Daryl hadn't been to Atlanta but a couple times. Both were for court cases relating to Merle, of course. The twins hadn't been to Atlanta at all.
That was a large city, they could find directions to new places or really anything there. Plus, a big city meant more people in case Shinsuke or the junkies came looking for them.
"Will we stay at hotels?" Sakiko wonders, opening and closing her pocket knife to have something to do with her hands during the long ride.
"We'll need to," Daryl nods, "Just for a little. We'll figure something else out later."
Sakiko nods and Daryl huffs a laugh at her willingness for just about anything right now.
"When you did this before, how far did you get?" Nanami asks.
"Was stupid. I went out to the woods thinking I'd be safe there," Daryl recalls.
"So, you were camping?" Sakiko figures.
"If that's what you wan' call it. Ended up back home cause I ain't ate in days."
"I have Cheetos," Nanami offers.
"Hold on to 'em," Daryl assures, biting back the grin.
On the outskirts of Atlanta, the houses began looking more and more lavish. Sakiko thought it would be cool to live in a house with stairs inside and Daryl scoffed as he said the twins would try pushing each other down them.
"'Quarantine zone'," Nanami reads the large sign that was once a billboard, "What's that mean? Quarantine for what?"
Daryl slows down to read the other signs that were on the sides of the road.
'Atlanta camps are safe. Please begin relocation there.', 'Military Personnel ahead.', 'Signs of infected please resort to your closest medical facility.'- the signs had read.
"Saw something 'bout it on TV at the store," Daryl mutters, "Some kind of flu outbreak."
"Like a cold?" Sakiko questions as Daryl returns to his normal driving speed.
"They called it a virus or something. Atlanta's supposed to be safe, though."
"Why hasn't it been more.. Like known back there," Sakiko asks, referring to their small town.
"Because our town is three streets of junkies, a diner, two stores, and old people," Nanami decides, "They don't care about us there- we're what rich people call 'low class'."
Daryl couldn't help but point to the boy with a nod of agreeance. Sakiko hums with a shrug of her shoulders, finding that she could twirl the knife around her finger now to which she proudly shows off to Nanami.
"'m gonna pull over here. Fill up before we get to town. Gas probably costs out the ass in city limits," Daryl announces upon spotting the gas station.
"Can I come, too? We didn't pack any drinks," Sakiko frowns.
Daryl makes a sound, reaching for his wallet as Nanami adds, "We can pay. We've been saving up and.. all."
Sakiko glares to Nanami, Daryl's curiosity peeking, "'Saving'?"
Sakiko gives Nanami a warning look and Nanami shrugs, "Yeah."
"Kid, are you thieving shit again?" Daryl sighs.
"It's not like we could trust dad to pay for our meals every day!" Sakiko defends, "I can't help it that the teachers are easy targets. Besides, it's not like I'll have to see them again."
Daryl shakes his head only for a new reality to sink in. School. The kids needed school for fucks sake. Daryl hadn't even thought about the legal aspects of this.
The school would eventually notice the kids were gone, then they would contact Shinsuke on their whereabouts. The man would either out himself and be arrested or play the concerned dad side. Either way, a search party would go out for the kids. When they get caught, then what? The kids either go back to Shinsuke or that government system that scared all three of them, and Daryl would be arrested for kidnapping.
This is why Daryl didn't let his heart get in the way of his life and choices.
The kids opening the passenger door snapped him out of his thoughts and he curses to himself under his breath before climbing out and following them inside the store.
Upon entry, the kids didn't notice the things Daryl did. They didn't see the strange looks from other people the trio got thrown their way. Daryl could only imagine what they looked like, walking around and pretending like nothing deeper was happening on surface level.
He loses the twins as they delve deeper into the store, he thought he heard them arguing about strawberry or grape soda but he was used to the bickering enough to tone them out as he headed to the register.
He pays for the gas and a pack of cigarettes, glancing to the back of the store to find the kids. After a couple minutes, they're returning with their choice of drinks in hand.
"Didn't know what you'd like," Sakiko tells him, setting a regular soda on the counter.
Daryl wanted to comment that they didn't have to grab him a drink, but he was too busy getting more money out to pay for their things. Nanami gives him a look of complaint but Daryl shrugs him off as the cashier rings them up.
His guard goes up when he notices how quiet Sakiko had been, looking over to her to see her hands inching to the candy below the bar. Carefully, Daryl knocks his boot against her tennis shoes and coughs to clear his throat. Sakiko glares up at him and he gives her a pointed look, handing her the bag of drinks to carry.
"You're not as fun as I thought," Sakiko lets him know as they exit the shop.
"We're leaving that shit behind, remember?" Daryl reminds, placing a cigarette in his mouth.
Sakiko only huffs a breath, walking ahead to climb in the truck. The two males give their own version of a laugh at her, Nanami walking ahead as well.
"I'll pump the gas," Nanami announces.
"You even know how to do it?" Daryl asks.
"You're smoking. If you pump gas, you might blow us up."
"Awesome," Sakiko comments, peering out the window, "That would make up for being boring, you know?"
"Hell no," Daryl shoots it down, "You can do the gas, we ain't leaving behind a crime scene."
Sakiko gives another dramatic sigh, falling back out the window and flopping in her seat.
--
The group drove right into a traffic jam a couple hours later, just outside the main city. But, they didn't seem to mind that much. When not moving at all, Daryl cut the engine off the save the old truck on gas and the group snacked on their food and discussed their plans once they reached the city.
"Won't hotels in the city be expensive?" Nanami wonders.
"If need, we can circle back around to the one we drive past earlier. Worst case, we sleep in the truck," Daryl answers.
"Ooh, we could sleep in the back! It would be like camping," Sakiko claps her hands.
"Won't it be cold?" Nanami questions.
