Chapter 6 - The Outskirts

Heero POV

April

Heero opened his eyes slowly, blinded by the stubborn rays of the rising sun that fell on his face. Before he moved even for an inch, he listened. He was alert to his surroundings, trying to catch anything unusual. Then he squeezed the fingers of his right hand, finding the resistance of his gun grip, and slowly, quietly sat down.

Relena was still sleeping, lying on her side with her back to him, her backpack tucked under her head. Her legs were bent, drown up a little to her chest, her jacket wrapped around her shoulders. They both slept on the floor, on the opposite sides of their hideout; Relena in the darker corner, that wasn't enlightened by morning light yet. Heero observed for a moment her chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm of her breathing, then slowly got up, feeling his muscles stretching slowly from the night's stiffness. He quietly opened the door outside and got out.

The day that welcomed him was sunny and bright, with the cloudless sky and air scented from the morning dampness. He could hear birds singing up in the trees that surrounded them. They spent the night inside an old, deserted truck on the side of one of the access roads leading to Baltimore, in an area full of once tidy ground-floor houses with big gardens. Heero scanned the surroundings for any sign of danger but didn't spot or hear anything. He walked around the semi-trailer and over to the bushes, where he came to a stop to answer the call of nature.

Already a week passed since the two of them left the city of Philadelphia. They were traveling on foot, making frequent stops whenever it was safe. They avoided towns and highways, choosing dirt tracks and smaller roads instead. Despite the initial clashes, they passed these days in relative peace. Each day Relena helped Heero with his dressings over his relocated shoulder, and he didn't protest. They didn't talk much, which actually suited him very well. He didn't see any need to ask Relena further questions about the vaccine and how it got invented, because it could have resulted in her asking about himself. And he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't actually need to see that vaccine, either. He saw no need to discuss this matter over. The silence allowed him to concentrate on survival and on reaching the goddamned city of Houston in one piece.

It also prevented him from asking himself one and the same question over and over again - why the hell did he actually agree to go on this crazy trip with this girl in the first place. He didn't have anything dear nor personal to save but his life. Did he care for mankind's fate? Probably not. Was it his promise to Duo? Neither; he had broken many promises already in his life.

Having settled his need, he fastened his pants and went back to the truck. He discovered that the door was open again, and Relena was sitting on the stairs leading to the semi-trailer, rubbing her eyes. When she noticed him, her lips widened in a yawn.

"Good morning," she greeted him in a half-yawn.

"Hn," Heero grunted, then approached the stairs where she was sitting, slowly climbing up inside the truck. "Scoot."

Reluctantly, Relena moved to the side on the narrow steps letting him pass, then slipped her head inside the truck, watching him. "How far it is to Baltimore?"

Heero rummaged through his backpack, pulling out two apples, one of which he gave to Relena. "We could get there tonight, but we won't." Relena looked at him with surprised eyes. "I want to avoid getting into the center," Heero explained, sitting in the corner and biting his apple. "And you better sit inside. You should be visible only when we're on the move. Somebody can spot you and shoot you before you realize."

"I know," Relena replied with a bored voice, rubbing the fruit in her hands. She looked around the blooming park that surrounded them, visibly fascinated. "But it's so beautiful and peaceful here. What day could it be? I mean, what mouth? I kinda lost count."

Heero frowned then thought for a second. "April has only just begun."

"Really? So, maybe today is a day of my birthday," Relena said merrily. "I was born on the seventh of April."

In his world, what mattered was only the present. The past was a burden, and the future was unsure. The calendar wasn't much use in survival. Sufficient were the knowledge of the seasons and enough memory to count days from one event to another; or count days of somebody's absence. Heero realized that he stopped counting months and years long ago; due to their repetition, they now merged into one.

"I know that April has as many as thirty days," Relena continued, "but what if I won't be able to survive to live through the next day? Maybe this morning is my last one? In this case, I would like to make this beautiful day like today, the day of my birthday."

She turned her head, staring at him expectantly. He realized that while listening to her, he was still gnawing his very first bite of an apple.

"And you? When were you born?"

He sighed with annoyance. "What you're saying is childish. Who cares about anyone's birthdays anymore?"

"I do," he heard her answer. Confident and straightforward. "I would like to know, Heero."

"You're like Duo," Heero took another bite of his apple. "He asked similar, useless questions. What are you doing it for?"

