A/N: Hey guys, hope y'all enjoyed the end to Remedy. I posted a new story called the Rage of Acnologia, or as I like to call it, Rage of Acno, because Acnologia is just really long and I'm not the best speller on the planet. Please check it out, and thanks for the continual support! This piece is a post-apocalyptic one and there will be a second part. Enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters. If I did, Gray and Lucy would've def been together. Shame...
• Red String of Fate •
Dead or Alive
I. Wendy
Lucy was a mess. It was the trendy look these days, but she was more of a mess than usual. Dirt and grime smudged her face, her clothes ripped, and shoulders burned and beginning to peel from the scorching sun.
The summer was thick and humid, sweat sitting on Lucy's upper lip. The song of crickets and cicadas filled the eerie silence as she limped along the side of the road, cradling her bloody, bandaged arm. She winced every step she took but trudged on nonetheless. It was unfortunate her motorcycle decided to die on her two days ago, but it did its job. She got away.
Lucy squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, but it was endless. She wanted to cry, yell, and throw a tantrum because it wasn't fair. She was alone now. She considered ending the pain and suffering, but it would all be for nothing.
She released a shuddering breath. "Keep moving, Lucy."
It wasn't long until she came upon a small, abandoned town whose name on their welcome sign was spray-painted over in black with "HELL". How original, Lucy thought dryly. They weren't wrong though. The town was like any other place she'd been to – ransacked, vandalized, ambushed – you name it. But at least it was like the big cities - those are actual hell.
Lucy entered the town limits and was pleased to note there weren't many walkers around. She needed a goddamn break from the world right now and have some time to herself to grieve for the friends she recently lost. But first, her priority was to locate a pharmacy and hopefully find something to tend to her wounds.
Of course, as she was making her way down the side of the main street, Lucy heard the sound of a couple cars. She muttered incoherent profanities under her breath while hurriedly hobbling and ducking behind a vacant building that used to be the bank of the town. Her back was pressed against the rough brick, scratching and digging into her back. Lucy panted, adrenaline rushing through her veins. Her heart thundered against her chest, and she irrationally worried whoever was in those vehicles could hear her.
While the undead were terrifying, the living could be cruel.
A gargled groan sounded off next to her. When this whole apocalypse thing began, Lucy was quite the screamer and had a bad tendency to freeze. How could one not when faced with people who are supposed to stay dead. Now it's been several months after Day 0, and she couldn't help but sigh at it all.
Without hesitation and with practiced ease, she turned while reaching one of the hatchets strapped on her back. The opaque eyes stared at her with unabated hunger. In one quick strike, she blew out the walker's head. The body collapsed to its knees, the fingers twitching until it was gone from the world for good.
Satisfied not to find anymore walkers around her, Lucy leaned back into the cool brick of the building. Her bad leg suddenly buckled under her, and she gave a short hiss as she roughly hit the ground, the rough brick clawing at her skin as she slid down.
Lucy bit her lip when she heard the car doors slam. There were several voices, some shouting and yelling, one crying, all talking over each other. Too much was going on to discern the situation, so she slowly peered around the building, eyes quickly darting around and scanning her surroundings before they landed on a peculiar blue-haired girl surrounded by men. Her face contorted in brief rage when the girl was suddenly backhanded.
Debating on what to do, another round of cars pulled up and greasy look men stepped out with mean looking guns. Lucy swore under her breath once again, realizing this was an exchange. She couldn't help but wonder who this girl was.
All the men were agitated and the testosterone levels were high. When Lucy thought it couldn't get any worse, they all started pointing their guns at one another. Idiots, Lucy thought angrily. The last thing she wanted was this place flooding with walkers because of a firefight.
Of course, like usual, nothing went as Lucy planned.
A shot was fired and caused an unfortunate series of events. The firefight went fully automatic, and the poor blue-haired girl was caught in the crossfire. And that was when Lucy decided to take action and get the fuck out this place. But she had to save that girl first.
Adrenaline rushing through her veins like a wildfire, Lucy ignored the sharp, stinging pain in her leg and snuck around the firefight. Fortunately, the men in the furthest jeep were shot, leaving their car wide open. Unfortunately, they would reanimate in a solid five minutes. Lucy crouched low behind the furthest jeep, teeth gritting and heart beating with every ricochet bouncing of the car and shooting past her. Counting to three, she breathed and slid next to the blue-haired girl struggling to get her binds off. The girl looked up at her in alarm, but Lucy placed a finger on her lips. The last thing Lucy wanted was to drag attention to themselves.
