Two weeks after Philly the group were pulled over at the side of the road taking a toilet break. All that surrounded them for miles were country fields dotted with rustic farm houses and a few barns.
"We're in Amish territory now" 10k smirked. He was stood in the bed of the truck keeping an eye out. Mercy, who was sat on top of the cabin of the truck behind him, whacked him round the head playfully.
"Amish people are people too" she said almost as if protesting making everyone laugh at her.
A couple of zombies popped up from the grass in the field making their way towards the group with the slow determination only the undead posses. They were dressed in rough brown material and white shirts with straw hats on their heads. 10k shot them down with his sling shot murmuring his numbers to himself.
"Amish zombies..." Addy complained "Really?Really?"
"Amish zombies are zombies too" 10k and Mercy said at the same time laughing and fistbumping when Addy rolled her eyes.
"They tried to quarantine themselves from the rest of society." Garnett told them "Keep the Zs from spreading the infection."
"That was before we knew Romero had it right." Mack called with his head still buried in the mechanics of the car "We were all carrying the virus...Didn't matter who you were or how you died."
"Night of the Living Dead." Mercy nodded "Great movie, sucky reality."
"You know what I don't get, If the Zs didn't spread the virus, how did we all get infected?" Addy questioned
"Best guess I heard, it was spread by birds" Garnett was saying as Mercy zoned out.
She flashed back to the orphanage where she spent her childhood. They'd barricaded themselves in when it all started... They only realised that it was a bad idea when it was too late.It had only been the children left and Mercy was the oldest... There was about 12 of them including a young baby girl... She was too small... Too fragile. She got sick a few weeks in So Mercy had gone out too find medicine and left the others there... She was only fourteen she didn't know... When she got back the baby had turned... They were all gone...
Her daydreaming was cut short by Doc saying "I'm telling you there's nothing there... No thoughts, no memories, no soul nothin'"
"Well they're not dead...They want something" Casandra countered.
The two were sat in the bed of the truck infront of Mercy and 10k.
"Yeah... Brains" was Docs only reply.
"You can't want something if you're not concious... If you don't have a soul" Cassandra said shaking her head.
"When my pa was wounded, he told me to tie him up before he turned." 10k surprised them all by saying "Made me promise to show him mercy when he died.Kill the brain, you know? I couldn't do it...I couldn't hurt my pa, no matter what he'd become.I stared into his eyes for the longest time, just looking for some sign he was still in there."
"Did you see anything? What did you do?" Cassandra asked.
"I killed it." He said bluntly.
"Damn, kid...You had to put down your own dad?" Doc said sympathetically.
"Didn't kill him...Killed it..." The young boy said harshly. Mercy put a hand on his back fisting his shirt in her hand as a comforting gesture to calm down. She'd heard this story before... Late at night when everyone else is asleep the two young teens liked to stay up when 10k once asked the girl why she stayed up with him she simply replied 'cause talking to you keeps the nightmares away when I finally do sleep'.
"But if it's not alive, how did you kill it?" Cassandra pushed.
"Piked it." 10k said somewhat calmer thanks to Mercy's intervention "Right here...My first kill...I always wish he knew, you know, somehow knew that I kept my promise"
Mercy pulled 10k back to her wrapping her legs round his waist and her arms around his shoulders so he was almost giving her a piggy back but her weight was still on the truck.
"He knows" she whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek from behind.
"Six o clock" Mack called and everyone looked up to see a group of about 13 zombies heading towards them.
"I call 'em... I haven't had a good mercy party in too long" Mercy called jumping off the cabin and into the truck bed.
"Not true... Pit stop highway 32... Murphy ate the last Oreo... You killed 15 to stop you killing him" 10k countered.
"Yeh but that was like... Over 24 hours ago" she grinned at him making him chuckle and shake his head.
"Cover me?" She asked.
"Always" he smiled before she jumped out of the truck bed pulling out her axe.
She threw three knives before she reached them taking down the first three and making the two behind them fall to the ground. Taking out her axe she swung at the next one kicking it off her axe before spinning and taking out another. She threw her axe at one a bit further away then grabbed the hair of the closest one stabbing it and throwing the carcass at another stamping on its head before stabbing one more then hitting the ground to stab the two that fell in the beginning as 10k took out the last one behind her with his slingshot.
