Author's Notes:
First, let me welcome you all to another T4 fic of mine.
This little story sprouted from something that has been nagging at me since I originally watched the film. There was a lot of time they skipped on Blair and Marcus' journey to the resistance base, so this is my take on what happened in between. Note for those of you familiar with my other fic, Vindicated: this is in no way a prequel or has any connections to it, this story stands on its own. For all intents and purposes it is a one-shot but the whole thing is so lengthy that I decided to break it up into two to three parts, so technically it is a two-shot or three-shot, but whatever floats your boat.
I realize there are fics out there (besides Vin) that have Marcus coming back and living on and explaining what happened next, this is not one of those. I am in no way trying to offer a hope that he lives on or finds a new absolution through a miraculous second chance, I am merely offering a filler for a huge time gap the movie gave us, nothing more.
I would like to give a special thank you to two people. First, thank you T. You know who you are, and without you I don't think I ever would have bothered to pen my first fanfic on here, let alone this one. You did an awesome job helping me edit, I couldn't ask for anything more. Second, a huge thank you to KageOkami-Kogo. You gave wonderful insight into your thoughts on the couple that is Blair and Marcus as well as inspired me through your own stories. The conversations we had were not only humorous but helped my muse that lacked it's usual comical flare. For that, I thank you deeply. This story is for both of you. :)
Disclaimer: I in no way shape or form own any of the characters, plot ideas involving the over all makeup of the movie, or any of that. Copyright belongs to the respective owners.
With all that said, onward and upwards!
"I have no need for good souls: an accomplice is what I wanted." – Jean-Paul Sartre
Accomplice: Part I
All things considered, the current situation Blair Williams found herself in was humorous, if not an ironic cliché. He was the only other person left from the unexpected Skynet attack besides her. The friends he had been tagging along with were now captured with dozens of other people, currently on their way to god knows where. It had been all too easy to persuade the strange man to come with her and seek help for his doomed friends from John Connor – who was head of a small group of resistance fighters. So they found themselves tracking through a barren wasteland together, their destination one to two days away on foot.
A cliché indeed, she thought with amusement.
The man she was now leading to Connor, Marcus Wright, trailed several steps behind her. He was so quiet, never making a sound. Blair constantly was glancing over her shoulder to check and make sure he didn't just disappear the same way he had materialized two hours ago. Being the impulsive thinker that she was, Blair had failed to notice the area she ejected from her plane and landed herself on an old rusting power line. Marcus had shown up, offering a hand – literally – and assisted her down from the tower. She didn't know how he survived the attack, but Blair had been glad as hell to see him show up. Two people traveling together were far better than one.
Blair was proud and established her independence early on in this post-apocalyptic world. She made sure to show everyone within the resistance group and then some that there was no bullshit with her. There was a goal, one solitary goal she had in mind; none of those lust crazed, trigger-happy bozos were going to get in her way. After watching her mother murdered ruthlessly before her by a skynet drone, the blood of her parent spattered all over the walls of their makeshift home at the time and on herself, Blair's resolve had been solidified. Skynet would pay for their folly. Even if it got her killed, Blair would seek out vengeance. Her goal was simple; destroy whatever Skynet related thing that so happen to cross her path and hopefully be granted a shot at annihilating the headquarters.
Yes, she was sovereign and self-serving. Often times she didn't like help and preferred to stand on her own two feet. However, Marcus seemed to be an exception to that rule of hers. It felt nice to have someone else to depend upon for once, and for the life of her, Blair could not figure out why he sparked that reaction in her. Had she been with other men and held attractions to them? Yes, but this was different. There was this… vibe, this feeling that there was already a strong connection between them. The moment her eyes landed on his vivacious blue irises Blair felt a small fire ignite within. What it was, she didn't know just yet, but something was there in his eyes that made the earth move out from under her – metaphorically speaking of course.
