Realistic or Modern x A Fight for Survival x~Zombies Bite (IC)

[DistressedDisaster]

Matthew Williams​

While Bexley and the others headed off to neutral territory with Jax, Matt continue scoping the remaining corpses along with a few other volunteers and an extra pistol. Anything that so much as seemed like it twitched took a bullet to the back of the head, no matter how mangled the body. But his aim on a couple ended a tad more askew than he;d like as exhaustion and stress threw themselves at his feet to simply trip him in his overall goal. He planned to head back after the sweep and count of deceased, hopefully for something to eat before he went out scouting with Nik. Unfortunately, the sweep took longer than he would have liked, leaving him to grab some water and his bat before beginning off to meet with Nik by the gates.

It was a moderately lengthed walk out to the meeting area beside the gates, and he spent the time double checking himself to make sure he had everything, glasses, guns, ammo, the usual. As well as a small roll of bandages just in case, and a filled water canteen he'd managed to grab on his way out. With this all accounted for, he settled in to wait on Nik's arrival, double and tripling checking his weapons and equipment while he waited. His hands still shook slightly on occasion, which was annoying but manageable if he could be patient enough to wait it out. But at this moment, he kept his hands out of sight as he waited, bouncing his leg and listening to the bat clink softly against the metal hooks of its case on his back.

In all honesty it was tempting to just close his eyes for a few moments of semi-peace. But knowing himself well enough, that would only accomplish seeing everything again or falling asleep. Neither of which being an appealing option to take at the moment. So he kept himself occupied fiddling with an empty shotgun shell in his pocket, feeling the grooves under his fingertips as he listened to the wind blowing past him.

Nightblade (nik)

​

 

[CkSmalling]

Robert Sloan Jr.
[Mentions: Bellz (Alex)]

​

Robert woke up with a very sore head. The sound of gunshots still rung in his head. Yesterday was a very weird day for him. Never has he shot so many undead people. They are still people and he still hoped that they would be saved but he gave up on the idea. They deserve to be saved from the disease that rots their brain. A single headshot was one way to go. He can now add Entry Level Shooter to his portfolio.

He made his way to the mess and ate his breakfast in silence. 'I should start making friends around here. The days of being a lone ranger are way over.' He made a mental note. There was a list posted and he was with Alex. Well the day just got brighter. He smiled as he made his way to get his ammo and weapons supply. He really did love the Glock he had yesterday so he was going to get that again.

A familiar voice called out to him. He turned around and saw it was Alex, making a bow. He smiled and did the same, this time placing the imaginary hat on his chest and making a bow. "Howdy M'Lady. Ready when you are." He placed his imaginary hat on his head and fastened his jacket.

As they walked towards the gates, he was astounded by the large territory the East had. And how they managed to keep it secure is also another mystery. I guess they had a large workforce he is yet to see. He turned around to face Alex to say something and looks like she had the same idea. He looked in the other direction as quickly as possible.

"If your trying to make a grown ass man blush, you succeeded." He looked at Alex and blushed hard. He looked at his hand and it stopped shaking. "I can't take all the credit though. My dad, God rest his soul, was the one who taught me to adapt to any situation. He often said the world is not rigid. everything changes. And with that change, man must be able to see the change and change whenever necessary."

 

[Bellz]

Alex Bailey
East Territory -Back Gates ​

Alex gave a soft laugh as Robert enthusiastically returned her gestures, taking off his imaginary hat before bowing towards her. Despite hardly knowing him, Alex got a good read on the man. He seemed trustworthy and picked up things rather quickly, which Alex found helpful. When Robert spoke of blushing, Alex let out a small laugh,”Why’s it so horrible for a man to blush?” She responded before he went on to speaking again. She listened with interest as he spoke of his father, stating that he had been the one to teach him out to adapt to any situation. The blonde nodded her head lightly, looking forward as she took in the words he said, about the world not being rigid. Change wasn’t something that people took kindly too anymore.

With having seen that beast first had yesterday, she had stayed up practically the whole night. The woman wouldn’t show her fear in front of others..sure she could be jumpy but her parents had taught her that in order to live in this world, fear was not an option, it was a weakness. ”Change effects this world harshly…as you probably already know. Too many people are too comfortable with the way they are living their lives now, with change brings fear.” Her eyes scanned the area around them, heading deeper and deeper into the eastern territory. This area was known as “Backwoods”, the area wasn’t inhabited with people and was mainly just used as a pathway to the back gate. It was well kept, as it was still in the territory but it was abandoned.

It creeped Alex out but she wasn’t about to show Robert that, clearing her throat again she spoke, ”I’m sorry about your dad.” She said sincerely, turning her head to look at the man for a moment. Their footsteps echoed against the concrete metal jungle that was Midtown. They were only a bit further from the gate that would lead them straight into the Murray hill territory, and from their they would trek down to the East Village and back. Everything would be surveyed, anything that looked suspicious will be radioed in and tagged for further investigation, Alex would make sure no stone went unturned.

The rest of the walk was taken in silence until the gate came into view. It was a tall chainlink fence that was just tall enough to serve the purpose of keeping walkers out, barbed wire sat at the top…Alex couldn’t help but think about how useless that would all be against the thing they saw yesterday, a chill moving down the middle of her spine.

”Alright, We head from here all the way down to the East Village. We need to be quick but we also need to be observant, looking for anything that can be deemed as suspicious in the case of where the horde came from. They could have migrated from anywhere. “ Alex pointed to the two guards waiting at the gate, nodding her head to them as they moved to open it. ”They will be here to report our disappearance if we go silent. They also won’t let us back in if we seem…off.” She figured what he meant by that and moved on, taking a few steps forward to walk through the now opened gate.

”Keep alert. Unfortunately, change in this place means bad news majority of the time. If anything changes, anything. You radio it in. The team at base will be logging and mapping the area around us in the days to come. We take these,” She pulled her bag around to grab what she needed. Pulling out colored marker flags, she tossed Robert a few. ”And mark the area that needs looking into. Got it, Rookie?” She said, her face serious but her tone was teasing as she called him by his new nickname.
with: Robert CkSmalling

 

[Shireling]

Eli Cartwright
​

After the harrowing ordeal of last night, Eli had helped the other scouts well into the night stacking corpses on burn piles. When the shooting was finally over, the East had a few injuries that, unfortunately, had required immediate amputation, but other than that they had fared better than the West thanks to their careful defensive planning and the advantage of the high ground. Eli had stayed up nearly all night in this task and in carrying the wounded. He stopped by the defenses where he talked to his father, equally tired and disheveled, and the two had their first heart to heart talk in several months. David would never say it outright, but secretly Eli could tell that his stoical father was growing to respect him as a man in his own right.

And that was something that Eli thought about a lot as he trounced down the steps of Taurus's lobby past the corpse wagons wearing a long, grey wool coat and a battered ushanka hat that he had gotten off another scout after complaining about how the cold stung his ears. A bolt action rifle was slung across his shoulder and his bandoleer sported a .44 revolver as well as several cartridges. He looked, to be frank, a tad silly, but he was certainly warm. He sidled up to Theo as they made their way out of the gate to make the rounds.

"I think I beat Alex last night," was his first comment to break the silence, "I stopped counting how many shamblers I shot after around fifty. Although, she did have to train the new guy on the fly. You know, the farmer that took his hand at shooting with a Glock from a seven story window?"

Misty Gray

David Cartwright
​

David, alongside his ever-stalwart companion Hector, and a few nameless Eastern scouts, had trudged the distance to the meeting point in silence with the wind flapping at their coat-tails and the snow falling all about them in great big flakes. David, the only member of the party who was mostly unarmed, walked with his hands pressed tightly in his pockets and with every footfall on the slippery ground measured to reduce the risk of falling on icy pavement. When they reached the building and began to ascend to the meeting point, David wasn't surprised to hear the Western leaders already there and jabbering on about whatever they planned to raise at the meeting. He, for one, detested such meetings. With the East having an older and more staid leader like David, it made it seem to some that the East were the maturer party at the negotiating table. Personally, David was not so much concerned in getting Jax back as figuring out where he came from. To David, though, figuring out his secrets would be better accomplished at Taurus where the people's hospitality would be disarming. More flies with honey than vinegar, his mother used to say.

