note: So like the third season of TWD, here's where the story will skip ahead. I could have written of their time in between, but meh, it would have been boring ;)

Don't own MSB or The Walking Dead or the title.

Enjoy!

under cover of darkness
by the ultimateSora

chapter twenty-one
nymeria the warrior queen

Eight months later
Late March 2006

Robbie held up his small revolver as he followed Ralphie, Keesha, and Carlos into the house. He was so hungry he hoped there was something to eat in this house, unlike the last couple they had camped in. He lowered his gun and reached for the can of dog food sitting on the counter. Food was food, he didn't care. Ralphie did, though. Before Robbie could figure out how he'd get it open, Ralphie smacked the can out of his hand.

"You're not eating dog food."

"But I'm hungry!"

"No dog food!"

Robbie knew better than to argue with his brother, but he didn't need him yelling at him. He just turned eight; he wasn't a little kid anymore. He raised his gun as he followed the other three through the house. The house was clear, so Robbie was sent out to get the others. Everyone else came in, Dorothy Ann helping the heavily pregnant Wanda, who was wearing one of Carlos' t-shirts as a maternity shirt and a pair of sweat pants.

Just as they were beginning to get settled in, Dorothy Ann looked out the window. "Oh, no," she gasped.

"What?" Ralphie asked.

"Maulers. A small herd of them is coming."

Ralphie gestured for everyone to hurry. "Pack it all up. S'go, s'go!"

Carlos came up behind Wanda and easily lifted her so she wouldn't have to waddle away from the maulers. The maulers were far enough away to give them time to pack their vehicles and take off. When they reached the main road, they parked in a circle to shield themselves from any stray maulers. Ralphie took out his map of Rhode Island, and he kneeled down to spread the map out on the ground for everyone to see.

"Pretty much been moving in a big circle," Keesha said, looking over Ralphie's shoulder.

"It's that damn herd," Tim said. "It's like it's chasing us, but if we move in the opposite direction, we'll run back into it."

Ralphie sighed. "I say we try for the prison. We picked up a few more weapons, and we have a good amount of ammo." He folded the map and stood up. "I'll take a small group to scout the prison with me. The rest of you stay here and rest up."

"I'll go," Robbie said.

"No, li'l bro, you need to stay and help keep guard."

Dorothy Ann put her hand on his back. "You can help me keep watch."

Mikey wheeled over them and playfully punched Robbie on the arm. "I'll let you try out my scoped rifle."

That perked Robbie up.

Ralphie picked Phoebe and Tim to go with him since they were best with silent weapons. Phoebe loaded her crossbow as Tim made sure his hatchet was sharp. Ralphie had his big knife and a hatchet he had found strapped to his belt, and he pocketed his small handgun as a back up. They headed out, going on foot since the prison wasn't too far. Rather than expose themselves on the empty road, they used the woods to stay hidden.

The guard towers of the prison came in to view, and the first thought that popped in Phoebe's mind was it looked like a metal castle at a glance. She pushed her loose strands of hair off her face, frustrated her hair grew out so fast. She needed to shave it off again. It was too shaggy now. But it wasn't so long it hid her half-ear or any of her large facial scars. With her missing ear, scars, and extremely crooked nose from it being broken, she barely recognized herself when she did see her reflection.

Tim held up his hand to stop Ralphie and Phoebe. The road had curved towards the prison gates, but the woods they were walking through ended at a small clearing along the outer fence of the prison. There were a few maulers between the outer and interior fences, and Ralphie knew the three of them could take care of them.

He knelt down and used his knife to cut a hole in the fence for them to get through. He let Tim and Phoebe through first before he wedged himself through. He should have made a bigger hole. Tim and Phoebe were both so skinny they could have gone through the regular fence holes, but his hulking ass was still, well, hulkish. He closed the hole behind him, tying it together with some twine he had found so more maulers wouldn't come in.

A mauler caught their scent and made its way towards them. With one, swift slice through the air, Tim's hatchet hit its rotting skull, making it pop like a melon. Phoebe shot the maulers in the distance, and Ralphie held his hatchet in one hand, knife in the other, as he swung his arms and killed two maulers at once. When all the maulers were killed, they lined the bodies along the base of the fence. Their stench would mask the smell of living flesh and keep the other maulers away. At least these gross assholes were good for something.