He wasn't bad looking either. Standing tall at no shorter than six-foot-one. Broad shoulders and a sinewy body gave Marcus his formidable stature. His golden-tanned skin was stretched taut over sculpted muscles, and stunning bronze hair cropped short atop his head added to his alluring appeal. Rugged handsome features coupled with the indifferent, calm, exterior he presented gave Marcus almost a dangerous magnetism. A temptation in his own right, Marcus was the epitome of masculinity.
They don't make them like that anymore.
"Do you really know where you're going?" His deep voice broke through her thoughts.
Blair, startled by the sudden noise, whipped her head around to stare at Marcus. After several long moments of them just looking at each other, his words registered somewhere in her brain. Was he being a wise guy or was Marcus truly concerned about her directions? That's a first; a man willing to ask for directions. She snorted in hilarity at her own thoughts, which cause Marcus to arch a fine copper-bronze eyebrow in question.
"I fail to see how any of this is funny."
Smirking, she replied "Oh, it's funny alright. And yes, believe it or not, I do know where we are going. Just relax."
He looked like he wanted to debate with her on a few things but kept his mouth shut. Smart man.
Some time later, by Blair's estimate an hour or so, an old beaten up paved road came into sight. She'd flown and driven through this part of the state so much Blair was confident she could walk it blindfolded. As entertaining as that would be, she knew her companion was strung up on high nerves; in a hurry to rescue the two friends that had been captured by Skynet and whisked away by a transporter. Taking pity on him, along with a boost from her compassionate side, Blair chose the swiftest route to the resistance camp – the interstate highway.
"If we follow the road until sunset we'll be taking almost a straight path to the resistance base," she explained when he came to a halt at her side.
Marcus appraised the weathered path, faint recognition sparking in his azure eyes. There was more though, a hunted look rolling over him like storm clouds on a sunny day. Blair thought he might have seen a ghost; the weariness residing just beneath his controlled front was unnerving. Something was bothering him, and for some reason Blair's heart went out to the man. Whatever injustice had been inflicted on him still followed behind, like a shadowy companion only Marcus could see.
His gruff voice broke the silence that had unwittingly befallen them, "What about shelter?"
Shrugging, Blair acted like that was the least of their problems for now. "We'll worry about that later. Our main priority is to get as far as we can with the limited sunlight. There are tons of spots that can offer a place to rest further down the highway, trust me."
A grumble made it past his barely quivering lips. Blair couldn't make out what he said, but the idea was clear enough, he was being a smartass.
As they began their long trek towards the resistance base Blair felt the left corner of her mouth curl up into a crooked smile. Marcus was brooding, mysterious, and as silent as a grave almost. Even with these usually less than appealing attributes, his presence was a welcomed change. Sure, he could be sarcastic and incredibly cryptic at times, but that just intrigued Blair more. She liked puzzles, challenges. And Marcus Wright was a worthy enigma she was set on cracking.
She was curious. Where did Marcus come from? Who was he, really? Not too many people held qualities like his. Most were so far into despair and depression over this all-consuming war that any humanity they had left was shriveled up and hid in the farthest corner of the mind. That wasn't so with him. There was a… life, a drive to him. Blair couldn't put it into words accurately enough, but she could feel it radiating off of him as much as she could see it reflected in his beautiful eyes.
Paying her no mind, Marcus kept his gaze locked on the path ahead of them. He never once glanced in her direction, just walked at her side with pensive silence. Using the current situation to her advantage, Blair ran her appraising eyes over him once more. It was then that she noticed something peculiar about him. She had seen people move before – whether they were drunkenly staggering around, scared out of their mind and hauling butt away, or just trudging along without a care – but Blair had never crossed paths with anyone that strolled quite like Marcus. His strides were long, confident and concise, yet languid and graceful; unnaturally so. Not like what Blair pictured as a ballerina, but along the lines of something regal and unearthly.
