testupload: It was good that you reviewed when you did or I might actually have forgotten to update x)

I'll be trying to update on Wednesdays on weeks that I can (holidays make get in the way of that a couple of times), at least for the chapters that are already written. It may slow down in the latter part of the story.

Thanks for your review, anyway! I was happy to see one at last!


Surprisingly, Levi didn't oppose my accompanying him. He just shrugged and said that as long as I didn't get in his 'fucking way', I was welcome aboard. Though to be honest, I think he was strongly influenced by the fact that he and I kicked ass together, as proven by our victory over the swarm yesterday. The fact that I'll have someone to watch my back if things go awry played a huge part in my decision to go with Levi too. I'm not a sucker for company - if I was I would have died of lack of socializing by now. Still, it's nice to know there is someone living and breathing nearby. Not to mention, someone who doesn't have sudden craves to eat your brain. That's always a nice bonus.

I smile at my own thought and peer at Levi out of the corner of my eye. He's the one driving. When we left over two hours ago, he made a point of not letting me near the wheel, even though I assured him I could drive. And it wasn't even a lie. I learnt driving, half by myself and half-thanks to a Runner – a guy who chose to live outside the barricades out of his own volition. I can't remember his name now but he was a nice guy. Complete drunkard, but nice guy overall. Not that I blame him. From what he told me in between hiccups and drunken slumbers, he lost his entire family to the outbreak. Wife was eaten. Daughter was shot by the police. She had been six years old. She suffered the sad fate many under-sevens did back then. It was no wonder he had chosen to leave. I can't imagine how hard it must be to live alongside people who took the decision to shoot your six-year old daughter because she might or might not be infected.

The world became a cruel place that day.

Not that it means much to me as I've always known it to be that way.

"You been alone long?"

Levi's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Uh? Oh yeah, kind of." I answer as soon as the question registers with my brain. "I was travelling with a pair of guys for a couple of weeks last year. Nac Tius and Mylius Zeramuski. Nice guys."

"Dead?"

"No – well, Mylius is. But Nac was alive last I saw him. Actually my chest piece used to be Mylius'." I say tapping the item proudly.

Levi glances at me for a second before looking back to the road.

"You actually took it off his dead body?" though his voice is the usual monotone, I can somehow tell he's incredulous.

I shrug and smile nonchalantly.

"Yeah, why not? It's not like it would have been very useful to his corpse." I tell him.

"Fair point." concedes Levi.

"And it's not like I didn't ask beforehand." I add.

"You're shitting me."

The little bit of amusement in the man's voice makes me smile all the more.

"Am not."

"So what? You went up to him and asked if you could have his chest piece when he died?" presses Levi.

"Pretty much, yeah."

"That's fucked up."

I snort.

"Thanks." I say drily before continuing in a lighter tone. "He didn't take it very well. I got punched."

The look Levi gives me practically screams 'well duh'.

"Speaking of which, Levi. When you die can I have your wristbands?" I ask, letting my eyes rest on the objects of my desire.

The man snorts softly.

"Hell no. But I'll give you my spare pair." he glances at me, his lips quirked up ever so slightly. "They're in the glove box."

I look at him dumbfounded, the implication not registering immediately.

"You mean I can have them now?" I ask, gaping.

"Oh no, I was thinking of putting it on my will, so that in thirty years when I finally keel over, people will know to let you have my spare pair of wristbands." he says, sarcasm dripping from his every word. "Yes, now, you moronic brat."

I completely ignore the insult and open the glove box excitedly. I spot the wrist protectors instantly. The design is simpler than on the pair Levi is wearing but they are otherwise quite similar. I slip them on eagerly and spend an entire minute gazing at my hands in awe.

"Thanks Levi." I said at last, beaming at the man.

Levi gives a low grunt of acknowledgment and I go back to admiring my new possession.

"So what happened to the Nac guy anyway?" asks Levi a while later, once I've stopped staring at my wrists as if they are the most wonderful thing I've ever seen.

"He hitched a ride with some doves a few days later." I say with a shrug. "I can only assume he got to Stohess safely."

At first, Levi doesn't answer and I kind of assume the conversation is over. Which proves to be a wrong assumption when Levi speaks up again.

"Well, I suppose this is the part where I tell you, you've also technically hitched a ride with a dove."

I turn to look at him with a frown and can't stop myself from taking in his outfit again. Just like me, Levi is sporting a simple shirt and trousers designed to be easy to move around in, in shades of greyish blues and greens which age turned into poor imitations of actual colours. No sign of any military insignia.

