X. There is no survival guide. There never was.
Mulder was careful as he closed the storm cellar door behind himself. He looked around once he was outside, checking for any signs he missed that he wasn't alone.
Once he was sure he was safe, he headed toward the broken asphalt that used to be a road. He stepped over the cracks, thinking of the childhood phrase that assured him he would break his mother's back for not following the rule.
When he got bored of that, he focused on the task at hand—find less noticeable clothes and perhaps food. He picked up his pace, keeping lookout for any movement.
There were half collapsed houses, ones completely demolished, and then one semi-intact. It was missing part of the roof towards the back and all the doors and windows were gone, but it seemed structurally safe.
Mulder walked up the porch steps and immediately smelled death. He paused, his stomach lurching, but he didn't start dry heaving. After taking a deep breath in through his mouth, he stepped inside.
Broken glass and wood covered the floor. He was aware that the smell was stronger now and he headed up the stairs on his left. He didn't want to find the half decayed bodies, so he was careful on his search and wanted to get out as soon as possible.
He was standing in front of a long hallway. There were three rooms on the left and two on the right. The first room on the left belonged to a little girl based on the colors and toys. He moved on to the next room, which seemed to be a boy's room.
Mulder entered and opened a dresser drawer. He pulled out a pair of jeans and looked them over. They were too small to fit William.
"Damn."
He left the room and went to the last one on the left. It was for another boy and had sports posters on the walls. Mulder went to the dresser and found clothes that might be too big for William, but they would have to do. He went to the closet in search of a book bag, but was pleased to discover a duffel bag.
Quickly, Mulder emptied out the duffel bag, but let a baseball and mitt remain in the bottom. He stuffed the clothes inside and added a pair of sneakers. He left the room and went to the master bedroom.
He searched through the closet and found a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that would fit him. He changed and threw some clothes for both Scully and Cuddy in the duffel bag. He put in a few sweatshirts and headed back downstairs.
Mulder stopped at the bottom of the stairs. He wanted to get out and get back before anyone awoke and noticed him gone, but the need for food was greater so he headed down the first floor hallway. He passed a room on the right and tried not to look, the smell that almost made him retch coming from inside.
The kitchen was at the end of the hallway and to the left. He stepped in and paused, listening for any signs of animals. When there was nothing but his breathing, he rapidly began to dig through the cupboards, putting as many canned goods as he could find into his duffel bag.
He stopped when he reached the refrigerator. Holding his breath, he opened the door and tried not to breathe in the scent of rotting food. He grabbed the lukewarm bottles of water on the shelf, glad to have found them.
Mulder zipped up the heavy duffel bag and stepped back. He spotted two flashlights on top of the refrigerator. He grabbed them, made sure they worked, and quickly added them to the bag. He began for the door, but stopped.
He hurried back to drawers underneath the kitchen counter. He rifled through them, pulling out matches, a can opener, and batteries. He placed them in the duffel bag, re-zipped it, and got the hell out of that house.
It was easier to breathe once he was outside, which didn't say much since the air was stale. Mulder picked up his pace as he kept on alert. He made it back to the hideout without trouble, without seeing another living person.
He closed himself back in the darkness of their hideout and was careful as he walked down the steps, not wanting to bang his head on the low ceiling. He sat down near the steps and released the duffel bag strap from his shoulder.
"Where'd you go?"
The voice was Cuddy's. He looked in her direction, but he couldn't see her. He opened the duffel bag and took out the flashlight. Mulder turned it on and blinded her with the light.
"Sorry." He lowered the beam to the floor.
"Where'd you get that?" she asked, blinking.
"Found it," he answered, keeping his voice low since he was aware that Scully and William were sleeping. "Hungry?"
"Starving."
Mulder dug through the duffel bag. "How 'bout some soup? I've got two chicken noodle, two minestrone, and two clam chowders."
"Manhattan or New England?" she replied.
"New England," he said.
"I'll take that."
He tossed her the can, then the can opener. He picked the minestrone for himself and set the duffel bag aside.
"I also brought you a change of clothes," Mulder added. "I hope they fit."
"I'm sure they'll be fine," she responded with a small smile. "Thanks."
Cuddy tossed the can opener back and drank the thick soup from the can. She was so hungry and had been without food with any reasonable taste that this soup was the best thing in the world right now despite it being cold.
Mulder opened a can of minestrone soup and quickly began to eat.
"What's it like out there?" Cuddy spoke up, but kept her voice quiet. "Is it day?"
"Yeah." Mulder nodded. "And there's nothing out there as far as I saw."
Scully stirred and let out a quiet sigh. She sat up and looked toward Cuddy first, then Mulder.
"Where did you get that stuff?" she asked.
"I went out," Mulder told her, but kept his head down, eyes on his soup.
"By yourself?" Scully raised an eyebrow. "Mulder, you know we agreed—"
"We needed food," he cut her off and looked over at her. "And a change of clothes. Do want some soup? Clam chowder, minestrone, or chicken noodle."
She paused a moment, holding his gaze, before speaking.
"Minestrone."
He tossed her a can and the opener.
"We should eat, get changed, and then figure out our next step," Mulder instructed and took a swig from his can.
"You mean, you don't have plan?" Cuddy replied.
"Did you?" he immediately responded.
She shook her head slightly. "No."
"We know where we have to go if we want to defeat them," Mulder assured her. "We just have to figure out how to get there without being caught."
"You think that's possible?" Cuddy asked.
He let out a breath. "We're going to find out."