Travis's POV
"Well, guys, I guess we're lucky we had this RV," Travis said, trying to be optimistic despite the early morning shock.
There was dead silence. Nobody said a word, which made Travis's stomach churn. He wasn't sure if it was fear or relief, but he knew he had to keep everyone focused on the road, not for his own sake, but for everyone's safety.
As he gripped the wheel, a thought crossed his mind. Kenny's plan to head to Savannah seemed way too dangerous. He could take them somewhere safer. But then again, what if the alternative was even more dangerous? Travis decided to stick with Kenny's plan, even if Kenny wasn't taking charge.
Everyone knew that Ben was struggling too. He was groaning in pain, likely from being flung into the table back at the motel. Travis glanced at him and saw him clutching his midsection; it was probably very sore, but Travis didn't think it was life-threatening.
Lee unexpectedly broke the silence. "Ben, are you all right?" he asked, his voice serious.
Ben shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts. "Yeah, I'm all right. Just sore. But what happened?" he asked, wanting answers.
Mark's POV
Mark pulled his fists back as far as they could go and tried to punch Jackson in his stupid, arrogant face. Jackson quickly dodged, smirking at Mark's inability to touch him. This pattern continued, with Mark failing to land a hit. Jackson was too fast, and every time Mark swung, Jackson mocked him with his eyes, body language, and that infuriating smile.
Then, Jackson switched from defense to offense. With one hard strike to Mark's midsection, he broke two of Mark's ribs. Mark heard the snap and yelled in pain. He remembered breaking his arm as a kid—it had hurt like hell—but two ribs cracking and breaking was worse. Despite the pain, he knew he couldn't let Jackson win. Summoning all his strength, Mark struck Jackson on the cheek with his fist, but his hand cracked in the process. It was as if Jackson's skin was made of steel.
Mark remembered how Naruto had incinerated Jackson in a story he once told, yet here Mark was, hurting himself with every strike. He realized there was no way he could win; he was entirely outclassed. Doubt consumed him, and he dropped to his knees in defeat.
"So, my old friend, you finally understand that you can't win against me. You finally understand your situation," Jackson said, bending to meet Mark's eyes. "I always thought you were my best friend. Truly, I did, Mark. You are my best friend. For a long time, I never had a friend quite like you." He paused for dramatic effect; Jackson's showmanship hadn't changed over the years. "I always thought, wouldn't it be fun if you were just like me? As strong as me? As invincible? Think about it, Mark. The only thing you'd have to worry about is the sun, and even then, there are ways to be immune. You could be immortal, and we could terrorize anyone. You could be my partner in crime, the man I could rely on." Jackson began to walk around Mark, his eyes shadowed by his unkempt hair. "What I'm saying, Mark, is we can still be friends. I've never stopped seeing you as a friend. Or perhaps we could be more, if you wish."
Mark's eyes widened at the implication of Jackson's words. Jackson sniffed him. "I see even at the end of the world, you still use the same shampoo," Jackson taunted. He stopped walking and waited for Mark's answer. Larry and Doug were also surprised by the conversation and the offer, a mix of fear and uncertainty in their eyes.
"I have an answer," Mark said, smiling. "And it's no. I would never be like you." He spat in his old friend's face, absolutely disgusted with him. Jackson wiped the spit off his chin, amused by his friend's defiance.
"Alright, if that's your choice. But I guess death is your choice," Jackson said honestly. He quickly moved to carve a hole into Mark's stomach, but Mark disappeared, leaving an afterimage where Jackson struck. Jackson was confused, his arrogance waning.
From Doug and Larry's perspective, Jackson was right in front of them one moment and then crashed through the other side of the motor inn the next. Mark was where Jackson had been, his leg raised and smoking, looking more muscular with a pale yellow aura around him. It felt foreign yet right to Mark. His broken ribs had healed, or at least the pain was numbed. His speed, strength, and maybe his durability were enhanced.
Mark sensed Jackson behind him, ready to claw his head off. He crouched, then did a backflip, planting both feet onto Jackson's midsection and pushing with all his might, sending Jackson flying again. Mark walked over to Larry and Doug, who were amazed.
"What are you, son?" Larry asked.
Mark looked at himself, thinking for a moment. "I have no idea," he answered honestly. The only thing he knew was that it felt good and he could defeat Jackson. He quickly ran towards where Jackson had landed, ready to bring his old friend—no, a shell of his former friend—to his final grave.