"You're a dove?" I ask suspiciously. "Who're you with?"

"Survey corp."

I frown as I recall what little I know about the doves. I don't pay much attention to them, a part from when they're pointing their guns at me. I'm not overly friendly with them - since, you know, they're the guys in charge of killing me if I come too close to the cities. Having said that I'm not outright against them either. Ultimately, they are zombie-hunters, just like me. It's why they were nicknamed the doves. They are a symbol of hope for humankind, hope of a peaceful world.

Their official name depends on the institution they belong too. There are three of them in total. The Military Police is what remains of the ex-police force. They mostly keep to the cities they're in charge of and rule them as if they own them. I don't like them much and with reason too: in the days following the outbreak they were those who shot at under-sevens, not even trying to determine whether or not they were infected yet. Not so surprisingly, I've had a grudge against them ever since. Thankfully they are those I practically never encounter.

The Garrison on the other hand, can be called the remnants of the army. They divide their time between security inside the cities and keeping a certain perimeter around it clean. Usually it's around Garrison-held cities that settlements flourish. I respect their work personally. Not only because they are way more tolerant about my presence around their cities but also because Hannes, the man who taught me everything I know, was in the Garrison for a short period of time and always spoke highly of it.

Then, finally, there's the Survey Corp, which Levi supposedly belongs to. They are hunters pure and simple. They often associate with the Garrison and Military Police and make their headquarters in cities under the authority of the other two institutions. Their speciality resides in organizing expeditions to wipe out as many zombies as they can. I encounter them from time to time but never get too close.

Call me paranoid, but I don't trust people who make it their life's goal to kill zombies. Now more than ever. Subconsciously, I hide my injured arm from view.

"Aren't you supposed to wear some kind of fancy uniform or something?" I ask, my voice laced with distrust.

"Can't be bothered with that shit." Levi says and against my better judgement I can't help but laugh.

In an instant, the tension evaporates.

"Should've guessed." I huff once I'm done laughing. "What're you doing so far out on your own anyway?"

"I separated with my team a while back." he answers. "They had another errand to take care of."

I hum thoughtfully. While I let the information sink, silence falls over the pair of us. Little by little, I feel my eyes start to close. The thrumming of the engine lulls me into a daze and I have to fight not to actually fall asleep. I give in in the end. Levi's presence next to me has to be the most comforting thing I've ever known. I shouldn't trust him this much, I tell myself. He's a dove after all.

I'm woken up by a slap on the back of the head a few hours later.

"Da hell…" I mutter sleepily, turning bleary eyes towards Levi.

"We've stopped." says the man.

I blink in confusion and look around me. We've stopped indeed. In the middle of the road, with nothing much around us. That's both good and bad news. Good because 'nothing' includes zombies, which means there's one less thing to worry about. Bad, because the car didn't take us to the next town after all. I look at the sky and notice the sun is on its downwards course. Looks like I slept past noon.

I glance at Levi who's already out of the car and gathering his things, a little surprised that he let me sleep for so long. For some reason he didn't strike me as the type to go easy on people. I wonder why.

"Are you going to fucking move or should I leave you here?"

Despite the murderous glare sent my way I can't help a grin from appearing on my face. Yep, he's a git.

"I'm coming, geez. No need to get aggressive." I say feeling more relaxed than I have been in a few days.

I climb out of the car, picking up my bag and swinging it over my shoulder in the same movement. I check that my knives and gun are still there and make my way to Levi's weapon stash.

"Mind if I take some ammunition?" I ask peeking at the pile of guns and rifles.

"Take whatever you want."

I mutter my thanks and bend over the side of the car. I rummage inside and end up finding what I want. I pick up a box of bullets which I place inside my pouch and place an extra one in my bag. I make to leave but my eye catches sight of a handgun with an unusual design. By unusual I mean kind of old-fashioned and I recognize it immediately.

"You've got a 1911!" I exclaim excitedly picking up the gun.

These are supposed to be the best handguns ever. I remember Hannes had one and it was the only gun he swore by. I've never used one personally but I get a nice feeling from handling the weapon.

"Yeah. Not my thing though. I like bigger guns." says Levi offhandedly. "Take it if you like it."

"Seriously?"

"Sure. It's not like they're going to be much use to anyone once we leave."

"Thanks!"