She stood up and collected her weapons whilst whispering "I give you mercy" to each one.
"I had it you know" she called back to 10k wiping her knives on her jeans.
"I know" he said grinning before he looked behind her and his face turned serious. He jumped down from the truck and held a hand out for her.
Mercy looked behind her to find whatever stopped him smiling. Behind her a small rundown yellow bug was rattling up the road covered and what did not look like reputable men.
She kept her eyes on them and walked towards 10k. As soon as their hands met he pulled her behind him protectively glaring at the men as they passed by slowly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were back on the road again and Mercy was watching the clouds with her head on 10ks lap as they sat with Doc and Cassandra in the back of the truck.
"K?" She questioned a bit wistfully.
"Yeh shortass?" He said equally wistfully but he wasn't looking at the clouds... He was looking at her.
"You're dad... Was he a good dad?" She asked.
He nodded slowly and thoughtfully "yeh the best"
"I never met my dad..." She said still looking at the sky "or my mum... I don't know if that's a bad thing... Or a good thing"
10k kept quiet knowing that wasn't a question he could answer for her and instead thought to himself whilst playing with her hair gently.
"Up ahead" they heard Garnett call and the truck slowed. Both teens stood up to see about ten z's milling in the road.
10k placed a light hand on Mercy's waist and she looked up at him to find him looking around the sides of the road.
Knowing what he was thinking Mercy whispered "cover me?"
He looked at her then leant down to whisper "always" in her ear quickly before jumping out and running off.
"Hey! Kid!" Doc called confused.
"Don't worry, he won't go far" Mercy said before jumping out and walking towards the front of the truck where they were discussing a plan of action.
"I got it" she called in not waiting for an answer before she pulled out two knives and headed towards the Z's.
The others got out but stayed back knowing full well that interrupting one of Mercy's mercy parties is a death sentence for anyone... Except 10k of course.
The young girl whispered a quiet "I give you mercy" and got two work stabbing two z's in the head before Cassandra interrupted.
"Stop, wait!" Cassandra called making her friend glare at her "somethings wrong look at their feet" she continued justifying her interruption.
Mercy looked down to find some of the z's ,including the ones she had just mercies, feet chained to cinder blocks.
"Ahhh peanut butter crunch"
She backed away a second too late and as some of the 'zombies' came to life one grabbed her in a choke hold holding a gun to her temple as his buddies pointed guns at the rest of the group.
"Put down your weapons or the girl eats brains" the lead one smirked at Garnett.
From some perch to the left of the road a bullet flew through the guy holding Mercy's head. She moves quickly forward into Cassandra and Addy's arms. After they make sure she's okay she regains her composure and turns back to the men.
She smirked at one of the guys staring at their dead buddy whilst the leader seemed to get a bit jumpy.
"Now, we just want the vehicle...All right? So give us the truck and we'll let you live to die another day." He said shifting his weight between his feet nervously and staring at the girl who seemed to have a master sniper at her beck and call.
A bullet flew to hit the ground infront of him making him step back a bit. Mercy's hand went flying into the air palm open as a signal to 10k, waiting for Garnetts decision.
"I wouldn't stare at her if I were you" Mack warned smirking slightly.
"God I love that kid!" Doc exclaimed grinning.
"Back off Doc I have dibs" Mercy grinned looking back at him for a second before focusing back on the men.
"Give them the truck!" Murphy called cowering in the back.
"Don't give them a goddamn thing!" Warren said sassily with her gun up.
"Do the math Garnett." Murphy pressed "We have other priorities."
"Listen to your friend there nobody wants to die...But we're taking that truck." The lead guy smirked clearly thinking they had recovered their upper hand.
"Say the word, Garnett." Mercy called "k could take like six of these chumps before they get a shot off"
"let 'em have it" Garnett sighed. The group lifted their weapons and Mercy was about to close her hand before he shouted "the truck!" Explaining what he meant "let them have the truck"
Everyone sighed defeated as the men whooped, hollered and drove away... In their truck...
Warren walked over to the yellow bug and reached to open the door but ended up just pulling it off.
"Beautiful" she grumbled.
10k ran over and went straight to Mercy "you ok?" He asked hugging her.
