So today was just another one of those days, I was enjoying another day alive. Walking through the calm forest with a deer over my shoulders, ready to taste the sweet venison that is meant. That was the enjoyable part, now there were also worse parts. Being watched by someone, having that watcher holding my rifle in her hands and reminding that she could pull the trigger at any time.

I also lost my partner, he wasn't really someone I knew for long, but the hunters were going to be pissed about his death. All my equipment was with him, why the hell did I leave it on the cliff with him. This was going to be the end of me, maybe they would just kill me at their base or toss me into the wild without any equipment.

Why the hell did this all have to go wrong? Why couldn't this go like any other hunt, no hitch or even a girl with a gun in her hands. I looked around the dense forest, it was relaxing and no signs of runners or even stalkers in sight.

"So, where are you heading?" She asked, as we walked.

"To your base of operations?"

"Like you can get in there without a bullet to the head." She said with little emotion in her voice.

"Sounds like you're a tough bunch." I said sarcastically to humor her.

"I prefer the term ready for anything that could happen it."

"Whatever you say, how much farther do we have to walk?"

"We'll be there soon, you just keep walking."

I didn't say another word to her, trying to study the path and maybe make my way to the camp. Tell the others settlement and hopefully extract some revenge on her people, when we finally approached a large set of wooden double doors. Along aside those wooden doors were large spikes meant to keep the infected away and even other survivors.

Damn this was going to be harder than expected, I stopped at the door with a frown on my face. The deer on my shoulder was starting to take its toll on my back, so I decided to place it on the floor. Turning around to spot her once more, she didn't lower her rifle aimed at me and I sighed at what could occur.

"Soooo, am I going to get that meal?" I asked with a smirk on my face.

"Sure, you will, we're just going to test you out first." She matched my smirk with her own.

"The hell are you talking about?" Now frowning at her words.

"I'm not talking about anything, we're giving you a test."

"...You're serious about this?"

"Yup."

"So what sort of test is it?"

"Can't tell you, it's a test after all."

This was getting on my nerves, what sort of test could it be? Mental, Physical or even just some impossible task that would cause me to fail anyway. Maybe I would luck out and it would be something simple, I wasn't infected…..so they can't put that over my head.

"Sigh, man is this going to suck."

"Anyway, let's start with the simple questions."

I only stayed quiet, as she pondered about what to say.

"First, the question. What is your name?"

"...Alex Starcrest."

"Okay Alex, second question. Were you planning on shooting me, if I didn't give you the deer?"

"..." I only stayed silent.

"Are you going to answer the question?"

"If push came to shove, I would have shot you to get the food."

"I would have done the same, third question. Are you a part of a group?"

"I use to be apart of one, before they ended up getting themselves killed."

"Hmm, how did they get themselves killed?"

"That's rather personal, I really don't want to look back at my past."

"...Fair enough, fourth question. Where did you come from?"

"I was coming from Boston, I'm a mercenary for hire."

"Mercenary? I haven't heard that word used in a long time, so you were on a job."

"No, I was just hunting for food before I went to collect a new job."

"Alright, one last question. How good are you in a fight?"

"...Why would that mat….AAHHHH"

The sudden impact of my stomach hitting the floor had rang through my ears, someone had tackled me into the ground. Trying to get more leverage, his grip was tight as my instincts took over. I didn't want to get killed here, so I quickly elbowed him off before he could get a firm grip around my arms.

The man shook off, letting me stand up as I faced someone older. He was tall, muscular, but what really scared me was his cold eyes. It was like he was going to kill me without regret and I only knew very few people with those eyes.

I put my guard up, waiting for him to get in another strike. When he came in, I blocked his punch with my arm. Giving me a chance to counter with one of my own, yet instead of trying to evade it. He took my punch, using his adrenaline to knee me in the stomach. The sudden strike had me spilling my guts over the floor, as he kicked me in the side till I was on my stomach.

I saw his leg raise up, as he aimed to stomp on my head. Rolling to the side, I was able to evade his foot and swept his legs off the ground. Causing him to fall right next to me, using this chance to get on top of him. I was raining down punches on him, trying to knock him out, but he caught one of my arms with his own.

Than bashed my head with his own, throwing me from him and tried to numb the pain. He got back up wiping blood from his mouth, as he looked at me with his cold eyes. When I finally came to, the image of a revolver being pointed at me was very clear. I could only focus on the gun, would he pull the trigger and end me right here?

