In the early hours of the morning, Katie awoke suddenly when she felt someone moving very close to her. Her eyes snapped open and she extended her wrist blade, only to realize that is was just K-Mart rolling over in her sleep.
Retracting her blade, Katie relaxed and curled back up into her bedroll to go back to sleep. However, a moment later, she heard K-Mart mumble her name in her sleep.
"Katie... Don't do it... Not there..." She moaned to herself before falling silent again. To Katie, it sounded like it was a nightmare of some kind.
Since K-Mart was wounded, Katie decided not to wake her up so that she could get her rest, even if she was having a nightmare. Katie knew better than to move her away either. So she dragged herself closer to K-Mart's body and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, using her innately high body temperature to keep K-Mart warm against the coolness of the night. She eventually fell asleep as well, a small smile on her face.
At dawn that morning, Claire woke up and recalled that Ryan had wanted her to inform Alice to go find him. She immediately got up from her bedroll and started to search for Alice amongst the other people sleeping in the warehouse.
It took only a few seconds of searching before Claire stopped in her tracks. She had just spotted Katie and K-Mart asleep together, both of them wrapped in a tight embrace.
With her blood beginning to pump loudly in her ears. Of all the people to form the second unwanted relationship, it just had to K-Mart and Katie! Ryan and Alice were enough as it already was... now this?!
However, the sight of the two of them had Claire second guessing herself: On the one hand, it was really adorable to see Katie and K-Mart sleeping together like that. She was even beginning to wonder if Katie LIKED K-Mart, the more she stared... the more it seemed plausible. Maybe Katie was a lesbian and had yet to figure it out for herself...
On the other hand, K-Mart knew the fucking rules about relationships! Why would she go behind her back like that?! What was she thinking?!
"Awww, they're so cute!"
Claire spun on her heel in shock, only to realize that it was Alice, wearing her brown duster and fully equipped with all of her weapons.
"If only I had a camera. Then I could easily blackmail the two of them." Alice smiled widely as she rested her M3 on her shoulder.
"Alright then..." Claire mumbled to herself, then she remembered. "Ryan wanted to talk to you. He's out..." She began but Alice's smile changed into a more knowing smile, which cut her words short.
"Claire..." Alice spoke quietly. "No matter where I am, where he is, or where Katie is... The three of us know exactly where each other are. We can sense the T-Virus inside each other's bodies. Even if we are surrounded by zombies, we still know where each other are, since the Virus bonded with us."
Oh...I uh..." Claire faltered. She couldn't remember if any of the three of them had told her that before, but she didn't overthink it any further. "Okay. I'll remember that."
"Good." Alice nodded before leaving her and walking outside. Ryan was waiting for her right outside the door. He seemed to be holding a severely sawed off pump shotgun in his hand. "Hey, what's that, Itoshii?" She asked him Telepathically when she noticed the weapon in his hands.
"Masterkey." Ryan replied, falling into step beside her as she strode across the compound.
"A what?" Alice raised an eyebrow, but was still using Telepathy as they approached the fence. She'd sensed six zombies outside the compound while she spoke to Claire. Luckily, she and Ryan repaired the hole in the fence that the soldiers had made to get inside. Ryan used his Electrokinesis to fuse the cut metal back together again.
"It's an underbarrel mounted shotgun for assault rifles... like a grenade launcher." Ryan explained, "I looted it from one of the soldiers from last night." He paused for a moment as he also sensed the six undead she was going for. "Are we just going to use our blades on them?"
"Yeah, here." Alice unsheathed her kukris and handed one of them to him, but he shook his head. "Are you going to use your wrist blades on them instead?"
"I have something else."
Alice was actually beginning to feel slightly anxious about what he was talking about. Why wasn't he going to use his wrist blades, which as far as she'd seen up to this point were his primary melee weapons.
"What is it? Do you mind showing me?" Alice asked, checking him up and down in the corner of her eye. Despite his many pouches and armour plates, she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary on his body.
"I'll take care of these undead. You'll see it." Ryan teased before he started to sprint towards the fence and jumped spectacularily into the air, sailing several feet over the top of the fence.
As he proppeled through the air, Alice noticed that his rifle and M37 were angled on his back in the same direction... and was that...?
Ryan reached over his shoulder in mid air and grabbed something. The moment that he landed on the ground, he swung his arm out widely, slicing off one of the zombie's heads in one fluid motion.
"Is that Katie's katana?" Alice whispered to herself aloud, watching the movements that Ryan made: they were smooth, graceful... Beautiful... almost as if he was a professional with a katana.
When he finished killing the six undead - which wasn't very long - Ryan returned to the fence, sheathing the katana on his back, where the hilt was hidden by his guns.
"Holy shit... Where'd you learn to use a katana like that?" Alice gawked after he'd jumped back over the fence again. "That was amazing!"
"I took kendo for a few years. Learned the proper way to use a katana, but since the outbreak started, I didn't have access to one up until now." Ryan replied. "But you're no slouch with a blade either, Alice. I could learn a thing or two from you."
Alice smiled at the compliment, but then had a sudden thought. "What about unarmed? How well do you fight without weapons? That means without your wrist blades as well."
"Nope. I can throw a decent punch, but I'm not anywhere near as good as I am with a katana or my wrist blades." Ryan shook his head slowly.
"I can teach you how to fight, but it'll cost you." Alice teased him, taking a step closer to him until they were mere inches apart.
"And what would that be?" Ryan replied in an amused tone.
"You have to..." Alice said Telepathically before abruptly switching to vocally whispering into his ear. Ryan's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise when she glanced at him for his response.
