➳(y/n) was really starting to hate Cheyenne, Wyoming. They sprinted down its streets, chasing Murphy's sarcastic ass all over the place - before some other bounty hunter got to him.
Citizen Z's little broadcast had - more or less - screwed everything up.
"Murphy!" Warren screamed as the group ran, guns at the ready. (y/n)'s own rifle had been lost in the underground lab, but she was happy to take a pistol from the bag Mack and Addy had on their little trailer.
It felt weird, to not have her rifle. But, whatever got the job done.
The man who'd stolen her knife earlier in the strip club sprinted after Murphy in front of them, and (y/n) watched Cassandra run off to the left - a distraction. A black sedan drove down the street as they rounded the corner to follow Murphy, and gunshots rang out in the deserted place.
The team skidded to a stop, ducking behind an abandoned car to avoid getting shot at. (y/n) had been running close to 10k most of the time; since she'd been shot he'd been very reluctant to let her wander too far.
But she knew she could take of herself. Still, she winced when her shoulder hit the warm exterior of the vehicle, his worried blue eyes settled on her face and the grimace there.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about me." He pursed his lips and said nothing, but the sound of the car drew his attention. (y/n) turned her head to view a cherry-red Jeep on their right, and a minivan on their left.
They were in the crossfire.
"Look out!" Mack yelled, and then the barrel of a gun poked out from the driver's window. (y/n) didn't think twice, just scrambled around to the other side. 10k ran forward too, but he kept running - around the corner of a building on the other side of the street.
"Look out, kid!" Doc called after him. (y/n) groaned.
"What's he doing?" she asked irritably. The boy was braced on the side of the wall, rifle clutched in his expert hands like he was ready to poke his head out and shoot. Which, knowing him, he probably was.
"10k, Murphy!" Warren shouted, and the boy nodded. He didn't even glance at (y/n), he simply ran off. She hated when he did that.
"What the hell is going on?" Addy panted, while they continued to take cover.
"It's a damn Murphy free-for-all!" Doc retorted. The men that the bounty hunter had shot a few minutes before were turning already. (y/n) raised her pistol and held it steady with both hands, firing once and putting one of them down.
"Time to go!" She called to them all, and they left their cover to run across the dark pavement of the street, further into whatever hell they'd found themselves in the middle of.
As they were running down the street, arms propelling them forward, (y/n) turned her head back in time to see the car that they'd hidden behind explode, and a Latino man holding a rocket launcher.
"Are you kidding me?" The girl fumed, as her legs carried her further, alongside her team.
➳Gunfire was the soundtrack to their running, and by the time they'd reached a truck to use as cover, (y/n)'s ears were ringing. She and the others ducked behind the vehicle, occasionally poking their head above to either shoot or see what was going on.
(y/n) lifted her head to scan the area on the other side for 10k and Murphy; she wouldn't leave this stupid place without both of them. Not one, both. She watched as the sharpshooter jogged around the corner, and then a familiar-looking man in a red dress shirt raised his weapon.
The rocket launcher. Who was this guy? He was really starting to tick her off. She watched in horror as 10k stood like a deer in the headlights, the weapon pointed directly where he stood. Without thinking, she screamed his name, to try and warn him.
Which only made thing worse. He turned around to look at her, and then the weapon threw him off his feet like a post-apocalyptic doll. Panic ceased all thoughts, and she checked her pistol ammo before cocking it again, and running around the side of the truck.
"10k!" She called again, her voice hoarse. He wasn't moving, but she didn't have time to stop and check his pulse. Instead, she thrust her pistol into the back of her brown pants and grabbed the back of her vest, pulling with all of her might.
Like he'd down for her only a few days ago, she carried him across the gunfire and No-Man's Land of Cheyenne, Wyoming, to a tentative sense of safety behind the truck.
"Don't ever do that again," she panted, a hand firmly holding both sides of his face. He was dusty, and his eyes seemed even more stunning in comparison as he stared at her in bewilderment.
"Where am I?" He asked, very panicked.
"Don't worry, we got you know," Doc reassured him, like a father would.