Self-conscious, she picked up the pace slightly so Marcus was now two steps behind her as she took lead once more. Watching that man move caused Blair to take a personal hit on her own capability. No one had ever made her feel inferior or insignificant before. People may have tried but never succeeded in the task. Unknowingly, Marcus had without even thinking about it.
Who the hell is this guy?
"Do you walk through here often?" Marcus asked.
Blair startled. Last thing she expected him to do was say anything, let alone ask her a personal question.
"Walk? No. Usually I don't get shot out of my plane." She grinned over at him, amused by her joke. Marcus stared back at her with blank confusion.
"What about you?" Blair nodded her head in his direction.
Marcus, who had been staring a head of them once more, glanced back to Blair. "Do you walk to where you're going a lot?" she clarified for him.
Blinking, he looked away again and pursed his lips. "Recently? I suppose you could say that."
An awkward silence lapsed between them. Blair kept mulling over how perplexing he was being. While she was busy contemplating him, it appeared Marcus had his thoughts elsewhere as well.
"So, do you know of any games to play when on the road?" she ended up breaking the silent truce.
Marcus arched that eyebrow of his again. "Games…?"
"You know. Something to pass the time so you don't go insane."
His face stayed straight, blank, when he finally replied. "You mean like… I Spy?"
"I-what?" It was Blair's turn to wear a blank face.
Rolling his eyes, with a sigh, "Of course you haven't heard of it," he grumbled to himself.
"I Spy is an old game from when I was a kid –" Marcus elucidated; Blair thought she detected a double meaning in his words "you more or less look for something that catches your eye and then say the color of the thing you spy and the other person guesses what it is." His explanation was brief, yet thorough.
Though she understood the mechanics of what he said, she couldn't help but stare at him. Why had she never heard of this game? And why did Marcus stress that it was rather old? If he played it as a child, she doubted it wasn't a recent invention. The man walking at her right side looked to be not a day past thirty, no way was the game from that long ago. Old game indeed.
"Never mind, it's a child's game. You wouldn't…"
Blair interrupted "It is better than nothing. You start though, it's your game."
"Fine," he turned away from her and looked around. After roughly a half-minute pause his lips twitched in a subtle smile before his ocean blue eyes returned to her once more. "I Spy something… green."
Green? Like hell you do. There isn't anything green for miles!
Searching for anything green, Blair strained her eyes as far as they could see. She thought she was even being smart by looking behind her to see if he wasn't being tricky. After several minutes of frustrated sightseeing, Blair gave up with an audible sigh. Everything around them was red, orange, or brown. Nothing green was anywhere! She crossed her arms and glared down at her feet – that being when she actually did spot something green. Her water canteen was a dark olive color. That little….
"You never said it could be on our person!"
Her outburst of indignation seemed to amuse Marcus, causing Blair's annoyance to skyrocket.
"You never asked. Besides, I knew you were smart enough to figure it out… eventually."
Caught between being offended and complemented at the same time, she wasn't sure what to do. Being impulsive as she was, Blair finally decided to act out in spite and playfulness.
"Well I Spy something blue!"
Marcus' eyebrows rose up, "Blue as in like the sky?"
"Yes."
He looked at her expectantly, as if he thought she was missing something obvious.
"You asked it if was like the sky. I answered yes; I never said it was the sky."
For the next half hour Marcus went on rambling off everything around them that possibly could be blue. From his uniform to the mountains in the distance, he listed everything on his person and hers, all to no avail. By the end of it, he looked to be just as annoyed as Blair had felt.
"Alright, I give. What is it?" he groused.
Blair leered at him in victory, "Your eyes" she stated simply.
"My… eyes?" he asked in confusion.
She nodded, "Yeah. You do know what color your eyes are right? And you did say it could be a part of one of us."
"Yes – but I can't see my eyes!" he sputtered.