When David entered the room, he was silent for the first few moments. He hung his coat and scarf on pegs on the wall, found a chair, and promptly dug a crumpled package of cigarettes from the pocket of his shirt. With a semi-arthritic flick of the wrist, he ignited the tip of the cigarette, blew a long plume of smoke, and then trained his eyes in a somewhat detached stare on Bexley. He glanced in Godfrey's direction and gave him a nod. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Finch." He then turned back to Bexley.

"Would you care for a smoke, Miss Withers?" He asked, calmly.

Bellz Folklord Misty Gray MadiRaiCat

 

[Bellz]

Bexley Withers​

Before Bexley could harass Godfrey any further on the subject of where David was, the man arrived silently, proceeding to treat the area like his own personal quarters. Bexley straightened up but crossed her arms, setting her jaw as she moved to take a seat as well. Looking to Mick, she eyed him closely giving him a slight nod…he knew what his purpose here was. They clearly couldn’t trust the East, he would make sure that if the trust should be betrayed, they were taken care of. After taking a seat, David offered Bex a cigarette to which she stared at for a few moments silently. The cigarette he was holding was tempting her greatly despite the fact that it came from Eastern trash, the long swirl of smoke coming from the tip was curling in a way that made it look like it was beckoning her forwards, offering her to try one. It had been years since she’d quit smoking. After everything she had been through in the last 24 hours, she felt she needed one. So slowly, the woman nodded her head, accepting the cigarette and the light before grasping it between two fingers.

She didn’t dare look at the others as she placed the stick between her lips, taking a large inhale. She held it a moment before releasing it, watching as the smoke swirled around her and the familiar feeling of being uplifted soon occurred, causing the woman to feel a little more grounded. Removing the cigarette from her lips and holding it between her fingers, she pointed towards David, ”You are lucky my co head found this trash when he did, he would have been yet another causality. Speaking of casualties,” Her tone was cool as she now looked to Mac, then Mick, ”We lost quite a few lives yesterday.” Her eyes glanced to Jax.


”Somehow, somehow!” Her voice rose now, emotions thick in her voice, ”This asshole survived, in place of some of the greatest people I ever knew. Can you tell me why that is David?” She glared at the man who looked so calm where he sat, how could he be so calm when people were dying, her people? ”Your head of Security, Theodore Ashworth was near the beginning of the horde, he was there when me and my team took down that beast as I’m sure you have already heard about. But when left to keep on the front lines, he failed and fell back prematurely. This caused the horde to reach the base quickly, unexpectedly so as I’m sure it did with yours.” The brunette took another long drag from her cigarette before pointing at David once more.

”Now I can’t help but feel like he’s responsible for the lives that were lost. Someone has to be. My people fought long and hard enough to have someone to blame for what happened.” It didn’t mattered if he suffered or not, but she wanted Theo to know she blamed him for her losses yesterday. ”Meanwhile I’m sure you were saved from having to bear yet another loss in this world.”

”Anyway, he’s yours to take back.” Bexley nodded her head towards Jax. Bexley felt like this was the final straw, the final nail in the coffin, before she could really understand what she was saying, she spoke, ”I would like to cut off all ties between the East and the West. Permanently, that includes trading. That display yesterday made it clear that your people can’t be trusted in a life threatening situation. How can a species survive if it doesn’t help protect its own?” She was angry and rightfully so given her people’s suffering, she felt betrayed.


with: Mick Misty Gray ; Mac MadiRaiCat ; Godfrey Folklord
David Shireling
mentions: Theo Misty Gray

 

[MadiRaiCat]

Mackenzie O'Leary​

Location: Meeting on Neutral Territory
Mentions: None
Interactions: Bexley, Jax ( Bellz ), Mick ( Misty Gray ), David ( Shireling ), Godfrey ( Folklord )
Outfit: x

Mackenzie looked up from her position leaning against the wall next to the door as the man she recognized as Godfrey entered, the East's second-in-command. He seemed sincere in his remarks, but something about pricked Mac. Maybe it was that we seemed so calm, or it could've have been simply because he was from the East. Anger flared in her veins. Did he not realize that people, good people, had died because of their mistakes? The image of the man with forest green eyes that Matt put down like a pig to slaughter flashed through her mind, causing her heart to clench painfully. Even so, Mac remained stoic and quiet on the outside.

The anger dissipated quickly with Bex's words. Mac had to stifle a small life at the image of Jax's head over the fireplace in Saloon. Did that make her cruel, cold, sadistic? Probably. But Jax had caused them enough problems to the point that Mac didn't really care anymore. He had done enough damage. Mac glanced at the door, the sound of very faint footsteps filling her ears. David, or "Santa" as Bexley had so endearingly called him, was ascending and apparently had brought more than a few scouts to guard him. Did he expect the West just to go off and kill them on neutral ground?

Shrugging the thought away, Mac turned her head away from the door to glance out the window, her fiery hair fluttering around her shoulders. The brisk wind blew up a dusting of snow in a swirl pattern from the streets below before the snowflakes settled into a continuous blanket once again. David and his entourage entered the room, and Mac barely had to glance to know who was armed and how many weapons were in the room. It was like a sixth sense almost, something her father had ingrained in her from a young age.

At the familiar smell of smoke, Mackenzie turned her head back to the table, seeing Bex eye the cigarettes. After her leader lit one, Mac pulled out her own pack and lit one as well. She inhaled deeply, letting the toxic gas fill her lungs. Soon, her muscles felt slightly less tense even though she was still on high alert. She let Bexley confront David over the turn of events with the horde, a pang hitting her heart at the raw emotion she heard in her friends voice. But Bexley's final words stunned her the most. Sure, Mac had suggested it, but she didn't think Bexley would go through with it.

A strange sense of pride in her leader's decisions as well as trepidation that the East might retaliate came over Mackenzie. Seeing as everyone had ignored her up until that point, Mac moved away from the wall to stand behind Bexley's chair, her arms crossed over her chest as she glanced at each member of the East. Their leader might be older and more experienced. But when it came to loyalty and trust, the West was far superior.

codedbycrucialstar​

 

[Shireling]

David Cartwright
​

David, more or less, allowed Bex's words to wash over him like a buoy on a high wave. For a short while, he said nothing but rather flicked ash in a ceramic plate left lying nearby. Finally, he spoke up, "If that's how you feel, Miss Withers, but I can't help but think you're making quite a big mistake," he continued, "from all the information I have, it was the Western scouts who fell back after you captured the Creature." There was an ominous tone in his voice. "With your side abandoning engagement zone near the wall, my scouts retreated for the safety of the walls. I couldn't expect my colonists to get torn to pieces by the horde over your little science project."

At this, he attempted to lock eyes again. "Shutting down the trade routes would be disaster for both sides and you know it, but I would be willing to bet that the West will cave first. Guns are nice, but its like I told my sons when they were growing up, if you don't get a vegetable or two in your diet at some point you'll be pretty sickly." He grew a bit angrier then in saying, "Cutting of trade and communications between two of what are perhaps the last vestiges of human civilization on Earth over a problem you helped to cause is childish, Miss Withers."

Bellz

 

[Folklord]

GODFREY FINCH—

Godfrey could feel it when David walked in. He had this air about him, very composed. Godfrey watched David and Bexley's exchange quietly. He hadn't planned on needing to say too much but at Bexley's words of cutting ties Godfrey stared, stunned. He shook his head in disapproval. In no way was the East at fault. And for her to say as much is ridiculous. He knows she's hurting and wants someone to blame but this isn't the way to go about it. And to go as far as to cut ties? Yesterday is even more of a reason for them to all stay united. As united as they were anyway. They're already divided as it is. Cutting ties could push them further away and that could cause a whole other problem. They're already fighting against zombies, the last thing they need is a war between them.