The girl mutely nodded.
Lucy quickly grabbed the combat knife snugly fit in her boots and cut the ropes. She grabbed the girl by the collar and roughly dragged her back behind the car for cover. She panted, leaning against the back of the jeep as she loaded the glock that was holstered to her thigh with her remaining ammo. As much as she didn't want to use it, desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Thank you," the girl softly said.
Lucy smiled. "The name's Lucy. Yours?"
"It's Wendy."
"Well, Wendy," Lucy said, peering around the car. "We're going to get out of here, so follow me, listen to what I say, and stay close."
She nodded in determination.
Lucy gave one last smile before she focused back into laser mode. She peered once more around the car and was pleased to find all the men busily engaged in the firefight while taking cover behind their cars. She took a glance at the men who were shot and paled as there bodies began to slightly twitch.
"We need to go now," Lucy said urgently. "Get in the car."
Without wasting any time, the two got in the jeep. Luck was on their side today because the keys were thankfully left in the ignition. If they weren't, Lucy wouldn't have had a problem hotwiring it, but it would've taken more time, and they didn't have time. As Lucy closed the door, she realized this car was a stick shift. She'd never driven a stick shift before, but it seemed now was the time to learn.
"Fuck," she hissed under her breath.
"What's wrong?" Wendy asked worriedly.
"Nothing," Lucy muttered. "Just...put your seatbelt on."
Fiddling with it for a few seconds, the blonde realized she had to press some third pedal, she faintly recalled her mother calling it a clutch, instead of the brake to turn the ignition. The engine roared to life, and the men who were shot began to rise. Lucy focused but frowned when she didn't see a D for drive but messed with the clutch and the gears until the cars started moving forward.
"Shit," the blonde cursed as bullets cracked their back window.
"They spotted us!" Wendy yelled.
"Keep your head down!" Lucy acknowledged.
The new walkers clawed at their windows, but Lucy floored the gas pedal, and they speedily launched forward, leaving them in the dust. Lucy could still hear their weapons firing. Her fierce brown eyes briefly looked into the rearview mirror, and much to her dismay, the last of them loaded into their vehicles and followed after them.
"Are there any weapons in this car that you can find?" Lucy asked calmly.
Wendy peered behind her. "No, I'll check the trunk though."
She unbuckled and climbed in the back.
Lucy kept her eyes on the road, evading the occasional walker that strayed on the road here and there. She prayed to whatever divine god out there that the trunk had weapons or else they were goners.
"Yup," Wendy called back. "Ammo too."
"You know how to use them?"
"Uh, not this kind," Wendy said unsurely. "I'm used to shotguns."
"Describe it to me."
"Um, a really big gun..." Wendy began, fear lacing her voice.
Immediately Lucy had a feeling that she spotted the cars following them. "Keep going, Wendy. Come on, focus!"
"Uh-um-big magazines-"
"What kind of ammo?" Lucy interrupted. "Look at the boxes! Tell me what kind of ammo!"
She could hear the bluenette desperately shuffling through the items. "It says... It says 5.56!"
Lucy processed that information. She knew how to use it, but she wasn't sure if Wendy knew how to drive. Besides, exchanging positions wasn't exactly easy in this situation, and she didn't want to put the kid in harm's way, but she had to keep her foot on the gas. Lucy looked at her through the rearview mirror.
"Do you think you can shoot it if I told you exactly what to do?"
Wendy's breathing was shallow but she gave a firm and rapid nod.
"Are there any magazines that are already loaded?" Lucy asked. "It'll save time."
"Yeah."
"Grab some."
"Got it."
"Okay, first thing you're gonna do is check if it's on safe. There's a switch."
"Yes, it's on safe."
"Don't switch it to fire or automatic until you're aiming at the enemy," Lucy emphasized. "Got it?"
"Yes."
"Pull the charging handle back and lock the bolt to the rear. There's a charging handle on top. To lock it back, press the bottom of the bolt. The bolt is a small button with ridges on the left side of the weapon."
"O...kay," Wendy struggled for a moment. "Got it."
