➳It was hard to tell how much time had passed. (y/n) would have used the sun, but they'd had so little water the past however long that looking up at the sky burned her eyes. They'd found rags to wrap their skin in, to keep it safe from being burned by the harsh UV rays.
They trudged along, heading north still. Her shoulder was killing her, and it must have kept bleeding because she could only feel herself getting weaker at time went on. Eventually, she was leaning heavily against Tommy, limping along.
It was no secret, to the young girl who'd been taught by a former field medic, that the wound was probably infected, and would kill her if they didn't come across a miracle. She groaned as they walked through a small patch of abandoned vehicles.
There were large, yellow flowers growing from within one of the cars, and (y/n) kept limping along, one arm wrapped around 10k's shoulders, until her body seized, and she stumbled.
"Okay," Warren cooed, helping her along as Doc walked ahead, shoving something off the hood of a car so she could sit down. "Let's get you over here."
(y/n) sat as Warren told her, and could have cried with relief. Her entire shoulder was throbbing and felt hot, so hot. She wanted to rip off everything they'd put on a sunblock and just lay down.
And her throat, God, her throat burned like she'd swallowed fire. Tommy kneeled down beside her, and peeled away the top layer of bandage to get a look at her wound. He grimaced, and she let her head fall back onto the car.
"Shit," she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut.
"What is it?" Doc asked, peeking over the boy's shoulder.
"The bleeding's stopped, but," his sentence trailed off. (y/n) sighed.
"Just go," her voice was hoarse from dehydration. "I'll be fine. You guys go, live. Leave me a weapon and some ammo."
"I can't do that," Tommy sighed, pushing the sweaty hair out of her face. She grinned deliriously at him - his little headscarf and entire outfit was quite funny at the time.
"Hey. Nobody's leaving you here to die." Warren promised. Doc passed her the flask.
"Here. Take the last of the water."
She batted his hands away. "No. Someone else." Doc tried again, and then Tommy.
"I said no!" she exclaimed, then groaned in pain. "don't waste it on me when I'm just going to die." Her best friend - and maybe something more - leaned down to grab her chin in one of his hands.
"You are not going to die." he said sternly, and held out the flask. "Drink, please." And with those eyes, how could she say no? Sometimes, she swore he was like a puppy.
"I'm feeling pretty weak myself," Warren admitted sadly.
"If we wait here too long, we might get too sick to get help," Doc said to Warren, in hushed voices. (y/n) found the energy to roll her eyes.
"Guys, I'm shot, not deaf." she called out to them weakly, and then coughed. Tommy watched her intently, concern lacing his pretty features.
"I only got a day in me without water, if that," the older woman said, putting her hands on her hips and watching the men watching over the young girl.
"Well, I don't think she should be going anywhere, chief." Doc spoke up, causing Warren to shake her head.
"Doc, 10k, you two stay here and watch her," the woman instructed with care "I'm gonna go see if I can find food or help." She walked over and kissed the girl's forehead.
"See you soon, baby girl," she said fondly, with a motherly smile. "If I'm not back in 48 hours, you're on your own." The energy was very grim, everyone was tense. Obviously.
"Good luck," 10k said as a farewell, and she saluted him.
"Thanks." And then, Warren was just a figure on the horizon, leaving them - perhaps forever.
➳Warren wasn't gone for that long, when 10k and Doc ventured off a little ways, leaving the girl to her thoughts. People used to say that before you die, your entire life flashes before your eyes, and (y/n) was waiting to see very happy memory, every heartbreak, everything that made her human.
"(Y/n)," Tommy's voice woke her up. "I thought you were-" she cracked a smile.
"Nope," she grimaced as she sat up.
"Morning, darling," Doc grinned "found something you might like."
"What?" she asked, hoisting herself up to be carried by the quiet sharpshooter again. They managed to get her over to another vehicle, laying on her stomach to overlook the ground below.
A red truck, and two figures. She blinked a few times, until they came into focus. Mack and Addy.
"Am I dead," she breathed, pinching her arm and yelping in pain. "no, not dead." 10k set up his scope and Doc took his place on her other side. (y/n) watched as a zombie approached Mack while Addy was preoccupied, and grab onto him.