Just as he was about to say just that he heard David speak. He's hoping the older mans logic will get through to Bexley and if not her maybe Mick. This irrational idea doesn't need to go any further than this room. Hopefully David's words will nip it in the bud and they can figure out how to move forward from here.
Nightblade

 

[Bellz]

Bexley Withers​

The words David spoke were not helping Bexley in the slightest. While she would say that yes, her team left the scene fairly quickly, they did it to protect everyone involved. ”If we hadn’t subdued that thing, there would have been far more damage on both sides of the territories.” The words science experiment struck a chord, and she couldn’t deny the fact that she herself was worried about said experiments that the doctor was performing, regardless of that she chose to defend the man who could give a crap less about her.”My doctor knows what he is doing. Its time to start being proactive in this fight against the undead instead of sitting around and looking like packaged meats.”

The bearded man continued on, locking eyes with Bex as she stared down the calm looking man. Bexley rolled her eyes at his comment about the West caving first, his comment telling about his sons to eat their vegetables growing up was something that she could relate to, her own never liked them. At least while she had him…

Bexley’s thoughts returned to the scene before her noting that Mac was standing right behind her chair now, backing her leader up with all the loyalty the West had to offer. ”We will find a way. We’ve made it this far down the line, we continue it.” His tone grew angry and the leader smirked, glad that she had gotten under his skin. ”As childish as it may be to you, Mr. Cartwright, I’m looking out for the wellbeing of my people.” Her stubbornness wouldn't let her back down. She was far too emotional, far too angry over the people they had to burn yesterday to care what the East thought of her now.
with: David Shireling ; Godfrey Folklord ; Mac MadiRaiCat ; Mick Misty Gray

 

[MadiRaiCat]

Mackenzie O'Leary​

Location: Meeting on Neutral Territory
Mentions: None
Interactions: Bexley, Jax ( Bellz ), Mick ( Misty Gray ), David ( Shireling ), Godfrey ( Folklord )
Outfit: x

Mackenzie took another toke from the cigarette, letting out a long exhale before stamping the cherry out in the ashtray on the table. She resumed her place behind Bexley, glancing at the East guards David had brought with him. The East were generally a peaceful people. But Mac knew she could probably taken them if it came to that. Mac turned to glance at Mick, wondering if he had anything to say about the situation. It was unusual for him to be quiet. But maybe it was for the best.

Mac knew that by breaking ties with the East, the West would have a bit of an issue. They weren't as good of farmers as the East were. But that would just mean everyone would have to work hard. If anything, Mac could organize and lead small scout parties outside of their territory to find more resources. It would have to be for skilled people only, but it could work. They could figure it out. Ultimately, Mac trusted Bexley, and Mick as well, with her life. She would do anything to protect them and the entirety of the West.

codedbycrucialstar​

 

[Shireling]

David Cartwright
​

David sighed heavily, more out of frustration than of any kind of fear for his own position. The West's main advantage was their offensive capabilities: lots of nice guns and lots of people who knew how to use them. As of yet, they weren't taking the fight to the hordes, so it was a fact less material to him. More pressing was the ill effect it would have on their own defensive garrison. Sourcing weapons was hard, but it could be done. Harder than that was finding or making ammunition. Some two-bit gunsmiths could make junk rounds for the scavs to put in their zip guns, but the East's scout force needed pre-fall grade ammunition for their weapons lest they become unable to be maintained.

But it was beside the point, this stubborn child, for that was what David thought of Bexley, had decided to throw a temper tantrum, likely for some reason of romantic betrayal. He had heard rumors that the Western leader had an eye on his scout leader a short while ago and there had been a falling out. David was like to hear any piece of gossip that passed through Taurus. While still not widely known, some of the scouts had theories about the two of them. But that was no matter, it had to think in the immediate. To him, the best thing to do would be to back up and let the West have their space like a petulant teenager. Then, perhaps, they would appreciate the benefits of trade and open communications.

"Fine, Miss Withers, have it your way." He said, standing immediately. "From now on, any messenger you send should be travelling under the white flag lest my marksmen shoot him from the walls." He moved towards the coat rack and placed his coat and scarf back on his body. As he passed out the door, he flicked his cigarette into the nearby trash can and began the long trek back.

Misty Gray Bellz Folklord MadiRaiCat

 

[Misty Gray]

Michael Wilson​

Once Godfrey and then David had arrived, Mick walked to the table with Bexley and sat himself down alongside her. His face was straight and serious, though he wondered how long that would last with the likelihood of the East saying something he'd find laughable. For now, he remained focused and ready to react if any of the other side gave him cause for concern. It was some time ago that an innocent woman was shot dead by his own formerly reckless hands, but he wouldn't think twice now about shooting anyone who he believed actually deserved it and this time it would be fully intentional.

Mick observed as Bexley eventually accepted the cigarette David offered to her, not giving the gesture nor the acceptance much consideration at all. It was nothing to waste time evaluating given the more pressing matters at hand. The woman then spoke about Jax being found and how their own had been lost the previous day. It still irked him that the cocky trespasser was alive and well whilst their own people had suffered yesterday. Soon enough, Bexley's words turned to the East's Head of Security and it was clear the woman was pissed off with the man in question. Mick couldn't help the dry smirk that formed on his lips. More than anything, he was glad to hear his leader speaking so ill of Theo, having recently suspected the woman was going soft for her ex. This stance was much more preferable for the sake of the West. "If I set eyes on Ashworth, I'll make sure he knows I blame him for those we lost," Mick pointed out, not hint of humour nor anger in his tone, just cold determination.

Mick nodded when Bexley told the East to take Jax back. The sooner that guy was gone, the less inclined Mick was to put a bullet in the freak's skull. One thing that did initially take Mick by surprise was when his leader said she would like to cut all ties between the two factions. It wasn't that he disagreed, but as the Head of Agriculture, he hadn't yet had the opportunity to look into alternative sources of some of their supplies to replace the trade they'd had with the hippies. He was sure he could make it work and decided it would be a small sacrifice to rid them of the East for good.

Mick could tell David was unhappy with Bexley's decision and the man's words calling her "childish" pretty much backed that up. "Bex is right," Mick spoke up. "The West can survive without your trade. The biggest danger to us is trusting your lot, as yesterday proved."

Mick smirked as David made his way to the door. "Don't forget to take that little prick with you!" he called out, motioning to Jax. "He looks like he could do with some of those vegetables in his diet."

Bellz (Bex, Jax) MadiRaiCat (Mac) Shireling (David) Folklord (Godfrey)

Theodore Ashworth
​

When Eli joined him, Theo pointed in the direction they would be heading; a silent instruction for the teenager to start walking with him immediately. Theo's eyes scanned the area around them, taking in the mess from the night before as they passed it. Whilst he was grateful his scouts had made it back to HQ safely, it didn't remove the fact that they shouldn't have been placed into such danger in the first place.

Eli spoke up to break the silence, mentioning how he'd had some triumph against Alex. Theo didn't even try to understand what the comment was referring to, but Eli continued to speak and cleared up any questions he might have asked were his mind less burdened. As the boy continued on, he finally evoked a small smirk from Theo at the mention of Robert's use of the Glock. "He did?! Well... I'm sure his carrot-growing skills will prove more useful to us in the long run," he remarked. "I'm glad you and Alex were able to help with fighting off the crawlers. Not that either of you, nor the rest of our team, should have been stuck on the front lines alone," he pointed out, clearly referring to the West abandoning them.

Theo stopped walking for a moment as he took out some time to observe the area all around them, seeing if there was anything at all that stood out as suspicious or concerning. The weather was proving to be something of an hindrance as it meant any kind of footprints and tracks from the previous day were practically covered by the white snow. "Has your old man mentioned anything about you scouting?" he curiously asked as they set off walking again. "I'm sure he's aware by now that you assisted the East yesterday."

