- How was your night?

Lee asked, his back resting on the seat of the bus they were on, his eye focused on James beside him.

The boy seemed mesmerized by the landscape outside, or, maybe it was the fact that he was inside a bus with several other people, as if they were going on a trip or something.

It was strange, and at the same time, good.

In a way.

-... Uncomfortable, despite the bed.

He answered, looking at Lee for a few moments, until he turned his gaze to the road again.

- Have you been alone all this time? In the forest?

Lee asked, looking at the other passengers for a moment, and wondering where his things were at that moment.

-... I was part of a group, some time ago. But... I decided to leave them.

He answered, lowering his gaze to the ground, a certain tone of regret present in his voice, making Lee look a bit puzzled.

- Whatever your reason, I understand. You can believe it.

Lee said, focusing his gaze on a man a few seats ahead of him. There were some people inside that bus that he didn't like to be around, he felt something bad coming from them.

Well, he didn't like almost anyone there, but some of these people stood out.

However, Lee just shrugged, it was not his problem if those people started killing indefinitely in the community.

- You... were you in a commune?

James asked after a while, raising his eyes and looking at Lee.

-... No... I was wandering around, alone. To tell you the truth, when Abel found me, that was the first time I saw another person in a long time.

He answered, lowering his gaze and staring at the scars on his callused hand. After all he had been through, it was a surprise that he still had his hand.

James stared at him curiously for a while, looking at the scars on his face, and even a little excited that he had also been alone for a long time.

- Do you know why they are taking us to this community?

Lee asked, looking up at James, who shook his head slightly.

- They didn't tell me.

He answered.

- Apparently this Delta, or whatever, is at war with another community. And they need soldiers, and who better than desperate survivors to fight on the front lines?

Lee said with a certain irony and mockery.

James looked at him in surprise, even with a certain desperation in his gaze.

Lee arched an eyebrow at the boy's expression, there was no fear in his eyes, but something different, a peculiar mixture of regret and despair.

- You don't like killing very much, do you?

Lee asked, he didn't necessarily like killing, but the boy seemed to have a certain aversion at the mere thought.

-... I already have my share of killing. That's why I stay alone in the forest, so I don't have to kill anyone.

James answered, lowering his head.

Lee stared at him for a few more moments, and sighed. The boy must have been through a lot of shit, like everyone else in the world.

- Well, all the more reason to get away from there.

Lee said, running his hand lightly over his new shirt. It felt strange to put on clean clothes after so long... or to take a shower like the night before.

- There will be hundreds of people there.

James said, raising his eyes to Lee, who smiled slightly.

-So what? Better yet, they won't even realize that two people escaped. And, if things go smoothly, we can get out of there without killing anyone.

Lee said. He spent the rest of that night thinking about it, the place was like paradise to many, it had things that nowhere else probably had.

It would be a great place to live, if it weren't for the fact that they were kidnapping survivors and forcing them to fight in a war that had nothing to do with them.

He had decided to try to get out of there without killing anyone... well, he would try.

He hadn't expected a very warm welcome after being under the crosshairs of so many guns the day before.

Lee ran his hand over his neck, smiling slightly as he remembered the hickeys on his neck and the scratches that burned on his back. Lilly had gotten fiercer than the last time he had been with her, he had to say.

Although he also had to admit that the night had been great. And it had served not only for pleasure, but to get a little information.

- Why did you kill?

James' voice brought him out of his thoughts, and Lee looked at the boy with an arched eyebrow.

- For several reasons. It's not as if I enjoy killing. In the beginning of all this, I believed with all my strength that killing was wrong, and I avoided doing it. But, the more shit happened, the more my thinking proved to be naive.

Lee replied, lightly massaging the base of his neck.

- Sometimes, in today's world, killing is inevitable. I still avoid killing, but when I see that there is no other option, I don't hesitate.

Lee answered, staring at a man who was glaring at them.

James stared at him for a while, thoughtfully.

- Isolating yourself is a really good alternative. And as I said, yesterday was the first time I met other people in a long time. And I tried not to get into a conflict, just to go on my way, but, well, you know what happened.

Lee said, looking out the window for a few moments.

James looked at the ground, and the two of them were silent for the rest of the trip.

