Light wandered the prison grounds watching the prisoners tend to gardens, feed small farm animals and complete other chores. "What keeps this place from falling into chaotic disarray?"

Cleaning off an apple with his uniform Emanuel chuckled before taking a bite and speaking with his mouth full. "The fear of a public execution? Mm! Or! Worse… Exile. We gotta good thing going. No sense to mess that up."

Light nodded slightly watching the afternoon sun. "Think he's alright?"

Nodding while taking another large bite of the supple fruit. "Oh yeah. He was built for this world…" His glance fell towards L and Watari. "Or… would it be more fair to say he had been molded to fit it?" He received a harsh glare from the brunette. "Look, I don't know much about Beyond. What I do know: He's adaptable, smart, and quick on his feet. But, of what I'm gathering is right, those guys had something to do with his past, and people like Beyond aren't born. They're created. I ain't complaining! Their loss, our recovery. Whatever they did, it worked out in the end."


Beyond dropped a duffle bag on the ground and started filling it with miscellaneous goods. He let out a sigh as he surveyed the small sporting goods store. The sounds of something falling in the back room and shuffling caused him to quickly tuck himself behind a shelving unit as a mangled man shuffled out of the back room.

Glancing at his watch, the raven rolled his scarlet eyes. 'Of course… sun down. I had hoped to be on my way back by now.' He watched the mindless man stumble into the door, take a couple steps back and stumble into it once again.

"Ah, Jesus, it's a fucking pull!" He growled out as the machete made contact with the base of the hungered's neck. Beyond sighed as he shoved the corpse outside and locked the front door. "Great. Stuck here for a night. Well…" Grabbing a package of jerky and tearing it open. "At least there's food."

Wandering the aisles with an open bag of jerky he tossed survival supplies and food into his large bag. He froze when the whole front of the store was lit up by headlights and floodlights from vehicles. Slowly crouching himself down he listened to the people who were exiting the vehicles. "Great. The dead I can handle. I'm far worse off with the living…"

The door rattled as someone tried to push it open. "The fucking thing is locked!"

"It wasn't this morning! Try again!" Another voice barked out.

The sound of a small child called out. "Daddy! Go go store?"

A groan was heard from a man. "You have to be quiet."

A woman's voice sighed. "You know he gets excited."

"Yeah. And I told you to keep him fucking quiet." Footfalls could be heard coming closer to the person at the door and spoke in a quieter hush. "So fucking worthless. Maybe we should just take our time in here and let the zombies hear him yelling. Make my life easier."

Beyond's grip tightened on the handle of the machete as he listened with a scrunched nose. As he listened he lifted a finger as he heard new voices. After hearing idle chatter from the other vehicles he had six fingers raised. He whispered to himself with a smirk. "Five to one. I've had worse odds."

The woman's voice at the door hesitated before speaking snidely. "Told you I was better than her, too bad you didn't meet me before you got married and had a kid, guess it hasn't stopped us being together anyway… Wait… look at this guy… he was near decapitated, who could have done that?"

"Ariel. It's a damned zombie. Who the fuck cares?"

Beyond smirked as she snarled back. "I do, Michael. What if there's someone in there? We already saw a wave of prisoners and guards alike. What if… You know… some of them didn't run as far as we would have liked?"

"You scared?" She only responded in a scoff as she popped the lock open.

Beyond sheathed his machete and came out with his hands up. 'They can lock pick, have running vehicles, more than likely armed… Lets just see how armed…'

An LED flashlight landed immediately onto Beyond, causing him to hiss slightly through his teeth and shield his eyes with his forearm. "Um. Ow."

Ariel pointed at the raven accusingly. "See! I told you! That's prison garb!"

"Hey! Yo! Man! You a prisoner?"

Smirking, he lowered his arm when the light was taken from his face. "Not anymore."

"You good though? Like, you ain't bit up?"

Beyond chuckled while patting down his pockets. "You just met me and already want a strip tease?"

"Are you nuts?"