"What?!"
"I said, 'we got you now'!"
"I can't hear you!"
"This is insane!" Addy cried "Why the hell is everybody shooting at everybody?" Speaking of shooting, (y/n) pulled the pistol from her waistband and fired off a few rounds at a shirtless psycho. Apparently, it was Take-Your-Kid-to-Work-Day, because he had a little girl with him.
She refused to shoot a kid, but she guessed that shooting her dad wasn't any better. Nonetheless, she was relieved when he finally screamed out in pain and his flurry of bullets finally stopped.
Then, the girl started wailing. (y/n) tried to drown her out by listening to Warren's plan.
"We're gonna have to split up into groups and keep moving," she informed. "10k, are you alright?" The boy looked around in a panicked state.
"What?!" He asked again, looking straight at (y/n).
"I think he's deaf." Doc stated, and it was pretty obvious the blast had done some damage to his eardrums.
"Doc, you take him with you." Warren said. "You guys, get to the alley and cut East and advance North. Mack and Addy, you guys take the west side. (y/n), you're with me. We'll flush him out." (y/n) had to admit, her plan did seem foolproof.
They'd cover more ground, and be a smaller target. The only thing was, the girl wouldn't be able to make sure everyone was safe. And that bothered her.
"What about the bounty hunters?" Doc asked, which was a valid point.
"Kill them too!" Warren told him. "On my call. We're cover you."
(y/n) nodded and gripped her pistol tighter, ignoring the fear that clouded her mind.
"Look out for him," she told Doc, who nodded. "and yourself, old man." He chuckled, and Warren began counting down. 10k tugged on (y/n)'s arm.
"What's going on?" He yelled. She smiled a little sadly at him.
"Be safe," she told him, even though she knew he didn't have a clue what she was saying. As they ran off, Addy cried out in pain. Fear spiked in (y/n)'s chest.
"Addy!" She gasped, looking at her friend, who was wiping blood from her cheek. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good. I'm good. Oh!" She groaned, and (y/n) literally felt her pain. She hadn't been shot all too long ago, after all.
Warren counted down again, and then Mack and Addy ran off in the other direction.
"And then there were two," (y/n) said grimly, reloading the pistol the way Garnett taught her.
"That's right baby girl. Now, let's finish this thing."
➳Warren had told everyone else to intercept Murphy, but she had other ideas for herself and the girl. They followed the bounty hunter, who was very, very intent on capturing Murphy for himself.
Judging by the way he was with a weapon and his vest, (y/n) wouldn't be surprised if this was something he did before the Apocalypse, too.
They jogged after him down a side street, which was quieter, the gunshots fading just a little. Which was nice, because every time she heard a gunshot that moment in the lab played over in her head, making her dizzy to the point she thought she might faint.
The man stopped behind a white truck to have a drink of water, as the two women jogged quietly behind another deserted vehicle, watching his every move. And despite the fact that it was two versus one, (y/n) couldn't shake the feeling that they didn't have the upper hand.
After a short pause, the man made a dash - (y/n) caught a glimpse of Cass' outrageous coat - after Murphy around the side of a decrepit gas station. As they were about to follow, Warren stuck out her arm to stop (y/n) from running forward - pointing at Cassandra, who looped back.
Without Murphy. If (y/n) had to guess, she'd say that Murphy sent her back to deal with the insistent bounty hunter. Whatever means necessary.
A dark figure peered out from behind a small accessory building, and fired a round at the duo. It bounced off the vehicle in front of them, and Warren was quick to follow with another shot. The man quickly ran out from his hiding spot and moved to another - leaning against a gas pump.
"Idiot," (y/n) muttered. "Keep him busy." Warren nodded, and (y/n) jogged behind the cars and to the left, while Warren fired the occasion round to keep him preoccupied. Just as she was getting ready to sneak up on him, he ran out in a panic directly in front of her.
She had a throwing knife in her hand, but something in her told her not to use it. He was still a human, after all. And the world could use one less zombie. She turned back to look at Warren, raising her hands up in disbelief.