Lee's POV
Lee told Ben everything that happened.
"Oh my God, I can't believe it's all gone," Ben said. Lee felt sad for the kid and everyone else, but the worst part was that he thought the most heartbreaking for himself. His responsibility as the leader was weighing heavily on him, and he wouldn't blame the others if they questioned his leadership. He told himself he could have handled the situation better.
Lee turned to look at the unconscious Clementine, still lying on one of the pillows. Duck and Naruto were by her side. He needed to check on everyone and make sure they were okay. It was pretty cramped inside the RV but surprisingly more spacious than Lee had expected.
First, he checked on Clementine. Emily was tending to her.
"Emily, how is she?" Lee asked, feeling scared and guilty. Clementine was his responsibility, and he had let this happen to her. The marks on her back weren't just burning; they were seared into her flesh, a few layers down.
"She's surprisingly okay," Emily answered, hope in her voice, which made Lee feel a bit more hopeful himself.
"So, do you think she'll pull through?" Lee asked the young girl, who was now their de facto medic.
"Pretty much, yeah. From what I can tell, I think she'll be okay," Emily said, giving everyone a thumbs up. Lee could see everyone's morale, including his own, rising with that news. Even Kenny, who was slumped in the corner next to Carly, looked slightly better.
"How are you two holding up?" Lee asked Naruto and Emily.
Naruto gave Lee his happy-go-lucky smile. "This isn't the first tragedy I've been a part of," he said, but there was a lost look on his face as if he remembered something. Lee decided not to interrupt his thoughts.
"I think I'll be fine for now. I couldn't believe my family could do such horrible things," Emily said, anger and sadness clearly showing on her face. Lee put his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. From what I see, your actions almost saved all of us, or at least contributed to getting us out of there. It's water under the bridge. Let's leave it at that," Lee said, knowing they had bigger problems to deal with. Emily just nodded, but there was a light in her eyes that showed her admiration for Lee.
Lee then walked over to Carly. "How are you holding up?" he asked.
Carly chuckled softly. "I'm just so worried for Doug. We just left him. I know it was our only option, but can we just go back for him?" Carly asked, clearly stressed.
"You already know the answer," Lee said, placing his hand on the former reporter's shoulder. "Don't worry, Carly. If Doug loves you as much as you love him, he'll come and find you. Him and Mark will find us. We need to trust in the ones we love and care about." This seemed to cheer Carly up.
"You're right. He will find us. And the funny thing is, I think I had the same thought as you did just then. I just couldn't accept it for some reason," Carly said, smirking to herself. Lee smiled back at her.
He then walked over to Lily, who was pretty much a wreck. She might have lost her father, and he wanted to help her. Larry had been surprisingly fast in reacting to protect her, which was to be expected. The man would do anything for his daughter, even if it cost him his own life. Lee and Larry had been starting to get along, and now he was gone. But maybe he wasn't, Lee thought. If Larry met up with Doug and Mark, their group would be a force to be reckoned with. But for now, he needed to focus on cheering up Lily.
"Lily, how are you holding up?" Lee asked.
"What do you think?" Lily said, some hatred in her voice.
"Lily, there's something I have to tell you. You might not want to hear this right now, but your feelings that you told me about? I feel the same way. We've seen a lot of messed up stuff, and I'm not sure if I'm going to live a long life. So, what I'm trying to say is, I love you, Lily. I just want you to know that. You might not want to be in a relationship with me right now, but I just want you to know that it's always on the table. It may not be right now; it may not be ever. But it's there, okay? And I'm sure Larry will do anything to get to you again," Lee said, putting both of his hands on her shoulders. He hugged her, letting her sob on him in silence.
"Thank you, Lee. You're giving me a lot to think about. Can you please leave me alone for now?" Lily said, her voice no longer hateful but sad.
Lee nodded. He tried to talk to Kenny, but every time he did, Kenny either ignored him or told him to leave them alone. Kenny was clutching his son near him, so Lee decided to leave it at that. Kenny would come around eventually.
Larry's POV
This day was weirder than the others by a long shot. It was bad enough that they had an evil vampire to deal with, and now there was the whole situation with Mark. Larry wasn't sure if he was just going insane or if this was their new reality. Probably the second option, Larry thought.
"We need to follow them. Mark might need some help," Doug said, urging Larry. But Larry remembered the child. He looked behind him, checking if the boy was all right. He seemed fine—at least normal. Nothing had changed; he wasn't wreaking havoc or anything like that.
