Worth Your While

[Six Million Dollar Man]

This part of Dangama City was in many respects, similar to the others. Primarily residential section, though it boasted some surprisingly worthwhile shopping centers. The likes of which, have been untouched due to this section's flooding covering the buildings by at least half their original heights. Traversing this watery obstacle would either require a skilled diver, or serious rooftop maneuvering to find some above-water means of entering. But even then, you had to worry about whether or not the supplies you desire are still intact.

One such scavenger today was a Mr. Ryan Gallagher, standing at six feet, with his fit caucasian body and simple haircut, with a couple of hairs at the front spiked upwards just slightly as he looked out to the convenience store ahead of him. Bare was his chest as he adjusted the bracers he wore on his wrists, knocking on them a bit to make sure they still had their integrity, having been used to defend against small or otherwise light blades, blunt weapons, and at one point, even an arrow of all things.

He moved away from the roof ledge to crack his knuckles, both in his sizable fists and the knuckles of his toes, followed by several stretches. Only once before had he attempted to actually attempt to enter a building via diving. And he loathed it. But a helicopter had been downed on the rooftop just recently, and he felt a bit worried about going near the thing, believing it to have been commandeered by outlaws who would have gutted him with a pitchfork.

He sighed to himself, and rubbed his eyes a bit, before throwing on a pair of goggles, preparing to make the jump into the water below, unaware of the rooftop nearby holding a major player that would greatly factor into things soon. The faint sound of bickering nearly made him quit, but the lad of 18 years simply would not yield. He had not eaten lunch since three days ago. And he wanted it badly.

 

[bluberriexD]

"Get the hell back here."

"This isn't your's," Iolani breathed, her stance showing her guard was currently up and never going down. Iolani has been getting into trouble ever since she waddled over into this city. So far, she has made three enemies and is running on low energy. She hasn't slept in what feels like an eternity, and at the moment she felt like she would soon pass out. The man before her had clenched fists the size of her head, and a menacing growl that was entirely convincing Iolani he has dog traits in his family tree. In her hand, she held two over-sized shirts, a box of matches, a pair of batteries, and a bar of soap. It was laying there on the roof-top, unclaimed. Unfortunately, it wasn't unclaimed. Even worse, Iolani wasn't planning to give it back. The man was getting angrier by the second, he wasn't having it. Before he could think to snatch the items back, Iolani jumped back and began to run. She was low on energy, but her fear was enough to help her make a run for it. The man grumbled, and began to chase after her.

Even breaths, don't panic, keep your eyes on the floor and in front of you at all times, she told herself.

Her head was down, eyeing everything of three feet ahead of her, making sure not to miss a step or step on a weak shackle. Too busy looking down, she hadn't noticed the 18 year old boy taking his sweet time in diving into the water. They collided like two boulders. The air was knocked out of her, hair in her way of sight. "Ow," her voice shook with weakness, their legs tangled together. "Can't run now," the man finally caught up and chuckled at the two of us. Iolani spoke to herself in a quiet tone, "God help me."

 

[Six Million Dollar Man]

His perfected dive was now ruined. And he'd have to handle some random guy trying to beat down on a helpless chick. Now, with a firm grasp on Iolani, he lifted the two of them back above, Iolani behind him as he stared down the other man who seemed hellbent on doing awful, terrible things that no guy should have been doing to a woman. Things that Ryan Gallagher didn't exactly approve of, despite not knowing what was really going on. As he rose, he slipped his hands into his pockets, and slouched a bit to maintain a relaxed composure.

"Hey there! Mind helpin' a fella out and handing over that thief?"

"Thief?" Went a slightly surprised Ryan. "It looks like you're about to slaughter her. I mean, can't we all just get along?"

"She took my shit. I want it back. Plain and simple."

"This used to be such a nice neighborhood…"

Lo and behold: While the other man couldn't see it, Ryan began to slip his hands out of his pockets. Sunlight gleamed as a bright object was produced, and sent flying at the other man as if Ryan had thrown a ball of light at the aggressor. This was not the case, as the young man watched blood trickle down to the floor, the man having been hit directly on the stomach, allowing him to go in, and punch him out with a chambered punch that would have shattered the very fabric of the cosmos. Or, maybe a cement block. Following that punch, Ryan took back his knife, and wiped it off, watching the man struggle to breath through his now crushed throat, while his stomach bled.