The raven chided back. "Would be the only way to know I'm not lying to you. For all you know I'm scared out of my mind and I want a safe place to fester the disease, break into irrational thought and tend to my more animalistic desires." Beyond chuckled before lifting a cigarette, he took a long drag and exhaled as he spoke. "But, for all I know, you're the crazed ones."

Ariel gasped. "Oh, damn, you have smokes?"

Narrowing crimson eyes in annoyance. "And I have no intention of sharing. What are you gonna do? Shoot me up for…" He opened the blue pack of cigarettes and looked inside. "Five cigarettes?"

Michael lowered the pistol and flashlight. "He's not one of them. Probably ain't shit either, talks too smart and is too skinny." He turned to enter the store further only to run into a blade at his neck.

"I can assure you… I'm not a petty criminal. And, I never said you could come in." Beyond landed a cold stare onto the darker skinned man. Ariel slowly backed out of the store and tripped over the corpse in the entranceway before getting annoyed and shoving it out of the way.

"Daddy! Got to go poop!" A small child ran from the car and into the store, past the corpse and a startled Ariel. A woman sprinted after him. He stopped in his tracks at the tense scene. He muttered a bit before yelling "bathroom!"

A woman with chestnut hair stumbled behind him before quickly snatching him back. "Michael!?"

Beyond eyed the duo before motioning his head towards the bathroom in the back of the store. "To the left, second door, make it quick."

"You think my bullet wouldn't be faster than your knife? I was wrong, you aren't too bright."

Beyond eyed the gun before rolling his eyes. "I'd have a slight wound on my calf. You'd be dead. Unless I did…" Beyond lifted his leg and swung it up between Michael's legs, causing the man to groan in pain as he fell to the ground, holding his groin. The raven lifted the gun and set it on the nearby counter. "You're the dumb one. Firing off a gun would be ringing the dinner bell. They move faster at night. You should start scavenging in the day and be back to your safe place at night."

The taller woman with dark brown hair lingered back in the doorway. "They do?"

Beyond sighed loudly. "It's the heat. Which leads me to believe the main source of infection is in the lungs. They won't run unless desperate during the day." Clicking the pocket knife shut the prisoner lifted the gun and tapped it on the side of his head. "My only chink in that theory is, why hasn't it become airborne?" He released a puzzled humming sound before lifting his bag and swinging it over his shoulder. "Whatever. You can have this place. They don't chase me anyway."

Michael looked up to Beyond. "You too? They don't chase me either. But, they had no trouble going after the girls."

The woman and child emerged from the bathroom as the other two members of the group ran to the door with their guns raised. The woman sighed. "Oh, put your guns down. He's got three times the amount of cover you do and he has hostages if he wanted to use anyone near him. Besides he's smart. Let's hear him out."

Michael growled out. "Shut up, Rose."

Beyond rolled his eyes and and grabbed a couple of other supplies and shoved them in his bag. "So… Michael was it? You said they don't chase you. What pathology do you possess?" The two in the door whispered amongst themselves as Beyond approached them with a devious smile. "Hard of hearing or a death wish?" They raised their guns towards him as he slowly pushed the door shut. "Death wish. Got it." He fired two bullets into non-vital areas and locked the door. "Answer me or you'll end up like them. I went to prison for serial murder. Think me someone to play with? I don't play well with others." He lifted the gun towards the child and stared at Michael while holding his now unsheathed machete at Ariel's neck.

"What makes you think I care?"

"You're the only African American in the group, and he's a mixed child that has an affinity for the title daddy. Either you're all very sick or, you're the biological father. Given the concern of the broad over there, that's your partner. Given your whispers before coming in here, this one is your current partner. If you think I won't kill a child, google Beyond Birthday."

Ariel's eyes widened in shock and shouted in a panic. "Oh shit! Just answer him, Michael! Man, woman, child, he doesn't care, if you're in the way he'll cut you down!"

Beyond smirked at her while caressing the blade on her neck. "She gets it."