"Dw I'm fine and not that I don't appreciate it but you don't have worry so much... Or almost shoot any one who looks at me funny" she said raising an eyebrow at him when referring to his long range threatening a few seconds ago.
"Yeh well I can't help it" he said quietly keeping one arm around her and reaching the other up to push a piece of hair behind her ear before saying even quieter "I care about you"
The teen blushed not looking away from him "I care about you too" she smiled.
"If you two love birds are finished we should probably get going" Addy called her and Cassandra smirking playfully at the now furiously blushing pair.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As they travelled down the seemingly continuous and arduous road Mack and Addy were sat on the front of the car with Warren, Garnett, Murphy and Cassandra inside it. Doc and 10k held onto the back and mercy had managed to tie some rope so she could sit on the top with slightly less danger of falling off.
Despite her "completely reliable" DIY seatbelt 10k insisted on wrapping and arm around the young girls waist as a precaution.
"This is fun!" she called back to 10k and Doc.
"You're mental!" 10k called back chuckling at her.
"You're still in love with her though" Doc taunted quietly so she couldn't hear.
10k shot him a glare.
"Hey you guys seeing this?" Mercy called loudly to the whole group pointing ahead.
"Bastards" Mack commented seeing who it was.
Up ahead the men that had stole their truck were now holding a poor family of four at gunpoint.
"Looks like they're trying to rob some poor family this time" Warren commented bringing the car to a stop.
"Not if I have anything to say about it... Come on" Garnett told them and everyone got off the car and pulled their weapons out walking towards the scene. The father of the family was holding out a pistol whilst the mother stayed behind with the two children.
"Would it matter if I said don't do this?" Murphy asked but everyone ignored him.
"Drop your weapons or the first shot takes your head off" Garnett threatened the leader putting his pistol to his head.
"You heard the man drop them" the father said seemingly grateful for the help. But Mercy had a funny feeling. With 10k close behind her she walked forward a bit to look behind the truck and there sat the rest of the men on their knees with their hands on their heads.
"What is this?" She asked confused looking back at the family.
"A robbery" the father stated.
Suddenly the family started shooting even the kids. 10k pulled Mercy close to him and they ducked a bit as the family killed all of the men in seconds then turned their guns on the group.
"Drop your weapons... I don't want to have to kill you" the mother and children run to get in the truck as the father threatens the group that had originally come to help them.
Once they'd lowered their guns the father joined his family in the truck and they drove off.
"Never get out of the boat" a Doc said shaking his head as they head back to the junker.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Can't this thing go any faster I'm gunna die of old age before we get to California" Murphy was complaining as always as they drove at the Junkers top speed... Which wasn't very fast...
This time Addy and Mack were stood on the back and Doc, 10k and Mercy were sat on the front with Mercy sat on 10k's lap. They both liked this new arrangement much more but they didn't tell anyone that.
"So when you two gunna seal the deal?" Doc asked the two teens raising his eyebrows suggestively.
Both of them look at him confused.
"You know... Stake your claim... Butter her biscuit... Dance in the sheets... Bump uglies as it very much were" he pushed leaving the two teens wide eyed and blushing.
"No ones buttering anyone's biscuit" Garnett called sternly making Addy roll her eyes.
"Oh they're gunna do it sooner or later Garnett" she called.
"Dude pro tip Durex seems to have survived the apocalypse the best" Mack told 10k making the boy turn an even darker shade of Crimson.
"They aren't gunna be doing anything and that's the end of it" Garnett called louder.
"Teens will be teens Garnett" Warren said chuckling slightly.
"Yeh you can't stop love..."
Cassandra was interrupted by Mercy who seemed to be the first of the two to recover.
"OKAY STOP!" She shouted "first of all 10k and I aren't even together..."
"Could of fooled me" Murphy mumbled but was quickly silenced by one of the glares Mercy saves just for him.
"Also..." She continued "even if we were going to bump uglies ,as you put so delicately doc, it would be none of your bussiness... Are we clear?"
"But..." Garnett started.
Mercy stared at him with an eyebrow raised daring him to continue... He didn't risk it.
"Good now everyone sit quietly with your mouths shut so we can enjoy a peaceful drive in the apocalypse" the scary girl ended.
They all slumped in their positions feeling like scolded children.