Shireling (Eli)

 

[Shireling]

Eli Cartwright
​

"You know, it's funny," Eli said after a short pause, "I think my dad might actually be proud of me for once. He always said he didn't want me off joining the Scouts, but I guess when he saw me toting that rifle he couldn't help but feel a bit of fatherly pride... Yeah, that's what I think. I've talked to Solomon about it, and he told me that my father and my mother were very close, and since she died of complications when I was born, I remind him of the whole thing. That seems about right, Solomon always has a good grasp on what people are thinking and feeling. Poor Mom. When Solomon was born, the hospitals were still working and they could set her in rights, but when I was born you could barely find a bottle of antiseptic let alone the kind of equipment you need for a surgery. It's a rough thing, what happened to Mom. But hey, it happens to women all the time nowadays. I guess we had it better before, but I'm too young to know anything about that."

Eli placed his rifle back against his shoulder as he walked, pressing his free hand in his pocket to ward off the cold. By now, the canteen he had slipped around his shoulder stopped sloshing as the water had begun to freeze solid. He made a face of consternation after realizing this.

Misty Gray

Solomon Cartwright
​

An older man who was probably earning three ration tickets a day, minimum wage for work in Taurus, was seated at the small crank generator in the back of the room that produced the continual low ticking sound that emanated from the bicycle wheel turned dynamo. It was merely to keep the lights on, and dim lights at that, as the players assembled behind the curtains. They had once used open flames to keep the small theatre lighted, but after a near-catastrophic fire a few years ago, the government, his father rather, had determined that they have electric lights for use during the shows.

The theatre itself was a small room for the purpose, about 700 square feet, the greater part of which was seating created by a mishmosh of makeshift benches and older metal chairs sat on raised scaffolding so that one could peer over the heads of the people in front of them. The tallest of these risers made it so that those sitting in the top rows would have to slouch in their chairs to avoid banging their head on the ceiling. In the center was a pit much like the one they had at the Globe where the groundlings could stand and watch the performance, and the smallest part of the room was the raised stage itself which was exceedingly small for the purpose but large enough for the small productions that they usually put on.

After a brief bit of tuning-music from the small orchestra which consisted of a man with a mandolin and two women with wooden recorders, the pudgy playmaster arrived on the lip of the stage to greet the audience, to a small bit of applause. Wiping sweat from his brow, he commented, as usual, on the very damp and hot conditions of the playhouse given the lack of air conditioning and the great number of human bodies in close proximity to one another. During the entirety of the speech, the low clicking and whirring of the generator which was very near Solomon's seat caused him a great deal of unease. He had paid one ration ticket to see the performance, and now he was wondering if it would have been better to just go get a bowl of noodles and call it a day. The sudden growling of his stomach told him that might have been the wiser decision, but he had already paid so he would stay.

"Ladies and gentlemen, without further delay, I give you the Taurus Players Company, the best game in town (because they are the only game in town) who shall perform for your viewing pleasure, a play which has recently been recovered for us from the annals of history by a Mr. Solomon Cartwright. Mr. Cartwright, would you please stand up?"

Knowing this was likely to occur, Solomon rose from his seat and gave the crowd a wary look, hard to see in the darkened auditorium, but most of the other approximately 150 playgoers turned and clapped in his general direction. After a moment of applause, Solomon reseated himself, wondering why, if he was an honored guest of the performers, they still charged him the entry fee. They had to make a living, he supposed.

"The performance today will be Dr. Faustus, a play by Christopher Marlowe first promulgated in 1592. Within, see the detestable rise and lamentable fall of the great Dr. Faustus at the hands of the demon Mephistopheles! Bergman, curtains!"

The playmaster slid from the stage into the curtained tiring house, and the main curtains opened to reveal the first scene. A badly costumed Dr. Faustus milling about in his study, consulting his tomes of philosophy and theology and eventually discarding them in favor of attempting to use magic to know everything possible about the universe. As the first scene wore on, eventually there was the conjuring scene. Mephistopheles, a player dressed up with horns and red body paint carrying a pitchfork and wearing a professor's robe, rose out of a trapdoor in the floor of the stage. As Mephistopheles convinces Faustus, eventually, to sign himself over to Lucifer, Solomon reclined back in his chair and began to quote the lines and laugh a little when the players mispronounced the archaic words. What a fool, he would then say about Faustus.

 

[Folklord]

GODFREY FINCH—

Of course Mick would take Bexley's side. Why did he ever hold out for hope that anyone on the west would be reasonable. Godfrey watched as David left, taking in all that had just happened. Leaving with things so tense didn't seem like a good idea but what else was there to do? There was no changing their minds. David didn't seemed too worried so he would trust his leader and believe that this was the best course of action at the moment. He would just have to get used to the new way of living that they were going to. The people of the East would need to make sure they always had something other than a gun on them and hope they didn't get into too tough a situation.

He blew out a breath and looked to Jax when Mick brought up "that little prick". He motioned for him to stand up. "Come on let's get you back." They still had to walk back which would give him some time to just think. He stood beside the door waiting for Jax to leave first. The last thing he needed was for Jax to get lost on the wrong side of the territories. And damn, if they thought there was a line draw between the two factions before there was a trench between them now.

Nightblade

 

[Nightblade]

Nik made his way to the gates, whistling a tune as he went. Picking up his sniper rifle, he made sure his ammo was up to date before going to meet Matt. He made sure he had his essentials in his pack for the few hours of scouting that would happen. While making his way to the gates Nik thought about what had been happening since they brought in the big guy. The East and West were not more or less at war with each other. This left Nik feeling conflicted since he had a stake in both sides.

Hiding his feelings, Nik grinned at Matt as he arrived at the gate. "Hey little buddy, ready for some scouting?" He asked as he patted Matt on the back and made his way out the entrance towards the hollowed out building that were used as scouting points. All on the West side but the scouts were the first line of defense. Anything spotted by them was sent back to base.

The eerie silence was something that nobody was ever really used to between skirmishes, it was just there. Using a hook, Nik pulled the fire escape ladder down and began to climb it, waiting on top for Matt to follow him up so the ladder could be pulled up as well.

Mentions:
Matt: DistressedDisaster ​

 

[CkSmalling]

Robert Sloan Jr.
[Mentions: Bellz (Alex)]
​

Robert blushed more when Alexa asked what is wrong with blushing. "You see it is often perceived by modern culture, a man is someone who is not supposed to show such emotions to the public. So making a man blush is literally breaking his defenses. It's a good thing to be made appreciated sometimes. I mean we are not robots." He looked at Alex and start making robot noises. "Or are we?"

Robert listened to her response and acknowledged her insight. " And fear in this time can be a very huge handicap. Take me for instance. Well on a date sounds nice but i digress. If i had not had the confidence of picking up the gun yesterday, I would be still the frightened ol' twenty-something man. And that is something not really acceptable in these dark times. People have to accept change whether they like it or not or else it is going to bring some unfortunate consequences." He looked ahead trying to master his surroundings.

"Thank you. He was a wonderful parents. He would have been happy to see me alive, but disappointed that I can now fire a gun." He looked at Alex and cracked a smile. "Don't worry. I am doing okay." He looked at his surroundings. Downtown. "i have been here once but a very long time ago. I wonder if Bob's Coffee Shop is still open."

"Well a horde like that would have come from a very large area, like a metropolitan or a large city. Unless the leaders of the East and the West have a different idea altogether." He looked around the location. "Yea, pretty sure no one will."

He took the radio. "The same applies for you. If you see anything out of place, radio it in. Also if your bored and you want to hear a random crop joke, I will deliver. Got those floating around in my head thinking I'll get the ladies. Boy was I wrong." He grabbed the flags before they hit the ground. 'Rookie? You have one week to use that word. After that, back to my regular sexy name. Agreed?"

 

[DistressedDisaster]

Matthew Williams

The tall male rolled his eyes as Nik finally arrived and followed behind his partner silently. He keeps his hands in his pockets to fiddle with the shell casing as they walk. The silence was eerie, and left him a tad on edge as continued with the scouting. The creaking of metal got his attention, and he looked up to see Nik bring down a fire escape. He began up after him to the fire escape, tugging the ladder up behind him as quietly as possible. He remained to himself as they went, content with keeping an eye on his surroundings. He was exhausted, but he knew that he needed to keep going and get shit done.