"Now push the charging handle back to the front." Lucy heard the click. "Okay, now grab a magazine and make sure the bullets are facing away from you when you load it."
"Yes, they're in."
"Now press the bolt itself."
"I-It's not going!"
"Slam it with the heel of your palm."
Wendy yelped when the bolt snapped and rode forward.
"Great, use the cover of the back seats and aim with the iron sights - the rear and front sight posts."
"Do I aim with the middle bar?"
"Yup, that's right."
"All right," Wendy said. "I...I'm ready."
Lucy held her breath. "How close are they?"
"They're gaining on us!"
"They're going to start shooting if they get any closer," Lucy stated. "Aim at their tires! Switch to auto and hold the trigger!"
"Okay, but how far can this shoot?"
"When you aim center mass...er the middle of the body, it'll hit dead on three hundred meters away. So when they're closer aim a little lower."
"Right, simple physics," Wendy gulped, aiming. "You...can open the back door."
Said blonde did just so. The door slowly swung up.
"Lucy, I'm really scared."
She swallowed. "Me too, Wendy."
"If we make it through this...could you...take me home to my brother, if it's not too much to ask?"
Lucy felt a lump form in her throat. She was the one asking too much of her. For God's sake, this kid could barely be over fourteen, and she was going to have her gun down the men that were chasing them. This was not something a regular kid should be doing! She should be hanging with friends, traveling with family, going to school... She was putting the kid in harm's way, but they didn't have a choice. If Wendy got shot, if Wendy died, Lucy wouldn't be able to live with herself. She cursed this apocalypse.
"Where's home?"
"South Carolina. I know it's a bit far, but-"
"I'll do it," Lucy said. "I'll bring you home if it's the last thing I do."
"Thank you, Lucy," Wendy sniffled softly, her voice watery with unshed tears.
The back door finally swung all the way open, and Lucy could hear them shooting from the distance.
"Let it rip."
And Wendy did.
Lucy kept driving. As much as she wanted to stop driving and shoot beside Wendy, she had to keep going. If she was going to keep them alive, she had to, especially now that she had another duty than just surviving. She had to bring Wendy back to her brother if it was that thing she would do.
There was an explosion, and Lucy didn't need to turn around to know Wendy got them. She adjusted the rear-view mirror and saw the car behind them in flames. She saw two cars swerve around it and continue chasing and shooting at them, but Wendy didn't stop. She kept firing and firing until the closest one's tires blew up. The screeching of the metal was poison to Lucy's ears, but the abrupt friction of blowing out the front tires caused the car to flip forward and skid horizontally, blocking of the last car.
Lucy heard Wendy let out a breath she'd been holding before a small choking and retching sound escaped the young girl's lips.
"Wendy?"
"I...I think I did it," she finally said.
"I'm sorry I had you do that, Wendy," Lucy apologized, her face pained. "I really didn't want you to."
"We do what we have to do to survive," the young girl croaked, mostly to reassure herself. "That's what my brother always told me."
"He's right," Lucy agreed.
Wendy clicked the weapon back on safe and climbed back into the passenger seat. She put her seatbelt on and seemed to shrink into her seat, wanting to hide from the cruel world. She looked at Lucy, her eyes losing what innocence she had left.
"But it doesn't make it any easier."
Lucy's lips formed a grim line. She knew that look all too well because she had seen it on herself in the early months after Day 0. The smell of Wendy's stomach contents began to permeate the air, confirming Lucy's fear.
This was Wendy's first human kill.
.
.
.
The sun was setting when Lucy decided they needed to stop, and they didn't have much of a choice either since they were almost out of gas. Wendy was pale and shaking while Lucy's eyes were fighting to stay open. Additionally, her leg was throbbing, and she prayed that it wasn't infected yet, but she knew her hopes were slim because it had been two days since she last slept, two days where she couldn't catch a break. Both of them needed rest before they headed to South Carolina because it was going to be one hell of a trip considering they were currently in the boonies of Arkansas.
Before she could mention her plan to Wendy, the car sputtered and slowed to a dead stop in the middle of the road.
"Fuck," Lucy muttered under her breath, tiredly placing her head on the wheel.
"Lucy?" Wendy whispered, her first words since several hours before. "There's a small town a few miles away." She pointed to the road sign. "Maybe there?"