The redhead jumped to her feet and raced over to help her boyfriend. (y/n) wondered dimly if they were still together, or what had happened during the long time since they'd seen them last. 10k fired once, the sound ringing in (y/n)'s ear.
The zombie collapsed, and the duo turned to look at them in disbelief. Doc raised his arm up to wave, crying out:
"We saw your signal!" Probably the antenna, (y/n) figured.
She wasn't dead, her two friends - her family - were alive, and that was enough, for now.
10k caught (y/n) around the waist, holding her steady as she took a few deep breaths. She felt full of renewed energy, just knowing that they were alive. She smiled and kissed his cheek, leaving him blushing red, and limped her way to Addy.
They collided, half-laughing, half-crying, into a tight hug that had (y/n) wincing.
"What happened to you?" Addy asked, looking at the bloodstained rags covering her gunshot wound.
"Okay, don't freak out," the girl said carefully. "but I got shot. Yeah, by some psycho doctor." Addy's jaw dropped.
"Never a dull moment," the redhead shook her head. "at least you're all okay!" 10k hugged Addy, before returning to (y/n)'s side and make sure she was doing alright still.
"What the hell were you two up to?" Doc asked Mack, after they said their hellos.
"Trying to get a signal," he explained "to talk to Citizen Z or find you guys."
"Yeah, what the hell was that, anyway?" Addy asked, meaning the nukes.
"Murphy," 10k grumbled, putting his rifle over his shoulder. (y/n) rolled her eyes.
"Still not listening to warnings," she sighed. "some things never change."
"Where is he, now?" Mack asked and Doc shrugged.
"Don't know, brother," he admitted, pointing into the distance. "but Roberta went that way, to find help a while back." Addy smiled and jutted her chin to the left.
"Need a lift?" she asked, smirking.
➳They drove along the dusty road, and sure enough - Warren stood on the side, as if she'd known they were coming. (y/n) arched an eyebrow at the woman as she put away her revolver and said hello to everyone.
"Old habits die hard," the woman chuckled, bringing her in for a one-armed hug, taking care to avoid her shoulder. "glad to see you back to yourself." (y/n) smiled.
"Crazy what a little water and food will do, huh?" She chuckled and leaned on 10k as Mack started up the vehicle again, and they were off to find Murphy.
(y/n) was positive they'd seen this before. They had absolutely driven through Wyoming before, and to be fair - all of Wyoming was more or less the same. Every hopped off the little caravan as they approached a thrift store from pre-Z, desperate for a change of clothes.
Something felt off with this town, though.
Normally the team would've chatted and joked, but they were a bit restless because of the odd amount of passive-aggressive survivors they passed on the way home. It seemed everyone was congregating here, but why?
Addy and (y/n) walked through the aisles, picking up garments as they put together their latest apocalypse garb. She filled the girl in on the fall of The Sisters of Mercy in Utah, which (y/n) found herself only upset about because of the flowers, not so much the weird, feminist cult.
"That's awful, Addy," she said, grabbing a new pair of pants. "I'm so sorry." The duo smiled sadly at one another.
"What a life, huh?"
"Yeah, no kidding."
Soon enough, everyone had donned new outfits and traded out the ratty, dust-covered ones. Even though she hadn't had a nice shower in, well, almost four years now, she felt the cleanest she had in a very long time.
(y/n) was walking past the accessories section, and a pair of goggles caught her eye. Then Tommy walked around the corner.
"Hey," he said, looking at her shoulder "how are you feeling?" She shrugged with the uninjured shoulder.
"Pretty good actually," she sighed. "we're all alive, so I can't complain. Oh! Try these on," he scrunched his nose up, looking at them. He'd put a bandana on his hand, and then settled the goggles on top.
"Do I look cool?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows jokingly. She laughed.
"Super cool."
He'd chosen - unsurprisingly - an all-black outfit, which was very unlike his sunshiney character. As for (y/n), she chose brown pants and a blue and black striped t-shirt. It was summer by now, so as little clothing as you could wear without getting bit was definitely high on priorities.
Especially now that things like A.C were practically non-existent, unless you were lucky and had solar. But, for most of the(remaining) humans out there, it simply wasn't an option.
(y/n) threw her new backpack over her shoulder, and realized with a pang she'd lost everything else from her life before - Wuthering Heights, her journal, field guide; everything. As she watched everyone loading up onto the quad and trailer, though, that sadness left her, because in the end - only people mattered.