10k leaned down to whisper quietly in Mercy's ear smiling "you're amazing"
"I know" she whispered back grinning though they were both still a bit red from blushing.
They rode in silence until 10k hit the car twice and Mercy called "stop the car"
In the middle of the road was a truck... Their truck.
"Oh it's the family" Addy commented as the group walked towards the scene where the family were currently being used as z chow.
The group waited as Mercy walked around the z's mercy-ing them. None of them even looked up as she whispered her mercies... They were too into their meal.
"We got to get off this road" Garnett said shaking his head as they all got back in the truck.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The group had stopped at a fast food resteraunt to try and contact citizen z and currently Addy was connecting wires from the drive through speaker to a satellite dish that Mercy was currently holding up as she sat on 10k's shoulders who was stood on the top of the truck.
"Okay." Addy nodded to Garnett.
"Quiet!" Garnett hushed the team as he leaned down to the French fry shaped speaker.
"This is Sergeant Charles Garnett calling Northern Light...Charles Garnett calling Northern Light...Come in, Northern Light" he called "Can you read me? Citizen Z, are you there? Over."
"Yes, this is Northern Light for Garnett...Citizen Z hitting you back." Citizen z's voice came through "Go for Garnett."
"Thank God...We've been trying to make this work for hours." Garnett sighed relieved.
"What are you broadcasting on?" Citizen z asked.
"Uh, Clowny the french fry guy." Garnett replied awkwardly "One of our team, Carver jerry-rigged a drive-thru camera"
"Addy Carver?" He asked making Garnett furrow his eyebrows.
"Yeah."
"Is she there? I wanna say hi." He seemed to be excited at the aspect of talking to Addy.
" Oh, okay." Garnett said confused as he be koned Addy forward.
"Hi, Addy." He said almost wistfully.
"Hey." The girl replied as confused as everyone else.
"How's it going down there?" He asked as if it wasn't the apocolypse.
"Ummm, it's pretty eff'd up actually. How's it going wherever you are?" She replied.
"Aww you know, same ol' same ol'...Busy keeping an eye on the world...What can I do for you folks?"
It was at that point that doc interrupted "Can we get a chocolate shake and fries for ten thousand men?"
"Could we please get on with this before the Zs find us?" Murphy complained as twitchy as ever.
"Wait...Is that Murphy? Outstanding...Glad to see you're still alive, sir." Citizen Z said returning to business.
"Yeah but he won't be for long if we don't get off this highway." Garnett took over once again.
"I'm not sure how much longer I can hold this" Mercy whispered to 10k starting to struggle
"Don't worry I got you" he whispered back before calling to the others "any chance we could do this a bit quicker?"
"Right." Garnett nodded at him understanding "We're in desperate need of alternate transpo...We're looking for an airplane or a chopper or a hot air balloon Anything airborne."
"There is one thing." Citizen z told them "I've been monitoring some random transmissions from what's left of the Emergency Headquarters for Infection Control...I can hear them, but they don't respond when I reply and it's pretty garbled...General McCandles might still be holed up there."
There was a pause filled with the sound of clucking from a keyboard before he continued.
"You're in luck...I have a visual confirmation on that chopper...It looks like it's still there."
"Where is it?" Garnett asked looking relieved.
"McLean, Virginia...Twenty clicks due west of Washington DC...Look for a high-rise with structural damage and a chopper on the roof."
"Now that's a hundred miles south from here." Murphy started with his complaining again. "We're going west, not south...West."
"Do you want to get off the road or not?" Garnett asked him rhetorically.
"Puppies and kittens!" Mack called.
"We gotta go." Warren added.
"Bye, Addison...Call me when you get there." Was the last thing they heard from citizen z.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As they pulled up to the building Mercy was stood in the bed of the truck and 10k stood behind her with a hand either side to stop her falling even and even though she knew he balance was impeccable she didn't tell him that.
"Not exactly what I was hoping for." Garnett mumbled as they all got out of the truck.
The building was all but falling down and the front was littered with bodies and crashed vehicles.
"One of these days you're gonna learn to quit hoping for things." Murphy said.
"You better hope not cuz that's when we leave your ass at the side of the road." Warren sassed.
"You know I'm getting really tired of your pessimism from now on every time you p talk in my presence I'm going to sing if your happy and you know it as loud as possible" Mercy said crossing her arms. 10k chuckled walking behind her.
