"No." Gajeel crossed his arms and glared down at the blonde haired girl that stood in front of him. "Not happening. We tried four once, that didn't end well."
"One more mouth to feed but at the same time one more person for group strength." Gray looked her up and down while reviewing the options.
"Still a no. We don't need a girl in the group, that always causes problems." To make his point Gajeel stared down Gray and waited for him to react.
"Come on guys. We need another person. We were a group of four since this all began!" Natsu was trying his best but so far it wasn't working that well. They had been conversing for an hour, all the while scouring through stores and homes of the small town that they had slept in that night. Lucy trailed beside them silently listening to the conversations being held between the men.
"And look where that got us!" He didn't yell but there was some pain in Gajeel's voice.
"That was a fluke. Bad decisions were made and consequences were dire."
"He DIED!" They were standing in an old ratty book store when Gajeel finally snapped. He turned and threw a kick out that caught Natsu in the chest, sending him into a bookshelf that stood behind him. Dusty volumes and novels came crashing down on the man but before the last ones hit the ground he was back up and swinging a right hook into Gajeel's chin.
"Will you two knock it off." Before they could engage any more Gray snapped his blue duester and appeared silently between them. "We don't need this right now." He looked at Lucy. She was wearing black jeans and a grey tank top with a black leather coat that came down to her hips thrown over top of it. A black Blue Jays tuque sat on top of her long blonde hair with a dark blue scarf wrapped around her neck. All of it was covered in mud and dust though showing the struggle that the clothes had brought their wearer through in the five years since the Apocalypse.
"Can you fight?" He stared her down for a couple seconds before she answered.
"Yes."
"Who taught you?"
"My father."
"Where is he now?" Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Dead."
"So you have nobody?"
"Nobody." Gray turned to the Gajeel.
"Two to one. I say give her a chance." Gajeel just snorted and pulled his black hood up over his face and went back to looking through the books.
"Thank you." Lucy smiled at Gray. "What are you looking for anyways?"
"Well we need something to do while we're on the road!" Natsu popped up from behind a random shelf farther in the back. "How many more of those Percy Jackson books you need Gray?" Gray pursed his lips together in thought.
"Last two of the second series if they got em!" A smile lit up Natsu's face as he held up the books that Gray had just described.
"Nice!"
"Hey Pinky!" Natsu turned to Gajeel who was holding three massive volumes in his hands. "Histories of Middle-Earth. Still in good condition as well. Peace offering." He shoved the books into Natsu's hands and walked out of the book store sullenly. Natsu just kept grinning as he put put the books into his pack before shouldering the weight of his life back on.
"Alright let's get out of here." They all walked out and into the late-morning sun that shone above them. The day seemed rather nice, or what passed for nice since the war, with the clouds being almost white instead of the usual silvery grey that hung around the world. The wind had died as well leaving the world around them in a strange silence. The dust still flowed through the air but at a much nicer pace that didn't choke when walking.
"We gonna make it to the next town before night Natsu?" Gray kept his eyes on the paved road ahead.
"Probably not. Left a little later than we could have. I'd say we'll get just under half way before we're forced to stop." Natsu was looking at a map he had pulled out of his coat pocked and matching it to where the Sun was and a compass that he held up with it. "I think we're in Monticello, just South of here is the University of Arkansas actually. We would be able to get a little farther than Monroe today but there's a good stretch of nothing after that so stopping there before we hit that would be a good idea. If only we had a fucking-"
"Jeep!" Lucy shouted and startled them all into looking across the stree twhere there in fact did sit a lone Jeep.
"Holy shit."
"No way does it work." The group moved cautiosly towards it weapons drawn. Lucy had Natsu's knife still in her hand but had yet to be given any kind of fire arm. The other three had their weapons out and moved in a practiced fashion with all of them walking in sync with their chests slanted slightly to their right. When they got to the Jeep they circled it and wiped the windows to check inside.
"Nobody." Gajeel growled.
"Open in three...two...one!" Natsu opened the passenger door, Gajeel the drivers and Gray the back left and stepped back with their guns aimed at the openings. Nothing happened and the men gave a sigh of relief before reholstering their weapons. Lucy opened the trunk and started checking for supplies and weapons.
"Anything?"
"No!" The blonde huffed and crossed her arms. "Do you think it'll start?"
"Haven't found one yet that does. Probably doesn't even have a battery in-" Gray yelped when the engine of the Jeep roared to life with rumbling passion. Natsu laughed and danced around in a circle while Gajeel stuck his head out the open door and laughed.
"Gee-hee, you were saying Icicle?"
"Fuck off." Gray hopped in the back with Lucy while Natsu hopped in the front.
"It got gas?"
"Full tank if you can believe it."
"Nice!"
"Where to Fireman!"
"South on the 425 until you hit Monroe! Next stop, Louisiana!"
The group gains a new member and a vehicle! Where exactly is it that they're heading, and what stories will be told along the way? Read and Review y'all!