Not able to hide her humor any longer, Blair began to laugh at his own self ignorance and the face he was making. Watching him get flustered over a little game was endearing, and strangely cute. While she enjoyed a good chuckle at his expense, Marcus was content to glare back at her stonily.
"My turn?" he asked moodily.
"Yu-p" she popped the 'p' cheerfully.
Marcus' lips curled into a sinister sneer as he ran his eyes up the length of her body. "I spy something… annoying."
"You know, that's not a color," she pointed out mildly.
"No, but it describes one of us perfectly."
Blair felt her own eyebrows shoot up in surprise. When she glanced over at him, she found him chuckling and smiling to himself. Unable to fight the infectious gesture, she found herself grinning along with Marcus.
The sun was now sinking downwards in the clear heavens. Blair turned to her right and watched the fiery streaks of gold reach across the blood red sky. Hues of orange, red, gold, and pink colored the atmosphere and the scene before them was breathtaking. Despite all the carnage they passed and nothing but desert wasteland for miles, the landscape, with its elongated shadows was truly a masterpiece. An urge to bask in the last warm rays was pulling at Blair's resolve to find shelter. When she glanced to Marcus, she was surprised to see almost a melancholy look in his eyes.
"We should find somewhere to rest," his voice rumbled from besides her.
Blair nodded, "Mmm. Next place we pass with any potential we'll call good for the night."
"Start looking. I see storm clouds in the distance."
Squinting to see better, Blair found Marcus to be right. Far off to southeast dark ominous puffs of gray were approaching.
"You think if we do an anti-rain dance it will go away?" she jived well naturedly.
Marcus' blue orbs flicked to her face, easily reading the amusement scrawled across it. He pursed his lips, internally debating something before finally speaking again. "Would sacrificing you to the weather gods work any better?"
At first Blair was not sure if she should laugh or be offended by his turnabout question. She looked to his face and found a sarcastic smirk now lightening his handsome features. Naturally, a smile broke across her face and she found herself grinning. For the first time in what seemed like eons that she was actually smiling, not faking a half-assed one to appease someone.
"Touché. I'll give you that one," she snickered.
A throaty chuckle came from Marcus. The sound of it was like a breath of fresh air flowing through her. Suddenly Blair found herself wanting to hear it again, and a twinge of longing took residence inside of her. The way his bright blue eyes now glowed with humor lifted her mood and she found a kindred spirit within him.
"We could always sacrifice someone else," Blair offered, keeping the humor going.
Marcus snorted, "Right, and what do we tell anyone that sees us doing some whacked voodoo?"
"The point is to not get caught."
"And if we do?" he quipped.
"Optimistic today, aren't we? Then we tie 'em up and haul ass out of there."
Marcus smirked ironically, "Are you suggesting we become partners in crime?"
"Sure, why not? And if we ever do get caught, I'm telling them it was your idea."
"What does that make you? An accessory for murder?" he mocked.
Blair scoffed, "No that makes me the innocent bystander."
"Or the mastermind playing possum." He offered with a crooked smile.
"Mastermind?" Blair asked incredulously. "You're making me sound diabolical. If memory serves you were the one that got homicide out of an innocent rain dance."
He glanced over his shoulder at her with a heart stopping smile, "Yeah but you were the one that recommended collaboration and conspiracy in attacking other people. You are just as much to blame as me."
"Guilty as charged," Blair relented. "How about this, we are equal crooks that share the burden. You scratch my back I scratch yours – you keep silent and so will I."
Smirking, "Like accomplices?"
"Exactly like accomplices" Blair agreed.
Holding out her hand she gave Marcus her best leer, "Do we have a deal Mr. Wright?"
He hesitated, obviously reading deeper into her dual meaning. Marcus locked eyes with her and held Blair's gaze for several painfully long moments. "We have a deal Miss Williams."
"Would the question, 'are we there yet', be too corny?" Marcus asked.