"It's our best shot right now," she agreed reluctantly.
Lucy wasn't the biggest fan of going into cities, even towns unless it was important, because of the concentration of walkers. Maybe they were lucky, and it would be mostly deserted. Nonetheless, Lucy needed to find a pharmacy to get supplies since she wasn't able to do so back in the other town they escaped from. She needed a map, too, if they wanted any idea of how they were getting Wendy back home.
Lucy and Wendy exited the car and headed to the trunk. The blonde grabbed a rifle and adjusted a sling, so she wouldn't have to carry it. There was an empty backpack she grabbed and began stuffing it with loaded magazines and as many boxes of ammo she could carry. She found a couple of boxes that were 9x19mm for the glock she had almost no ammo left for.
She breathed a grateful sigh. Maybe luck was on their side after all.
Lucy wasn't the biggest fan of lugging around huge amounts of ammo and a rifle because sound attracted the dead. However, the living were cruel, and if they wanted a good chance at surviving the 700 mile journey to South Carolina, they were going to need it.
Wendy pulled out an already slung rifle from the trunk and hung it over her shoulder.
"You don't-," Lucy began.
"I have to, Lucy," Wendy said, determined. "Our chances are better that way."
Lucy wordlessly nodded and strapped the backpack onto her shoulders. She adjusted the straps and proceeded to sling the rifle over her body. She looked at the faded green road sign. The town of Ozone was a good five miles, which would take about an hour and a half by foot, so they'd get there by dark.
"Let's stay off the main road."
Wendy gave her a firm nod.
And so they stepped off.
II. Ozone
The town was small, quiet, and spread out. It was mostly abandoned and cars were haphazardly strewn across the streets and sidewalks. Despite the apparent ghost town, Lucy and Wendy moved slowly and carefully. The only trouble they were given was one walker lying in an aisle when they entered the pharmacy. Lucy took care of it with a quick and precise blow to the head with her hatchet, and they were on their merry way with a few medical supplies.
All the food in the local supermarket was either gone or spoiled, but they were able to find a few bottles of water. Lucy had some spare granola bars that would last them the night and morning if need be.
They came across the residential area and decided for the log cabin further out of the way and more isolated than the others, but they chose well. They quickly cleared it due to the fact there were no walkers and there were no other humans. As a matter of fact, it was left untouched despite being abandoned.
Luck was really on their side today, but how long it would last? Lucy didn't know.
She locked the front and back doors, as well as the windows. Wendy helped unfurl the blinds and pull the curtains. They finally dropped their equipment in the living room and set their weapons against the sofa and just sat, taking in everything that happened within the past twenty-four hours. Lucy didn't know how long they sat for, but it was long enough that her own stomach growling startled her.
"Let's eat."
Wendy nodded.
Lucy headed to the kitchen and was pleased to find a few cans of soup, canned beans, canned tomatoes, and pasta. They had enough food in the pantry to last them four days. Four days to regroup, rest, and plan.
Both Lucy and Wendy greedily consumed their bowls of chicken noodle soup. Lucy eyes were screwed shut in pleasure. She couldn't remember the last time she ate hot food. She was so sick of eating those Nature Valley granola bars she packed. She could tell that Wendy was just as pleased as her.
When they finished up, Wendy wandered off saying she'd possibly bathe and find some fresh clothes if there were any. Lucy took that chance to wash the dishes and dig around for some stashed alcohol that she saw in the back of the pantry. It was only half a bottle of whiskey, but it would do. She limped over back to their equipment and dug around for medical supplies and pulled a substantial amount of gauze, medical tape, scissors, forceps, a needle, and thread.
Lucy cursed as she pulled of her shirt and pants, left in only her bra and underwear. Her bandaged arm was bloody, but it was the least of her concerns right now. The bandage around her thigh was red and slightly dirtied from days of sweat and grime. She poured some whiskey over her hands and began unwrapping it slowly. It was slightly stuck but eventually came off.
"Okay, okay," she muttered under her breath. "Not bad, Lucy. Not bad."
The wound was ugly, but it didn't look worse than it already had other than the irritated, red skin around the deep gash in her leg from exploding debris. It wasn't infected, but it was getting there. The bleeding had stopped, but she needed to take out the remaining debris in her leg and that would cause her to bleed again. She took a long moment to mentally prepare herself for the pain that was to come. She really didn't want to do this, but if she wanted to get to South Carolina without problems, she had to.