Relena shrugged in reply, giving him an innocent, small smile. A pleasantly warm one that illuminated her silhouette on the peaceful background of the forest behind her back. Then she turned her head away from him, concentrating on her breakfast. Seeing her smile to him for the first time since they met, Heero felt his another unanswered question hung between him and this strange girl. Although he asked this question casually, for this moment, he suddenly wanted to know the answer.

A couple of minutes later, they were ready to leave their hideout. As usual, Heero walked first, Relena a few steps behind him. Every few tens of meters, he looked back, verifying that she still had the strength to follow him. He noticed a change in her behavior. Relena definitely seemed more distracted today.

About an hour later, they passed the entrance to the city by state road number 1 and headed further north. In the distance, they could see the outline of the skyscrapers of the abandoned city. After another two hours of march, the landscape around them changed. They entered an area of terraced houses. Heero turned into a nearby street, taking out his rifle.

"We should look for supplies," he grunted, taking a look back. "You stay close to me. And be quiet. This area may not be as deserted as it looks."

Relena nodded, then ran up to him. Heero unlocked his rifle and headed for the first house in the street. The wide mahogany door was locked only for a handle. Behind it, they were greeted with a mess in the hallway. There were broken suitcases on the ground, flipped through by someone in a hurry. Indeed, their owners didn't manage to take them on the outbreak day. Heero stood in the door, scanning the space in front of him, then, holding the weapon in front of him, slowly crossed the threshold and bypassed the suitcases, heading deeper into the apartment. He could hear Relena's quiet footsteps behind him.

Entrances from the corridor led to the kitchen, living room, and bathroom, which were empty. Around the corner, the hall was hiding stairs. A passage on the stairs was blocked by a small secretary.

"Wait here," Heero quietly instructed Relena, then he climbed the secretary with a jump.

"Heero!" he heard Relena's worried voice behind him.

"Stay. It's safe here. I'll be right back."

"Be careful... Please."

He leaped over the secretary and looked up. The stairs were turning around the corner and led to the only floor. They were old, their wooden structure creaked loudly under every step. Heero stepped back against the wall, climbing the stairs by staying as close as possible to the edge, his back rubbing against the wall.

On the first floor, the corridor led to two rooms and a bathroom. It was in a much worse condition than the ground level due to the leaky roof. Water that had drained down for years made holes in the wooden floor, which now squeaked louder than the stairs. Trying to make only as many steps as necessary, Heero quickly took a peek into the bathroom, and a small room then crept closer to the last one.

Even before he opened the door, the sound of an intermittent moan confirmed his suspicion that someone was still living in the house. He slowly opened the door and peered inside. The Runner stood in the middle of something that resembled a kid's room. He was standing with his back to him, his body bent in half, trembling at repeated convulsions. Judging by his height and clothes, at the time of transformation, he was a teenage boy...

Heero lowered his rifle and quietly set it down on the floor next to him, deciding no to waste ammo on one Runner. He bent down and gradually, silently crept into the Runner on bent knees. He evened his breath and pulse, concentrating on trying to be completely soundless. The Runner didn't notice him.

When he was close enough, he shot his arm up, wrapping it tightly around Runner's neck and pulled him against himself, leveraging his grip on his other elbow. The boy made a loud, choking shriek and violently swung his arms and legs around, trying to free himself from Heero's grip. Heero gritted his teeth and tightened his strangling grip, holding the Runner closer to him. He could feel Runner's hands clenching in his hair and his jaw aggressively and futilely trying to bite him. Eventually, his movements weakened until all limbs fell to the floor, and a last, low grunt escaped his lungs.

Heero didn't lose his grip for another minute or so, continuing this weird embrace. Then he let the limped body slide from his arms to the floor with a low thud. He got up and returned downstairs to Relena. She was standing in the exact same spot where he'd left her, her both hands on the gun.

"My God, Heero," she sighed with evident relief when she saw him walking down the stairs. "What the hell happened up there? Are you all right? I heard…"

Heero brushed his hair off his eyes as he jumped over the secretary again. "There was a Runner there," he explained nonchalantly, empathizing the past tense slightly. "Let's search the house. See if you can find something we could use."

TBC

This chapter was a little, calm slowdown before developing the action in the following chapters. Stay tuned for future episodes and tell me what do you think so far about the story in the comments.