Annihilation

Reasoning

There were a few straglers from the herd. We took them out quietly as they approached and when it was soundless again we sat on the bed's edge of the pickup Yoongi and I had found safety under. I sighed as we kept our eyes focused on the empty road in front of us before laying back to let my gaze drift to the sky. I wondered about galaxies beyond and if we were the only life left, allowing myself to fantasize about being on another planet. We'd run into aliens who surely had to be kinder than the humans we met or perhaps the filthy rich, having escaped the apocalypse in tiny pods that landed in a world I couldn't fully imagine.

Jungkook and Yoongi looked over their shoulders at the sound of my giggling, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"What's funny?" Yoongi questioned. Jungkook followed my sight as if it would lead him to the origin of my humor, leaning onto his elbows and craning his head.

"Maybe we should go to NASA. We can find a rocket or something." I chuckled. "At this point it'll probably be easier than finding a car."

Yoongi still looked at me with a perplexed expression, shaking his head as he turned his attention to Jungkook. "She's losing her mind." He smirked.

"Not yet." I sat up, plucking the back of his neck.

Jungkook laughed when Yoongi ducked his head so that his shoulders raised to his ears. "We'll find a car." He assured me, returning to his stare down the path that we'd find ourselves traveling the following day.

We sat until there was the smallest amount of light in the sky, casting a faded gray that we used to guide our way back into town. It was just as quiet as before, the herd having passed through or changed direction. We kept away from the open visibility in the road, sticking to the edge where we could disappear into the small patch of trees lining the highway if needed.

Yoongi spotted the restaurant first, sighing with relief as he noticed Namjoon waiting on the steps and standing when he heard the crunch of our shoes against the ground.

"I was worried about the swarm of undead that came through." Namjoon exhaled. Yoongi reached his arm out and they gripped each other's forearm for a moment before Namjoon pulled him in for a hug. Yoongi groaned at the gesture but gave in within a second, wrapping an arm around him in return.

"No car." I reported when he embraced me.

He shook his head over my shoulder, replying as he moved on to Jungkook, squeezing the youngest a little tighter. "As long as you're all okay. We'll go on foot. Hopefully that herd will head right into Carolus and delay them coming after us."

We moved quickly after that. Taehyung hadn't fully recovered, but he was alert and could move enough for us to feel comfortable heading out. With only one hand and an injured shoulder he wasn't as capable of protecting himself, Jimin and Jungkook taking to his front and rear to keep him covered. I fell in line next to Shelby with Jin on my other side, Namjoon and Yoongi guiding us a few steps ahead out of the city and toward the unknown.

We hadn't walked for more than half a mile when the gunshots started, too far away to be directed toward us. Still, it didn't stop us from scrambling away from where we walked along the ditch into the trees.

"Everyone good?" Namjoon called out, eyes darting around to meet every pair of eyes with nods that affirmed his question.

"That's the sweet sound of justice people! Those bitches in Carolus will either die or waste all their ammo trying to live!" Yoongi cheered, thrusting his middle finger into the air.

Jimin and Jungkook chuckled but I caught the way Shelby glanced over her shoulder. Her bottom lip was caught under her teeth in concern and I didn't miss the swift swipe of a tear at the corner of her eye. I wasn't sure if she felt sorrow for the city or Gideon, but slipped my hand into hers with an apologetic squeeze for the celebration she had to witness.