Looking at 10k, she thought: those you loved.
They joined the other, jostling one another playfully and chatting now that (y/n) wasn't on death's doorstep.
➳This little town was nothing short of the least hospitable place on earth. Everywhere they turned, another armed survivor was staring them down unhappily. (y/n) wondered how they'd managed to end up in such an awkward position, until Addy explained.
"Oh, hey, I know my Spanish is terrible, but I'm sure this is what they were talking about."
She gestured to the unfriendly place around them.
"I wonder who else heard that broadcast," Tommy replied, his voice loud in (y/n)'s ear.
"10 o'clock!" Mack warned - survivors ahead. (y/n) had lost most of her other weapons, but 10k had kept her rifle safe and she had more knives tucked away in her boots, like the days before.
"I see them! Keep going!" Warren replied quickly.
"Folks are friendly here in Cheyenne," Doc said dryly, and (y/n) scoffed.
"Friendly ain't the vibe I'm getting."
"We need to find Murphy and get the hell out of Dodge-" Warren began.
"-Cheyenne." the old man corrected.
"Whatever. Okay, so we all need to think like Murphy; get inside his zombified head. And I know that's a scary place to be - but where would you hid if you were Murphy?" (y/n) scanned her surroundings with narrowed eyes, thinking.
Warren was right. Murphy's head was a scary place to be. Ten Thousand must have seen something, though.
"Hey hold on! You said think like Murphy?"
Mack pulled the vehicle to a stop, right in front of what looked to be a strip club. (y/n) snorted.
"It's alarming how easily that was to spot," she teased her friend, who shrugged.
"All about Murphy, right?" he arched a dark eyebrow. She sighed - he was right.
"Hell, they might as well have his picture on the sign," Doc chuckled. Deftly, the group double-checked their personal weapons, and headed into the building.
The door creaked open, and sunlight filtered into the dusty, unloved place. It smelled like cheap perfume and mildew, (y/n) noticed straightaway. And the second thing she noticed, was Murphy - blue-skinned, wearing an absurd suit - sitting at the bar.
"Hey guys," he greeted without emotion. Like he'd been waiting for them. "What the hell took you so long?" (y/n) looked around the dreadful place, and tugged on 10k's vest, pointing to the Zs. He tensed, and let his hand rest on his hunting knife, strapped to his thigh - similar to (y/n)'s.
"Murphy, you son of a bitch." Warren cursed at him.
"Yeah! What she said!" Doc showed his support. It was so juvenile - (y/n) could have laughed. If, maybe, they weren't in a room with undead strippers and a creepier version of Papa smurf.
"Is that any way to talk to an old friend?" He asked, and Roberta lunged forward, slamming him against the bar. Each and every zombie immediately got more agitated, which had (y/n) reaching for her knives.
God, she missed her axe. But, it was blown to bits in an underground lab somewhere. Apocalyptic world problems.
Doc coaxed Warren away from her anger, reminding her of the mission.
"He's not worth the trouble." (y/n) quipped, glaring at Murphy. He smirked.
"You'd think getting shot would've changed your attitude," he sneered, looking at her still-bandaged shoulder. She smiled sweetly.
"You'd think being humanity's last hope would've changed yours."
"You damn near got us killed." Warren ground out, interrupting their brutal conversation. "You did kill millions of other people."
"Didn't you get the memo? The apocalypse means never having to say you're sorry. I was just following the prime directive of this mission: save Murphy's ass. Let's not forget - if I die, party's over for the human race."
(y/n) hated when he was right.
"Maybe we should tie you up for your own good," 10k said, his voice sounding dangerous as he gently stepped in front of (y/n) towards Murphy. Cassandra materialized from out of seemingly-thin air, to hiss at him.
(y/n) grabbed her knife, and was ready to fight - whatever it was that had taken residence in her friend's body. Because it sure as hell was not the girl (y/n) once knew and loved. She was gone; she knew that.
"Cassandra?" the boy said, gently cupping her face. (y/n)'s heart ached for him. "What did you do to her?"
"Saved her life," Murphy deadpanned. "What did you do?" Cassandra pushed 10k's arms away from her, and stalked backwards.