The three left through the fence hole, Tim tying it together when they were all through. They went back to the camp, Ralphie announcing they cleared the outer perimeter of the prison. They packed up again and caravanned to the prison. Since Phoebe was on her motorcycle, she got off and opened the main gate to let their vehicles through. She pushed her bike through before closing the gate.

Patricia parked the Winnebago so it blocked the outer gate for added security. After their camp supplies were unloaded from Carlos' truck, he parked it against the inner gate for more security. While the others set up camp, Keesha and Phoebe walked along the inner fence perimeter to check for any weaknesses and make sure the maulers inside couldn't reach them.

The maulers in the interior yard sensed them and began to press themselves against the fence. Robbie clenched his jaw and got up. He turned his oversized Mets cap around so he had a clear view as he shot all the maulers he could, getting every one. Ralphie looked up, seeing what he was doing, and he couldn't help be proud. He was quite the little marksman.

Dorothy Ann took out her revolver and helped Robbie in killing the maulers on the other side. Maggie had a little silver-colored pistol she took out, and she joined in the fun. Carlos, Ralphie, Mikey and Arnold were not far behind with their rifles. Tim stuck his knife through the fence, stabbing the maulers who hadn't been shot yet. By the time Keesha and Phoebe came around from checking the fence, the maulers had all been killed.

"Dammit, maybe I wanted in on the fun!" Keesha said, touching her Mare's Leg that was holstered on her hip.

"Don't worry about it," Phoebe said. "They kept us away so they could actually hit something for once."

D.A. pretended to be offended, her smile giving her away. "Hey, Keesha! I taught you how to use that gun!"

"And now I shoot it better than you did," Keesha said with wink.

Robbie looked up, changing the subject when he said, "I think we can get up to those guard towers from here."

He took off running towards them, Phoebe running after him. "Robbie, there might be maulers up there!"

"I reloaded my gun," he said, still running for the stairs.

When he reached the stairs, there was a locked gate blocking his way. He took a step back and shot the lock off. Once he was used to the feel of a gun in his hands, he took to shooting quite easily. No longer did the gun shake in his hands. Granted, he was older now (kind of) and taller (by an inch) and his revolver wasn't a giant like D.A.'s (but it was certainly powerful).

Phoebe was close behind him as he ran up the stairs, her crossbow at the ready. She gently pushed Robbie back from the door, and when he scowled at her, she shot him a hard look. "Don't. I'm older and stronger than you, so I'm leading the way in, okay?"

"Fine."

Phoebe sighed. She knew the day would come when her baby brother was no longer that shy little boy who rarely talked back or gave dirty looks. Now, he was eight going on smart-ass teenager. She didn't like it.

She held her crossbow up as she reached for the doorknob, and she opened it enough so she could kick the door open the rest of the way. Three pairs of milky eyes met her. She shot one in the head, and the other two she took out with her knife.

"Phoebe!"

She turned at Robbie's voice only to see the fourth mauler lunge for her. Suddenly, its head popped open as it was shot, but the gun wasn't Robbie's. This one had a suppressor. She watched the mauler fall at her feet, and she looked up to see Arnold lower his handgun. Robbie stepped in around him, his jaw dropped as he looked at the dead maulers.

"Are you okay?" he asked, running to her.

He hugged her hips as she put her arm around him. "I'm fine." She swallowed hard and looked up to see Arnold was gone. "Just fine."

Patricia and Ralphie cooked up the rabbits and duck D.A. caught earlier that evening. A few stray maulers wandered around outside of the fence, but that fence was the reason Ralphie didn't worry about them having a campfire. It could attract all the maulers it wanted; their rotten bodies couldn't push that fence down.

D.A. served two plates of the meat and she excused herself. Ralphie knew she was going to eat with Wanda, who was resting in the Winnebago. He served Robbie's plate for him, as well as his own, and Phoebe served herself. Robbie sat between them, and he looked over at the Winnebago, where Arnold was sitting on top, his rifle in hand.

"Isn't Arnold going to eat?" he asked. He knew Ralphie and Phoebe had their problems with Arnold, but Robbie still liked him. "He should eat."