"I don't understand the question!"

The murderer chuckled. "That's more like it, I like hearing idiots admit they're stupid. What's wrong with you? What are you sick with?"

Regaining his balance, Michael groaned; "I have recessive TB. That's really about it. I've been tested for everything else."

Nodding at the information Beyond lowered the gun, but not the machete. "Interesting. Could it be isolated to the mycobacterium? Could be why it hasn't gone airborne… It can't without a proper host." He lifted the machete away from Ariel and paced while in thought. "It attacks like TB… But can't taint it?"

"The fuck are you going on about?"

"That still doesn't make sense… TB is airborne… perhaps it's not singular to TB, but similar bacteria." Beyond stopped pacing and stared at Michael. "Recessive. And active still carry the same immunity though."

Ariel audibly gulped as she backed away from the door while their previous companions screamed in horror as a large group of hungered approached the building. Beyond sighed in frustration and messed up his hair. "And that's why you kill lights. See? Now we're all dumb."

Rose pulled her son up to her chest and hid his face. "What about the back door?"

The raven shook his head and held the gun back out towards Michael to take. "The old owner busted it. It's not even locked. It's only a matter of time before they get in."

Michael raised an eyebrow and stared at the alleged killer before taking possession of the weapon again. "How would you know that? If you're supposedly a murderer you've been locked up."

Beyond rummaged through the shelves looking for potential weapons before chuckling. "Ariel seems familiar with me and my past. Have her tell you."

The taller female with black rimmed glasses sighed as she hid behind Michael. "He used to work here. He maintained three jobs and butchered up people in his free time."

Lifting another large hunting knife the raven scratched his chin. "Eh. Good enough for a quick summary. Alright. Now that I'm trapped with you idiots, how do you want to do this? We could try to run out the back, but… Rose, right?" Rose nodded quietly. "She'll have a hard time keeping up, and the kid can't run on his own. And… she doesn't look the strongest. It would be best if we covered his ears and Michael carries him."

"Hell no. He'll throw my aim off!" Michael protested.

Ariel smirked as she stared directly at Rose. "Could just leave them here."

Beyond scanned the reactions to the statement. Michael seemed torn and Rose was horrified. "No. that isn't going to work. Though… bait does sound like a good idea… If Michael isn't lying, then the hungered won't chase us. No good for bait… and… a child can't be without his mother, leaving a parent behind will cause him a frenzy of noise. Leaving… one option."

Ariel coughed and laughed as she repeated the word no. Beyond walked over to the large window of the store and attempted to calculate other possible escape routes. Ariel approached him slowly and whispered. "I have a fetish for dangerous men. We could easily make it without them."

Crimson eyes shifted towards her direction with a stare of disgust, making her stumble backwards. "You are one of them! Your eyes are red like theirs!"

Beyond chuckled as he pulled a spool of wire out of his bag and began wrapping a bat. "No dear. I'm patient zero. And I have zero patience for people like you. What? What could you possibly offer to a man who already has everything he wants? Probably the forbidden fruit aspect for weak minded and simple men. But me? The world is already on fire darling, and some men just want to watch it burn. What could you offer to me, to leave these people and spare you? Why not take the bitch with the kid? She obviously puts out. You do… what exactly? Pick locks? Shit talk people? You carry a couple of pocket knives in an apocalyptic event and have the gall to call someone else useless?" His fiery gaze set on Rose and the boy as he approached them. "How about you? Does it bother you that I'm a serial killer?"

Rose shook her head silently before responding, "Aren't we all in the end of days?"

Amused, Beyond smirked and had his face inches from hers. "Do my eyes bother you?"

The woman shook her head once again before meekly answering. "If you were infected in the same way, I'm sure by now you would have turned."