He didn't want to waste time on this one, no. Ryan wasn't going to leave the man to die a painful death purely because he had some sick, sadistic desire to watch him suffer. It was rather that he had to get supplies. And he didn't quite have the stomach to finish the job. He stopped to think for a moment, and tossed the man his knife out of pity, watching him grip it and swing violently. Perhaps he didn't just go straight for the swift suicide, but at least he'd have some closure by 'going down fighting.'

Ryan then turned to take a better look at the girl he'd been with for the past couple minutes. Despite the lack of proper cleaning for a little while other than a splash of water to the face, she could have been gorgeous pre-apocalypse. He could faintly notice a pair of denim shorts, but there was mostly just a dirty t-shirt.

"Ain't everyday you meet a girl who keeps dry." Noted Ryan, somberly, as he walked back over to check if the girl was alright. "Most tend to show off their bodies for what they're worth."

He looked off in the distance past her for a moment, and thought for a moment.

"There's a small town thataway." He pointed ahead. "Better there than here watching the horror show. I'll probably head there later once I've scavenged some stuff…"

 

[bluberriexD]

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Similar to a movie clip in a video game, one's Iolani used to play way back home--before all of this. Her jaw went slack at how precise everything was on the boy's end. The monster, now laid on the floor with a waving arm, was slowly dying in front of the two. Color flushed from Iolani's face, as her heart dropped to her empty stomach. She swore she was going to be sick--or worse--faint. Through-out the ass-kicking she managed to forget to shut her eyes or make a run for it. What if this boy wanted to kill her next? Surprisingly, Lani had no problem with that. She had nothing to live for, anyways. She was all alone.

"Oh shit, shit, shit," she managed to wheeze as she bent over and placed her hands on her knees. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to even her out her heart rate. Her thoughts were fried, throat was dry, and her ears were ringing. Strangely enough, she could still feel the eyes of the boy who saved her (and was now possibly going to kill her). To him, she probably looked weak and ridiculous. She hadn't always been so emotionally fried (or dirty, either). His comment caused her to bitterly laugh. Her heart was finally beating normally and was back in place.

"If I were to dress as everyone else no one would see me. I'd blend in, but I prefer to stand out, mama taught me that way. And this is only my thief costume. You should check out my other one, I wear it to feel pretty," she taunted him mostly, as she gathered up the things she stole from the (now dead) monstrosity of a man.

His next gather of words caught her interest yet again. This time she looked at him--really looked at him. He was cute, but that was the last thing to come to mind as she scanned his entire body. He looked dangerous, and Iolani felt uneasy (though she wasn't sure if that was of the lack of food). "And you're telling me this because..." she trailed off, waiting for him to finish her statement.

 

[Six Million Dollar Man]

"Because I feel like I'm doing something nice. I'd like to think I am. Am I?…"

Ryan wasn't sure what to say next. He was still a bit thrown by the fact the girl really was a thief, and he'd just assisted someone who deserved some sort of punishment. He stared at the box, and thought for a moment, before looking back in the direction he'd just pointed to, and began to think of something before she'd get away, and he'd be left to keep on going. I mean, wasn't often you ran into an attractive young woman out in the remains of some foreign city you didn't know all too well.

"…Then again, how's about I cut you a deal?" He suddenly offered, getting close enough to be within grabbing/striking distance with the reach of his arms. "You said you were a thief, so I guess I kinda sorta should give you a teensy punishment for that, right? How's about you help me get supplies from that building there? It's small, and all I really need to get is food, and any valuables. I'll split some after we get to that small settlement I mentioned. Either that, or I could always steal your box here, and save myself the trouble of going down there…"

There was something very wrong about doing all this. Especially lying about actually wanting to punish her, or take the things she desperately wanted so badly from that dead creep a few feet away.