Nightblade
​

 

[Bellz]

Bexley Withers
Jax Darby ​

Once again, the East was walking out like they always did. David didn't like what Bexley was saying, so he did the only thing he had the power to do at that point. Leave. Bexley watched him grab his things silently, not uttering another word as he disappeared into the hallway. Her eyes then turned to Godfrey, who seemed dumbfounded at what just happened. Again, she said nothing as she simply stared at the man.

This was becoming way to fucking easy for Jax. He didn't even have to say anything and the East and the West alliance, or what they had left of one, was shot dead right before his very eyes. It was a beautiful sight to behold. It was hard to keep the smile from his lips as he dipped his head down, he couldn't blow his cover now that progress like this was being made. He would be home sooner than he thought at this rate. His head snapped to look to Mick as he called him a little prick, feigning surprise as he shook his head, "Hey! Feelings. I have those to you know!" He told the man, his tone condescending just as Godfrey swooped in to save him from any trouble Mick could cause him. "Ta ta, cowboys." He hummed to the group as he exited the room, his back being covered by the East's co-head as they moved to the stairs and out into the swirling snow below.

Silence engulfed the group as Bex didn't move from her seat, her eyes simply staring at the spot that David had been sitting in not too long before. Just like that, she'd ended all the hard work that her father had done. Unraveled the final pieces of what was left of their alliance and threw it away like it meant nothing to her, to her people. Mick and Mac had so loyally backed her up, stating that they didn't need the trade...but she had put the lives of her people on the line, just like she'd swore she would never do. What would her father think of her now?

The chair scraped loudly against the floor as Bex's slowly rose to her feet, her eyes glancing towards Mick, then at Mac before she shook her head. "I've put you all in danger. What the fuck was I thinking?!" Her voice rose and her fists clenched together. "He's completely right...I'm a fucking child." Nothing more could be said so Bexley nodded her head towards the hallway. "We've got a lot of ground to cover. I want to get to the breach on the far west side...see what we can find and put to rest the two scouts who didn't survive their post." Setting her jaw, Bexley sucked in a deep breath and moved out towards the snow below, back towards their own territory.
with: Mac MadiRaiCat ; Mick Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Alex Bailey ​

The snow fell and the air howled lightly through the jungle of abandoned buildings. The reminescne of a city that once was still was evident in the cars parked along the still busy looking streets, the vehicles being covered in blankets of snow. It had been a long time since the land had seen a proper winter, 18 years to be exact.

Suddenly, a shift in the air, a crackling sound could be heard moments before a smaller two story brick building came collapsing down, rumbling and shaking the ground as it collapsed into the pillows of snow beneath it. Red bricks collapsed into the sides of the building next to it, shattering glass, the boom echoing off the buildings and snow around them.

Alex rolled her eyes and laughed once more as Robert called his regular name sexy. ”Whatever you say, Rookie.” The blonde said once more before proceeding to head out into the abandoned part of the city. They had only stepped out a few hundred feet before the sound of what was immediately thought to be some sort of explosion reached them, causing Alex to freeze. ”What the fuck was that?” She asked, waiting for a response from Robert. Alex’s hand went to her radio but she hesitated to call anything in as she looked ahead at the flurries around them, able to see into the distance but not by much.

Weighing the options in her head, Alex finally came to the conclusion that the sound could have been anything. The city was old and maintenance was what kept it going. ”Let’s…go check it out.” She told Robert, nodding her head in the direction the sound had come from…or at least where she thought it had..

It was hard to tell with the snow, the sounds were often amplified and echoed as it bounced off the thick ice. ”Let’s not radio in yet…but keep it in hand.” She mentioned to Robert as she trudged through the snow. Then she was silent as she kept a careful watch on the world around her…not trusting the winter wonderland looking place for a second. As they got farther and farther away from the gate, the snow was becoming denser and it seeing in front of them was becoming harder to do. Alex shielded her eyes, the cold starting to get to her as the brisk wind howled around them. She stopped in her tracks, looking to see if Robert was still beside her when she noticed that the flurries were now too thick to see out of. The storm was strong and they weren’t going to be able to get out to the East Village in weather like that. ”We need to turn around!” She had to say a little louder over the wind, her body turning to look in the direction of home. Or, at least that’s what she thought. Dread pooled in her gut, ”Where are we?!” She asked, turning her body around a few times. They couldn’t be stranded out in a storm like this. God knows what was out in these parts and they would freeze to death. ”Shit shit shit!” The blonde hissed, pressing the talk button quickly as she held it to her lips.
Alex to Base: The storm is too strong for my team to advance on the East Village, there is almost zero visibility now and we are unable to locate which direction to move in!” Her voice was frantic as her eyes looked to Robert. ”We can’t move from this position, they have to find us. If we move they might never find us.” The wind continued to howl around them until one that was all too real cut through the air like a knife. Alex gasped out in terror, it couldn’t be…then just as she thought it just wasn’t possible.

AWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO The howling increased, multiple different pitches could be heard, signifying that there was more than one. Alex could only think of one thing to do as she grabbed Roberts wrist, Run.
with: Robert CkSmalling
Radio to: David + Eli Shireling ; Godfrey Folklord ; Theo Misty Gray (Respond as you pleassseeee)

 

[MadiRaiCat]

Mackenzie O'Leary​

Location: Neutral Territory, then far end of the West
Mentions: David ( Shireling ), Godfrey ( Folklord )
Interactions: Bexley ( Bellz ), Mick ( Misty Gray )
Outfit: x

Mackenzie closely watched the group of men as they exited the meeting room. She knew the East were generally peaceful, but she wouldn't put anything past them. Her emerald eyes narrowed as David and Godfrey as the past by her, heading to the door. She never understood why their leadership was so lax, so content in living with the present and not fighting for a better future. At least the West, with the help of Doc, were trying to end this apocalypse. What were the East doing? If they truly were the last humans alive, it was up to them to resurrect this planet. They had no one else to do it for them.

After they were gone, the faint clicking of their footsteps disappearing from the building, Mac released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Her muscles relaxed marginally, and she took a few steps to glance out the window, watching the Eastern men retreat to their territory. Turning to her doubtful friend, Mackenzie crossed her arms over her chest. "You were thinking about the West, your family. If we can't trust the East to have our backs, we can't trust them with anything. It was the right move," Mac replied, shrugging one shoulder. Without any more words on the matter, Mac followed Bexley and Mick from the building, heading towards their home territory.

Once their boots were crunching on snow, Mac jogged a bit to catch up with Bexley. "I'm going to go ahead, scout a bit. Make sure there are no stragglers," she said, her tone even. In reality, she needed to change the bandage around her arm that a pink tinge of blood and plasma had started to seep through, and she didn't want to bother with the potential worry or pity from her team. Sure, she was injured and probably should have had medical treatment. But Mac hated being vulnerable, and didn't want anyone doting on her.

Without waiting for a response, Mac pulled her crossbow over her shoulder and began jogging ahead towards the far west end where the zombies had broken through before. Far too many decomposing walker bodies littered the path. Mac would have to gather a group to make a walker bonfire at some point soon. It was probably her least favorite thing, the smell was horrendous, but it was better than just letting them infect the ground or something like that.

Once she was a few hundred yards away and out of sight, Mac paused by a tree. Carefully unwrapping the bandage from her forearm, Mac didn't paused as she dumped some grain alcohol from her back pocket on to the wound, hissing slightly at the pain. She quickly rewrapped it with a fresh bandage. It was slightly until a dull groan filled the air and something gripped her ankle. "Son of a bitch!" Mac cursed, immediately pulling her blade from its sheath and stabbing it into the dismembered zombie at her feet. It was only comprised of a torso, left arm and head, probably one of the few left over from the grenades. Mac stepped away as it died, taking a deep breath to calm her now racing heart. Closing her eyes tight to fight back any of the overwhelming emotion attempting to break through, she quietly muttered to herself, "This has to end."

codedbycrucialstar​

 

[Nightblade]

​

Nik got to the roof and set up his sniper, taking lookout position. Once everything was in place, he got comfortable since they were going to be here a while.
Looking through the scope, he saw nothing more than the odd undead rambling around the ruins, a quick snipe to the head did them in.
Taking the chance, he looked over his shoulder and saw Matt struggling to stay focused. With a small sigh he spoke up.