That's when Larry noticed a glimmer of light in his peripheral vision. He moved towards it.
"Larry, what are you doing?" Doug asked, confused. But Larry wasn't listening. He started clearing the rubble until he grasped a metal handle and pulled out the dagger—the pure silver dagger that Lee and Mark found in the crypt a week ago. Larry smiled when he saw it, but he knew one dagger wouldn't be enough to defeat Jackson. They needed more to even stand a chance. If only he could replicate the dagger.
Suddenly, his hand glowed with a red aura. The energy flowed into the dagger, and something appeared in his other hand—it was the same dagger, a complete copy. He checked if it was real, and it was. "What the hell?" he muttered, dropping the items in disbelief. He had been able to replicate something from thin air.
If he could replicate items, he could probably make more of these daggers—and why stop there? He could replicate other items and contribute to the group. Larry was thinking long-term with this new ability he had gained.
"I need to remember how it feels," he said to himself. Clearing his mind, he grabbed the dagger once more. He felt a warm, energetic sensation coursing through his arm, and then the dagger grew hotter. Another object materialized in his hand, just like before. Another dagger. He now had three daggers, all pure silver.
It seemed there wasn't a time limit, but there was probably a limit to how many he could make, as he was starting to feel winded after the third one. Larry tucked one dagger into his pants and held the other two in his hands.
Larry looked over to see Doug tending to the boy, but Doug was anxious and concerned. Suddenly, the boy combusted into flames, yet he was completely fine. His eyes snapped open, and Larry quickly approached. The heat radiating off the boy was intense, like being near a volcano. Larry had to step back as his clothes began to sing.
The boy spoke, but in a deep and light voice simultaneously—both his own and another being's. Larry was very concerned and knew they were dealing with something far beyond their understanding.
Naruto's POV
(Unknown place)
Naruto felt tired. A sense of drowsiness came over him suddenly. He was once very hyperactive and energetic, always awake and alert. But now, this overwhelming drowsiness was unusual for him. Unsure whether he had done it intentionally or subconsciously, he lay down next to Lee. Clementine was resting on Lee's left shoulder, so Naruto laid on Lee's right shoulder. The man allowed this to happen, showing the bond that both of them shared.
Naruto thought he would do some training before truly succumbing to the realm of dreams. But to his confusion, he found himself in a completely different place. It looked like Doxie's house, but everything was made of bouncy clouds. Naruto bounced on them, having fun at first until the seriousness of the situation kicked in.
He quickly looked around the house. "Doxie! Doxie, where are you? You better not be playing a prank on me!" Naruto yelled. If this was a joke, it was a good one. What abilities could allow Doxie to change his mindscape to this degree? She said it was possible, but he didn't think she would do it.
When he tried to exit, he expected to be back in the RV, but no. He fell through the clouds. He guessed the clouds weren't strong enough to hold his weight outside his mind, he rationalized. He didn't fall into the water but into something that felt like lucid, chakra-like water. Was he swimming in his chakra pool? Naruto thought to himself.
Things were starting to get clearer lately. He was able to think more sharply—those chess sessions with Larry must have sharpened his mind quite a bit. He wasn't anywhere near Shikamaru or Sasuke's level, but he smiled at the thought. "Maybe I can surpass Sasuke in intelligence someday," Naruto said to himself.
Suddenly, he felt something pull on his dirty, ripped orange jumpsuit. He was pulled down fully into the chakra. Instead of drowning, he found he could breathe inside it. It felt like mud, but he could breathe as if it were air.
When he emerged from the chakra pool, he didn't hit the ground but something squishy. It pressed into his chest, and he heard a yelp of pain that he probably caused. He saw Doxie's eyes, as red as ever, and realized he was lying directly on her. The thing pressing into him was her breasts, and they were fairly soft. Naruto got flustered, and Doxie punched him in the face, which he knew he deserved.
"Oh, that hurt! You didn't need to hit that hard," Naruto said, rubbing his face.
The redhead blushed. Naruto wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or anger, maybe a mix of both. "Why are men such assholes?" Doxie muttered under her breath before responding to him.
"Finally, someone other than me is here," Doxie said, perking up with her signature foxy smirk.
"Have you been trapped down here?" Naruto asked. He already suspected the answer but wanted his suspicions confirmed.
Doxie took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Yes. When you were on that roof, I reappeared in my house, but I was transported to this place."