 

[bluberriexD]

The few steps he took to be in front of Iolani made her cautious. Her muscles began to tense up, and his second offer only made her wonder what he truly wanted from her. "Why would you punish me when: A) I've been here longer than you. B) I didn't steal. C) You don't own me and D) in that building are two children barely making it. And you're not stealing shit from me," were her words to him. Her response fell loosely off her lips as she stripped off her old t-shirt. Somehow, she knew that he wouldn't strike her as soon as he began to offer her things she could do for him. She shrugged on the new shirt she retrieved. She buttoned it with ease, and left the top three open. It was a gray and black flannel that wasn't her size. In fact, it was two times too big, but it'll have to do.

"Here," she breathed, throwing the second shirt his way as some sort of reward for saving her life. She went toward the edge of the roof, placing her hands down to the water, and using some to wipe her face and forearms. She stood erect, and walked over to him. "I suggest you make your way toward the small town you were talking about. Don't want to stand here with me any longer, might find yourself in another fight," were her words. Once he leaves her behind, Iolani would have to find something to eat [possibly stealing from someone] and need to make sure the children she was talking of before were fed as well. Her life now revolved around running away, and snatching whatever was close and necessary. Adjusting the strap of her bag, she noticed the boy was still in front of her.

 

[Six Million Dollar Man]

"Kids?!" Exclaimed Ryan "Another wanderer told me that building would fill up soon. Nevermind the supplies- or this stupid shirt!"Ryan tossed back the shirt, and made a fantastic leap into the water, swimming towards an open manhole lid and finding his way through the tunnels, both flooded, and surprisingly non-flooded areas too, where he could breathe. After a few minutes, he had managed to find his way into the building's submerged lower areas, before finding his way up.


-


Time passed. The children had initially been afraid of the older visitor, nearly attacking him until he explained. He'd already witnessed a building falling apart from the sheer amount of structural damage, and flooding didn't sound any better. After packing up all they could carry, Ryan and the two kids made their way to the roof, where he'd helped them cross the rooftops towards the settlement, which consisted of various portio s of some apartment complexes and a single office. But thankfully, sturdy bridges kept the small community together, and a recently erected wall to keep out invaders and outlaws.

The two kids were left at a traveler's stop, the office room, while the people in charge debated what to do, Ryan also at that office to rest as well. Getting inside the flooded building took much of his peak physical ability and high energy reserves.The temperature only increased as time went on. Ryan was later reading a magazine, and munching on some jerky he'd been given from one of the kids. The magazine however, had been hidden away in a drawer in a more private room for some high rank employee, a plaque belonging to someone named 'Dana Walters.'

Ryan deducted that she was a lesbian, orherwise she wouldn't have had pornography in her old desk.

Ryan began to feel a familiar desire growing in his own, lonesome pants. But he chose not to give into this. What good would have come from wasting energy on a magazine? Either way, he was hard. And he didn't notice he forgot to lock the doorway. He took a deep breath, and attempted to calm himself, only beginning to have lingering thoughts about the girl he ran into before. And it kind of creeped him out he was already lusting over total strangers he'd never see again...

 

[bluberriexD]

In the blink of an eye, the strange hero dove into the water and was never to be seen again. That was Iolani's cue to go off on her own—solitary—journey. Though she thought of moving along to go her own way, she found herself frozen in place while her eyes looked at the ripples of water Ryan caused. She felt a strong urge to go after him, and to see if the kids were okay. At least, that's the excuse she was going for. Before she could find out she was lying to herself, she dove into the water (with the new stolen shirt) and began to swim in the direction she believed he went.

Merely assuming, she found—miraculously—an office room with many people bustling around here and there. From her side-view, she noticed the two kids sitting close to one another and being given information by an older man with a genuine smile. The little blue-eyed girl glanced Iolani's way and gave her a weak smile. She smiled back, and made her way through the office without anyone giving her a sideways glance (except for the few men, their jaws dropping here and there) Curiously, Iolani shuffled through the halls in hoping of finding her (not-so heroic) hero. She came across a closed door, and quickly opened to see the tall boy sitting in a chair. He had an all too interested gaze in a porn magazine and a nice hard-on to match. Her jaw fell slack, and her eyes went wide. "You should have put a sock on the door," she suggested, looking up at the ceiling rather than him. Her hair was heavy, slowly drying up and becoming a tad frizzy and wild.