(...)

This had taken longer than either of them had imagined. They didn't know how much time had passed.

The huge gates of the compound appeared on the horizon, and Lee arched an eyebrow as he saw the high walls through the window.

It was really quite large, enormous.

A community of this size, it might not be so difficult for a member, or two, to simply disappear overnight.

They wouldn't even notice their absence.

The gates were opened and Lee observed the huge amount of guards that were walking just beyond the walls.

There were several tents scattered about, some houses with open gates, and several guns stuck to the walls, with several people with guns in their hands, and others reloading magazines.

He had never seen so much ammo as in this place.

The bus continued into the community, and Lee looked at the planting sites with a raised eyebrow, glancing at the animals in the fences next to them.

Houses followed just beyond this part, and even some low buildings.

It was a lot to see, and a lot of people walking from one place to another on their way to their respective jobs and services.

Looking at it that way, it didn't even seem to be such a bad place, but just by looking at the tired expressions on some people's faces, one could tell that this place hides some rottenness behind that organized image.

It took a few minutes before the bus stopped, and people began to get off the vehicle one after the other.

Lee sighed and stood up, walking down the small aisle of the bus with James right behind him, an uneasy look on his face.

They got out of the vehicle and joined the small circle of people, looking at the armed men and women who were standing in front of them, glaring at them analytically.

- Welcome to Delta. My name is Celine. It's always nice to welcome a few more recruits to help maintain our home, which from now on, is your home as well.

A woman said loudly, a military rifle on her back. She was tall, quite tall to tell the truth, with short brown hair, serious and hard features. She wore a black shirt with a gray jacket over it. Dark jeans and shoes of the same color.

- You will be taken to the training area right now. Those of you who prove yourselves capable will become part of our defense and attack line, the rest of you will be given more mundane tasks. Please come with me.

A man, right next to the woman, also said.

He was also tall, a little taller than the woman. He had short black hair, serious brown eyes, and hard features, a scar on the side of his head from his cheek to his temple.

He wore a black jacket and a gray shirt underneath, dark blue jeans, and gray shoes with white details. A military rifle on his back.

The man focused his eyes on Lee, and looked somewhat curious and confused at his amputated arm.

Abel walked over and whispered something to the man, who looked for a moment surprised at Lee, and turned away.

Lee and James looked at each other, and followed the others, looking around all the way.

Some people seemed very happy to be there, chatting excitedly, with smiles on their lips, while others did not seem to share the same happiness. Serious, even angry looks were present on the faces of some of these people.

Probably the ones who were not happy about being kidnapped.

They arrived in an open area after some walking. It was a very large area, huge in fact. Maybe as big as a soccer field. Before they approached the area, there was a house with weapons scattered all over the place.

- This is our armory, one of our armories, actually. You will go through different shooting racks, we will test your skills with different types of weapons. Two examiners will be by your side.

The man said, and soon, some people came down the stairs from the second floor of the armory and approached them.

Lee arched an eyebrow as he saw Celine and the man, whose name he did not know, approaching him.

- Abel told us about you, Lee, right? He said you killed most of the people in one of the search parties.

The man said, crossing his arms and not disguising the look he gave his amputated arm and his closed eye, clearly doubting that story.

Lee just smiled, sometimes it was good to be underestimated, it made his life easier.

- There are many ways to kill a man, there are many ways to create advantages in a disadvantageous situation.

Lee said, ignoring the man's gaze, and looking at James, who was being escorted by a man and a woman to one of the shooting racks.

He hoped that the boy would do well, or at least still maintain contact with him. James seemed to be much more decent than most of the people in that place.

- Lilly also told us a few things about you. You know, that idea of covering yourself with zombie guts and wiping out a horde from the inside out helped us a lot. She also said not to underestimate you, despite your appearance. If the things she said are true, then it is impressive.

Celine said, putting her hands on her waist and looking at Lee from head to toe.

The bad part about being underestimated, is that people were surprised by any shit he did, as if they didn't believe he was capable of doing "risky" things and being able to pull it off.

- Well, thank you. I was kind of forced to adapt to my situation. But anyone could do... whatever she said I did, so it's nothing to be surprised about.