"Take a power nap, I will keep an eye out and wake you if I need you"

Nik explained as he went back to focusing on his sniper, moving slowly to keep as much in view as possible.
Being trained by a paranoid russian ex-trooper was really showing its benefits now, Nik thought to himself as he relaxed behind the scope

Mentions:
DistressedDisaster : Matt

 

[DistressedDisaster]

Matthew Williams

He hesitated for a moment before noticing the fatigue narrowing his vision a bit. Besides, he trusted Nik more than most others he knew. At the very least if he was killed, it would be painless. With a quiet mumbled, "Thanks", he settled down near Nik, hiding under his coat. Unfortunately, he had forgotten why he was avoiding sleep until the very last moment he slipped from consciousness.

Nearly immediately, he felt himself slipping into the realm of dreams. But the dreams soon turned to nightmares.

He was sitting with his mom, coloring and chatting aimlessly about school and his friends when she began to convulse and twist. Her body becoming a hideous amalgamation of terror. She lashed out and suddenly he was beside the west wall, watching horde after horde overtake everyone. Blood and rot stained the air, the oily grime splashing and covering him in it's stench. Bex, Mac, Nik, Mick, even himself. Each dying again and again. Horribly torn to bits, devoured in every way. He felt ill even while asleep, the throes of horror capturing him in it's twisted talons.

Matt had begun to twitch not even twenty minutes after he fell asleep, quiet sounds of distress muffled from where he had unconsciously bit into his sleeve's fabric.

Nightblade (With Nik)​

 

[CkSmalling]

Robert Sloan Jr.
[Mentions: Bellz (Alex)]
​

Robert smiled as Alex called him rookie again. "There is no way I can convince you to stop calling me Rookie is there? A man has to preserve his image in-front of his fellow peers." He nudged Alex as they walked on. Suddenly he froze. That sound was not friendly and he was sure they will not stick around to "guess or take their chances. "I don't know what it is but it is wise we don't stick around to find out.'

"Are you sure? When you hear a noise you are not familiar with, one does not go towards it. It's like walking to the slaughterhouse...or worse." He saw Alex reaching for the radio but kept quiet. Seeing there was no way if convincing her, they moved towards the unknown sound. " I have a very bad feeling about this, and you can quote me on that."

The sounds of their shoes crunching the soft ice was the only comfort they hard. Pin drop silence is usually an omen and omens are not chocolate covered sweets. "Roger that." He took out his radio and placed it in his hand. The blinding cold was not helping the situation improve. Seeing a few meters back, their footprints were already covered by the snow."And go where? Our tracks are already covered in snow."They continued to trudge on slowly heading to the unknown. "i have no idea. We haven't had the chance to use the flags so that we can mark our location." He managed to pick up the fear in her voice. They were horribly lost.

"And at the same time, we simply cannot stand in this blistering cold. We have to look for a place to rest for the time being, and hope the blizzard will die after a few hours. We have to find a place we can secure. And fast." Robert heard the howling. His blood started rushing to his heart. That kind of response was not one of his favorite. Alex grabbed his hand and was dragged into the opposite direction. Multiple dogs running in our direction was not a good sign. Dogs like going for the neck. why was he remembering that now?

 

[Bellz]

Bexley Withers
Ivan Salazar​

It was remarkable! The good doctor had not slept nor took any breaks since the creature was transported to his lab. Salazar had worked through the agonizing pain of his wounds and the exhaustion of his tussle with the very beast he was studying. Yet, it was all worth it.

In 24 hours, Ivan's studies had made a breakthrough. The possibility of there being more things like this creature out there… or even better… different types…

With these variants, The possibilities were boundless!

The concerning matter was convincing the West Colony's leader, Bexley.

She knew the work he was doing was important but he sincerely doubted she truly understood how important this was. Not only to the benefit of the entire world but for his own, personal endeavors.

So, Ivan made the trek from his lab to the colony after having sedated and restrained the big variant. He only had his pistol and knife with him on this trip. His gas mask was destroyed, he couldn't use his rifle with an arm in a sling, and he had no supplies to bring.

He came with his classic long coat, cargo pants, and a wool sweater underneath. There were deep shadows under his eyes -or rather eye- from no sleep and overtaxing himself but his functioning grey eye shined with fervor. This was the most traction he has gained in years….

It was rare that the doctor showed up not wearing some kind of apparatus on his face. Anything from a gas mask to a surgical mask but something always adorned his face. Today, he came not only without any coverage but with his hair down as well.

He was clearly too engaged in his research to bother tying it up and putting his hood up. The warm condensation of his breath against the frigid air drifted past shoulders as he walked. Long, waves of formerly raven black hair rested on there like a waterfall frozen in time.

The guards at the front actually hadn't recognized him until he spoke and his thick, accented voice finally got the wheels turning.

------------------

“Lone Ranger, we’ve got Doctor Salazar waiting at the front gates. Permission to let him in?”

The noise came through Bexley’s radio, startling her a bit as it disturbed the silence around her. Reaching for the radio, she gripped it tightly, her index finger reaching to press the talk button. “Permission granted, over.” She spoke clearly before looking at Mick and Mac. She was going to have to leave the two of them to finish the search.

***

She arrived back at the base pretty quickly, having decided a jog would do her some good. The gates appeared before her and she slowed to a walk as she saw Ivan. “What’s up, Doc?” She asked, her tone clearly teasing the man. She was sure that he wouldn’t find her joke very humorous so she decided to move the conversation on very quickly. Upon closer inspection, she could really take in the gruesome sight that was the Doctor. It was hard to not wear her emotions on her face, especially when it came to seeing others injuries. Biting her lip, she tried her best to keep from cringing.

“You’ve seen better days.” The woman remarked. If she was being completely honest, the whole colony had. That night, Bexley had been questioning the research that Ivan was doing. She was sure that red flags were raised with the East once again, having seen and helped the West get control over the beast...she was sure they would catch on to what they were up to quickly. While it seemed like it would be a good thing for Ivan’s research, she felt like the whole thing was unsafe for the wellbeing of her faction. They weren’t supposed to be messing with the creatures the way they were...wasn’t that what got everyone in trouble in the first place?

The doctor reached up with his good arm and let his fingertips lightly brush against the gauze that covered the bloody ruin of his left eye. “A minor loss for the leaps my research just took. I only need one eye to continue anyway.”

His eye snapped towards hers and he gestured with a nod to the entrance. “Need to talk in private. It's about the Wyrm we captured.”

It was unnerving, looking at the gauze and knowing what was left underneath it. From what it looked like, she’d struck some sort of chord with the Doctor as he touched his eye. She was curious to know what sort of leaps his research took, after all, they didn’t go through all that trouble, he didn’t lose an eye for no reason. As usual it seemed that Ivan wasn’t one for pleasantries and it would seem that they would get down to business as usual. As he nodded his head towards the entrance, Bexley gave him a nod of her own. “Lead the way.” She told him, ready to step beside him as they walked in the direction he chose to go.

Her eyes glanced around them quickly, making sure no one would approach them by surprise as they turned their backs. The last thing she needed was someone else finding this shit out. She wasn’t sure if she could convince others that this work was for the good of the people when she herself couldn’t be easily convinced. It amazed her slightly at the dedication the Doc had towards his work, his life nearly lost at the hands of a beast that was a mystery to all of them. The virus was taking on different forms that they didn’t even know were possible...or at least that’s what she gathered.


***


Once they reached her office Dr. Salazar took a breath and just said what he needed to say, “I need more.”

The woman rounded her desk before taking a seat in the large yet torn office chair her father had found years and years ago. The doctor’s words puzzled her and it clearly showed on her face as her brows furrowed together. “You need more?”