Lucy doused the forceps in whiskey, and she began.
Small whimpers and hisses escaped her breath as she plucked whatever shit was in her leg. Luckily it wasn't too deep, but there was one that she did have to dig around for where she cried out and almost bit her tongue off. She dry-heaved from the nauseating pain, but it was over and done with. She felt the warm fresh blood drip down her thigh as she reached for the thread and needle.
"Hey Lucy, I-" Wendy dropped the fresh pair of clothes she had found. Her already pale face seemed to turn ashen. "Why? Why didn't you say anything?"
"I...didn't want to worry you."
"How were you able to-to...walk?"
Lucy gave a weak smile. "Adrenaline, I suppose."
Wendy scanned her wounds with critical eyes. "I got it from here."
"What?"
"Before..." Wendy swallowed. "Before I was taken, my brother formed a survivor group and instead of having me go on hunts for food, he left me with our group doctor, and she taught me everything I need to know to fix stuff like this."
Lucy shakily passed Wendy the thread and needle. "Be my guest," she wheezed. "I think I'm about to pass out from the pain."
Wendy took the whiskey and poured some onto her hands, as well as slightly dousing the needle. "I won't let you down," Wendy said, eyes focused and determined.
"I know you won't."
Lucy saw Wendy pierce into her skin and begin to stitch her up. The last thought she had before passing out was who exactly was this girl and what did those men want from her?
.
.
.
It was the late hours of the night when Wendy sat back, shaky and breathless, but relieved.
She did it.
Lucy was going to be okay. She just needed to rest and let her wounds heal properly.
Wendy wondered how she got them but knew better than to ask. She wasn't worried though because they were no bite marks or torn chunks of flesh. Her arm suffered a clean shot through the shoulder and some nasty cuts, but nothing to be anxious about. She was lucky. Lucky Lucy. But Wendy considered herself very lucky and extremely grateful that Lucy happened to come across her and decide to save her. Not many people would do that. There wasn't much good left in the world, not anymore. But Lucy was that little bit of good you found in places of the world you'd least expect.
She grabbed the old, bloody bandages and tossed them in a waste bin. Her breath caught in her throat when she noticed the blood on her hands. It's was Lucy's due to all that stitching, but Wendy couldn't help but let out a sob as she ran to the kitchen sink. The water ran and she scrubbed, scrubbed, and scrubbed. Even when it was all gone, she scrubbed her hands raw because it wouldn't go away.
"Get off, get off," Wendy chanted. "Get off!"
With frustration and angry tears falling down her face, the bluenette shut the water off and slid down to the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest and tried making herself feel as small as possible. She buried her head in her knees, her long, blue hair falling over her shoulder and shielding her face. The heaviness in her heart weighed her down.
She didn't know how many she killed today, but she killed enough. Her brother always told her that they do what they have to do in order to survive, but that didn't make her feel any better. She killed another human being. Not just one but many. She'd only ever killed the undead and gave them mercy. Now... Now she was a murderer.
Wendy cried until she was too tired and welcomed the long, dark sleep on the cold, hard kitchen floor.
.
.
.
The air was oddly crisp the next morning.
Lucy took a risk and sat outside on the porch steps and watched the sun rise over the trees, wondering what today would bring. The blonde found Wendy passed out on the kitchen floor with dry tears, and she felt for her, strengthening her resolve to reunite her with her family - if they were still alive. Hopefully they were. The blonde wasn't sure Wendy would handle if they weren't.
She had laid her on the couch and covered her with a blanket before venturing back outside to the porch. Lucy didn't know what to think. She remembered her last thought last night before she gladly welcomed the darkness. Wendy had mentioned that she was taken and that her brother formed a survivor group. So the only conjectures that she could possibly come up with was maybe a ransom for...something. Something her brother has that they want. Or maybe it was completely unrelated.
Whatever, Lucy thought. I'll ask her eventually.
The blonde observed the early morning birds caw and fly away into the blazing sun, envying their freedom. Sighing, she reached for her rifle and began disassembling it to clean it properly. She mindlessly wiped down all the parts of her rifle with a rag she found in the bathroom, annoyed with the seemingly infinite amount of carbon. She frowned, realizing she didn't really have any proper lube to make sure her weapon would function properly.