"You're m..." Murphy was cut off by Mercy singing loudly.
"IF YOUR HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT CLAP YOUR HANDS"
The whole group except Murphy laughed.
"Halt! Who goes there!" A man appeared at the ramp to the building.
"Sergeant Charles Garnett, National Guard...This is Lieutenant Roberta Warren" Garnett gestured to Warren and everyone else stated back.
"State your business." The shifty and kind of twitchy man called.
"We're on a high priority mission to get this man to a CDC lab in California." Garnett told him pointing to Murphy "We were sent here by an Intell Officer from the NSA to see General McCandles...We need his help finding transpo."
"We were told he has a helicopter." Warren said.
"Yeah, he's got a chopper." The man paused "But General McCandles is a very busy man...He's got the entire east coast under his command he can't worry about some raggedy ass group of civilians on a suicide mission...I suggest you move on before the infected find you."
"Nothing raggedy ass about this group of civilians, sir." Warren sassed clearly knowing that something was up with this guy.
"And this man has important information about a vaccine for the zombie virus." Garnett said somewhat calmer.
The man walked up to Murphy inspecting him "He smells like a damn Z."
"You don't smell so good yourself, septic tank." Murphy grumbled.
"IF YOURE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT CLAP YOUR HANDS" Mercy sang loudly over him making the strange man flinch and stare at the girl.
"What's wrong with her?she retarded or something" He asked making the whole group glare even Murphy. (An: don't want to offend anyone that is not an okay word to use and I flinched even writing it but I needed to get across the kind of person this guy is)
"nothing's wrong with her" Cassandra protested.
"And you have no business judging her" Addy continued.
Suddenly a small rock flew through the air hitting the guy in the head making everyone look at the glaring 10k putting his slingshot back in his pocket and pulling Mercy back into him.
"Okay that's enough" Garnett told them sternly.
"But Garnett they were only defending in me... It's quite sweet actually" Mercy said smiling at her friends.
Garnett sighed "why don't you guys go wait with the truck"
"We're not kids" they chime.
"We'll keep acting like it and we're gunna treat you like it" warren threatened "now go on all of you"
Addy, Mack, Cassandra, 10k and Mercy all head back to the truck.
After a bit doc heads up to see the general and the others come wait with them until they hear him shouting. Knowing something bad happened they threaten the creepy guy till he takes them up leaving 10k and Mercy to cover their backs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mercy was out a few dozen feet mercy-ing some z's as 10k lit a cigarette and took a puff thinking of his father... But he wasn't the only one reminiscing. As she swung her knife Mercy thought of the kids she swore to protect... The children who were too young and too lost already for this world... They had all been dumped at young ages unwanted and forgotten... Let down by the rest of the world and eventually let down by mercy herself... At least that's how she thought of it.
Across the car park 10k was having flashbacks of the day his dad died... Tying him up... Taking drags of his cigerette for him... Promising to mercy him... And doing it...
His thoughts were interrupted by his cigerette being pulled from his mouth and stomped out by a heavy combat boot.
"Hey!" He exclaimed looking up at Mercy who kept her sights on their surroundings.
"Those things will kill you" she said simply not looking at him.
"I don't care it's the apocalypse!" He protested starting to raise his voice "you can't just come flying into my life and turn everything around then tell me what to do!"
Mercy looked at him shocked "well I'm sorry for caring about your health you're not the only one whose lost people 10k and I refuse to lose you too"
"NO YOU CANT DO THAT! ITD THE APOCALYPSE YOU CANT CARE MERCY! CARING JUST GETS PEOPLE KILLED" he said jumping up.
He only had a second to register the hurt in her face before she jumped out of the truck bed running towards the ramp to the building.
"Mercy..." He called after her regretting what he said immediately. He threw himself down rubbing his hands over his face "ughhhhh"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It had been about twenty minits and 10k was lining up an easy shot on a z across the car park... He aimed... Breathed in... Breathed out... Shot and... Missed.
He sighed leaning back. "God dammit Mercy what are you doing to me" he said to himself before jumping out of the truck and jogged towards to where he knew the teenage girl was sat. He found her sat on a step with her forehead on her arms that rested on her knees.
"I'm sorry" he said sadly making her look at him. He could see she had been crying and it killed him.