"Let's go!" The dark-haired woman said, and instead of killing him as she thought to do, they followed him into a tall building. (y/n) thought it might have been a hotel, back before everything went to hell.
Into the spooky, dark, abandoned building it is, she thought grimly as they made their way through the corridors, their pace painfully slow. (y/n) held her pistol out in front of her, checking into every doorway.
"Clear," she reported to Warren, who nodded.
They crept along a narrow hallway, the sunlight from outside slanted on the walls ominously. The man from earlier must have heard them, because there was a burst of gunfire. Warren darted to the left side of the hallway, but (y/n) opted to run along the right side of the wall until the next doorway.
Warren, after firing at him a few times, ran to join (y/n) in the doorway. Both of them were panting, driven only by their adrenaline and desperate need to survive.
They had to.
The man fired a round of shots again, and (y/n) grimaced, closing her eyes and tilting her head against the wall for something to ground her. God, she missed yoga.
"I'm afraid that ain't gonna be enough," the man sneered, mocking them. (y/n)'s blood boiled. He laughed. "I'd say turn back, but my men will be coming up them stairs any second. So any way you look at it, you're in a tight spot."
(y/n) grit her teeth and aimed her pistol around the corner, and shot directly where his head was. he ducked out of the way, narrowly cheating death. He cackled again, the sound of madness and cruelty.
"That ain't gonna do it, sugar!" Warren yanked (y/n) close to her again, and checked her ammo. The sound echoed in the empty space. "Oh, how many left? 'Cause I'm doing great over here!"
"Stay here." Warren commanded, and the girl looked at her in shock.
"What? No!" She hissed, and then the gunfire started up again. Warren wasn't normally crazy, but it seemed that desperate times called for desperate measures. She held her pistol aloft and ran down the hallway, keeping pressure on the man as she did so.
(y/n)'s eyes went wide with realization. While he was busy with Warren, she would have to go up and finish him off. He yelped in pain as Warren made it to the other doorway.
"Oh! Son of a bitch!" He growled, sounding angrier now. "Yep, that stung. I'm gonna have to do...bad thing to you before I kill you!" The last words became an animalistic cry, and (y/n) was going to step forward.
Until Warren held her finger out, as if to stay 'Oh no, you don't'. Her veins filled with anxiety. Warren was waiting for the perfect moment, and for what? What if she didn't get there in time?
The man paused his rapid shooting, probably to reload. (y/n) rolled her shoulders back and adjusted her grip on the pistol. This was it. Do or die. Warren surged forward, and disappeared around the corner before (y/n) heard the impact of something hitting flesh.
She didn't dare peek her head out until she knew who was on the ground, though.
"I'm-a kill you," Warren's voice was a faint rasp, barely audible. Then, the sound of a knife being drawn.
(y/n) stepped out from the shadowed doorway, and held her gun parallel to the floor. Briefly, she wondered how she looked in that man's eyes: a young girl, hair wild, pointing a gun directly at his face.
She didn't have much time to ponder it, before she pulled the trigger and he fell to the floor in a heap.
"Mercy."
His falling body revealed the knife thief behind him, clutching a club - as if he was ready to beat his head in. They stared at one another for a moment, before he knelt by Warren. (y/n) was apprehensive, and stepped forward so when he looked up at her, he knew she meant business.
"Don't do anything dumb, kid," he said, and pulled something from his pocket before holding it under Warren's nose. The girl hesitated, but paid more attention to her coughing friend on the floor.
"Warren! Warren!" she repeated her name as she came to. "You okay?"
"Ugh, thanks." she groaned, taking the stranger's hand. "We got to go up. I'm out."
"Yep," the stranger replied curtly, and they took off running.
➳At least that guy from Zombieland would be proud of her, (y/n) thought. Only about a year before the apocalypse, that movie had been released and younger (y/n) had found it hilarious. Now that she'd actually lived through it, she wasn't exactly sure. Maybe Bambi was more her style, now.
Still, she really was getting the cardio in today.
Warren and (y/n), along with the new guy - whether he was friend or foe, she couldn't tell yet - continued running down the eerie hallway, following the distant growl of zombies. Two figures ran towards them.