And I really mean it. It might not seem like much but this is the second valuable item Levi gives me. Sure, what he gave me was a spare pair of wrist protectors and a handgun he doesn't use, but in this kind of world even that is a lot. Apparently it used to be different. People used to be less attached to their possessions before the outbreak. Again, I've no idea if that's the truth or not. In my world, people have so little that every item is precious. At this point even a needle is something you protect with your life. So for someone to give me this much when they barely know me…well…I'm not sure if there are words to describe how I feel.

"Don't mention it kid."

The use of the word 'kid' doesn't register for a few minutes, as I busy myself picking up a spare holder to put my new gun in and attaching it to my belt. I have to move my pouch round, so that's it on my back but well, it's a small sacrifice. I smile contentedly as I pat the gun now hanging from my waist.

It's then that the quip reaches my brain. I run after Levi who visibly got bored of waiting for me and has started walking.

"Hey, you've been calling me a kid for a while now." I start falling in step next to him. "Just how old are you?"

"Thirty."

I gape at him.

"No you're not!" I exclaim.

Because really the guy looks way too young to be thirty year old. I mean thirty is pretty old in my book. As a suvvie I've always estimated my life span to about twenty years or so if I got lucky. Clearly I wasn't too far off considering I should have died some three days ago from that damn bite.

"Why the hell not?" snaps Levi in a tone that suggests murder if I say the wrong thing.

Better leave out the height part then. Or my life may just come to an abrupt end five years before the estimated time.

"You look young. I'd have said you were in your twenties."

I really wanted to say teens, but I had a feeling that wouldn't go down so well. Especially since that comment was mostly based on his height.

Levi looks at me out of the corner of his eye, as if he expects my words to have a hidden meaning. I don't know if I look that honest and trustworthy but he ends up turning away, seemingly satisfied.

"Thanks."

After that, we don't talk much. We've got a few hours walk in front of us and it's best not to waste energy on talking. Especially since we don't have endless supplies of water. Which brings me to rule number two of survival: water is your best friend. Sadly it's also you're rarest one. Usually, your best shot at finding water is supermarkets. There are still packs of bottles in there by the hundred. However, some supermarkets have been emptied by the cities, so it's not a sure win. If there are no supermarkets around, the next best thing is a river. Everybody who takes the roads these days has a water filter. I've got one too, even if it's small. Still, even with a water filter, river water is pretty disgusting. Especially big rivers. In fact, you shouldn't drink water from big rivers unless you have a death wish. Smaller ones are usually okay-ish, but big ones are gross and just plain poisonous. I like water bottles better by far. When I go down to rivers, it's usually to take a much needed bath. I tend to do that about once a month if I can.

Talking about monthly thing, I'm going to need a change of clothes soon. I've got a couple of changes for underwear and a spare shirt but my trousers are ripped in quite a few places. I'm going to have to change them next chance I get. I should probably snag a couple of new shirts too. The one I'm wearing now has stains that are pretty gross. You tend to get those a lot when you spend your days fighting zombies.

Don't go thinking I'm a fashionista who can't stand wearing dirty clothes. I mean by normal standards I'm probably filthy anyway. It's just that looking at Levi who's impeccably dressed even after facing a swarm, it makes me a bit self-conscious. Stupid I know.

By the time we reach the ghost town, the sun is setting. The first thing we do upon arriving is take out our weapons and look out for any signs of zombies. It's a small town and it only takes about an hour to check it all. Once we've determined that we are indeed alone, we go back to a house which we saw before. It's in pretty good condition compared to the rest, the four walls are still standing and the roof is all there.

We set up for the night pretty quickly. Neither of us really carries any type of sleeping equipment apart from a blanket so we make do with what there is. I give Levi all the cushions, telling him that I'm used to the floor anyway. He accepts them without another word and enquires about watches. Again I wave him off and tell him to sleep. The argument that I slept for hours earlier that afternoon seems to convince him and he easily lets me take the first watch. I watch him get into his makeshift bed and turn to the wall before starting to make myself comfortable. I sit against the wall, not far from the gaping hole which must have been a window once. I wrap a blanket around myself and prepare myself for a long night.

Levi is quick to fall asleep – which isn't really surprising considering he was driving for hours before we started hiking. Unlike me, he hasn't had any rest since last night. If it had been me I'd be exhausted too. Well, okay, that might be a lie. I'm not the type to feel tired. In fact, I can't remember the last time that happened. Because I've been on the move for so many years – practically my whole life – I've developed a rhythm completely different from the norm. I should probably specify at this point that my 'norm' comes from books I've read in abandoned bookshops, houses and supermarkets. I suppose it would feel strange to other people but the only knowledge I have about the world as it was back when I was five years old and before, is what was written about it. Of course, the more I read about that world, the more differences I notice between this one and mine.