Lee said.

- Anyone with two arms and two eyes, perhaps, could do it. Anyway, since your case is somewhat... special, you're going to do some tests with light weapons, and then, for hand-to-hand combat. Lilly said that you are good in a fight, so we don't see why we shouldn't let you take part in one.

Celine said, looking deep into Lee's eye, a certain gleam in her eye.

- That's fine with me. Will you be my examiners?

Lee asked, curious to know what advantages he would have if he passed this "test". He saw that the guards, or whoever the fuck they were, had a lot of freedom around the place.

- Yes, let's go.

The man said, walking towards the place they used as a shooting rack.

Lee looked at the table in front of him, where there was a small assortment of one-handed guns, even a submachine gun.

He picked up the pistol on the end of the table and looked at the target ahead.

It was not far away, but the target was small, which increased the chances that someone would miss.

It had been a while since Lee had shot a pistol. The little ammo he had had run out faster than he anticipated.

He raised his arm and aimed at the target, enjoying the pleasure that holding a gun caused in his body, he felt a little safer, he didn't have to sneak up behind someone's back with a knife, or try to steal someone else's gun.

He squeezed the trigger, multiple times until the pistol ran out of ammo. Lee arched an eyebrow at the gun, it had only fired six shots.

Well, it made sense, they wouldn't spend a lot of ammo with just training, it would be stupid to put too many bullets in those guns.

He lowered the pistol and looked at the holes in his target, half of them concentrated in the center, and others a little more scattered.

Although rusty, he was fine, for a one-armed man.

Lee put the pistol back on the table and picked up the revolver beside it, analyzing the weapon in his hand. It was a little heavier than the pistol, probably because it was made of steel, but he felt as if he could handle it with some ease.

A man further ahead, quite young apparently, picked up the hit target and put another one in its place. Lee arched an eyebrow, but remained still.

He raised his arm again and fired, three shots this time.

The kick was indeed stronger, a larger caliber, different from what he was used to. But still, he hit the target. One shot in the center, the others more scattered.

Lee looked at the revolver for a while longer, and put it on the table.

He picked up the submachine gun, the same one he had taken from that woman the day before. He couldn't get much use out of the gun, he just fired without really paying attention to it.

Maybe that was why he didn't kill the other woman.

Lee waited for the boy to change targets, and raised his gun again.

He didn't know how many shots he fired, maybe a dozen, or a number close to it.

He was not used to the recoil of the gun, although light, the automatic shots made it a little more difficult to control it.

This resulted in him missing a few shots, but, for the most part, they all hit their target.

The boy picked up the target again and walked towards them after a nod from Celine.

She took the three targets and placed them on the table.

- I wouldn't be surprised if you hit the targets with only one hand. I am surprised that you did it with only one eye. I expected you to miss most of the shots.

Celine said, putting one hand on her waist as she looked at the holes.

- Do you think you can shoot with a rifle?

The man asked, looking with an arched eyebrow at Lee.

- It depends on the rifle, if it's too heavy, I'm likely to miss. Same thing with shotguns, although it's a little more situational.

Lee said, glancing at James further to the side, who seemed somewhat hesitant to shoot with his revolver.

"They have some really heavy weaponry" Lee thought as he looked at all those guns.

He never thought that so many guns would come in one place.

- Okay, we can look at this later. Come on.

The man said, turning and walking to another part of the area.

Lee looked around one last time before following the two of them.

- We have a physical training course up ahead, military style. We use it practically all day to train.

The man said, placing his rifle on one of the tables spread out in the remote area, and walking a little further ahead.

- It's great for the people who pass the tests, they feel as healthy as they have ever felt since the apocalypse began. We used to send people there before hand-to-hand combat.

He said, stopping and turning to Lee, who arched an eyebrow when he saw Celine standing further back with her arms crossed.

- But we decided to change this, because people fight with more fervor when they are desperate, when their lives are at risk. If they go through the physical training, they see it as just part of the training, and don't take it very seriously. What we want, is to see how people really fight out there, when they feel their lives are at risk. How far they go to survive.

He folded up the sleeves of his jacket and looked at Lee with a certain intensity.

- And why are you telling me this? Wouldn't it be easier to take a knife and point it at me?

