The sun bore down on him, most of the time it was his ally it kept the Diseased at bay or at least helped to keep them in line but now it was taking a serious toll. He thought about taking off some off his thick protective clothing but quickly thought better of it, it was best to be prepared it may be hot and bright out but there was always a chance one or two of them would risk it.

The heat reminded him of his last holiday a week down south in Cornwall, brilliant beaches and a bit of surfing it had being the highlight of the year his new school had been a drag and the time away had helped.

Pulling himself out of his memories he quickly looked around to make sure he was safe before carrying on up the road.

Two Hours Later

He was drenched in his own sweat, his legs burning and his head felt like it was being hit with a sledgehammer, he stumbling onto the pavement into the shade it was a risky move the Diseased liked the dark and they would often hide behind cars or behind walls in the shade. Thinking this through he forced himself back into the middle of the road back into the sun, his wouldn't let himself be finished. He wouldn't die now just because his was a little hot.

Walking down the road his steps became heavier and more difficult, he was injured and it was really taking a toll. The combination of old wounds, new wounds, dehydration and the intense sun had knocked him off his game and it would cost him. perhaps dearly. Preoccupied by the weight of his own body, he didn't notice one of the Diseased resting against the front of a white van, it wasn't hidden very well and was probable there because it was just as exhausted by the sun as him not because he was lying in ambush. But the diseased Father had seen him.

The Father dragged himself to his feet and lunged.

Normally the clumsy attack wouldn't have had as much of an effect but then again normally he wouldn't have been so easily caught off guard. The lunge knocked him clear off his feet and into a metal fence in the shade, this seemed to encourage the Father, scrambling after him the Father quickly jumped onto him and began clawing at his chest. Luckily he had kept on his protective clothing and the frustrated Father couldn't get past to do any real damage, feeling the adrenalin pumping through his system he summoned his strength and fought back grabbing the knife he had strapped to his leg he stabbed it into the Fathers shoulder. The Father howled in pain and pulled out the knife letting it clatter to the floor, when the knife was dislodged a river of pus and blood followed spilling all over him, he grabbed the knife again but before he could strike the enraged Father began pounding his fist into his protected chest as if he was trying to crack a difficult nut.

He shoved the Father hard in the chest knocking it off and giving him time to grab the knife a third time, ready this time when the Father attacked again he raised the knife and stabbed it right through the heart. The Diseased gave a few pathetic whimpers before it died, struggling to his feet he looked down at his attacker and sharply kicked his bloated gut, the way it ripped nauseated him. Checking around him to see if The Diseased had any re-enforcements, he pushed off from the fence and continued down the road limping badly now with a sharp pain in his leg where he had hit the fence.

One Day Later

The pain was still there it was obviously a lot worse than he had originally thought but his clothing preventing him from bending around to check, he could tell by the blood trail behind him that he was in trouble. No longer concentrating on where he was going he wandered along in a haze until he was surprised by a clear command "STOP THERE" struggling to lift his head he looked up and saw a boy standing behind a large gate protecting a large grand building, the place seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't put a name on it. "WHO ARE YOU?" the voice came again, looking back at the guard he made a quick assessment which had became second nature now. The boy looked like a fighter, not a battle hardened bad ass but right now a toddler with a fan could probably knock him down. "I'LL ASK AGAIN WHO ARE YOU? ARE YOU WITH DAVID?" the Guard asked, he decided against staying, the boy seemed like he would start a fight and in his current state he wouldn't win. He turned around to walk further down the road but it proved too much, his vision blurred and his knees gave out underneath him quickly he collapsed onto the hot floor, exhausted he began to drift into the dark.

Between laboured breaths he heard the Guard talking and a new voice reply "who is he?" the new voice asked "i don't know" the guard answered "should we help him? there was a few moments of silence but he didn't get to hear the answer as he fell into unconsciousness.

? Minutes Later

Pain thrusted him back into the world, his surrounding had completely changed he was no longer on the street he was now in what looked like a old world lab everything was bright white and sterile looking. People were swarming around him, some were holding him down and other were fussing around with his legs, kicking out wildly with his injured leg he heard a satisfying crash as one of the people went flying "HE'S AWAKE HOLD HIM DOWN" some one shouted and quickly he felt the weight of bodies hold his legs and body to the table he was on.

Thrashing furiously he managed to throw a couple off, enough to allow him to spin and face his attacker, but he was surprised to see not the Diseased or Raiders but a group of kids around his own age all wearing rubber gloves and white lab coat. One of them a girl stepped forward "I don't know who you are and you don't know who we are but you'll have to trust me that wound on your leg is seriously infected and it has something large caught in the wound" the girl explained "i can leave it if you want but you will die" the girl left it at that and stepped back crossing her arms waiting for his response. Now free of his thick clothes he could twist his leg around a see his wound, the girl was right the wound was a nasty looking purple colour with orange crusty pus collecting around the entrance, he looked back at the girl who was still stood there waiting, compared to the others she seemed calmer and had a air of confidence about her. He nodded his head a turned over so she could get to the wound "hold him down".