Being tired after a long day of walking, being scared of the danger outside, being worried about a loved one, being loved by your parents, going to school – all of those belong to a reality I have never experienced. Of course, I suppose my life was something like that before the outbreak but to be honest I have no memories of it. My first memory takes place on that hellish day. I've seen it many times in nightmares. My father towering over me, tears running down his cheeks. A part of me recalls him yelling and crying all at the same time but I don't really remember what he was talking about. I've always assumed it had something to do with the outbreak though. Most things did at the time. I remember the burn in my arm though, as he injected me with something. I don't know what was in the syringe. I don't know what it was meant to achieve. I only know that was the last time I saw my father.

It might not be a particularly nice memory but it's all I have left of my parents. My mother's face and identity has forever been wiped out of my memory. Hannes told me that she had died a year before the outbreak. She had cancer apparently. That's all I know, along with her name: Carla. According to Hannes, she had loved me. Not that it means anything to me. I don't remember her and that's really all there is to it.

I glance at Levi's sleeping figure. Not for the first time since I met him, I wonder what his life was like before the outbreak. He said he's thirty years old. Ten years ago, he was twenty. He must have gone to school. Maybe he even went to university. Did he have a girlfriend? A family? Friends? I've got so many questions. But even without thinking about it I know I won't ask about Levi's past. When I was younger, I used to ask loads of questions about the world before. It intrigued me. What was the world like without zombies? I couldn't help but wonder what the ghost towns were like before they were abandoned. But I realized rather quickly that those who had known that world and lived in it didn't like talking about it. It hurt them to remember that time they now saw as idyllic. No matter how much they had hated their dull lives before, it now appeared in their memories as an unreachable utopia. After a while, I stopped asking questions. Partly because I preferred to stay on good terms with the few people I met and partly because I stopped caring. But meeting Levi brought back my curiosity from long ago.

I watch the rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathes peacefully. Perhaps it's because of how I met him, but Levi is stuck in my mind as a warrior. His emotionless face, piercing eyes and almost natural fighting stance make it impossible for me to imagine as anything other than the Dove who slaughters zombies with a disgusted look on his face. On top of that he's rude and violent. It really makes it difficult to picture him living a 'normal' life.

My lips stretch in a fond smile as I watch him sleep but it doesn't last long. As soon as I realize what I'm doing, I wipe the smile off my face and abruptly stand up. I grab the rifle Levi left against the wall and hurriedly step out.

As soon as the night air envelops me I feel better. This is how it should be. Me, alone doing rounds at night before sleeping for a couple of hours and repeating the process. Me surviving. Alone. Levi might be with me at the moment, but it won't last long. There are only two possible outcomes for those I meet, which were exemplified by Nac and Mylius. Either they make their way to a city where I can't follow or they die. And in the latter case, it's better not to be too attached. It's easier to shoot them if I'm not.

I remember Mylius' last day. The three of us were running away from a swarm. Unlike Levi, Nac and Mylius were so-so at fighting. They were good enough for a pack but not enough for a swarm. So that day, we ran from the zombies. We had been doing well until Mylius tripped. He fell head first and was bitten by a Lurker before he even hit the ground. Lurkers are much faster than Walkers and because of that, they're also a lot more vicious. From the moment Mylius tripped, I knew he was done for. But Nac didn't. Or maybe he didn't want to believe it. In any case, he shot the zombie that had jumped on Mylius and tried to go to him. I pulled him back. Mylius had been bitten. I remember meeting his eye. He looked terrified. I guess he knew what was going to happen.

I don't think Nac ever forgave me for shooting Mylius. They were friends and I cold-heartedly shot him. Not that I regret it. I've never regretted anything I've done. Especially not shooting an infected. The first thing Hannes taught me and Mikasa was that when someone was infected we had to kill them. If there was one rule you needed to remember in order to survive, it was that one. An infected person was already as good as dead, for that reason we must not waver and pull the trigger. Kill or be killed. Survival of the fittest. We live in that kind of world.

I've always lived by that rule and I always will. That's why I won't get attached. Attachment is superficial and is more likely to become a burden. It's unnecessary.

I finish my round and having seen no sign of zombies I go back inside, carefully avoiding looking at Levi as I settle against the wall once again. I wrap myself in my blanket and close my eyes. In two hours my biological clock will make me wake up and I'll go out for another round. Until then, I shut my eyes and dream of a white and black bird flying further than I can reach.