Blair and Marcus had been power-walking the past half hour or so. Strange thing was Marcus didn't feel sore or aching from the unusually brisk pace. His comrade was unquestionably in good shape, her swift gait not lacking once in its conviction of haste. People nowadays obviously were in far better physical fitness than they had ever been in. It made sense when he contemplated it – after all, it was now 2018 and post-apocalypse.
Red full lips curled into a charming smile, "No, it wouldn't be overly passé of you."
Passé? When the hell did French come into this conversation?
"There should be a race track up ahead – relax."
Marcus briefly glanced to Blair before scanning the horizon. Like the woman said, he could see a distant shape growing steadily larger as they approached. How she was able to distinguish anything in this monotonous scenery was beyond him, though he was grateful that at least one of them had a clue as to what they were doing; he sure as hell didn't.
The woman next to him leveled a knowing look his way before turning to face the blackening sky that was engulfing them now. Even as the sparkling rays of the sun dimmed and dissolved into ominous clouds he couldn't deny a certain glow that radiated from Blair. She was… captivating. Marcus had seen tons of gorgeous woman in his time, but there was something exotic and authoritatively different about her. The very way Blair held herself spoke volumes of her tough guy, no-nonsense attitude. It wasn't only new and foreign, but interesting. He was so use to woman from his time – where they had not been forced to adapt to hellish environments – and a lot of them back then still followed the usual courting standards of submissive gestures. It could have been that he purposely looked for those kinds of females and his judgment was skewed – still, Blair wasn't like the fairer sex he had come to know.
Thunder rolled and before Marcus could figure out what happened icy cold droplets were spattering against him in a relentless drumming beat of war. Blair, who was previously next to him, let out a loud "WHOOP!" She laughed a musical laugh, grinning up at him like a child at Christmas. Something told Marcus this wasn't usual behavior for her, he chose to remain silent anyways.
"So much for the rain dance," she laughed again.
That is when Marcus first noticed her eyes. The golden-honey irises flashed a dazzling shade of light hazel when a bolt of lightning struck off in the distance. Glittering orbs met his and suddenly he found himself staring after Blair as she danced in the sky water. Those eyes, those beautiful almond shaped eyes pierced right through him. The strange resistance fighter continued on with her activity, oblivious to an awestruck Marcus watching with bewilderment just five short feet away.
Finally coming to his senses, Marcus smirked, crossing his navy blue uniform clad arms. He watched, enjoying the brilliant smile on her face with unnerving focus. She was like an elegant goddess that decided to come down and grace his presence.
"You know, dancing after the rain started doesn't count!" he called out to her.
Blair spun around to face him, flashing a set of perfectly white teeth at him. "How do you know?"
"Man's intuition."
"The same intuition that told you I needed saving?" she sassed.
Marcus began to stalk towards her with a grin tugging the corner of his lips up, "Maybe."
"You know, I always thought it was a woman's intuition!" Blair bellowed over the roar of the rain.
"Is that so?" he challenged playfully.
A coy smile slowly crossed her lips, "Maybe."
Rocketing off, Blair bolted towards the looming race track in the horizon. Marcus gave chase, his long strides easily catching him up to her. Unbeknownst to Blair he hung back for a few moments longer, enjoying the sight of her dark brown hair with its long curly locks bouncing with her fluid body movements. Pouncing forward with a deliberate spring in his step, Marcus crashed his massive frame into hers, both toppling over and skidding through a now growing mud puddle.
Blair sat up once she realized that her body impacted with the rain sodden ground. Glaring over at Marcus, the deep scowl creasing her brow didn't last long. The sight of a mud covered Marcus Wright greeted Blair and seconds within registering his appearance she broke out into a stomach-aching laugh. A deeper, far more masculine chuckle accompanied hers and for a few relaxed moments the two had escaped the worries of a war against machines.
"So, do you always tackle unsuspecting innocent woman into the mud?" she asked playfully.