He let that comment sit for a moment before continuing, “That creature isn't new. Everything in its tissue tells me that it's not a new Wyrm. Its been around for several years, much like the Wyrms around these parts.”

The doctor stroked his jaw and looked downwards as he placed back and forth, “This is the first time we have seen one like this but it's not new. There are three things about it that I have discovered.”

He counted down on his fingers, “One. It is weak to heat. It shrivels up when exposed to heat or flame. Even room temperature conditions causes its skin to start flaking after some time. This thing is made for the cold. That's why it could even come down here in the first place.”

“Two. It's quite clumsy. It is a beast that is certainly not used to… herds, as your people call them. That's why it was attacking the local zombies. It wasn't familiar with them.”

“Three. Within its stomach content, I didn't find human flesh. I found Wyrm flesh. This… thing…. When it was human, it consumed zombie tissue and that is what caused the infection. It was not bitten or scratched.”

The Western leader sat back in her chair as she tried to process what the Doctor was saying to her. Things were clearly not normal with this situation, with this thing. The most damning piece of news she heard was the fact that the creature wasn’t consuming human flesh. From the time she was old enough to understand the world around her, she knew that zombies only consumed human flesh, it was like knowing your ABC’s, it was just facts.

Hearing that Ivan had discovered that the giant creature was consuming the flesh of other zombies, well before it was even turned…

She didn’t know what to say. She stared wide eyed at Ivan, seeing he was getting excitable about the information at hand. Bex didn’t know what this all meant.

The doctor stopped pacing and looked closely at the woman before him, “These are still just preliminary discoveries but Withers…. Do you understand what this could mean?” He didn't bother to wait for an answer.

“This means the virus might be able to evolve or change what form the infected may take based on various factors. This variant came down through the breach at the north correct? Certain conditions up there could bring about an infected like this. What about the south? Further west towards drier climates? Across the ocean?”

“Withers, observing and researching the variants that may crop up in more distant areas could teach me much more about how this infection behaves. The variables that create the variants could open doors in the virus's “code” that I could not see otherwise. We cannot pass this discovery up!” He said with fervor uncharacteristic for his usual demeanor.

Bex was shocked at the emotion that came from the Doctor, not seeing him act in such a way...ever. Now that it was explained to her what this could mean for his research, the leader had a few things she needed to mull over. Leaning back in her chair, the brunette let out a sigh, letting the silence fall between the two of them for a moment as she tried to wrap her head around the entire situation. The lack of sleep from the night before was getting to her and she was sure it showed in her tired eyes.

“You haven’t gotten any rest like Jay told you to huh?” She asked suddenly, amusement shining in her eyes for a moment before she pushed forward in her chair, leaning her arms against the table. ”This is all great, Doc. Really. At least I think it is…”Bex trailed off for a moment, the silence falling between the two of them again before she cleared her throat.

“But I’m not sure if I can allow this type of experimentation any further…”She held up her hand, beckoning the man to just hear her out. “We are raising a lot of red flags, Ivan. As much as I wish it were true, the Easterners aren’t stupid. Theo saw us taking that thing and he already informed Santa on what he believed we were doing with it..” She didn’t care what the Easterners thought of her or her faction but after what happened the day before, and what happened in the meeting earlier, it was clear that they were all on their own now.

“Even within our own territory people are beginning to talk and worry and I’m not sure how to explain it to them.”

There was an obvious flicker of irritation in the doctor's features but it quickly faded to reveal pure indifference, “I've never known you to care about the East Colony thoughts or opinions. In fact, you seemed quite adamant on destroying what amiability you had with them when you, yourself, broke the truce.”

It was obvious his words weren't meant to be harsh, he didn't care enough for that, but harsh they were, “With how much rides on the discovery of these variants, now is not the best time rediscover your selflessness, Withers. I need you to be a leader, not a charity. If the people ask questions, tell them what they want to hear. I’m doing research on the virus.”

Bexley thought she had hit a chord once again with the doctor but it was replaced with the familiar indifference she knew and found irritating about him. His words rang true, she never cared about what the East thought about or what they had to say, but they grew harsh as he had the nerve to bring up the truce her father and David had written up and followed. Offended, the woman ground her teeth, jaw ticking with irritation but she said nothing as she allowed the man to continue.

Again, his words were harsh, forcing her to look inside herself when she didn’t want to, angry at what she saw. She wasn’t a leader, if she was being completely honest with everyone but she was sure they all saw past her angry exterior. Normally, morality would be the issue with these experimentations but nothing was really moral in a world like this anymore...all humanity lost. If there was a chance that the doctor could restore that long lost humanity... there wouldn’t be a need for the factions, for the West and the East. Things could go on how they once were. It was a dream that she could only think of while asleep but if Ivan was willing to make that a reality...it would set them all free. He was inevitably right, she needed to be a leader and being such meant hiding her people from the truth, at least for now.

“Well,” She stated, “I can’t really stop you from doing your research. But I will be doing everything in my power to hide the truth from my people, if this somehow backfires I don’t want them being dragged into this.”With that being said, Bex let out a sigh, moving a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose. “What are you going to need?”

Without missing a beat, Ivan straightened himself and nodded to her, “I'm going to need you to continue exactly what you are doing but on a larger scale.”

The older gentleman pointed to the map of the city on her desk, “Send scouts northward and see if you can't find more of those bigger Wyrm variants. But also dispatch scouts in the other cardinal directions. Outside the borders of the colonies and into the danger zones.”

What he was suggesting was dangerous and almost certainly was going to come with a cost. Human lives. Naturally, the doctor was aware of what he was asking and it was only going to get worse, “There is no need to push the borders out. I just need the scouts to search for any zombies that act or look differently than the ones we are accustomed to seeing here and if possible, bringing them back alive. Dead if not.”

Bex leaned forward, her eyes glancing down at the map for only a second before they were sent staring down the doctor. What he was suggesting was something she just couldn’t commit to. It wasn’t her people’s responsibility to deal with this type of thing and she’d be damned if she let them go out into danger just for the sake of exploration and experimentation. Before Ivan got through with his last sentence, the leader was already shaking her head, “No. Absolutely not. Not happening. That’s not keeping my people out of this!” Her voice raised slightly as she stood up, palms pressing against the old oak desk as it supported her weight.

“This meeting is over. I will not sign my people’s lives over to you just for this shit. We will figure out another way, I already have them out searching for the beasts within our territory, where its safe.”

Normally, Ivan would chalk it up to childishness, as he usually did with Withers but he was not in the mood for this. Any other day but today was not one of them. The previous flicker of irritation became a hot flare of frustration driven anger, “Withers, this isn't the time for safe.” He said through his teeth, “This is the time for action! The truth has never been closer than when that beast came into our lives! I sacrificed my own well-being just for the CHANCE of discovering something new! That chance paid off and I can't stop here. Not when I'm so close.”

He leaned forward so they were face to face, “We can't throw this opportunity away, Withers. We cannot afford to!”

The only reason Bex believed that Ivan was pushing this was because he had gone batshit crazy. She simply didn’t listen to crazies, it's why she ignored the East. The woman was set in her ways, “I’m not throwing this opportunity away! I have to think about the greater good here. Sending my people out into the danger zones outside of our territory is foolish! Might as well kiss humanity goodbye!”

Ivan leaned forward but Bex didn’t back down, her arms crossing stubbornly, “We can’t afford to lose the people we have now. We have to stick together in order to survive, doc. You chose to risk your life for a beast and look where it got you. You say it's a small price to pay but to others it might not be so small. I can’t control what you do but I sure as hell have a say in what the people of this faction do.”

“Listen to my words old man because I will not repeat them. Leave my people out of this.” He may have been okay with using her people like his own personal experiments, but that was going to far in Bexley’s book. The anger in his eyes was all to real but she wouldn’t be moved.

“Hija de la Gran -”

He started before he cut himself off and ran a hand through his graying hair. He took a few heated breaths before continuing, “This IS the greater good Withers. Nothing is for the greater good other than the work I am doing and no one else can do it other than me!”