"I'm sorry, what is she wearing?" Addy asked incredulously "Isn't that mildly impractical for the zombie apocalypse?"
"Hey, you try dressing a classy lady in Cheyenne, Wyoming," Murphy defended himself.
"Hey, is anyone else concerned that there's all these Zs standing around here?" Doc asked, gesturing to the living corpses that inhabited the place as if they were actual customers - and employees.
"Hey, don't worry, they're friendly," Their "keeper" vouched. "As long as I'm friendly." he added as a dangerous undertone - as if it were a threat. Please, (y/n) thought. She could take these Zs out by herself, if need be.
No, what scared her more were the humans. They always did.
"Come on Murphy, we gotta get you to California." Warren redirected the conversation.
"Yeah, um, about California... you know, after everything that happened, the nukes and all - I'm not so sure that I'm down with the whole, 'saving humanity' thing."
"That was your fault," (y/n) said, exasperated with his condescendingly, prick energy.
"You're going to California." Warren insisted.
"You don't even know if it's still there!"
"If you won't do it for humanity, do it for yourself, Murphy. You need that vaccine more than anybody."
"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Doc asked him "you might be styling, but you're turning zombie, brother."
"Brother, maybe there are worse things than being a zombie. Maybe being a starving, fearful, violent, vindictive human is worse. But hey! It's the apocalypse! Let's have some fun," 10k and (y/n) exchanged horrified looks. Dear God. "Let me show you what I've been working on. Come on, grab a seat - you're gonna love this."
When none of them moved to sit, he grew impatient. "The apocalypse will still be waiting for us when we're done. Cassandra!" He called to her, and she turned on the lights and a record player. Each of them reluctantly took a seat at a stool at the bar, (y/n) on 10k's right.
Murphy began the creepy show with a short speech, introducing with dramatic flourish, Chantrelle.
"Oh my God," Addy said slowly, as the half-dressed zombie began to use the pole, walking around - very uncoordinated - in an attempt to be seductive. If anything, (y/n) felt more sick than intrigued. She spared a glance at Tommy, who was staring at it, like it were a train wreck. She covered his eyes, and he pushed her hand away.
She shook her head, smiling the slightest bit.
"I hope she ain't working for tips," Doc commented.
"Murphy," Warren warned
"I know right?" The man was vibrating with excitement. "Wait. It gets better." (y/n)'s grimace deepened as their entertainment began spinning faster while holding onto the pole. With a crash, her rotting limb separated from her equally rotted torso, and she crashed off the stage.
"Is this a private show, or can anyone watch?" A gruff voice came from the doorway. (y/n) turned to face the man, who held a gun pointed at the group of them. She reached for her pistol, hidden in her belt.
"Ah, ah, ah," he tsked "Leave your weapons right where they are. Don't make me have to shoot anybody. There's enough zombies in this world already."
The entire group was standing now, with (y/n) in front. The ghost of 10k's hand brushed along the back of her forearm, like he wanted to pull her back.
"What do you want?" Murphy asked the stranger, a bored expression on his weird, blue face.
"Your name wouldn't happen to be Murphy, would it?"
"Nope," he said hesitantly, but those precious few second were enough. The man knew their secret, kudos of Citizen Z.
"Lot of people looking for you Mr. Murphy," the stranger told them.
"That so?" Murphy arched an eyebrow.
"This man, he's our prisoner." Warren asserted their position, standing up.
"Well, he's my prisoner now." The stranger informed cruelly. (y/n) got the vibe her was military before everything went down, or something of the sort. He had that weird aura of authority.
"Uh, no, sorry. She's right we got dibs on him." Doc pointed out.
"Yeah. And we're taking him to California." (y/n) smiled sweetly. "You're a bit too late, better luck next time.
"No, you're not." The man said, glaring at her. "He's coming with me."
"Where?" Murphy asked.
"To the highest bidder. CDC in California aren't the only ones willing to pay for his blood."
"Why does everybody always talk about me like I am not standing right here?" Murphy snarled. "You know, there's only one problem with all of your plans for The Murphy. I ain't going anywhere with any of you. Hit it!"
