Olivia tilted her head back, enjoying the cool breeze on her face as she was lead through the woods by her undead escort. While this wasn't the greatest of situations, it was kind of nice to get out of the city.

...how in Notch's green world was she supposed to prove herself worthy of living?

The guy had said something along the lines of 'prove it to me, I don't care how', but that really wasn't helpful. She had no idea what he was looking for. Was she just supposed to get around without her mother fawning over her, or perform some great feat to prove she was useful? It wasn't like she had many opportunities to do so, not when they were corralled into a clump in the middle of a field. Short of flat-out attacking her captors, she didn't have many opportunities for heroics.

A familiar presence caught her attention.

The next second, a sickening crack came from her left and one of the zombies went down, cold fingers slipping from her arm. The other zombie let out an unintelligible shout, but a thump sent it crashing to the ground as well. Olivia stumbled back, lifting her hands in a defensive position from a possible assailant, only to freeze as a warm hand grasped her wrist.

"Miss Olivia."

The stranger.

"H-hey?" She stammered out, not quite sure how to react as the stranger began to tug at her arm.

"We have to go, come on. Are you hurt?"

"Just tired." Unsteadily, she picked up her feet, following him as he led her away. "What are you… doing here?"

"I came to save you."

"Why?" Suddenly she wasn't sure this was a rescue.

"Why wouldn't I? Your life was in danger." He walked slowly, carefully guiding her through the trees. Ordinarily this would probably tick her off, but she was too tired to care. "Your city is in ruins, almost entirely stripped of life. I'm not entirely sure what Orion has planned for you, but given his record it cannot be anything good."

"You know him?" She asked blearily. It seemed almost too coincidental that this stranger, who was somehow connected to her captor, and said captor would show up within a week of one another.

"Only his reputation."

"Oh." His other hand touched her shoulder to steady her as she nearly tripped on a root. "Where are we going?"

"The cave I have been using as shelter. Orion's forces should not be able to find you there."

"Okay." She didn't know if it was really a safe bet to trust him, but he was preferable to the zombies, so she followed him. A few minutes of silent travel later, the sound of their footsteps began to echo around her, and her bare feet touched cool stone.

The stranger led her over to a wall, and pressed her hand against the surface before letting go. Immediately, she collapsed, sinking to the ground and leaning back against the stone. Letting out a tired sigh, she pulled her knees up to her chest, folding her arms and resting her chin atop them. She could hear the stranger walking around, but the echo of the sounds off the walls made it hard to pinpoint his location. All she could do was trust that she was safe.

"Who are you?" She asked, voice muffled by her arms. The stranger stopped, not moving for a second, before he replied.

"Some have called me 'Hero'."

There was silence for a moment.

"I'm not calling you that."

"I'm serious. It's a nickname." 'Hero' chuckled, coming close to sit beside her. "And I did just save you, did I not?"

"Yeah, but why? Why me, I mean?" She lifted her head an inch to speak more clearly. "What makes me so special?"

"You're blind." Olivia gave him the most offended look she thought possible. "I promise, I think no less of your ability as a result. It's only that you… perceive me differently than you would otherwise." She raised an eyebrow.

"How?" Hero paused, and Olivia felt his gaze shift from her.

"There are…" He began, his voice stilted. "...many… who find my appearance… unsettling." His gaze returned to her. "You, though, are incapable of judging based on my appearance."

"That I am." She agreed. "Unsettling how? You're a person, aren't you?"

"As far as I know." He confirmed. "My eyes are the problem. They are… different."

"Okay, same." She raised her hand for a fist-bump. She did not receive one. "That's the main reason for the blindfold, actually. So people don't have to see my eyes."

"Oh?" He shifted. "May I see?"

"Rather you didn't. Already way too out of my comfort zone right now."

"Very well." He shifted. "Your feet are bleeding."

"They are?" Now that she focused on it, she could feet a dampness on her aching soles, and the coppery odor of blood in the air. "Oh."

"I have bandages, if you would allow me to care for your wounds."

"I can do it."

"Very well." Hero stood, stepping away for a minute. Olivia leaned back again, letting the cold stone on her back soothe her aching muscles. It was so tempting to just drop off to sleep right there, to rest her weary body, but she was determined to stay awake at least long enough to patch herself up. She wasn't too keen on falling asleep next to 'Hero' either - she didn't know enough about him to trust him yet. Instead, she focused on the world around her, on the sounds of the forest echoing through the entryway and bouncing around the dome-shaped room.

She was asleep before her savior turned back around.