2 Days Later

"Is he awake?" asked Justin as he walked into the makeshift sick bay, Maeve shook her head and continued washing her hands, with the disease in the world the last thing these kids need is more infections to worry about. "Has he said anything?" Maeve shook her head again "he's been asleep since the surgery" she said shaking her hands dry "he woke up as he began cutting kicked Jibber into the cabinet and knock Cass and Alexander to the floor but he settled down and let us operate" Justin looked uneasy Maeve could tell he wanted answers he had enough stress from the Holloway crew and this new person could be the last straw. Justin began sniffing "what is that smell?" he asked as he tried to wave away the odor, Maeve gestured for him to follow her and lead him into the next room. "That smell is the clothes he was brought in with" saying that she picked up a bin bag and emptied the contents of the table. Out of the bag rolled a battered black motorcycle helmet which was followed by a pair of combat boots, gloves with spiked knuckles and a thick padded jacket all of which was covered in blood and puss only some of which belonged to its owners.

Next Maeve dropped a big mud crusted rucksack and two fearsome looking knives serrated a sharpened to perfection, and lastly she dropped a old woodcutter's axe onto the table. Justin gulped nervously "nice gear" he said trying to act relaxed, Maeve shrugged she didn't really care for weapons and fighting all it did was give her more work and waste her time and resources on injuries which could have been avoided. "Judging by the "gear" she said gesturing to the weapons "the state of his clothes" she continued poking the blood covered gloves "and the mass of scars covering his body, he's a fighter". Justin seemed to take of a air of confidence now, the same he had when he talked down to Blue of Maxie just because they weren't nerds "well obviously not a very good one" he said chuckling nervously.

Maeve rolled her eyes "actually the reason he dropped was dehydration and probably a lot of blood loss" she said turning to leave to room and check on the boy in question. On Justin's orders he had been tied to the bed, approaching the bed Maeve pulled out a thermometer from her pocket and pulled open the boys mouth and placed the instrument under his tongue. Waiting for the temperature to be measure Maeve studied the boy, she hadn't had much time to look at his face earlier with the blood and thrashing in the operation room she had been preoccupied. Unlike the rest of his body the boys face was relatively untouched by scars or other battle wounds, he probably kept the helmet on 24/7 she thought. But looking closer she could make out a few smaller scars on his cheek and one on his eyebrow. Leaning in closer she also noticed that his nose had been broken at one point but had been corrected pretty well, a small movement grabbed Maeves attention. The boys eyes had shot open and were now staring at her in a quizzical confused way, the boy looked around him taking in his surrounding but then he noticed the bindings that held him to the bed. The boy pulled on the ropes seemingly testing the strength of the ropes which had been used to tie him down, "hello" Maeve said hoping she could bring his mind off of escape "I'm Maeve you've been hurt pretty badly but you're okay now" she said attempting to reassure him.

The boy didn't seem to care about what Maeve was saying, he was studying her face intently trying to place where he had seen her before. "Do you have a name?" Maeve asked slightly concerned by the boys silence, but the boy said nothing he only nodded at the ropes around his wrists. "I can't undo them" Maeve said taking the thermometer out of the boys mouth "good news look like you returning to normal" she popped the meter back in her pocket, pulling up the nearest chair she sat next to the boy.

This girl, Maeve, was familiar he thought as she sat next to his bed, he couldn't put a finger on it but he definitely knew her "the guards say you were just wandering around street outside do you remember that?" Maeve asked. He nodded, a few hazy memories of staggering towards a voice and a grand looking building came to mind, "what happened? was it.." Maeve started to ask before a door behind her swung open revealing a skinny weak looking boy "I'd like to know that to". He didn't like this boy he was strangely confident despite his less than intimidating appearance, in this world only the strongest or the sneakiest were the leaders and this boy was definitely the sneaky kind. The boy strode over to Maeve and smiled a way which he must have thought looked welcoming "I'm Justin I'm in charge around here" just as he had thought "you were in a real mess when we brought you inside" Justin continued "just how did you get in such a state, Mr?". Maeve sighed "i don't think he'll talk" Maeve said getting up from her chair "has he got the disease?" Justin asked, Justin's eyes filled with a disturbing excitement, he snorted at the question "no I can't see any signs". Justin was visibly disappointed, he got the feeling if he didn't get out of here Justin was going to do something disgusting or evil. The two began to chat to each other about what they were going to do with him as if he wasn't there, looking back at Maeve he noticed she was with the reach of his tied right hand. Slowly he reached into her pocket and pulled out the thermometer she had put in there a few second before.