All train of thought had left me, only the emotions were affecting me. I didn't want to die here, my eyes would look down at his feet. Trying to think of how to survive this experience, I heard a click hovering over me and the man was about to the pull the trigger.

I wanted to stand up to him, but my eyes betrayed me. I wasn't ready to die, this dark feeling of regret was in the pit of my stomach. Fear and the will to survive was the only thing pasting through my mind, but I could only wait for the moment.

When the hammer struck the back of the revolver, I flinched at the sound of the trigger snapping against the cold steel. A few seconds passed by, I wondered if he had killed me already. I opened my eyes to stare at a hand extended out to me, it pushes me on edge.

Yet, I slowly took his hand and he pulled me up. The man was about a few inches shorter than me, but he made up for it with his presence. Plus, he broke my nose, fucking hell! What more did he want from me? In the background the girl was simply watching us from the wooden double doors with a smirk on her face.

"You're not that bad kid, plus I know you're not crazy." The man spoke

"You were going to gun me down, what was I going to do. Laugh at you, I was scared for my life." I said, trying to calm myself down.

"It's good to see that type of spirit, people tend to lose their sense of life behind the walls of protection or joining groups that want to survive at any cost."

"It sounds like you have experience then?"

"Yes, I do, but lets focus on you."

"...Alright."

"Just so you know, if you cause any problems. I will personally put you down, do you understand me?"

"So does that mean a good meal?"

"Sure."

He turned his back to me, it gave me a chance to take him out. Yet, at the corner of my eyes was the girl….she had her eyes on me with a cold expression. It would seem that she was his shield, years of hunting together? The man knocked on the wooden doors and someone from the other side asked for something.

I decided to pick up the deer once more, trying to forget about my broken nose for now. The pain was bearable, I wouldn't have lasted long enough if I cried over every little thing. The gates had opened up with two guards at the entrance, they both carried rifles.

So they were well equipped, the two only parted ways for the three of us. They didn't care about the girl or the man, but once they spotted me. They were on edge, like they were ready to put down a rabid dog.

When I came through the gates, they closed it down and went back to patrolling. Following close behind the two, the inside of the stronghold was safe. There were many families within the walls, adults, children and even babies.

It looked like the days before the infection started, I wondered if life could go back to normal over time. I followed them to a building, where a group of people had approached us. Two men and a woman, the people I was with had engaged to talk with them. One of the men of the other group had approached me.

"Give me that deer, can't wait to cut this baby up and cook it."

I didn't really say anything to him, only handed him the deer. It was a load off my shoulders, still I was the strange new kid on the corner with a broken nose. I at least rough him up a bit, but even if he was twice my age…. He really was a monster.

The man left by the deer without a word, leaving me to ponder on what to do. I decided to lean near the closet wall to me and tried to fix my nose.

"Damn this hurts, that old bastard."

"Stop whining, it's only a scratch." A voice said right next to me, causing me to lose my footing.

I fell to the floor, not even noticing the girl's presence was so close. She was just as bad as the man. She was chuckling at my reaction to her, this never really happened to me before. Plus, it has been a long time since I saw someone around my age that was of the opposite sex.

I got up from the floor, dusting myself off trying to claim some sort of digitiny.

"It's more of a scratch, he broke my nose with that head of his."

"He was always a tough nut, here, let me see."

She didn't even care that I was nobody, her hands grabbed a hold of my face. Her hands were soothing, yet strong. My cheeks started to turn a shade of red, while I looked away from her. Even I couldn't trust someone so easily, when I closed my eyes to relax.

Her hand slid across my face, over to my nose with grace. I had never felt so calm in a long time, but that was when her hand became rough. In one fell swoop, she snapped my nose back into place.

"WHAT THE HELL! AHHHAAH, THAT FUCKIN HURTS" I yelled, cuffing my hands around my nose trying to numb the pain.

"Come on you big baby, it wasn't that bad." She spoke like it was nothing.

"Shut up!, you don't know how it feels." I said angrily, but her expression didn't change.

"Stop yelling, let's go get your meal. Maybe you can spend the night here, if you're good boy."

"I'm not some dog, um…." I said lost for words, not evening caring to ask for her name.

"Ellie. My name is Ellie." She said with one of her coy smiles.