 

[Six Million Dollar Man]

And silence.

"…I…" He tried. "I know what it looks like, and you know what? Think whatever you want, but I just happened to bump into this thing…. And can you blame a guy who hasn't seen a girl in ages? I mean…Well…"

There was simply no proper defense about what he was doing. The boner was going to be there a bit longer, seeing as Iolani was still wet from her trek here via swimming and getting her clothes wet, Ryan immediately noticing how it stuck to her body, before he opened the window, and tossed the magazine outwards. Following that, he began to shoo Iolani out the door, a mad blush on his cheeks as he grumbled a bit more to the girl.

"And why the hell are you in here, anyways?" He asked suddenly. "You like going in without knocking, huh? Try that on somebody else and chances are they'll do something mean and nasty. Emphasis on the nastiness."

 

[bluberriexD]

Iolani hated to admit that his stammering was somewhat borderline cute, and she found it amusing. A smile played on her lips as he came up with excuses on having a boner and such. "Relax, I had nine brothers, this isn't the first time I walked in on someone, sweetheart," she murmured to him as she leaned against the doorway. She didn't know why she brought up the fact she had nine brothers, but it was something she used to tell everyone that met her. It was like an introduction type of thing, and it was automatic. A tight pinched grew in her chest, at the memory of her brothers. She hadn't seen them in months, and she was coming to the harsh realization that they possibly might be dead.

Before her mood could be lost, she turned her attention to Ryan once more. "Why couldn't you have placed a sock on the door knob, or locked the door? This is a public facility, last time I checked. And so what if I walked in on someone else? I would have easily walked away, but since it's you...this tactic is much more amusing," she admitted to him as she crossed her arms across her chest. Once her taunting comment rolled off her tongue, she chewed the bottom of her lip as she fought with herself on what she was going to say next. "I just came to find you...and say thank you. I know it's stupid but...nowadays everyone is struggling to find shelter and anything they can lay their hands on. People are becoming more violent, and I haven't met someone who would have done what you did." At the memory, Iolani failed to fight off a shudder that ripped through her. "So...thank you..." she trailed off, noticing that she didn't know his name.

 

[Six Million Dollar Man]

She didn't berate him that badly about it. In fact, she seemed to enjoy having him in a position like this, where he looked bad. He summoned up the courage to speak without stammering, preparing himself to address the points that she had brought up so immediately, starting off with her claims of using a sock or something, which still sounded incredibly strange, even to him during such an age as this apocalypse, which heralded many new elements of this post apocalyptic culture they were all developing. But then again, maybe they just grew up differently?...

"It's not public like that anymore. You could grab the mail room and it'd pretty much be your entire home these days." Retorted Ryan, beginning to grumble about the whole thing.

Of course, what really shocked him was the fact she actually bothered to come and thank him, rather than assuming he'd died or something. Everything she said was of course, true though. The world was getting worse everyday, and it never hurt to be a little friendly in the face of mayhem and misery. Of course, Ryan couldn't really think of something to say, other than quietly muttering 'yerwelcome' rather quickly...

"…It was nothing…" He added suddenly. "I haven't got my own gig. No real goals what with everything ravaged, so I guess I'm an aimless little birdie… felt good helping out though, so you're welcome…"

 

[bluberriexD]

A soft smile grew on Iolani's lips as relief swept over her, once he accepted her thanks. It took a lot for her to thank someone. Nowadays, she was on her own and fending for herself. So naturally, she grew to not give a fuck about anyone else besides herself (and occasionally a few kids). Usually, this was when strangers part ways but Iolani's feet wouldn't move. She was stuck leaning on the doorway, her eyes on Ryan. "I'm Iolani," she then muttered after four heartbeats. Suddenly, she was able to move again but only to lean against the office desk near Ryan. Sitting comfortably, again she crossed her arms across her chest. "How did you get here?" She asked then.

She didn't mean how did he find the office, but how did he end up in this part of town. She has always been here. Never wanting to leave in case one of her brothers suddenly showed up. She knew she was believing in false hope, but it was something she could believe in.