A/N: Welcome back to my corner of the Internet! Still focused on Ben at the moment, even though you may see some more familiar faces! And a note, depending on who each chapter is about they could be Ben-centric, or Michael-centric, or [Insert Character Name Here]-centric. So, remember that!

Things to Remember:

The drunken man with the split leather chest plate

The two bandits that tried to rob Michael

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Ben didn't realize he had been stalked until he had been slammed into a tree. Staggering away he felt the same force pick at his feet until he crashed over and felt his forehead connect with an exposed tree root. Seeing a flash of white Ben kicked into his clouded vision until he felt his foot hit something that growled at him. Kicking at it again as a cloud sat in front of his vision Ben could hear a wet snap come from the thing that was assaulting him.

The member of the walking dead collapsed on the ground as Ben felt blindly for his sword. Eventually he did find something even though it wasn't the sword. He found that he had grasped the radio, as his vision cleared Ben could see several other items had spilled from his backpack, clasping the strange radio he pulled it up. Not knowing what to do, Ben watched as the creature in front of him staggered up and looked at him with glassy eyes.

Almost on accident Ben felt his finger slide over the button on the bottom of the radio; he felt the entire button sink slightly and suddenly a great amount of sound came from the strange radio. From the depths of the thing came a slightly whirling sound and suddenly the entire surface of the radio emitted a bright blue light that seared the night. An unearthly cry came from the creature and it covered what remained of its eyes with what remained of its hands.

Taking this time to run away, Ben started to run as fast as he could. Almost sprinting, Ben dodged a few gnarled tree trunks as he stumbled through the forest, not knowing where he was going and not exactly caring. Eventually he felt a stray root catch his foot and letting out a sharp cry Ben stumbled and then crashed on the ground once again. He was about to stand up to continue his flight when he was stopped by the sound of footsteps crushing underbrush.

Pausing on the ground Ben looked up at whatever was coming through the forest. He heard the quick footsteps fade into a gently walking and saw a figure making its way towards him. Keeping as still as he could Ben watched silently and almost without breathing as a dark outline stumbled and stopped a few feet away from him. Still holding his breath Ben could see that the dark outline was a man; it was only a miracle that the man couldn't see him.

Allowing a single shaky breath, Ben could see that the man, unlike Ana, had only a leather chest plate on as armor that was split down the middle. Pulling a shaky hand through his hair the man with the leather chest plate unslung his backpack over his shoulder and leaned against the gnarled trunk of a tree. After searching the back for something he pulled it out and revealed a small glass bottle of green liquid that he too into his hands as he let the backpack drop to the ground.

Quickly taking the cork out of the bottle the man let it drop to the ground as he brought the neck of the bottle up to his lips. Quickly sucking in a large amount of the drink he let out a few coughs and hiccupped as he stood up again. Shaking his head the man took another drink from the bottle and started towards the coast. "Only got three of them," he muttered to himself as he started through the trees with his backpack in hand. Just before the man left completely he took another drink and muttered to himself, "only a few more drinks," but the next swig was already down his throat.

Waiting a few minutes in the darkness, Ben started to take in breaths again as he straightened up. Looking at the direction the man had been going Ben pondered about where he should be going. He could follow the man, there would at least be that man he could possibly meet again but there was the coast and something told him that he couldn't go to the coast, not yet. Cracking his fingers Ben then picked up his sword and started through the forest, not exactly picking any direction.

Whilst walking Ben also took the strange radio out once again and looked over it. There was the strange black split that seemed to be on the radio, the strange Black Hand button on the radio's south pole, but there was also something on the north pole. Imprinted on it was a golden orb and a small image of red fire, Ben stared at it trying to decide whether or not the orb was in the fire or the fire was in the orb. There was something special about it, Ben knew it but he had no idea what it meant.

Shaking his head he turned on the radio again and this time Ben actually got something. He heard in a very sudden surprise: "you can suck it Zachery! I'm not part of your frigging Guild!" pausing Ben tried to respond back but found that the radio had no button for broadcasting, all he could do was listen. The voice, Ben suddenly remembered, that voice was the same as the man who had rushed past him in the forest, much more slurred now but the same.

Listening intently Ben then heard the sound of rushing air and a sudden splash, the man must've thrown it in water Ben thought to himself. Before the signal died completely Ben could hear a different voice questioning the drunken man, "uh...," the voice said, there was a brief pause and then the same voice questioned, "hello?"

"Some bloody idiot spilt hi-" the voice of the drunken man cut out in a garble of static. Shaking his head Ben continued through the forest alone as the moon rose up into the sky above him. Ben tried the radio several more times as he stumbled through the forest, he felt his eyelids sink down until he almost felt like falling over.

Letting out a yawn Ben sat himself down between two gnarled roots that curled out from the ground. Looking up past the trees Ben could see the dark night sky, shinning with stars like diamonds set on black silk; the moon itself was hung in the very middle, ebbing out silver light. As he settled into something that may have been considered comfortable Ben let his eyes close as he listened to the night. There was no insects buzzing, no wolves howling, nothing but the beat of the ocean?

Before slipping entirely into sleep Ben thought for a moment that he must be very close to the shore now, he could hear the waves crashing into the shore. Too tired to really care Ben slipped into a deep sleep next to the tree trunk as the night slowly passed above him as another man slept on the shore not so far away.

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Must be asleep by now, the Man in Black thought to himself. He drifted from behind the tree, not really moving his feet but letting himself be guided by whatever force was pulling him along. Really, the Man in Black considered he, himself, should be dead but he had "work to do" as Henry had put it. Shaking his head the Man in Black found himself standing in front of that familiar face, fast asleep at the base of the tree trunk; unbelievable, the Man in Black thought to himself.

Exhaling the Man in Black then found that he had a lantern in his right hand. The lantern was a very small and rustic tin one with filthy glass circling a small light. While the small flame inside the lantern was off, when the Man in Black held up the lantern the flame sparked into life and the higher he held it the stronger the light became. Observing the sleeping Ben the Man in Black shook his head again, "work to do" he quoted Henry again.

Suddenly the forest around him was gone, he was already moving.

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A/N: Sorry for the delay guys, social life has been really crushing as of late so updates may only trickle by. But enough about my sucky life how about the story! Many of you (by that I mean all of you) are probably wondering what the whole Man in Black POV thing was about, why he was thinking about someone named Henry and why he should be dead. Don't worry that'll be answered in like Chapter… 40. Till next time!