25.

He was tired of looking at trees. Maybe they'd be clear of the mountains soon. Out of the foothills and past the neverending expanse of forest. Grassy flatlands. White sandy beaches. Even the harsh angles and cold concrete of a city would be a comforting sight.

Because he was sick of all the fucking trees.

"Bulma said the road would connect through here," 18 said, continuing to cut a path through the woods. They were scouring the homes to the east of the mountain foothills. A second group had gone west that morning, and between the pair of them they should have enough supplies to make it to Yahhoy without going hungry. They could regroup there before making it to the coast. However, Tien's group had come up short so far and the sun was already high in the sky.

Chiaotzu kept pace eagerly at Tien's side. Smiling ever so often up at his oldest companion, all innocent and childlike despite the fact that he was being raised as an assassin before the turn. Lunch had been the one to suggest the boy go on the run with them. She'd noted that they weren't doing any favors, coddling him. Keeping him weaponless and unprepared. There would come a day when a bit of self defense could come in handy. Everyone needed to protect themselves, even a boy like Chiaotzu.

Yesterday, when the ex-army idiots had gone off zombie-hunting and fired a flare into the air - causing hordes of Walkers to descend upon their camp - Chiaotzu had shrieked and Raditz had been the one to protect him. Tien would make sure that didn't happen again.

So today the boy held a small silver revolver. Six bullets and a second pistol on his hip, just in case.

But with 18's bow and Lunch's rifle and the shot gun strapped to his back, Tien was confident the four of them wouldn't run into a situation they couldn't handle.

"I think I see it," Lunch said, peeking through the trees at a strip of asphalt.

18 nodded, leveled her bow, and raced ahead. Tien noted her quick, agile steps and wondered again what she'd been like Before. She was a mystery as far as he was concerned. He'd heard her complain about the dirt on her clothes, and then watched as she skillfully skinned a squirrel moments later. She and her brother were an odd pair, but they all were if he really thought about it. Normal people didn't make it far in this world.

"It looks clear," he said.

The two blonde women entered the clearing, flanking Chiaotzu while Tien covered the rear. Lunch was right. The road was still, no abandoned cars or motionless Walkers. For the most part, this part of the world seemed untouched. Tien inhaled the valley air and, for once, the trees didn't seem so bad.

18 inclined her head toward a few shingled roofs peeking over the canopy of trees. "That way. We need to find packaged water, if possible, and foods that won't require heating."

"We'll keep to the road," he replied. Turning to Chiaotzu, he grinned. "You doing okay bud?"

"Yep. It's fun out here."

Swallowing audibly, Tien pressed forward. It wasn't fun, of course, but what else could he do? The roof lines fell out of sight as they continued through the valley. The mountains to their back, the sun hovering at its zenith, warming the road under their feet and limiting the shadows that would conceal any threat.

18 heard it first. Her blue eyes widened, her feet took a few, swift steps backwards. "Move," she said, voice sheathed in whisper. They followed dutifully, moving to the grass on the side of the road before the low rumbling shook his bones.

Maybe the shadows weren't always a bad thing. Tien wished there was somewhere for them to hide.

The rumbling picked up and a bulky breadtruck zoomed by. When it past, Tien exhaled and he felt Lunch relax at his side. 18, however, gripped her bow. The rumbling stopped before starting back again, the truck pulling in reverse.

They didn't need to talk. They raised their weapons, even Chiaotzu's revolver winked in the sun. Three figures hopped out of the truck, a dark-haired woman and two short, squat men which she towered over.

"Drop your weapons," the woman said, her cool voice matching the glare in her eyes. "And step back."

No one moved.

Her dark eyes narrowed. "Give us your weapons and we might let you live."

This time, Lunch squeezed the trigger. One of the squat men fell, and before Tien could comprehend much else - he fired his gun too.

The recoil from his shotgun was minimal, the spray hitting the passenger side of the breadtruck with a crescendo of sound. He didn't have long to check his shot. His shells would do less damage, but the aim was far more forgiving. At his left Lunch's rifle shots rattled off. He could see her lips moving, counting down her bullets. She dropped the empty rifle and grabbed for the pistol she kept at the base of her spine, but she flenched.

"Fuck," Lunch shouted. And then, with her pistol raised and her left eye cocked, she took out the dark haired woman and sighed.

There was silence. Tien whipped his head to where 18 stood in front of Chiaotzu. The woman grinned down at the boy.

"Nice shooting, little dude."

He smiled shyly, but didn't move from behind the safety of her leg. 18 looked over to where the three stranger lay, a frown etched on her features.

"Dammit." Lunch had her hand pressed to her shoulder. "He got me." And when she pulled her arm away Tien could see the red blood that stained her white t-shirt.

"We'll look at it back at camp," he said, but his chest was tight. Bulma kept some medical equipment and sterilizers on hand, but she wasn't a doctor. Chichi seemed knowledgeable about medicine, but her background with anatomy had come from books and animals. Lunch nodded, her face pale.

The road was still again. 18 moved to the three corpses, giving them each a tap with her boot to make sure they were dead. She paused on the dark-haired woman. A small red pendent bearing double R's was pinned to her chest. "Red Ribbon," she whispered. She shouldn't have been surprised that they'd thrive out here. She was happy, however, that they'd disposed of them first. If Lunch hadn't shot first, these enemies certainly wouldn't have hesitated to off them. She glanced over to where Chiaotzu was handing Lunch his bottle of water, and settled her view on Tien.

"I know these guys. They aren't the forgiving type."

Tien nodded. "You don't have to comfort me." Killing to keep himself alive had been a part of his job before. It didn't really bother him now. "Better them than us."

"What are you doing?" 18 inquired as Tien stepped to the back of the breadtruck. To her credit, she doesn't look upset by the carnage either. Huh, Tien laughed dryly, maybe this group was equipped to deal with this world after all.

"Checking for supplies. We have to head back and I don't want to show up empty handed," Tien replied. He undid the latch and yanked the metal door up. Tien froze. A chicken clucked. And three strangers stared back at him, wide eyed and afraid.

Tien blinked. "Well, dick."

.

I tried not to but I couldn't help it. Tien is Abraham. And Goku is Morgan. New kung-fu, bo wielding Morgan, apparently.

Also - new cover art! (credit goes to stupidoomdoodles - her blog is linked in my profile)