Ten Thousand and Doc.
"Move!" Warren commanded, the three of them raising their guns to deal with the zombies snarling behind them.
"Right behind us!" Doc squeaked, as they mowed their way through.
"Follow us!"
Their two friends jumped to their feet as they all careened down the hallway. 10k fell into step beside (y/n), the two of them carrying up the rear. They entered the staircase, which was dark and smelled like mildew.
"Where are we going?" (y/n) panted as they treaded up the metal stairs, the flights blurring together.
"Roof." The new guy spoke up, and they halted on end of the staircase. There was a ladder, that was obviously the roof hatch. The other caught their breath while Warren made her way up first. Then the new guy. 10k and (y/n) waited eagerly, the girl trying to test his hearing by snapping near his ear.
"I still can't-" the rest of his sentence - spoken much too loudly - was muffled by (y/n)'s hand that shot out to cover his mouth as she shushed him.
"Let's go, kiddos." Doc said, and then he climbed the ladder. When (y/n) was finally out of the musty place, she took a deep breath, looking around. The gunfire had mostly stopped, meaning that there were probably going to be loads of Zs to deal with later - or more asshole humans.
(y/n) would always choose the zombies.
"Over there," Warren said, and strode to the left side of the rooftop. The others stood around aimlessly, trying to recover from the past few hours, before following her as she tried to talk to Murphy.
"Hey, it's over." She said gently, as the man stood on the edge of the rooftop, gazing down.
"Yep. I'm done." he said simply, and walked closer to the edge.
"Hey, hey, hey, what you doing?" Warren asked nervously, talking a few steps forward. He reached a hand out to stop her.
"Don't. I mean it, don't." Murphy warned, and the two argued on the roof for a while. (y/n) caught bits and pieces of what they were saying, because she was busy looking around for Mack and Addy, through 10k's rifle that she borrowed.
He gave it to her grudgingly, but he also couldn't hear her ask for it, either.
But she didn't realize the outrage and Warren's screaming when Murphy leaped from the roof.
"Back down!" Warren cried, and (y/n) gave 10k's rifle back, before climbing back down the ladder quickly. The new man, as she walked to run down the stairs, pushed her aside.
"Me first." he insisted, and then took off running down the steps, everyone else trailing behind.
➳They ran back in the direction of Murphy, past the corpse (y/n) had left behind. It nearly made her physically ill to look at it, but then she remembered how willing he was to kill the woman who, over these past months, had become more of a mother than she'd ever known.
"I hate this guy," 10k said - again, much too loudly - bitterly. (y/n) cast him a sideyed smile.
"Welcome to the club."
They jogged back down another street, towards a van that was backing out viciously from a garage. Murphy was behind the wheel, and that spurred the group into motion. (y/n) wondered where Mack and Addy were - she still hadn't fully apologized to Mack after what happened when they left him at The Sisters of Mercy.
Which was something she needed to do.
The new guy led the group, pistol pointed out at Cassandra's approaching figure. Addy was whaling on Murphy, repeatedly punching him in the face while he wailed in pain and, probably, panic.
"Addy!" (y/n) cried, and ran faster to intercept her friend. "Hey, sweetie, it's okay. Calm down." she grabbed the girl's wrist, stopping her from throwing another punch. "He's not worth it. Trust me." Reluctantly, Addy got away from the man who lay on the ground. Her head hung low, her entire vibe was off.
No Mack.
Where was Mack?
No, she knew better than that. Mack was dead. Hence, Addy's random insanity.
"That's enough!" Warren yelled, and went to see what was wrong with the girl.
"What the hell?" Murphy gasped, outraged. "What I ever do to her?"
"You okay?" (y/n) cooed, holding her by the shoulders. Addy began sobbing uncontrollably.
"Where's Mack?" Warren asked the girl, which only made her cry more.
"He's dead, Warren." (y/n) said, without emotion. She'd never loved Mack, nor saw what Addy saw in him - but he was someone she'd known for years. Simply being around a person you'd know for a while was a comfort, whether you like them or not.