She looked at him for a second before nodding and estuarine to the space next to her. He sat down and they both stare at the space between them.
"I didn't mean any of that" he sighed.
There was a moment of silence.
"I know" she nodded.
"No... No you don't know... You don't know cause I haven't told you... But no more beating around the bush..." He placed a hand on each of her cheeks making her look at him. He looked into her eyes for a second before moving closer to her and continuing " goddammit Mercy I love you... I love you like I've never loved anyone before... And that terrifies me because I don't think I could survive loosing you... I'm in too deep I care too much and if you were too..."
He was cut off by Mercy's lips on his. At first he was shocked but soon he melted into it pulling her onto his lap and placing his hands on her waist as hers moved to wrap around his neck.
They pulled away and Mercy touched thier foreheads together.
"I love you too" she whispered making him pull away and look her in the eyes before kissing her passionately.
Once they pulled away Mercy looked into his eyes and said "I agree no more beating around the bush... The way I see it is nothing is certain in this world... Every day could quite easily be your last... But I'm not going to let that scare me anymore... I fact it's going to motivate me to spend every moment with you to its fullest"
"Sounds like a good plan to me" 10k grinned at her the became serious "Mercy... Will you be my girlfriend?"
The young girl grinned at him throwing her arms around him and hugged him tight "of course I will you big idiot"
"Piggy back back to the truck?" He suggested grinning.
"Of course" she giggled.
When they got back 10k lined up his shot once again... He aimed... Breathed in... Breathed out... Shot and...
"Perfect hit"
He looked up at the amazing girl stood with a hand on his shoulder.
"Only for you..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the group got back the teens were sat in the truck bed talking. They all seemed sad and depressed and there was one missing... Doc
"What happened to Doc?" Mercy called to them worried.
"He didn't make it." Warren said delicately. Mercy gasped and buried her head in 10ks chest as he put his arms around her bowing his head.
"Zombies." Mack said his voice full of distaste.
"Oh, whoa, whoa." Addy said noticing something...
"Oh God, is that..." Cassandra asked.
" It's Doc." Garnett confirmed. And there he was Doc... But as a zombie.
"Someone's gotta..." Mack said.
"I'll do it." Mercy called sniffling.
"Are you sure?" 10k asked not letting her go.
She nodded "it's my job"
He nodded back and watched as she jumped down and lifted up one of her pistols.
"Steven 'Doc' Beck...I give you mercy." She took the shot but her hands were shaking slightly and she missed.
"What the hell, Mercy? You trying to kill me?" The 'zombie' Doc exclaimed.
"You're alive?" Addy asked not be living it.
"Damn straight I'm alive." He called indignantly.
The whole group laughed/cried happy tears.
"We thought you were dead." Mercy called as Warren handed him a handkerchief to clean the blood off his skin.
"Well so did I...Some numbskull threw a grenade in the air shaft I was stuck in." He explained.
"Well hurry up!" Garnett called laughing.
Mercy claimed back into the truck and returned to 10ks arms in relief.
"Come on." Warren told the old man chuckling.
"Give me a kiss, baby." He joked opening his arms to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the group continued down the road Mercy, 10k, Doc and Cassandra were sat in the truck bed. 10k had an arm slung over Mercy's shoulders but this wasn't a particularly unusual happenstance for the pair.
Citizen z's voice crackle through the radio.
"Here's a song for all the lonely people out there, which is just about everybody that's left...
So if you've got somebody to go through the Apocalypse with, you better watch their backs...
Cuz there ain't many of us left...
And oh yeah, I'd like to dedicate this song to Addison Carver, wherever you are."
"Oooooooo" Mercy and Cassandra teased.
"I talked to the guy twice." Addy protested "Come on." She added when Mack raised a teasing eyebrow at her.
Mercy and 10k looked at eachother thinking about what citizen z said. 10k used his fingers to gently move Mercy's chin up kissing her sweetly.
"Oh my god" Cassandra said shocked.
"It's happening... It's happening... They're kissing... Addy you owe me a foot rub" Doc called excitedly.
From inside the truck Addy squealed and Warren and Mack laughed as Garnett grumbled and Murphy rolled his eyes.
The young couple just laughed Mercy leaning her head on 10ks shoulder and 10k kissing her forehead softly...