Marcus gracefully pushed himself up, onto his feet. The bronze-haired man stared down at her with a lopsided smirk that caused Blair's heart to give a not so subtle skip. He looked… delicious; despite being covered in mud. The long navy blue resistance coat he wore was now clinging to his muscled frame. She could see powerful abs flexing beneath his muck splattered black t-shirt, and his dark gray cargo pants were now black from their muddy tussle.
A dark eyebrow arched up in a questioning manner. "Unsuspecting innocent woman?" he echoed in a sarcastic voice. "You took off before I even gave chase," he scoffed. "I doubt innocent is the correct term to define you. Weren't you the one that pulled a knife out of your boot?"
So you're an observant wise guy, are you?
"You say that like it's a bad thing I have weapons on my person."
Marcus, who had briefly turned his attention to the race track now some fifty yards off glanced down when she spoke. His raised eyebrows and wicked smirk betraying the amusement he was receiving from their banter. When he locked eyes with her, she noticed his lips begin to slip into a detached line once more as weariness dulled his once bright eyes.
"In this day and age? I'm not sure what to think anymore…." His voice was deep, reflective, as he trailed off.
Blair was given the distinct impression that he was brooding over something. What that something was, she didn't know – but a part of her was intrigued to find out. Maybe she was not the only one that had a past best left forgotten? In reaction to the suddenly dark mood that descended on them she could feel her smile slowly slip into an impassive line. Thoughts of the past were never pleasant, always melancholy and nostalgic. Hard as she tried, Blair couldn't fight the oppressive grip of the socially awkward feeling that demanded detached normalcy be reestablished.
"We should go – the longer we wait out here the more dangerous it gets. Besides, I don't feel like freezing my ass off longer then I have to." Her voice was commanding, yet the volume subdued.
Nodding his agreement, Marcus held out his hand. Usually, Blair would refuse the help but she found the offer not only satisfactory, but welcomed. She placed her smaller hand in his, feeling the rough calloused skin beneath the muck coating his fingers. His hand felt strong, secure. Despite her better judgment, Blair found herself allowing him to haul her up, onto her feet. When his hand dropped away she suddenly noticed how right it had felt in his – how their hands had seemed almost built for one another even – like they belonged there, interwoven as one.
Appearing unaffected, Marcus brushed past her and continued the track onwards. Sighing, she reluctantly let their lighter moments dissolve into silent indifference once more before following. As they approach their destination Blair took the lead, being more familiar with the ins and outs of potential danger that lurked around corners and in the shadows. Marcus hung back two or three paces, his sky blue eyes wearily flicking around with misgivings of unwanted guests.
The last time Blair had been here no one else had taken up residence. She doubted that had changed, though Marcus had the right idea of keeping a look out for trouble anyway. One never knew when circumstances inadvertently changed against them. With her newest companion at her side, there was little to worry about, though. Between her experience and Marcus' wit and brawn, there was almost no question as to the capabilities they had on holding their own.
Seeing a dry shelter, Blair swiftly ducked under the tin roof of a makeshift resting area. Marcus was quick to follow and came up to her side, still glancing around at his surroundings with a slightly furrowed brow. She pulled a Desert Eagle Pistol out of her holster and placed it nearby, thinking she wouldn't need it on her person for the time being as she took off a few other vital items to inspect herself and see the damage done from the rather harsh days activities.
Abruptly, a wicked thought popped into her mind while she examined a wound on her shoulder. Marcus had slipped into a rather catatonic state, nonresponsive and irritatingly quite. For some reason, she wanted a reaction from him; what better way to not only learn about him but also know his thoughts on her personally as well. Ignore this Wright, I dare you to.
Unzipping her jacket further than necessary, Blair peeled back the black leather to reveal her dark top beneath that left little to the imagination. She idly put pressure on the bruise just below the left side of her collarbone, pretending to be busy fussing over a suddenly attention –demanding wound. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Marcus' head turning in her direction. She had to work at hiding a smirk when he did a double take, initially glancing at her passively and beginning to turn away before his azure eyes snapped back to where her hand was. Even though they were in gloomy settings with rain pouring around them, Blair could feel his intense gaze burning a hole through her.