Addy glared down at Murphy, who was held by Doc. Both men looked actually sad, or were they in shock? She couldn't tell.
At any rate, Murphy looked almost ashamed. Which was maybe the most human emotion the girl had ever seen from him.
"You." Addy growled, still panting from her sobs. With that one word, (y/n) could almost see the shift in the entire group of survivors. She watched her best friend, shaking, get into the white van on the passenger's side.
The others stood in a bit of a circle, Doc holding Murphy, 10k and New Guy pointing their guns at Cassandra, who bared her teeth at them.
(y/n) noticed, painfully, that their journey they'd started together, was becoming more and more personal. Everything was changing. 10k handed her a small piece of rope, rousing her from her blank stare.
Numbly, she bound his wrists in the rope, not missing when he winced.
"Sorry," she mumbled quietly, and loosened the rope just a fraction. The way he stared up at her made her almost feel bad for him.
Key word: almost.
He was still an asshole.
➳The trip was quite uncomfortable. Everyone was deadly silent, mourning Mack's loss and trying to plan out their next move. Finally, (y/n) sighed, breaking the silence.
"Hey, you still have my knife, bounty hunter." she pointed out dryly, holding her hand open for him to place it in. He rolled his eyes and handed it backward over his shoulder, to her in the backseat.
"That's a good knife." He said, and she found her cheeks rising into a smile. Which only made her feel worse, when she looked at Addy's dejected, mourning face.
"I know it is."
10k raised his head, his raven's-wing hair still littered with dust. He didn't say anything, just glanced at her knife. Wordlessly, she handed his knife back to him. He flashed her a little smile, before taking back in his hand.
Things fell silent again after that, and it was uncomfortable until they finally reached a spot to stay for the night.
The blast had cleared so much of the West, that one of the only buildings they found before nightfall was a two-story brick building, whose windows were blow out, before somebody had nailed up some boards.
(y/n) left the uncomfortable, stifling silence to sit on the rooftop, letting her legs dangle off the leg as she sat. Earlier, the new man had introduced himself as Vasquez, but he kept mostly to himself, aside from the offhand sarcastic remark or two.
They had a fire going outside near the front door, which (y/n) could smell on her clothes from the time she spent getting it going, with 10k's help.
She heard footsteps behind her, and she kept her gaze focused on the horizon, holding his rifle in her hands. The girl was playing lookout, while the others occupied themselves. Addy had silently, with tear tracks along her round cheeks, doled out cans of food earlier, but had only sat and stared blankly at the wall after that.
"Hey," the sharpshooter said, sitting on the ledge beside her. She spared him a quick glance.
"Hi," she sighed, tired of the day. "Can you hear again?" He shook his hand a little.
"Kind of. Doc said I should be happy I wasn't alive when Rock-and-Roll was popular, or it would be even worse." (y/n) snorted a laugh, but he looked at her in confusion.
"He's just a crazy old man," she said, smiling as she waved down at the very person they were talking about. He grinned goofily back, before he headed back inside.
"Are you okay?"
"About Mack? I guess so. It's not like-" her throat went tight, and she sniffled once to get rid of the tears.
"Garnett. I know." he said, and she handed his rifle back to him.
"I just hate the apocalypse."
"We wouldn't have met, would we?" She cast him a side-eye glance, watching him beam.
"I guess that's one perk, you dork."
They fell into a companionable silence, in which (y/n) toyed with a fallen leaf that she'd picked up that morning. It had been in her pocket the entire day, and she methodically ripped it into shreds.
10k watched her hands as they let the broken leaf bits fall to the ground below.
"What do you think will happen tomorrow?" He asked after a while, staring up as the fast-darkening sky.
"Tommy, I have no clue."
NOTES;
I'm back! Sorry for such terribly slow updates, I took a break to publish another fic on Lockwood & Co. ! But, now that that is done(for now) I'm going back to doing a few updates on this book per week!
Anyways, great to be back, and trying to get back into the groove for this book! Season two is my absolute favorite season and I cannot wait to rewatch and write about it!
Thanks for sticking around! Xx