Naruto immediately surveyed the surroundings. It was nothing but wind blowing everywhere, messing up their hair. Yet, they weren't flying around—they were standing completely still. "To be honest with you, I have no idea what this place is. I was hoping you would know because this is your mind—or at least I hope it is," Doxie said, absolutely baffled.
"If this is a place in my mind, then I should be able to take us back to the house, right? But ever since I met you, I've been trying to get us there, but it's like I'm blocked from that area entirely by something," Naruto said, fear coursing through his spiritual body, likely affecting his physical body as well.
Suddenly, something appeared in front of them. It was a sculpture or a human form made out of wind, specifically an old man. He had a long beard, round glasses, and was fairly built—not super jacked, but he looked like he kept himself in shape. He also had a divine presence, the only way Naruto could describe it. It was as if he was manipulating the wind around them.
"Who are you?" Doxie asked, as baffled as Naruto.
"You want to know who I am? That seems simple enough," the old man said, smiling as if he predicted their question. "The problem with my name is that even if I told you my true name, you wouldn't understand it. So, I'll tell you the name that humans gave me: Susanoo," the man said. "I am the god of wind."
"Or truly, my true position is called the Guardian of Wind, because wind wasn't created by me. It was created by its own decision," Susanoo said.
Naruto didn't understand what was going on or who this guy was. This dude was a god. Naruto had believed in a lot of crazy things, but literally a god or guardian talking to him? Please, this must be a cheap genjutsu. But if it was a genjutsu, why couldn't he release it? His immunity to jutsus should have made it easy. It was also strange that Doxie hadn't broken him out of it if it was a prank. She seemed as confused as he was. What they taught him in ninja class was to look beneath the surface, but no matter how much he looked, he saw nothing. Could this all be real? Naruto thought to himself.
"I understand that you distrust me and think this is an illusion, but unfortunately, this is real. You have been picked specifically to help us deal with a threat that has been around for as long as existence," Susanoo said, a grim expression on his face. Both Naruto and Doxie listened intently, finally understanding that this was not an illusion but completely real, and both had a bunch of questions.
"Your questions can wait. I need to tell you this first," Susanoo said. He cleared his throat. "There are things beyond even our comprehension, things that even we gods can't comprehend. These beings created us. Someone created us—a being named Buddha. This enlightened one taught us everything he knew, but even he was created by something not righteous or good, but something evil, probably even beyond evil," Susanoo explained.
"Naruto Uzumaki, you have been chosen by the enlightened one to be an avatar. That field of chakra you call it? That is just one layer of your true potential and power. Beneath me are many layers—I'm not sure how many there are. That's for you to find out. But I am one of your abilities. You'll be able to control wind completely if you master this ability. I can't go into much detail because that's for your masters to do," the old man paused for a second and then turned towards Doxie.
"Karma of the Nine Tails, I need you to train this boy and truly train him. I know you've been just training him for your own amusement, but for your own sake, as well as everyone else's, you need to train him properly. Get him to the point where you two can synchronize and enter my domain once more. After this meeting, you won't be able to access this plane until you do. It takes a lot of willpower to keep you both here, and I'm running out of time. We have about five minutes in human time."
Naruto was surprised by this revelation. "She was only training me for her own amusement? Well, that makes sense. Actually, no, it doesn't," Naruto thought. If he died, most likely she would die too. The anger that started burning inside of him for her actions quickly subsided. He realized it was just her sense of self-preservation. He might have done the same thing, perhaps differently, but he couldn't say for sure. He stayed quiet.
"Why should I train this boy? What threat could be so dangerous for me to put all my effort and time into him? How about you tell me that, Mr. Wind God?" Doxie yelled, not liking the idea of dedicating her full attention to Naruto.
Susanoo sighed, anticipating this reaction. "Because if you don't, you will regret it. I'm not threatening you, but if you let those evils run free and this boy doesn't realize his true potential and raise an army of light, everything—not just this universe, but every universe—will be destroyed. The entire multiverse will be shredded into darkness, engulfed by it like a great flood."
Susanoo locked eyes with Doxie, and he must have shown her something because she immediately understood the gravity of the situation.
Doxie screamed in absolute terror. "What the hell was that?" she yelled, clearly terrified of what she had seen.
"That is the clearest simulation I could create," Susanoo said. "Imagine the real thing occurring. That's how dangerous this is. It's something that even we gods can't comprehend. Do you understand what we have to do?" Susanoo asked, awaiting their answers.