The front door creaked open as she was reassembling it and heard Wendy take a seat not too far from her. Lucy could feel the kid's stare on her as she did a quick functions check.
"Morning, Wendy," she greeted quietly.
"Morning," she whispered back hoarsely.
Lucy finally looked at her, a small grateful smile on her lips. "Thank you for last night."
"Of course, it's no problem," Wendy shakily smiled back.
A small silence settled between them.
Lucy mindlessly played with the sling of her rifle, thinking of something to say, but she couldn't. She didn't have words. They were stuck in her throat. She wanted to say something, anything, but the best she could come up with was a choked "how are you?" As those words slipped out of her mouth, Lucy mentally slapped herself for being the fool she was.
Wendy rubbed her swollen eyes before hugging her knees to her chest. "I've...been better."
"Yeah..." Lucy chewed her lip. "I'm...sorry you had to do that."
Wendy hummed. "I know that it was warranted under the circumstances, but...I'll never forgive myself."
"You don't have to, Wendy. I've never forgiven myself either."
"How..." Wendy's voice broke. She took a moment to collect herself. "How do you live with it?"
"It's hard but...others have forgiven me, which makes it easier. Even if it's just a little bit. And...I know it won't be the last time. Not if I want to survive, if we want to survive." She was quiet for a moment. "If there's one thing I learned, it's that who we are and who we have to be to survive are two very different things." Lucy gave a dry, humorless laugh. "Who would've thought that the end of the world and zombies would be the least of our worries."
In the end, would we even be able to live with ourselves after the choices we've made, Lucy thought heavily.
"Is anyone worth saving anymore?" Wendy whispered.
"I saved you, didn't I?" Lucy laughed lightly.
"Yeah, I guess you did," Wendy smiled fully. "Thanks, Lucy."
The blonde stood up slowly, slinging her rifle. Wendy marveled at her strength despite all Lucy went through last night. If there was something Wendy learned from the last twenty-four hours, it was that Lucy was one tough cookie. Or...how would Gajeel put it - ah, yes - one badass mofo. The morning sun made her hair glow gold and brown eyes shine deep hazel. Lucy looked the savior she was, and Wendy felt something she hadn't in a long time - hope.
"So, what now?" Wendy found herself saying.
"Now, we move forward," Lucy said. "We stay here for about for a few days. We plan, we regroup, we restock, I heal, and then we get a move on."
Wendy followed the limping blonde to the kitchen, chewing her lip. She had to tell her. If Lucy was going to help her, she had to tell her. It wouldn't be fair if she didn't. The question of trusting her was no longer a concern. She knew she could trust Lucy with her life because she had saved her. She watched blankly as Lucy poured some Cheerios into a bowl and passed it to her before serving herself. The blunette gave a quick "thanks" and thoughtfully chewed on the dry cereal.
"Lucy?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
She swallowed. "I have to tell you something."
The blonde rose an elegant brow, curious. "What is it?"
"Before we leave," Wendy bit her lip. "The reason...for, well...um. How do I put this?"
"They took you because they had something to gain," Lucy finished for her.
"Yeah, but..." Wendy sighed, irritated words couldn't form on her tongue. She angrily lifted her shirt and showed Lucy the scarred bite mark. "It's because of this."
It was quiet for a while. Wendy couldn't find it in herself to look at Lucy, so her eyes easily glanced at the floor, finding the color of the wood to be particularly interesting. Her mind ran a mile a minute when the silence stretched on, wondering and doubting if she did the right thing.
"Well, I'll be damned," Lucy finally breathed, bewildered. After a short moment, she said, "You're a walking cure."
Wendy swallowed. "I don't know about that. But, I survived. I'm still me."
"When did this happen?"
"Day 0."
"How many people know about this?"
"You and my survivor group." Wendy gave a slow breath. "I don't know how the men who took me found out."
Lucy was silent for a moment. Wendy stared and could see the gears turning in the girl's head. Her brown eyes blankly examined the dry cereal in the ceramic bowl before snapping her gaze back to her, sharp and focused.
"Someone in your survivor group. It has to be."