He got up to serve him a plate, but Phoebe stopped him. "Arnold's a big boy. If he wants to eat, he can get it himself."

"Finish eating, li'l bro," Ralphie said.

Robbie sat down and did just that. After everyone ate, all but Arnold, D.A., and Wanda sat around the fire, Ralphie poking at it with a long stick.

"It's too quiet," Carlos said.

Keesha rested her head on his shoulder. "What do you suggest? Campfire songs?"

"Oh!" Ralphie said. "I know one!" He cleared his throat and sang, "Who's the moosiest moose we know?"

"Marty Moose!" Tim, Phoebe, Carlos, and Keesha sang.

"Who's the star of our favorite show?"

"Marty Moose!"

All five sang in unison, "M is for Merry - we're merry, you see; O is for Oh gosh, Oh golly, Oh gee; S is for Super Swell family glee; E is for Everything you want to be. M-A-R-T-Y M-O-O-S-E."

"What's that spell?" Ralphie asked.

In unison, they sang, "Marty Moose! Marty Moose! Marty Moose!"

In his best Chevy-Chase-as-Marty-Moose voice, Carlos said, "Hyuk! That's me!"

Keesha sighed and pouted. "Now, you clowns just reminded me of how much I miss movies."

Maggie yawned, which then sent a chain reaction around the fire. "Sorry," she said, "It's time for bed."

Ralphie nodded. "Agreed." He patted Robbie's back before getting up. "C'mon, li'l bro."

Everyone got up and went to their tents (except Carlos, who opted to lay out his sleeping bag in the bed of his truck to enjoy the cool March night). It was unusually warm for March. It was cool enough for jackets, but it wasn't so cold that it was miserable. They all welcomed the warm March after the frozen December and January they endured while being nomadic.

Phoebe went in the tent she was sharing with D.A., and she pulled her boots off as she fell onto the cot. Dorothy Ann came in the tent a few moments later. She zipped the tent closed and slipped her boat shoes off before she sat down on her bed.

"I bet the prison will have shavers and scissors," D.A. said as she laid back.

Phoebe grinned. "Seriously, stop reading my mind."

"Can't help it. We are, as they say, 'B-F-F's. I know what you're thinking and wanting before you know what you're thinking and wanting."

Phoebe turned on her side to better look at her. "What do I want right now?"

D.A. tapped her chin. "A loaded crossbow, a flagon of ale, and a man's lips on yours."

Phoebe nodded. "That sounds like something I'd want if I were a warrior queen."

"You're kind of like a warrior queen. You have the big battle scars, a half-missing appendage, you've been impaled with an arrow and lived."

"Can I get a warrior queen name?"

D.A. grinned. "I'm willing to bet you have one in mind, and it's going to be related to your Ice and Fire books."

Phoebe smiled. "You know me so well. I shall be called Nymeria, after the legendary warrior Queen of the Rhoynar who had conquered Dorne and took King Mors Martell as her husband."

D.A. winked. "I'm just going to smile and nod because I didn't understand any of what you said."

"Now you know how I felt when you'd throw that government and law jargon at me."

They both laughed, and D.A. stared at her for moment. She really did look so much different. Oh, the green eyes were the same shade, and her freckles were always bright and plentiful, but the large, bright scars on her face, her missing piece of ear, severely crooked nose, gaunt cheeks, and hard jawline did make her look more hardened and battle worn than the rest of them.

Then again, Phoebe had been more willing to throw herself into danger, and no one else kept getting injured over and over to the point of obtaining large visible scars. From time to time, D.A. could see the old world Phoebe shine through, such as when she laughed or helped an injured animal or talked about her favorite book series, but most of the time, she was the warrior queen: Her sharp jaw set tight in place as her eyes became intense and almost angry.

While this was something that had been going on over time, Dorothy Ann had the feeling that the end of her relationship with Arnold contributed some to her even harder exterior. It had taken its toll on him, too, she could see, even after all this time. Phoebe never spoke of what was said that night, so Dorothy Ann was not going to ask her. However, the way she acted like she never had been in love him for the last decade and been his girlfriend, then wife, for two years worried D.A. a bit. She was obviously bottling her pain (something she was sure she picked up from Ralphie over the years).