"It will be done." Ryan replied simply. He smiled behind his mask... This was going to be quite an experience, to say the least.
About half an hour later, once the convoy had all woken up and gotten back on the road again, Claire had strangely ordered Ryan and K-Mart to ride with her in the Hummer. Alice and Katie had shared a concerned glance, but after a stern glare at Ryan, He gave a silent nod and sat in the back seat of the Hummer without any further resistance.
So, at the present, Claire was silently driving, leaving K-Mart very confused by Ryan's presence. Unbeknownst to the two teens, Claire was doing this purposely: She wanted them to initiate the conversation as to why she had asked for them to be here. She wasn't going to barrel into them like a freight train like she usually did.
"Okay, seriously...Why is Ryan riding with us, Claire?" K-Mart finally fell for Claire's guilty silence trap, and stared at the redhead, who was smirking smugly out of the opposite side of her mouth.
Claire said nothing, but held out her hand towards Ryan, who instantly knew he was in for a lecture. He grasped her hand and asked. "Yes, Claire?"
"Why do you both think I wanted you here? It relates to both of you." Claire asked aloud, which made Ryan glance at K-Mart in mild confusion.
"How about a broad category?" K-Mart suggested, watching the strange ritual of touching Ryan to talk to him. She honestly hesitated before ever touching him due to the potential risk of being shocked.
"Female." Claire replied, which instantly got Ryan's attention.
"It's Katie, isn't it?" Ryan asked, which made Claire nod.
"It's about Katie, yes." Claire answered. "I have a lecture... and some questions. First things first, Ryan... Not a word of this to Alice or to Katie. Am I clear?" She added sternly.
"Understood." Ryan replied. K-Mart simply nodded.
"Second, K-Mart." Claire glanced at her. "Why were you two sleeping together like that this morning?"
"What?!" Ryan instantly glanced at K-Mart, who was confused at the statement.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I fell asleep before her, and I woke up with her hugging me. What's the big deal, Claire?!"
"Ryan... I know this is very blunt and personal..." Claire began slowly, then barreled into her question before she overthought it. "Is Katie by any chance, a lesbian?"
K-Mart's jaw dropped, her cheeks flushed and she averted her gaze. Ryan noticed that, but filed it away for later as he replied. "Elaborate. I don't understand the question."
"Has she shown signs of being interested in girls? She really seems to like K-Mart, and I feel it in my gut. She isn't like a normal girl... Virus aside, I mean." Claire explained. "I found the two of them basically making out in their sleep this morning. I just wanted to know if you'd really noticed that about her."
"And you're giving K-Mart trouble for being liked? Do you realize, Claire, that this entire conversation is highly illogical? Why does it matter if my sister is a lesbian? Who cares if she likes K-Mart?!" Ryan stated angrily. He quickly grabbed K-Mart's hand so she could hear him talking. "Claire, who gives a fuck if people are in relationships in the convoy? Sherry is dead! That was the last straw for you, I know! But you have to get over that and move on. We might just be the last civilized group of humans left on the planet, aside from Umbrella. If we can't have one small scrap of our humanity, our hearts, then who's to say we're not the same as the undead? Mindless... heartless... empty."
"I just crossed a line with you... didn't I?" Claire asked after several seconds of stunned silence. She had never heard him say something like that before, and it was surprising that he'd kept that all to himself since Sherry had died. Shit...
"Yes. Yes, you did." Ryan replied flatly before letting both of them go and crossing his arms.
For the rest of the ride, Claire and K-Mart sat in silence. Ryan was right; if they didn't have a shred of their humanity left... how were they any different from the undead?
At noon, Claire pulled to a stop at the edge of a former camping ground. One of the trees had a hanging corpse, held by a noose.
"Ryan, take Alice and Katie and clear this place out so we can stop for a bit." Claire ordered as they exited their vehicles, ready for anything to attack them at any second.
With a nod, Ryan returned to Alice, relaying the order Telepathically. Alice gave a nod, then turned to Katie.
"Stay here and wait for us. We won't be very long."
Katie gave a nod, holding her M870 to her chest as she scanned their surroundings. Alice had taught her how to use Telepathy during the drive there, so she could relay any messages between them.
"C'mon, Itoshii." Alice spoke specifically to Ryan Telepathically, leading him through the trees.
Half an hour later, Ryan and Alice returned to the vehicles, Alice was smiling very pointedly as she approached Claire. Ryan stayed at her shoulder protectively. They'd had several close encounters in the campgrounds with undead and several wild coyotes, so he was still on edge.
"We found a freshwater spring in the middle of the park." Alice smiled happily at the prospect of cooling off from the desert heat. "Do you have any objections if we use it for a little while?"
Claire glanced at Ryan, then at Katie out of the corner of her eye. She had a sneaking suspicion that neither Ryan or Katie could actually use the spring. Ryan was permanently electrified, and Katie... well, Katie controlled fire.
"Alright, but I want a few guards to watch over everyone else. Whoever doesn't want to swim is on guard duty." Claire ordered, giving in to even her own desire to have a dip in the spring. 'But can I talk to you for a quick second, Alice?"
"Sure. Ryan, start bringing everyone to the spring. I'll be right with you, Itoshii." She gave Ryan a kiss before following Claire a few steps away. "Is something wrong?"
"Actually, yes." Claire admitted. "Has Ryan gone in the spring yet?"
Alice nodded. "He fell into the water when he tackled a coyote. The water started sparking, so I think I already know why you asked."
"Let him know he's on guard duty, please. I don't want to take any chances." Claire ordered, rubbing her neck distractedly. "Anyway, let's go have a swim, it's not like we get a chance like this to actually relax."