He wasn't sure if he should turn away or continue to gawk. Mouth watering olive toned skin glowed in the dim light they had, and her body looked to be in incredible shape. The urge to stand and stare was getting the best of him, again. Marcus eventually managed to shake off the shock of Blair's actions and take a step back, turning his attention briefly to the race track they were standing just outside of. If for nothing else, his actions at least cooled his blood and allowed room for some logic to return.
Ignorant, stupid, and innocent were three things Marcus was neither; at least until now. Ignorance to this new world was what constantly caused him to trip up. He may not have been a college graduate, but Marcus knew he had some brains and wit or else he wouldn't have come this far. As much as anyone was concerned, he sure as hell wasn't innocent either. Maybe he wasn't proud of the things he had done in his past, but they had happened. Marcus had done a quantity of grotesque things – a few would probably make any normal human blush beet red – or flinch away in fear and disgust. So why was he acting like a young blushing schoolboy with Blair? Sure, she was entertaining and attractive, smart even. Still… Marcus had been with more woman than he cared to count or, recall for that matter, most of them far bolder than Blair was being. What was so different about her? She can kick your ass, that's what's different.
Marcus didn't doubt Blair's capabilities. In fact, he had been contemplating exactly what Blair truly was and wasn't willing to do earlier in their long day hike. Both then and now he reached the same conclusion – murder probably wouldn't be a stretch for her. He was weary. Inside, somewhere in him, Marcus sensed a… connection or bond of some sort. Between Blair and he, there was something that felt like mutual respect and understanding, despite knowing so little about the other. He couldn't be positive, but he though she felt it too.
I get dumped in the future with not a whit as to what happened and then I get lumped with her of all people. Temptation in the face of adversity, 'cause life just works like that. Karma's a bitch.
"Marcus, we're going to need to build a fire. Temperatures out here aren't forgiving and both of us are soaking wet –" her naturally raspy voice pulled him back to reality "look around and see if you can't find anything we could burn."
Gawking wasn't his thing, but Marcus had to make an effort not to. Reluctantly, he shifted his gaze out to the dark rainy track yard. How fitting, she sends him out into the rain to do the dirty work. Saying nothing more he subtly conceded with a nod and stalked back out into the cold drizzle.
It was dark out, yet Marcus could make out everything almost perfectly. He knew in the past that his eyesight had been sharp, but he never recalled it being this good. When Kyle and Star had been with him Marcus had been too high strung on nerves and his own thoughts on other matters to realize this. Now that he was alone and being forced to use his eyes in a more demanding way the oddity came to him quickly.
Normal people don't see a tire clearly from ten yards off in a rainstorm at night. The thought was strange, almost like a different part of him was trying to point out something the other half didn't realize yet. Split feelings of premonition and self-conscious ignorance dueled inside of him. After a few minutes of mulling it all over he decided to put the topic away and ponder it another time. He needed to find something to build a fire with. On top of that he also needed to stay alert for trouble.
Even though Blair had said nothing about safety measures, they both understood the unspoken notion to be careful. Despite her being acclimated to the time and environment, Marcus got a strange feeling in his gut that it was her health they should both be more concerned with . Somehow he had survived a lethal fall and other deadly conditions, continuing on like it never phased him. Those little details were always in the back of his mind, causing him to question if there was something about himself he was not aware of. Either way, a gut instinct was telling him to go back to Blair as he collected a few dried pieces of wood that managed to escape water damage. Something somewhere was not right.
Ignoring his better judgment Marcus carried on with his task, the foreboding feeling only growing in the pit of his stomach as more time lapsed by. Get a grip Marcus, you're being paranoid.
TBC