Wendy furiously shook her head. She didn't want to believe it. Her survivor group was her family. People she trusted, people she formed friendships and family bonds with. They may not be family by blood, but it isn't so much about blood ties anymore but about the people you choose to be part of your family that mean something. The thought of her survivor group, one of her own, would betray her like that... She shuddered at the thought, feeling a chill crawl down her spine as well as her stomach turn to lead.
"I know it's not something you want to hear," Lucy began. "But it's something to consider. Because South Carolina may not be safe anymore."
Wendy chewed her lip and all she could muster was a weak, "Well, I hope you're wrong."
But deep in her bones, she knew Lucy may be right.
III. The Trail
"So, what do you think?" Gajeel asked him.
Gray surveyed the damage around them. It was obvious there had been a firefight. The cars were torn to shreds; windows and windshields cracked like spiderwebs, tires flat and useless, and a fairly high body count. When they drove into the town renamed with a tackily, spray-painted HELL, they had encountered several fresh walkers - maybe only days old. Gajeel easily handled half with his metallic spiked bat while Gray handled the other half with his machete.
"I'm thinking we missed one hell of a party," Gray finally responded.
His eyes noted the frenzied tire marks of where a car should be but raced off out of town. Whoever they were, they escaped.
Gajeel whistled at him. "Check this out."
Gray crouched beside him. "What'd you find?"
Gajeel wordlessly rolled up a sleeve of one of the walkers they'd just killed. Upon the dead walker's forearm was a tattoo: two crossed hammers bordered by two slanted nails.
"Tartaros," Gray hissed.
"Seems they had a firefight with Grimoire Heart," Gajeel observed, flashing the gang tattoo to him from another walker's body nearby.
"Grimoire Heart and Tartaros?" Gray clarified. "Well, looks like their little exchange got out of hand."
"What are they doing in the middle of goddamn nowhere?" Gajeel asked. "Tartaros territory is in Louisiana, and Grimoire Heart in Florida. Why the hell did they come out so far?"
"They had something to gain."
Gajeel's red eyes sliced through him, grim. "And the only thing to gain these days is food, water, guns, ammo..."
"Which they already have with their resources."
"The cure," Gajeel concluded. "Wendy."
Gray gave a slight nod. His eyes scanned the all the bodies one last time, glad to note he didn't see blue hair. A weight seemed to lift off his shoulders, which gave him a little hope that Wendy was still alive and out there somewhere. He had a feeling she wasn't alone. There was no way she could've gotten out of this by herself. He just prayed that whoever she was with, if she was with anyone at all, would take care of her.
"Let follow those tracks," he finally said.
.
.
.
It wasn't long until they came upon the totaled cars. Gray stopped the car and looked at Gajeel to see slight, muted fear in his red eyes that probably mirrored his own. They scrambled out of the car and were relieved to find no sign of Wendy. Only some walkers stuck and strapped into the flipped over car with the seatbelt. Gray eyed the Tartaros tattoo on the walker's neck.
"Well, she got away," Gajeel said after a while. It was more conjecture than anything else, but it was better to believe they would find Wendy rather than believe they were sent on a wild goose chase.
Gray observed the car to see the tire busted and shredded with bullets . "Well, whoever Wendy's with has some serious firepower."
"She can't be too far from here," Gajeel reasoned. "Limited amount of gas. Probably drove the damn thing until the last drop. We'll probably find a car abandoned on the side of road if we keep going."
Gajeel was right like usual. They came upon a car similar to the ones they found in that town parked and left on the side of the road. Barely a mile left in the tank, too. Gajeel opened the trunk and gagged as a rank smell permeated the air.
"Fuck, that smells awful!"
"Yeah, vomit does that," Gray pointed to the dried contents on the backseat.
"No shit."
Gray gave a low whistle, finally taking a good look at the contents of the trunk. It was filled with spare rifles, glocks, and ammo.
"Wow, it's like Christmas," Gajeel gave a slight chuckle and helped himself.
Gray smirked, grabbed some extra glocks and ammo as well. "Don't get too greedy."
"I could say the same thing to you, ice freak."
Gray rolled his eyes and proceeded to inspect the driver and passenger's seat. He opened the glove compartment to find nothing but a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He grabbed them but noticed how the sun glinted on the driver's seat. He furrowed his brows and leaned closer, realizing with dread that it was dried blood.
"Shit," he whispered under his breath.