He could feel the heat crawling along the back of his neck and bringing a rise in his normally husky, quiet vibrato. “I am not getting any younger Withers and God only knows when my mind is going to start fading and then we are ALL screwed! Don't you see that?!” He yelled.

The woman slammed her hands against the desk suddenly, not taking too kindly to being yelled at by the normally even doctor. “Are you sure your mind hasn’t already started to leave you!” She shouted back. “How the fuck am I supposed to trust you on this? With the lives of my people at stake! This is not up for discussion any further. If you don’t like it, you can leave.”She growled out, turning her back towards the man.

“BECAUSE I CREATED IT, BEXLEY WITHERS!! I created this godforsaken virus and any one else who had a hand in it is either dead or missing! I am the only one who can fix this fucking mess because I'm the one who caused it. Tu no entiendes eso, mujer?!” Salazar's face contorted in an equal mixture of anger and pain, the throbbing in his ruined eye from his increased heart rate and the stabbing, twisting protest his ribs were putting up at the doctor having raised his voice to the point of yelling.

He slammed his fist into her desk and immediately regretted it but that didn't stop him, “I don't have much longer in this disgusting life and I will not, no, I REFUSE to leave this world without correcting this catastrophe I caused.”

Red had started to seep through the gauze that covered his eye as the fresh wound responded to all the blood rushing through his body by letting it slip through the cracks. Though it was obvious, Ivan hadn't noticed.

His words rang heavily in her ears but they didn’t seem to register at first. Brows furrowed in confusion, she shook her head slowly, as if not understanding. “You..you..created the virus?” There was a long pause as the man continued to yell, slamming his fist against the desk, she jumped at the action. Before she had a chance to make any sort of rebuttal, blood was seeping through the gauze on his face. “Shit.” She hissed out, moving to reach for some sort of cloth, anything he could use to apply pressure.

“Calm down.” She ordered him, “You are really seeing red now.” Bex was sure the joke would fly past the man’s head but it was too easy to ignore. Grabbing one of her light coats hanging on her father’s old coat rack, she handed it to the man. “Don’t bleed on my desk.” She tossed him the cloth before sighing. This was clearly upsetting to him and if what he said was true...then he really could save them, fix this mistake that cost the world millions and millions of innocent lives.

“This could take years...well past the ones you could live for. What will happen if you can’t complete what you are setting out to do? Then we are screwed? That’s it?”

Ivan grabbed the cloak and felt the gauze with his fingertips. When they came back red, he cursed silently and pressed the sleeve of the coat against his eye.

“I can't afford to die before this is done. Because yes. If I can't complete this before my time comes, everyone is screwed. I can't die before that happens.”

He plopped down in the chair in front of the desk with a harsh sigh and lapsed into silence for a few minutes.

He fumed in quietly before finally breaking the silence, “There's no one else, Bexley. It has to be me.”

Bex froze as she looked at the doctor with wide eyes, he just called me by my first full name? She thought in confusion, they had never been on a first name basis...well at least he hadn’t. She couldn’t help but feel like this was a sign of just how serious he was.

The doc repeated “It has to be me.” with his eye closed several times like some sort of mantra and it seemed to calm him down some. When he finally opened it, he felt like what he said might need some context, “I was part of the elite research team and spearheaded the creation of the drug that brought about the apocalypse. I was one of the head developers and researchers.”

Ivan sighed again and stared at his lap for a moment before shaking his head and continuing, “We were making good progress but something was strange about the lab rats we tested the drug on.”

The leaders eyes practically bulged out of her head at what she was hearing. “And you all thought it was a good idea for it to be released to the general masses?”

He looked up at Bexley now and he honestly never looked more like a tired old man than in that moment, “It wasn't ready. We told them it wasn't ready yet but they seized our research and the drug and shut us down. Mass produced it and shipped it out within a month. We had gag orders placed on us and then…. Well…” he gestured outside, “Everyone knows the rest.”

“This rests on my shoulders, Bexley. That's why I don't care about the sacrifices needed to create this cure. I can't afford to.”

“There's no time. I have no time to be human and have a heart. To destroy this monster virus I created, I need to be a monster myself. I'll accept any hatred and resentment I receive. I'll go to hell with a smile when it's all over. As long as I give the world a chance to rebuild. For the sake of the world, I just need a chance, Withers.”

“This is my one chance.”

There was silence that fell between the two of them, a heavy one that weighed down on Bexley’s shoulders like bricks. Here she thought she was dealing with some crackpot doctor who only was experimenting just to do it but as it turned out, he was responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent lives...including those she held dear to her heart. The woman wasn’t sure if she should feel angry or hopeful. The protectiveness she had for her people was strong...but it was being challenged by the desire to one day live a free life again, to walk among of crowd of normal humans without worrying about who is going to sink their teeth into you.

It was a dream that she had been wishing for almost all her life.

And yet, this was the hardest decision she has ever been faced with. Bexley stared at Ivan for a long moment, her hands folding in front of her. She’d never seen the man speak so openly about anything with her, never shedding emotion...this meant something to him. “It would appear that you have a good head on your shoulders, Doc.” She remarked before letting out a sigh, taking a seat in her own chair.

Her eyes looked to a picture of her father from an old fishing trip they took together one year, then to the picture of a small Atticus. His blue eyes burned hole into her mind, she stared at it long and hard. The only reason she carried on this far was in hopes that he would be found...that he could someday have a normal life…

“Alright.”

Bexley’s eyes returned to Ivan’s and she nodded her head once, “I will give you that chance. And my people can be used to help but I will be taking every precaution necessary to make sure they all return from these missions safely. These sacrifices may not mean anything to you, but those are living and breathing people, people who have fought long and hard to survive the mess that you helped create.”

“That's all I need.” He said cooly as he stood from his seat looking more tired than ever. “Once I create the cure and teach others how to produce it, I'll willingly walk to my own death as a final act of atonement. It's the best I can do. Your people can choose the method. I won't care at that point.”

Bexley nodded her head once as the man stood from his seat, he looked exhausted but Bex was sure she didn’t look to great either at this point. The information she had just received was already starting to weigh down on her. Her eyes stared at him as he spoke of willingingly walking to his death, stating that her people could choose the method. Given their relationship, most would think that she would just lunge at the opportunity, but the leader was silent, only exhaling a deep breath before standing slowly herself.

“Your fate hasn’t been decided yet.” She simply said before heading towards the door. Reaching for the handle, Bexley opened it before looking to the doctor once more, “Get some rest while you can. As soon as my people find what you need, there will be no end until the cure is created. I can promise you that much.”

shadowz1995

 

[Shireling]

Eli Cartwright​

While he and Theo were still talking, Eli went for his radio on his own utility belt as it crackled off, casually moving the device to his ear to better hear over the wind.

"Alex to Base: The storm is too strong for my team to advance on the East Village, there is almost zero visibility now and we are unable to locate which direction to move in!”

"Damnit," Eli muttered. He noticed that the snow had been picking up, but the storm must be considerably thick to their south if Alex and Robert had lost their way and Eli began to fear that he and Theo would be in the same position before too long. He quickly checked his memory for landmarks that the two might be able to use to navigate out of the East Village. The best idea, he thought, would be to link back up at St. Mark's which would probably be the tallest building in the vicinity given that he knew some of the nearby rowhouses were shorter than the church tower.

"Alex, come in, this is Eli. Hang on out there. I've got a plan to link up with you guys, but you've got to listen very carefully. Search the skyline to the west. If you see a steeple, that's probably St. Mark's Church. If you can get there, you should hole up there until me and Theo can find you. Do you think there are any walkers after you?"

Even as he was talking, Eli was starting into a light jog and pointing them in the direction of the church. He had been there a few times to pilfer Bibles and prayer books for his brother, an old Episcopal church with an underground sepulcher that would make a decent place to hide if nothing else. He hoped that Alex and Robert were just lost, because if they were attacked in a snow storm like this, what with Robert being barely trained with a firearm, they stood a snowball's chance in Hell.

Misty Gray Bellz CkSmalling