"You got clothes, don't ya?" Daryl reminds.
"Still," Nanami mutters, looking to the car beside them.
"Don't stare at people, they'll think you're a freak," Daryl advises.
"No one's even in there," Nanami points out, motioning to the car with his thumb.
Daryl leans forward, peering past the twins to see the car was indeed empty.
"Probably jus' rubberneckin'," Daryl decides.
"Rubber-whatting, now?" Sakiko questions, "You ever make sense?"
"It's like being nosey. Like you," Nanami informs, "I heard my friend's dad say it before."
"How y'all even end up here? Where you from before?" Daryl wonders.
"Mom was visiting a festival in Macon. She's originally from Kyoto, Japan and was only a tourist here. Dad was at the same festival, but he'd been here for a long time. I don't know where he's from in Japan," Nanami explains.
"They met there and mom dropped everything back home to move here and be with him. It was some cherry blossom festival or something," Sakiko finishes.
"That's how Sakiko got her name. Cherry blossoms are a big thing in Kyoto and they met at a cherry blossom festival. Sakiko's name means 'blossom child'," Nanami adds.
"I was planned. Nanami wasn't," she whispers.
"I was a surprise," Nanami rephrases, "Which is why my name came from the tour guide at the festival they met at. Not as cool as Sakiko's."
"But, people pronounce Nanami's name easier than mine," Sakiko sighs, "They always screw mine up."
"Which is why we call her Kiki," Nanami cuts in.
"And him Nana," Sakiko finishes.
"Think I just went through that twin finishing each other's thoughts thing," Daryl admits.
"Same brain, different faces. It's a good thing we're only fraternal," Sakiko says.
"She says that but she's the ugly one," Nanami mutters.
Sakiko glares at him, though she doesn't do anything else other than threaten to pour her drink over his head.
Daryl noticed that the twins hardly touched one another unless it was a hug of support. He wasn't much for skin type affection, either. But, he still plants in in his head that the twins must be sensitive to things like that. Considering their situation, Daryl could've figure that much out without it being displayed in front of him.
--
After a couple hours of waiting in the traffic jam, the twins had become antsy and Daryl decided for them to get out and stretch a bit as they clearly weren't moving anytime soon. Maybe he could even figure out what was going on in the meantime.
"Hey man, you got a light?" a man asks, motioning a lighter with his hand.
"Yeah," Daryl nods, pulling out his own pack and lighter.
He lights the cigarette for the man before his own, glancing to where the kids were stretching beside truck.
"What's the hold up? You know what's going on?" Daryl asks the man.
The man gives him a funny look, taking a long drag before speaking, "You don't know?"
"We're.." Daryl tries to figure out his answer, "We ain't got phones, TV, nothing.. No clue what's going on."
"Government starting broadcasting on the TV for quarantine shut down in everyone's houses. Some kind of virus that's spreading fast. Then, it got more out of control and so they started saying for everyone to come to Atlanta."
"If this spreads fast, why the hell they want everyone in one place?" Daryl questions.
"No clue. Supposed to be refugee centers based around town.. Military and all," the man waves his hand around, "My kids' school didn't shut down until today- happened out of nowhere. Said they needed it for a FEMA shelter or something. Your kids the same?"
Daryl follows the man's motions to the twins. How the hell does he answer this one and not look suspicious?
"So, this some kind of outbreak?" he asks instead.
"Seems like it. Emergency broadcasts say to keep eye out for 'excessive bleeding, fever, and extreme aggression'. 'Don't make contact with those that show those symptoms' or whatever."
--
They were still in the traffic jam hours later, the twins falling asleep on each other's shoulder and leaving Daryl to fight his tiredness.
He was picking at the ridges in the steering wheel when he heard the sounds of helicopters above. With a soft sigh, he leans back in his seat, the hours sat in the spot becoming uncomfortable as he shuffles around to peer out the window.
In the night, the helicopters looked like some kind of alien ship with their flashing lights as they pass over the vehicles. They fly right by to the city and Daryl's eyebrows wrinkle as it seems the numbers don't stop. There was only one at first that caught his attention, he'd counted around eight by time they'd stopped appearing from behind.
Daryl sits up straighter, stretching his arms as he looks closer out the windshield. The helicopter lights made them easier to see as they fly over the city below, though Daryl could only see the tops of a few building from their spot in the traffic jam.
Daryl's shuffling around must've disturbed Sakiko as she raises her head up, blinking slowly, "Are we still stuck?"
"Yeah," Daryl responds, not looking away from the lights.
"What's that?" she asks, taking notice of where his attention was.
"Helicopters. Bunch of 'em flew right down there," he points.
The talking wakes up Nanami and he rubs his eyes tiredly, sighing once he sees they're in almost the same position they were in earlier when he'd fallen asleep. Then, he sees the lights of the helicopters and jumps a little at the awareness of being awake.
Sakiko yawns, reaching to the bag in the floorboard that held their drinks. Nanami holds his hand out for her to give him his as well and she complies as they return to watching the lights and looking around to the other parked cars around them. By now, people had begun to get out of their vehicles to see the helicopters as well as stretching their limbs.
A sudden loud noise echoes brutally through the air, making the three in the truck as well as lingering people jump at the sound.
"What was that?" Sakiko asks with wide eyes.
Another loud noise is followed by a third, then a fourth. Soon after, there's a red-orange glow emitting into the air. The ground rumbles below from the explosions and the twins instinctively huddle closer to Daryl.
"Hold on," he warns them, starting the truck up.
He honks to the car beside them, the man pulling off the road that Daryl quickly drives out of. Sakiko yelps as she bounces from the uneven ground, Nanami grabbing her hand.
"Where are we going?" Nanami asks.
"Not here, that's for damn sure," Daryl answers, weaving the truck between the trees of the woods.