New story, AU, with a sci-fi (even more so) twist. This might not get finished, just like my other stories,I just want it down on paper. For this, Charlie isn't related to Miles or Danny, and is older, 26ish, so is Jason, and Miles and Bass are 10 years older than them.
Jason couldn't even remember how far they had walked today. It was just a haze of miles blurred together, trees and bushes and dirt roads and abandoned highways. When the sun went down, Miles finally decided to make camp and immediately got to work starting a fire. Danny was scouring for wood, and Jason went to the nearby river for water. It was sad how easily they fell into this domestic routine. Searching for Charles, Danny's brother, was their common goal, even though Jason was not related. Miles and Danny had saved him from a Militia prison camp and he felt obligated to help them. that and he liked the innocent Danny and his fresh and almost childlike takes on the world. Never mind that he had nowhere else to go. His dad an mom thought he was dead, at least assumed he was since they knew of his fate at the camp and didn't raise a finger, loyal subjects of Monroe that they were.
Stealthily making his way to the river, he quickly checked himself when he noticed a woman by the river bed. She was wearing sturdy boots and a leather jacket over a tank and was stunningly pretty, but the thing which made him duck behind a nearby tree was the powerful longbow she was flexing and the lethal looking knife strapped to her waist. Although she was a lone woman, and Jason himself was kind of a badass fighter, he had foolishly brought nothing but a small dagger with him.
Before he could decide to flee or just ignore her or make himself known, her voice rang out.
"You know, normally people would just say 'good evening.'"
Sheepishly, Jason spun out from behind the tree. "You were just a little intimidating with that bow," he joked. "I just need to fill these with water." He indicated the jugs in his hands and began to approach the river.
"I'm Natalie, by the way." She put the bow down, but kept an eye on him warily. The post blackout world hadn't been kind to anyone, so even innocent encounters like this were tinged with scepticism and distrust.
"Jason."
"Sorta dangerous to be traveling alone, Jason." She observed As he began to leave. "You shouldn't travel unarmed."
"My mistake, but I'll be fine." With that, he turned and disappeared into the woods, making no move to hide his track, having no way of knowing that he would shortly be followed back to camp.
...
Charlie waited until the sun was far gone before following Jason back. She felt bad about lying about her name, but she shouldn't have been foolish enough to let jason spot her. She had been following them for days- days!- and they had yet to notice. Miles Matheson, the miles matheson, feared leader of the Militia in days past and legendary fighter in his own right, hasn't noticed her, but she lets her guard down for a second by the river, foolishly thinking they wouldnt venture out tonight. And now they knew her face. Damn.
She would just have to be more careful in the future or she would never find Monroe.
Cautiously, she approached the dying fire, eyeing the bodies around the fire. All three were fast asleep, so she moved in silently. Starting with Miles' pack, knowing it was his since she'd seen him with it for the past few days.
Anything, anything, to show that he was still in contact with Monroe would not escape her notice. Anything suggesting he knew of Monroe's whereabouts were the target of her search.
Mand she found nothing. Abseloutly nothing. Not a letter or a gift or a token.
exasperated, she shoved everything back into the bag angrily. Which of coarse, woke Danny from his troubled sleep.
"Wha-" he managed to choke out groggily before she was perched on his chest with a hand over his mouth.
"Ssshhhh! Please be quiet! It's not what it looks like!" She pleaded as Danny thrashed, waking the others.
"Hey!" Miles shouted, grabbing his sword and struggling to his feet, momentarily distracting Charlie. Danny took the opportunity to flip her underneath him and attempt to throw a few punches. One found her nose and Charlie quickly disabled him with a knee to the unmentionables, a hook to the ribs and an elbow to the temple.
As his unconscious body rolled off of her, she barely managed to dodge the downward swing of Miles' sword. It dug into the ground, scraping her left shoulder as she rolled to her feet. The hot blood trickling down her back focused her attention on the blade he was wielding. It wasn't her intention to kill him, she thought as she drew her bowie knife, but it wasn't her intention to die either.
She repelled a few of his slices, punching and kicking when she could. He spoke as they exchanged blows, his deadly hers painful. "A militia spy all the was out here for me? I'm flattered."
Charlie delivered a kick to his sternum, sending him tumbling backwards. "Don't be. I'm not militia and I'm not after you."
"So if I check your wrist I won't find a brand?" Another vicious lunge sliced virtically up Charlie's arm.
"I could ask you the same question. The famous Miles Matheson." With a sharp crack, she broke his nose, sending him tumbling backwards, and turned just in time to dodge a wild hook from Jason. She threw him over her hip, and glanced almost sympathetically at him. "Call him off before I have to break bones. I don't want to, bu I will."
Miles spoke through his hand as he attempted to stem the blood flow, "Let me handle this Jason. She's a trained militia killed. Skilled."
"I won't." He stubbornly rose between Charlie and Miles. With a sigh, Charlie quickly sent a flurry of punches at his face while sweeping his feet out from under him. A solid hit to the jaw and he was out cold.
Now it was just her and the Butcher.
cautiosly, they circled each other. Both wary of underestimating the other, neither clear on the others motives. Without warning, Charlie locked blades with Miles, forcing him to retreat until his back hit a tree. Struggling for dominance, he managed to disarm her, but lost his sword in the process.
a few vicious kicks and hits later, none of which he could block, he knew his only advantage was strength and promptly tackled Charlie. Rolling dangerously close to the fire, Miles gained the upper hand and pinned her struggling body.
Da best heaving, she gave him a defiant look as he drew a knife strapped to his calf. "Now you're gonna talk. Or I'm gonna kill you. Why are you here and who sent you?"
She wriggled beneath him, struggling to regain control of a situation gone so far awry. His knees pressed harder into her wrists. "I should have killed you when I had the chance. Chances really. I've been following you for days. Sloppy Miles, very sloppy.- " he brutally backhanded her, ending her words.
"Who. Why." He gritted out.
"I thought you'd changed." She spat. "I was wrong."
"fine. How's this: if I find a brand on your wrist, you die-" as he let up pressure on her wrists to check, she decked him and used the temporary stun to flip positions. With the knife to his throat she leaned down to whisper in his ear.
"I won't kill you now. These two boneheads will die without you and despite what you'd think I'm not a cold blooded killer. I don't want to kill you. But get in my way and I will." With that, she knocked him out with the hilt of the knife and stood.
Quickly inventorying herself, she decided she could love without stitches and she probably didn't have a concussion, so she started to walk. If she wanted to find Monroe her next best bet was militia soldiers.