~Author's Note~ First of all, thank you all SO MUCH for all of your kind and encouraging reviews. Nice words about your work is a great motivator, ha ha. :) Secondly, this chapter explores and focuses on Dick's back story in this AU. Hopefully it answered some questions you may have had about Dick's background. Enjoy!
The zombie's hand was a few inches away from Wally's face. Dick pushed Wally out of the way, digging his machete into the undead man's wrist. It turned towards Dick, focusing on his now.
An arrow whizzed over the three teens' hands and struck the zombie. It stumbled backwards, not taken out, just slowed down. A tall ginger man ran over, a bow held high. Another arrow hit home, burying itself in the zombies skull.
The brief moment the zombie wasn't right on top on them was enough for Dick. He jumped out, strongly bringing the machete through the zombie's neck. The head fell to the ground as the body collapsed. The second zombie was still coming towards them, as it had been a couple of feet behind the first one. The newcomer fired more arrows, all sticking out of the zombie's head. Dick leaped towards it, and in one quick movement the head was no longer on it's miserable neck.
Wally and Megan slowly climbed up onto the road. Wally ran his fingers through his hair, looking gratefully at Dick and the other teen.
"You guys just totally saved our asses." He said, somewhat sheepishly. The newcomer scoffed.
"No kidding." He slung his bow back to it's place over his strong-looking shoulders. "I'm Roy."
"I'm Dick, and this is Wally and Megan." Dick told him, motioning to the others. Roy nodded.
"Where are you three heading?" Roy asked.
"Back to my place." Dick answered. "What about you?"
"Trying to find a place." Roy said as his looked over the two zombie corpse laying at their feet.
Dick nodded. "What city did you come from?"
"Star." Roy looked over at Wally and Megan. "What about you three?"
"Gotham." Dick shook his machete off and slipped it back in his belt.
"Gotham, too." Wally said. "I was there for track when all hell broke lose."
"You did track?" Megan asked.
"Yep." Wally beamed. "Best in the state." He told her proudly. Megan smiled sweetly at him.
"I was visiting friends in Rhode Island." Megan turned to Roy and Dick. Roy nodded. They all continued to glance around periodically, obviously still shaken up by the attack.
"Do you want to come with us to our base?" Dick turned and asked Roy. Roy shrugged.
"Dude, how big is your trailer?" Wally remarked. Dick rolled his eyes.
"I have more than one." Wally looked doubtful, and slightly confused.
"I don't like charity." Roy muttered.
"It's not charity, it's survival." Dick pointed out. Roy shrugged again.
"Fine. Where it is?"
"A couple of miles down the road. We should really get going." It was late in the afternoon and the sun was getting low in the sky.
"Then let's go." Roy turned and started walking. The others followed him. They were all on high alert, wanting to spot any zombies in the area before the zombies spotted, or smelled, them. Dick held his machete tightly as they made their way along the road.
About an hour later, they reached an ark over the road. A torn-up banner reading "Haley's International Traveling Circus" hung down. Dick looked up at it sadly before passing under it into an abandoned clearing.
Wally had been to a circus only once before. His aunt and uncle, Iris and Barry, had taken him when it had come to his hometown, Star City. Wally had been young, but he still remembered the flashing light and performers. The animals has scared him a little bit, until he saw them perform. He had gone home and pranced around their living room, pretending to be a lion tamer.
What they were walking into was no longer a circus. It was a ring of trailers and cages.
there was no one besides the four of them around. Wally looked over at Dick.
"Dude, you were in a circus?" Dick nodded sadly.
"I was part of the Flying Graysons." He pointed to a poster on the side of a trailer they were passing. "When the zombies hit, they either killed or turned everybody in the circus." He looked down. "I escaped." He still remembered the day vividly. It was only a few weeks ago. He was outside feeding his favorite elephant, Zitka, when he heard the screams. Dick shook his head to clear it. He didn't want to think about the deaths of his family now. He pointed to a trailer in front of them. "I lived in there with my mom and dad." He pushed the door open and motioned them inside.
The trailer was a decent size. It was obviously big enough for the three people that had once occupied it.
"What the hell it that?" Roy asked, looking out of the window at a huge mound, which was covered with fabric Roy assumed was the big red circus tent. There were flowers scattered around the top of it.
"Zitka." Dick said sadly. "and the others." Megan looked over at the thirteen-year old boy. He had had to bury everyone he had ever known, and loved. She looked away before she teared up.
Dick walked over to a chest pushed against the wall. Opening it, he revealed that it was full of sword, guns, whips, and bows and arrows. Sighing, he said. "Here's how we're going to survive."