"I understand, and I guess I'll train the brat," Doxie said, still shaken. "After what I saw, I can't imagine the real thing. I don't think I want to experience it. So if I just have to train this brat in everything I know, then so be it. If it will avert this fate, is that right?" she asked, wanting confirmation. Naruto also wanted confirmation.
Susanoo nodded. "Thank you. You might have just saved us all with your choice. But let me lay out what you have to do to ensure success. If any of these points fail, everything will be lost. Do you understand?" Susanoo asked, wanting to be sure they comprehended the gravity of the situation.
Both Naruto and Doxie nodded.
"You have to completely master yourselves, to the point where you know who you are and what you are inside and out. You must also raise an army of light to fight this dark force. Travel the world, gather people, and teach them the ways of mana and what it means to fight," Susanoo explained.
Before Naruto or Doxie could respond, they felt a powerful pull, like gravity was dragging them. It must have meant their time was up.
"We're out of time. Remember what I said. I hope to see you here again, not as an explainer but as a teacher," Susanoo said just before Naruto was pulled back.
Naruto gave Susanoo a thumbs-up and a determined smirk. "Don't worry, you will meet me here again. I will be way stronger and more capable than I am now. I promise you that. I will never go back on my word—that's my nindo, my ninja way," Naruto yelled as he was sucked back into the real world.
Naruto woke up to find Clementine also awake. He hugged her tightly, feeling a deep concern. He felt worried about everyone in the group, but especially for someone as young as Clementine. Would he have to train someone like her to fight in the impending war against evil beasts like Jackson? It was a disturbing question, and Naruto didn't want to know the answer. But deep down, he had a sinking feeling that he would get that answer, whether he liked it or not.
Doug's POV
Doug was sweating bullets. The heat was too intense; he felt like he was going to die from heatstroke. Yet, at the same time, he felt a giddy sensation in his stomach, as if he were enjoying the situation. But that couldn't be right. Shouldn't he be afraid? Why would he feel joy at this moment? He looked at Noah, who was on fire. Doug didn't even try to find a scientific explanation for that.
"Speak your names, you mortals," Noah said—or rather, the force controlling the boy said. Two voices were speaking in perfect unison, and the temperature rose even higher, making Doug's arm hairs start to burn and smoke. He quickly patted his arms down and noticed Larry doing the same.
"My name is Doug, and the person next to me is Larry," Doug said, trying to calm the situation but failing.
"Tell me, mortals, where is this vampire named Jackson?" the boy asked, seemingly holding a grudge against Jackson.
"We don't actually know where he is. We know the general direction but not the exact location. Sorry, friend," Larry said, unnaturally calm in the situation.
"Is that so? Then will you tell me what direction he is in?" the boy said, amused by Larry's bravery.
"I think it's to the north. But before you go, mister—whatever you are—I have a question. What exactly are you, and what is your name?" Doug asked, staring the being in the eye.
The being smiled and laughed, clearly amused by their bravery—or stupidity. "You guys are brave; I'll give you that. Why not? You humans are probably going to die soon anyway. Maybe I should give you a chance," the entity said cryptically.
Before Doug could process the cryptic statement, the being blitzed both Larry and Doug. Larry felt a fist in his stomach, followed by a rush of pain and a snap. He fell to the ground, whimpering in pain.
"What was that for, you monster?" Larry said, pulling out two of his silver daggers.
The being laughed again. "Really? You're going to use silver against me? You guys really are amateurs when it comes to the supernatural. One piece of advice, old man—everything can't be killed with silver. I am one of those beings. And if you want to know what I am, I am the Guardian of Fire and Death. Or you could call me the God of Fire and Death. My name, as you humans call me, is the Phoenix," the being said before disappearing in a swirl of fire.
Doug got up from the floor, cursing. "Damn that a******," he yelled to no one in particular, still gasping as his stomach hurt like hell.
Larry helped him up. "Come on, boy. We need to help Mark and catch up with the others," the old man said, snapping Doug out of his rage.
"You're right," Doug said, getting to his feet. The pain was starting to fade away. He could still feel it, but he could move, even run, with this pain.
"Here, take this," Larry said, giving Doug one of his daggers.