Gray couldn't be sure if it was Wendy's or not, but his gut said no because she didn't know how to drive. He just hoped whoever she was with would hold out a little longer to survive. At least until they found them.
"Found anything else?" Gajeel asked.
Gray tossed him the cigarette back. "Merry Christmas."
Gajeel grinned wolfishly. "You shouldn't have."
Gray slammed the trunk shut because 1) they got what they needed, 2) the wretched odor was really getting to them, and 3) time was wasting away.
"Thank god, I felt like I was going to pass out from the smell."
Gray eyed him dryly. "Well, now you know how I feel when you hurl from your so-called motion sickness."
"Hey!" Gajeel snarled. "Just be happy I don't yack on you. Besides, your drivin' ain't something to be proud about it."
Gray rose his hands in mock surrender. He chuckled as he climbed back into the driver's seat of the car before Gajeel could beat him to it. He heard Gajeel mutter expletives under his breath and promise him a slow, sweet death. Gray ignored him and revved the engine and spitefully lurched the car forward. Out of his peripheral, he could see Gajeel's once again pallid face.
"Fuckin' cruel," Gajeel choked out, trying to hold something down.
"Don't be a baby," Gray chided dryly. "We've got to move while the trail is still hot."
Gajeel remained silent.
"My bet," Gray continued, eyeing the road sign to the next town, "is they walked to Ozone. Closest town within walking range. Found some blood on the driver's seat. I'm betting they're hunkered down somewhere there."
"Let's hope we get there before they leave," Gajeel wheezed.
"This is the apocalypse, Gajeel," Gray said flatly. "Nothing goes our way."
"No need to remind me."
.
.
.
They indeed missed them by a couple hours. Gajeel swore under his breath while Gray just tiredly sighed under his breath. He inspected the tossed red bandages in the living room and the empty bottle of whiskey. A slight grimace slid on his face, imagining the type of injury to cause so much blood. He scanned through the rest of the house, observing that mostly nothing was out of place save for the kitchen and living room so far.
"Where do you think they're heading?" Gray finally asked, making his way back to the kitchen.
Gajeel paused from ransacking the pantry for nonperishable goods. "I hate guessing games."
"Me too," Gray scowled. "I can't find anything that'll give any indication where they'd gone."
It was silent for a moment. Gray watched as Gajeel leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms, his eyes glaring at the ground as if it would yield him an answer.
"What if..." Gajeel began. "What if whoever she's with knows about Wendy's bite? They'd have three options. One, take her to the CDC to find a cure, which isn't really an option now that I think about it because it was overrun. Two, give her back to either Tartaros or Grimoire Heart for security. And three, soldier on to wherever and survive the day."
All plausible reasons. But...
"What if Wendy asked to go home?" Gray finally asked.
Gajeel closed the pantry with a slam. "I was betting on option two. People these days aren't exactly the good Samaritan type anymore."
"It's another possibility."
"It is, but the chances are low."
Gray tapped his fingers against the kitchen counter. Thinking, considering, assuming... "I don't know, but I think option two is a no-go situation. Especially if they ran off with Wendy and killed people from both gangs... I think when Tartaros and Grimoire Heart hear about it, it'll be a shoot first, ask questions later."
"Yeah, that does make sense," Gajeel muttered. "So then it'd be option three, but that opens up endless possibilities."
"There's also the medical bandages and supplies in the living room," Gray noted. "There was blood on the driver's seat."
"So you're saying Wendy could've patched 'em up?"
"Think about it," Gray said. "Wendy's life is saved, and she returns the favor."
"That does sound like her," Gajeel acquiesced. "But that doesn't really narrow down where they went."
"No, but it gives an idea on who the type of person Wendy is with."
Gajeel looked at him, brows furrowed. "You think they're taking Wendy back home."
It was more of a statement than a question. Gray only gave a slight nod of confirmation.
"South Carolina," Gajeel said, a bit skeptical.
"It's our best bet," Gray offered.
Gajeel grunted in a agreement. "If that's the case, we should move. Now."
Gray wordlessly walked out the front door. The slight urgency of Gajeel's tone reminded him they wouldn't be the only ones looking for Wendy and whoever she was with. They had a head start but both Grimoire Heart and Tartaros had connections, and they had to move fast if they wanted to find them first.
A/N: Stay tuned for part 2!