight after all. All he cared about was getting his backpack back and being done with him. Nothing like being dragged along for what seemed like a very long journey.

Perhaps he had underestimated the other. He could tell from the tone of voice that Seth wasn't a weakling, although he already knew that. He could certainly hold his own in a fight, but with zombies? He'd have to see him in action, and there wasn't really any way to test it. Nor would he want to. He wouldn't risk someone else's life if he didn't have to.

With a sharp nod, they continued on their way. Nothing was happening around them as of yet, but it was steadily getting darker. Soon they would have to make camp, and Bailey didn't even want to think about sleeping arrangements. No doubt the other wouldn't trust him, and so that would make things difficult. But that was a further hurdle, and for now he kept a diligent watch on any nearby movement.
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The longer they walked to worse Seth's shoulder became. It started off as an annoyance, the rubbing easy to deal with by moving the backpack, but after awhile it hurt without the strap rubbing against it. It was really getting to him, and it became hard to hide the pain. His eyes were starting to become glazed with it, and he favored his injured shoulder, keeping the backpack off it it.

His eyes closed for a moment, trying force the pain away. How had he thought that leaving his home was a good idea, especially with a gunshot wound? It was stupid. He opened his eyes. No, it was not stupid. Not when he reminded himself why he was doing it. In the end it would be worth it, but for now he needed to concentrate on the area around them, not on how much the pain was causing him to become agitated.

Looking to the sky, he saw that it was getting dark. That meant they would probably have to find somewhere to sleep soon, which a relief. A break would be nice, and he could use some rest. Since he had been quiet this whole time, Seth figured it would not hurt to speak. "Any ideas of where we should stop?" They were out of his territory, so new he had to rely a bit more on what Bailey knew.
 
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