D.A. broke from her thoughts when she heard Phoebe's soft snores. She got off the bed and kneeled by her cot. Her half-ear was exposed, her shaggy auburn locks falling back and away from it. D.A. combed her hair back with her fingers, careful not to hit her ear. It still caused Phoebe pain at times, despite the skin healing perfectly.

Looking at her best friend- the once-shy girl with rounded cheeks and brilliant green eyes who tried saving the desert animals when she was eight and tried saving some endangered bird species in Narragansett Bay when she was sixteen- she was the same sweet, awkward person on the inside, deep down. Yet, now, she was more confident in many aspects and even tougher than before (not that she wasn't in the old world. She saw enough Ternelli fights to know). On the other hand, her "battle scars" only showcased her recklessness. She hated seeing a young woman like Phoebe this roughed up, both physically and emotionally.

"Sleep well, my warrior queen."

D.A. got back on her cot and took her hair tie out, allowing her long blonde hair to fall around her shoulders. Her hair felt heavy, and she knew there might have been things in it that didn't belong, like dirt and leaves. Phoebe had the right idea in shaving her head.

Nah, your head's too big, she told herself.

With that, she turned off the little lantern and fell asleep once she turned on her back.

Ralphie didn't need to stand in the center of the group to have a large, powerful presence. He was six-foot-three and still quite burly. Even standing within the circle, it was clear he was the leader.

"So, here's the plan," he said. He pointed at the prison. "We are taking that interior. I know there's food, medicine, and weapons in there, the three big things we need. Hershel, you and Patricia will hang back in the Winnebago with Wanda. Just watch her if she needs anything."

"I'm knocked up," Wanda snapped as she turned towards the Winnebago. "I don't have cancer."

"Shut up," Ralphie snapped back, but she was already inside, Hershel and Patricia following her in. He turned his attention back to everyone else. "Mikey, I need your sniper ass up in that guard tower."

Mikey saluted. "I can do that."

Carlos pinched his cheek. "Do you need big brother to help you?"

Mikey laughed and shoved his hand away. "Don't be a dick."

Ralphie rolled his eyes. "Anyway, Carlos, Keesha, and D.A. will go inside with me. Tim, you, Maggie, and Pheebs will be the distraction the fence. Draw any stray maulers to youse and whack 'em. Robbie, stay with Phoebe, Tim, and Maggie. You'll be watching their backs, okay?"

Robbie nodded. "Okay."

Arnold cleared his throat in an obvious manner.

Ralphie shot him a look. "I don't give a shit what you do or don't do. Just stay away from me."

Arnold furrowed his brows and stepped back. "You got it..." He turned on his heel and walked off as he muttered, "Asshole."

Maggie watched him walk away, feeling bad for him. "Poor guy."

"I'm going to let that slide as you don't know that asshole like we do," Ralphie said.

"That's funny," Maggie said, "because whenever I've gotten the chance to talk to him during these eight months you had us going in circles, he never once spoke ill of any of you."

Dorothy Ann quickly jumped in between them when she noticed both were moving towards the other. "Not now, okay?" She put her hand on Ralphie's chest and pushed him back. "Focus on the task at hand."

"I'm going to go distract," Phoebe said, hurrying away. Tim, Maggie, and Robbie went after her, Maggie giving Ralphie one last dirty look.

D.A. grasped Ralphie's shirt and pulled him down so she could keep her voice low. "Don't be a dick. Just don't. There are more important things going on right now than your irrational hatred for your former best friend." Ralphie opened his mouth to argue, but she shook him slightly. "No, I'm right, and you know it. It is an irrational hatred. So, on that note," she let go of him, "let's kill some maulers."

Mikey was making his way up the guard towards, with help from his gadget filled wheelchair. Mikey still made mechanical additions to his chair through high school, but he hadn't used them much in a while. Granted, if his one of his additions broke down, there wasn't much in terms of spare parts.

Once Mikey was in place, Ralphie opened the big gate, letting the girls and Carlos in first before he came in and shut the gate behind them. The four readied their guns, the boys with rifles, Keesha her Mare's Leg, and D.A. her big, shiny revolver with the ivory-colored grip. They kept close to each other, almost back-to-back so nothing could sneak up on them.