"Good answers. Follow behind me, my exact foot steps." He lifted a pump action shotgun. "I've only got five shots, no room for errors." His steely gaze fell back onto Michael. "Look, I solved your problem of the dead weight. I'll be commandeering one of your vehicles. It appears you have more of them than drivers now." Beyond sighed happily. "I should have been a politician. Solving everyone's problems. Alright, chick with the brat, you're with me. The rest of you, good luck." He winked and walked to the door with Rose in tow.

Rose glanced at Ariel and Michael as they passed before looking away and grabbing onto Beyond's jumpsuit. She startled slightly when he stopped abruptly with his hand on the knob. "Now would be a good time to hide." He chuckled darkly as he tucked himself and Rose behind the door as it flew open, allowing a flood of the hungered into the store. He spoke in her ear. "Don't scream, just follow me. Focus on the center of my back, no where else; keep up or I'll leave you behind." He held his arms out. "Give me the kid. I can run longer with more weight."

The child shivered when handed to Beyond but clung onto his neck and chest tightly. "Close your eyes, kid. You're ears are going to hurt."

Rose reattached her hand to his jumpsuit as they waited for the remainder of the mob to pour in. As the last of the hungered filed in, they slipped out quietly. Once into the open, Beyond took off with a frightening pace, causing Rose to scramble to keep up.

Approaching a Jeep, Beyond slammed his shoulder into it to break his pace before whipping the door open and giving the small child a toss in the direction of the backseat and pushing Rose into the passenger seat and slamming the door; only to smash the butt of the shotgun into an incoming bite.

A stray pistol shot planted itself into the side of the Jeep as Michael emerged from the shop screaming. "I'll fucking kill you!"

The raven smirked deviously and shot a well placed bullet into a propane case, causing the cage to become a deadly bomb. Knocking Michael off his feet and embedding shards of metal into his back and knocking over most of the horde behind Michael. "Careful, I don't play fair." Looking over his shoulder, he shouted to the car. "Get down and don't make a sound!" He smirked and dropped the shotgun.

Rose peeked over the dashboard keeping her son, Robert, tucked beneath her. She watched the two men circle each other with wide berthing while carelessly dispatching any hungered who approached them.

"What's the problem? I got rid of your worthless dead weight. You should be thanking me. The only difference is how it was rid of. Sorry, you and your harlot couldn't leave them behind to be devoured. But as they say… you reap what you sow. Or… karma slapped the arrogance out of you. Whatever you choose." Beyond dodged an incoming bite before whirling around and cutting the shambling corpse down with his machete. "Or, perhaps you're angry because she's getting out of the situation and you're not; merely left with someone just as incapable."

"Shut! Up!" Michael lunged forward, only to have his actions mirrored. 'Shit. He's faster than I am.' Michael ducked down to have a strong kick fly over his head. 'Damn. I could feel the wind from that.' "What the fuck are you?!"

Michael winced as he was lifted by his shirt. "I told you. I'm patient zero." Beyond pulled the spare gun from Michael's back holster and placed a well aimed shot into the foreheads of the incoming horde, until the clip ran dry. "I'm both stronger and faster than you."

He dropped Michael down and turned around to leave before hissing and wincing in pain at the blade embedded in his side. "Who said I was done?"

Pulling the knife from his side, Beyond growled as he stabbed Michael in the hand; fastening him to the ground. He held his side and panted slightly while pointing to the now shambling Ariel. "Her. Look, I'm immune to their bites, not being mauled to death." Limping the the vehicle he weakly pulled the driver door open and looked back to Michael. "I imagine you have the same weakness. Good luck, mate." Michael struggled against the knife while howling in pain and panic.

He sat down in the car and held his hand up to silence the incoming questions. "Yes. I will live, no it doesn't feel good. We're waiting for a kill confirm. I can't have a madman following me back."

Rose blinked a couple of times then winced at her husband's screams. "Did you have to pin him to the ground and let his whore eat him?"

Beyond nodded a couple of times with a pained expression. "Oh yeah. The karma was too delicious. Had to savor it a bit." He shifted the vehicle into drive and pulled away.


Happy Birthday Redwindstorm! Enjoy surviving the apocalypse!