Doug took the silver dagger without questioning it, but then something happened. When he touched it, something warm and energetic flowed through his entire body, quickly gravitating towards the dagger. Both Larry and Doug had to dodge out of the way as a few rods of rebar flew at them. It wasn't just the rebar; the dagger was attracting all the metal around it, forming a bumpy metal sphere.
"What the hell is going on? Did I do that?" Doug asked himself.
"Yes, my lad, you did that. That was your power," Larry said. "I also have an ability, just like you."
"Are you crazy, old man? This isn't some superhero comic book. We can't just get powers out of the blue," Doug said, not convinced.
"Watch this," Larry said, demonstrating his ability to multiply objects. "So, what do you think this is, huh, boy?"
Doug could not believe it. It all made sense—how Mark could send Jackson flying. He must have gained an ability just like they did. That meant they could effectively help him. Maybe they could defeat Jackson if they all banded together and used their abilities strategically.
"I think I have an idea of how we can use both of our abilities to the best effect and help Mark use his abilities effectively," Larry said tactically.
"Alright, what is it? Don't leave me in suspense," Doug said, smiling.
"I'll tell you on the way. It won't work unless we're at least a few feet from the battle," Larry said. He began running towards where Mark and Jackson were supposedly battling. Doug followed, listening to Larry's plan.
Doug hoped this plan would work. If it didn't, it could mean their deaths. This was truly a battle between life and death.
Lee's POV
"Lee, I think you need to see this," Travis said, a hesitant tone in his voice. He made sure to lay Clementine and Naruto down softly so as not to wake them, which he surprisingly managed to do.
Lee got up and walked towards the front of the RV, Carly joining him. "What is it, Travis?" Lee asked, but as he finished the sentence, he saw the problem: a giant train blocking their path.
Lee took a deep breath. This obstacle just irritated him and made him feel even more tired. "Until we can move that train, I guess we'll have to find a place to camp out," Lee thought, planning their next move.
"Yeah, that's probably a good decision," Carly said, baffled that a train of all things would block their path.
"Come on, Carly. This isn't the craziest thing we've dealt with, not by a long shot. And it's probably not the limit either," Lee said. He walked over to where Lily, Kenny, and Duck were. They seemed to already be up. "Alright, you two, here's the situation." Lily and Kenny gave him their full attention. "Our route to Savannah has been blocked by a giant train. I hope you two can help me scope it out. If you need more time, just tell me. I'm not forcing you, but I really need the help," Lee said, trying to respect their boundaries.
"Dad, you don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine," Duck said, unnaturally somber, surprising everyone.
"Are you sure, Duck?" Kenny asked, wanting to be sure this was what his son wanted.
Duck just nodded. "Sure, why not? It's better than sitting here, I guess," Lily said, less willing than Kenny but still agreeing. This made Lee sigh in relief.
"Lee, you need to come here. Clementine's waking up," Carly urged from behind him.
Lee immediately gave his full attention to Clementine, quickly going to her side. She slowly opened her eyes and, with a drowsy voice, asked, "Where are we? Are we still at the Motor Inn?"
Lee frowned. "No, sorry, sweet pea. We had to leave the Motor Inn permanently," he said, keeping the explanation brief.
When she was fully awake, it all seemed to come back to her at once. Unexpectedly, she started waking up Naruto very roughly. Weirdly, Naruto hugged her like they hadn't seen each other in a long time. Lee decided to deal with that later. There was still the train situation to address.
Lily and Kenny were waiting outside for him. There was one more person he had to wake up, but Naruto beat him to it. He woke up Emily, who had been sleeping on the floor. Fortunately, there had been no disturbances, and it was a smooth drive until now, so smooth that everyone had managed to sleep. Lee decided not to think much of it.
Everybody got out of the RV. When Ben came out, he quickly walked over to Lee. "I wanted to give you something. It may be kind of weird, but I wanted to give you this pencil. Maybe it will come in handy, or maybe not. I just had a feeling you might need it," Ben said awkwardly.
Lee took the pencil and put it in his pocket. "Thank you, Ben. If it does come in handy, I'll thank you later," Lee said, his tone as awkward as Ben's. It was a pretty awkward interaction.
Now everyone was outside, and Lee looked at the train. He started walking towards it with Lily and Kenny.
"Do you think we could go around it?" Lily asked, proposing a solution.
"It doesn't look like it. Maybe on foot, but we both know we're not doing that, especially with the things we've seen," Kenny said, something everyone agreed on.