"Two o'clock!" Mikey shouted from the tower.

Ralphie looked where Mikey was indicating. Figures in riot gear came stumbling out from behind a wall, and telling by they way they growled and dragged themselves, they were quite undead.

"Looks like we're going CQC, bro," Carlos said.

"Just say 'use knives,'" Keesha said.

"It sounds cooler the other way!"

Ralphie pulled his big hunting knife out and set his rifle down. "Doesn't matter!" He ran towards the maulers and stabbed the first one in the neck. It fell, its helmet flying off. Ralphie stomped its exposed head to make sure it was dead. The other three did the same, and they managed to take out the armored maulers. Once that was done, they picked up their guns and headed inside. D.A. led the way, her gun smaller and easier to sneak around with. Keesha was right behind her, the boys bringing up the rear.

The light was faint inside the cell block, but there was non-natural light. "The electricity is still working," D.A. said.

"God willing, the water is still running," Keesha said.

Sans the stray mauler here and there, all of which Ralphie used his knife on, the cell block was clear. It looked fairly clean, and it was big enough to house all of them. Ralphie gestured back to the door, indicating they get the others and their things. They took the mauler bodies with them, laying them out along the fence as a mauler repellent.

Ralphie saw that Tim, Maggie, and Phoebe took out the strays along the fence, so when he and the girls and Carlos came back, they left the second gate open. They moved the vehicles closer to the building, and Patricia parked the Winnebago so it was still a barrier and another guard post. Phoebe and Maggie made sure the second gate was shut, and they unloaded their things along with everyone else.

The cells looked like they were barely used, if at all. The mattresses were all rolled up, and the walls were bare. Aside from dust, there wasn't any filth. The water ran fresh and clean from the sinks. Everyone began to pick their rooms. There were enough cells for everyone to have their own.

Phoebe picked the furthest cell she could from everyone up on the second level. She set her bags down and unrolled both bunk's mattresses. She put the top bunk's thin mattress on the bottom bunk's, which should give her better cushion. She pulled a navy blue blanket from her duffel bag. It was actually Arnold's, one of his super nice, super soft fleece blankets she always loved. He knew she had it but never said anything. She figured they were basically divorced. This fancy fleece was her settlement...or alimony...or whatever. She really did blank out when D.A. used law words around her.

Ralphie came a few minutes after she settled in, clean sheets and a pillow in hand. "Carlos and Tim found the linen storage. All of it was clean." He handed her a fitted sheet, a regular one, and the pillow.

"Thanks," she said. She moved the fancy fleece to put the fitted sheet on over both mattresses, and she got up on the top bunk frame to find a way to hang the regular sheet in front of the cell door for privacy. "See anywhere I can hang this?"

Ralphie looked. "Hm, maybe tie the corners to the bars? These don't lock when they're shut. And even if they did, I found and have the key."

She nodded and climbed down. She reached up and tied one corner to a bar while Ralphie tied the other. He chuckled and nudged her with his elbow. "This reminds me of the first time we went to Baton Rouge as a family, and your grandma made us hang laundry."

She smiled but shot him a look as well. "And you thought you were so funny by hanging up my underwear."

"Just word of advice, don't get undies with yellow on them. Those polka dots looked like pee stains. That's why I never forgot that pair. Whenever they'd pop up in the laundry, I'd think, 'Ew, Phoebe's pee-pants.'"

"Hey, I handled your disgusting boy clothes more than I would have liked," she said, going to move to her bags to the top bunk. "I'm shocked I never got staph from your football and hockey stuff." She shivered. "Oh, God, and the smell. That's a horrible stench that will never leave me. I'll be 150 and on my deathbed and remember the smell of your sweaty, gross shorts."

He smirked. "You'll smile the next time you smell dirty man-sweat because you'll think of your awesome step-brother." He patted her shoulder. "C'mon, Nymeria, let's go find the weapons stash."

She gestured to the door. "Lead the way, Gunga Din"

note: A lot of this chapter is based on the TWD episode "Seed."

The "Marty Moose" song they sing around the campfire is from the 1983 comedy classic, Vacation.

She gestured to the door. "Lead the way, Gunga Din" - Taken from the video game L.A. Noire.