The sporadic lighting kicked back on, reflecting on the disco ball nearly blinding (y/n). The music kicked up a few notches, back to the moody, low energy tunes. She would have preferred something with higher energy to fight zombies to, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
Chaos descended upon them like rain in springtime, unrelenting and horrendous. Unlike spring rain, however, it was not comforting and giving life to the world around it, but rather causing extreme anxiety in (y/n)'s heart.
Gunshots rang out, and (y/n)'s body reacted on its own accord. Ah yes, physical trauma. She fought against the initial reactions and swung her pistol out from her belt and reached into her thigh holster for a knife.
She shot the one closest to them, and the stranger shot one that was right behind her. She spun on her heel, just as Tommy was shoving his knife into the head of a Z.
"Warren! Look out!" Mack yelled at the woman.
"Good?" (y/n) called to him. He nodded, and jutted his chin out to indicate behind her. She gripped her knife tightly, and rotated, jamming it into the Z's skull to dispose of it. Panting, she checked around for Murphy.
In the lights, she could barely see anything without wanting to throw up.
10k had taken advantage of the pool table, and was launching the balls into Zs with such force they were given a brutal mercy. If (y/n) wasn't busy putting iron into the face of one in front of her, she would have paid more attention, watched his arms as he threw them.
For some, the apocalypse was quite the glow up, although she hadn't known him before.
The stranger was battling one on the bar, and (y/n), from across the room, threw her knife into its skull. He looked up for a second, and she jumped over a table to get to him. But, he'd already taken her knife, and ran into a hallway - presumably following Murphy.
Warren sprinted past her, following their prisoner and the latest crazy person they'd met on their journey to save the world.
And, that asshole had stolen her knife. What was she supposed to do? Not follow them?
➳Of course not. The hallway was much less chaotic than the other room, thanks to the lack of zombies and, frankly, people. (y/n) chased Warren, who chased the stranger, who chased Murphy and Cassandra, in her hideous mink coat.
(y/n) heard everyone following behind, their footsteps loud over the awful music. Warren, who'd been running ahead of (y/n), was intercepted by a zombie that leapt out from another doorway. It pinned her to the wall, and the girl internally cursed at the fact that she'd lost her best knife.
The others were good for throwing, but not particularly good in close combat. The pistol wasn't an option either.
"Hang on!" (y/n) called, holding her pistol steady. "Warren, hold it away from you!" The woman struggled for a minute, before 10k came barreling down the hall.
"Move!" He told (y/n) harshly, but she knew it was the adrenaline of fighting, not that he was actually upset. She did so, still having her pistol at the ready. He grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall and forced it into the zombie's stomach was a sickening squelch.
(y/n) cringed, as he held down the trigger, and it began to swell.
"Shit!" The girl cursed, as 10k wrenched her backward by the waist away from the Z that looked like -much to her horror - that it was going to explode.
And it did.
Which was quite possibly the worst - or coolest? - thing she'd seen all apocalypse. She guessed Romero would have been delighted, but, being as she was now covered in zombie foam, the girl couldn't say that same.
With various sounds of disgust and a lot of cursing - Tommy's mother wouldn't have approved, she thought dryly - the group made it outside into the sunshine again. This was both comforting and unnerving, as they could now fully see the extent of The Murphy.
"What do we do now, Chief?" Doc asked the woman, as each of them reloaded their own guns and such. (y/n) fetched her rifle from the duffel bags on the trailer and slung it over her shoulder. This, too, was a comfort.
"I made a promise to a little girl and I'm gonna keep it." She told them. "We are going to find Murphy, get him to California, and they're going to make a vaccine and save the world. And I'm gonna kill any bounty hunter that gets in my way."
"Especially when they steal our favorite knives," (y/n) grumbled. Tommy chuckled and handed her his favorite, with the hand that wasn't wiping his face off.
Such a simple gesture, but really - it meant the world to her.
"You got it," Warren chuckled at the girl's comment.
"Sounds like a plan." They agreed.
(y/n) took the hunting knife and placed it securely in Garnett's old thigh holster. It was like a symbol of hope - for things between the two young sharpshooters, and the outcome of everything going down with Murphy.
Their apocalypse might not be perfect, but at least it was never boring.
NOTES;
Finally, I've posted another chapter! 4k+ words, so extra long as an apology of my absence. I've been working furiously on another book these past few weeks, but I'm glad to be back! Xx