Lee asked, analyzing his surroundings. There was nothing he could use to create an advantage. Nothing but the ground.

- Yes, but from what Lilly said, I don't need to do that. Besides, we will redo this test often, tomorrow, it will be a simulation. Bandit attacks can happen at any time, right?

he said, and Lee smiled slightly at that.

- By the way, my name is Gunner.

He said, stepping forward toward Lee, who bent his knees slightly and leaned forward.

Gunner tried to punch Lee in the face, who deflected, throwing his torso backwards, but Gunner took advantage of the opening and tried to punch his stomach.

Lee takes momentum with his left leg and throws himself slightly to the side, deflecting the blow and counterattacking with a punch to his face.

Gunner holds Lee's fist, and tries to punch him again, but Lee is quicker and kicks him in the side, forcing Gunner to release his grip and walk slightly to the side.

In one swift motion, Gunner spins his body around and lands a kick to Lee's stomach, who's eyes widen and bends his body slightly forward.

Gunner takes advantage of his weakness, and punches Lee in the face, causing him to stagger to the side. However, he didn't expect Lee to take advantage of the moment to rotate his body and attack him again, and Gunner is caught by surprise by a kick to the stomach.

Gunner recovers quickly and advances against Lee, trying to land a punch to his face, but Lee dodges again and counters with a punch to the chest, followed by a kick to the leg and a punch to the face, causing Gunner to fall backwards.

- For a cripple... you fight pretty well.

He said, sighing and recovering from Lee's blows.

Lee wiped the small amount of blood dripping from his mouth, and smiled slightly.

Gunner advanced towards Lee again, trying to punch him in the face.

Lee sidestepped and tried to fight back, but Gunner hit him with a kick to the side of his torso, causing Lee to groan slightly in pain and stagger to the side.

Gunner tries to kick him again, however, Lee deflects, only to be hit by a punch to his face once more.

Gunner rushed to his side and landed another punch to his face, followed by a punch to the chest and a kick to the stomach.

"The son of a bitch is taking advantage of my blind spot, hmpf" Lee thought, realizing that Gunner was only moving with base of his stabbed eye.

Lee spat a small amount of blood on the ground and clenched his fist, hearing Gunner's footsteps just behind him.

He stood up and turned around quickly, throwing dirt into Gunner's eyes, who groaned in pain and took a few steps back.

Lee took the opportunity and punched the man in the face, followed by a kick to the abdomen and a punch to the chin.

Gunner was on his knees, dazed and his vision unfocused.

He stood up quickly and tried to land a punch to Lee's chest, who dodged to the side and countered with a punch to the face.

Gunner staggered backward and spun his body around, striking Lee in the face with the back of his closed fist.

He rushes toward Lee and throws himself on top of him, knocking him to the ground. Gunner tried to punch Lee in the face, however, he strikes first and spins his body to the side, causing the man to lose his balance.

Lee hits an elbow to Gunner's face just as the man ducked, causing him to get off his feet. The two stood up and stared at each other, until a few steps approached behind them.

- I think that's enough. You can see that he can take care of himself. It was a good fight.

Celine said, alternating her gaze between the two panting and wounded men, with blood dripping from their faces and mouths.

They looked at each other for a few moments, and Lee straightened his posture, wiping away the dripping blood.

- I can't believe I got beaten by a one-armed man. You hit hard, I admit it.

Gunner said, spitting a small amount of blood on the ground.

- Benefit of using a single arm for everything.

Lee said, putting the back of his hand over the side of his mouth.

- Gunner?

Celine called out to the man, looking at him with a suggestive smile, causing the man to roll his red eyes.

- Yes, yes, he passed. I can't believe I'm saying this to a cripple.

Gunner grumbled, groaning slightly in pain as he walked towards the table where he had placed his rifle.

- Congratulations, you have just entered advanced training. You will receive more details later. Training starts tomorrow morning and ends in the evening. I will show you to your room.

Celine said, turning and walking out of the area.

Lee sighed slightly and looked at James further ahead, the boy was looking at him with an arched eyebrow and a somewhat surprised expression on his face.

He smiled slightly, and walked briskly towards the woman.