Lee looked around the area and smiled. "This seems like a safe area. All the brush will stop walkers and other things from sneaking up on us without us knowing," he said. Once again, everyone agreed. It was very uncommon, and maybe the disagreement days were over. Lee smiled at the thought.
"Lee, how about you and I go look around?" Lily suggested, making sure her rifle had some ammo in it.
Lee grabbed his gun, remembering the warm feeling he had during the Motor Inn incident. He couldn't quite describe it; it just felt warm. He also felt something different within himself but shrugged it off. He loaded a full clip into his pistol, surprised he hadn't needed to use it during the battle. Of course, it wouldn't have done anything against Jackson. He guessed he just got lucky. Who knows how long their luck would last? Lee thought.
"Yeah, everyone else relax," Lee said. Everyone sat down on some logs. Naruto and Travis were more alert, with Kenny mostly alert but also focused on the train, likely thinking about the possibility of getting it working. The thought crossed Lee's mind as well.
"Clem, stay close to Naruto and Travis," Lee said, then looked over to Ben. "No offense, Ben," he added, not wanting to hurt the boy's feelings.
"No, you're completely fine. I'd probably just mess it up anyway," Ben said, looking down on himself.
Lee felt guilty. "Don't feel bad. I'll talk to Ben and cheer him up. Don't worry, just focus on getting that train working because I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll be able to do that," Travis said, holding his hand out. Lee shook the boy's hand, truly shocked by his maturity over the months.
"Come on, Lee. Can I come with you? That's a cool train. I don't even know what that is, but it sounds cool," Naruto said, giving him puppy eyes.
"Naruto, come on. Are you telling me you've never heard of a train before?" Emily asked, absolutely shocked.
"Sorry, but no, Naruto. I need you for protection. I'm not saying this to cheer you up or to make you stay here. I really think you can protect us, and we really do need your protection," Lee said, standing back up.
"Oh, okay. I forgot that. Don't worry, Lee. I won't let anything get past my sense of vision," Naruto said, smiling.
"That doesn't even make any sense," Emily interjected, making Lee chuckle.
Sometimes these kids make it more bearable to live in this world, Lee thought. They also give him a reason to keep going.
Lee took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself as he walked toward the train. "Be careful, Lee! You never know what could be in there," he heard Kenny yell. Lee gave Kenny a thumbs-up in response, appreciating the reminder. The possibility of danger in the abandoned locomotive hadn't crossed his mind.
"I'm going to check the front car to see if we can get it running," Lily said softly. Before she left, she kissed Lee. "I thought about us, and I want to give our relationship hope," she added, walking toward the front car. Her words made Lee smile, giving him extra motivation to check the boxcar.
Lee stood in front of the orange train car. It was closed but not locked. There was a latch, which he immediately released, and the door to the boxcar swung open wide. Interestingly, the other side was also open. He noted this but didn't give it much thought at the moment.
As he stepped inside, Lee's suspicions returned. Inside the boxcar was a mattress, a few boxes, and several empty bottles of water. One bottle, however, was full, sitting on a box. He grabbed it and crammed it into his pocket, though it took a minute. "Seems like somebody is living in here," Lee muttered to himself, not expecting an answer and not receiving one.
Just in case someone was lurking around, he decided to warn the others. He stepped out of the boxcar and yelled, "Everybody, keep your eyes peeled! This boxcar has been used, so there may be a person around. Just wanted you guys to know."
"What did you say?" Naruto yelled, but it looked like he got punched in the head.
"Don't listen to him. We heard you loud and clear," Emily shouted back.
Lee nodded and re-entered the boxcar, starting to scavenge around for useful items. He found a map of the tracks and some supplies. Knowing they were heading to Savannah, where Kenny planned to go, he tried to shove the map into his pocket. When that didn't work, he decided to hold it instead.
He moved to the left and opened the door to the boxcar, then closed it again, heading towards the front boxcar. Lee wasn't sure if he could get the train running, but he was determined to try his best. After all, that was all they could do right now.
Name: Mark
Sex: male
Hair: Dark brown, slightly tousled
Eyes: Blue, often behind rectangular glasses
Complexion: Fair, with visible stress lines and a somewhat weary expression
Build: Average, slightly gaunt from stress and long hours of work
Clothing: Often seen in a dark, practical jacket, hinting at a pragmatic personality
Background: Mark was born and raised in Georgia he was a very experienced us pilot going through many missions throughout the Middle East.
Mana ability: You can give meaning to symbols that already exist and will exist.