AN: Putting two chapters on 1 for "big fan" Be happy! Lol, and besides… these two are small anyway… R&R!

MATT

"STARS" That voice… It woke me with a start. What the hell!? I sat up straight and gazed around the bus shell I'd taken as shelter. Where was it? What was it!?

When I was sure nothing else was in my shelter, I relaxed, leaning against the wall. The damp chill in the air pained me. Deep down in my bones I could feel the chill. The cold seemed to concentrate on the worst breaks and cracks of all, causing me to wince.

My stomach growled and I knew I had to move on. I had to find food… Somewhere.

Slowly I pushed myself to my feet, everything ached, but I pushed myself forward. An image flashed through my head again, startling me and causing me to fall to my hands and knees. Who was this woman I kept seeing? And why did I feel as if I cared for her immensely?

I crawled a few feet out from under the bus and stood, propping myself up on the shell. Which way now? I thought as I glanced around. Well, any way is as good as the other, I suppose.

Choosing quickly, I stood up right and staggered onward. I felt refreshed, yes, but I was still in pain. Oh well… Best not think of the pain and start thinking of survival.

I walked on, for what seemed like hours but were merely moments. I couldn't use the sun to judge the time, for there was the sky was overcast. Damn. With a sigh I walked on and on. The prickles in my feet didn't even bother me anymore. The glass that already was stuck there had either completely numbed the pain, or toughened the bottom of my feet. Either way, I didn't care.

I must not have noticed the black vehicle pull up… Since I just walked right past it thinking it was nothing more than ruble from a building or a composition of twisted metal. Hell if I know!

But when I heard a voice call out to me… I stopped. The voice was so alien, yet… I knew it from somewhere…

ALICE

"Oh fuck no!" LJ exclaimed as he jumped from the vehicle. Carlos and Jill were next, each holding up a handgun.

My gaze turned to what they were looking at. A tall, lean figure staggered stiffly through the damaged streets. He was blood covered, and scraps of clothing hung from his body, providing little if any warmth and protection from the weather. I stared for a moment, trying to figure out who and what this person was.

"I thought that bomb whipped these things out!?" Jill whispered to Carlos as they cocked their guns, ready to fire.

"DON'T!" I screamed. I was in front of those guns before they could even prepare to pull that trigger. Speed… Nice!

I knew who that was. It was him! I turned and looked as he just walked stiffly past us. "Matt!" I called out to him, but he didn't turn. Was he deafened? Or was he just a figment of my imagination?

Suddenly, he stopped. And just as he began to turn toward us, I heard a single shot ring out through the damp air. Angrily, I grabbed LJ's gun and quickly got behind him, twisting his arm. He let out a strangled cry, was I breaking his arm? Close enough.

I released him and rushed to the collapsed figure of Mathew Addison. He sat on his knees, hunched over, his left hand gripping his shoulder tightly as a bloom of red liquid flowed from between his fingers. "Matt! I can't believe it's you! Matt!"

I fell to my knees beside him and threw my arms around him. I couldn't help it. I was so relieved to see him! How did he survive!? I could feel sobs coming on, but I had to contain them. Only a few tears escaped and ran down my cheeks. I probably should have been worried about his wound. But it was a minor detail.

Wait… The gunshot was a minor detail. But… What about Nemesis? I sat back a bit and examined him. He just looked up at me blankly as if he didn't know me. He looked almost normal! No more big nasty umbrella bred monster. He was human for the most part. The only evidence that he was once a lab experiment was the scar across his face where they'd cut at him. He had both eyes, but one had a glossy film over it. Blind in one eye? Hair was growing back where nothing but baldness had been, but it was merely prickles so far. How did this happen… I wondered…