Just One Man

Part 1

He saw how London went down, he was there when York started to crumble, passing through Gloucester had been much of the same, no more did people with a conscience walk there. And now he had found his way to Bristol... Link walked up to the city's borderline, England's sixth most populated city, or maybe it was the most populated one in all the United Kingdom by now.

"Who goes there?" a voice from someplace above him called out, he stopped in his tracks, there was not much that could escape his keen senses, he concentrated and located a flitting movement to his right, on top of a low building. "Who are you?"

"Link Garzia!" He yelled, when there was no reply he stared at where he knew more than one person was hiding. "I am just passing through," he added, it was not actually true, he had been looking for any survivors for the last four towns.

"Be gone then, there is nothing for you here." A new voice called to him, they sounded young.

"I have been walking for days, I would like to stay and rest, I'll not bother you." He assured. "All this yelling is attracting them to us." He pointed out and looked to the sides, in true he had not seen a dead-one in miles probably the work of the people in Bristol.

"Then go," the second one said.

"Please, just the night." He requested, night was fallen and he did not care to keep walking or sleep outside, he had been doing that for days. Just when Link thought that they would ignore him or demand that he left again, there was a rustle and a couple of minutes later a young girl appeared in the distance.

"Come closer, hands where I can see them." she ordered with a gun pointed at him.

He adjusted his backpack and walked to her, as Link approached the girl he noticed she was probably 17 with long braided hair that fell to her waist; her green eyes challenging him to do something stupid, which he didn't. Once he reached her side, he stood at enough distance to avoid a bullet.

"Link?" she questioned. "That's your name?"

"Yes," Link replied nodding slowly. "Look, I have been walking for days and I'm tired, I will not bother anyone in here."Still she stared at him; her arms didn't lower the gun nor shook as she held it pointing directly at his head.

"Alright, pretty boy, get walking. You can spend the night and leave at first light." She declared finally lowering the gun.

"Thank you..."

"Alycia," she said.

"Alycia, thank you." He repeated with a smile, one that when unnoticed by her as she turned. "How many of you are here? Have you been here long?"

"Stop right there, HyperLink." He laughed at that."You will not ask questions, we are not telling you a thing because we don't know who the hell you are. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," he told her falling into step next to her.

"Good," she told him waving an arm over her head, at the movement two other heads popped at the top windows of the building, a boy and girl, ten and fourteen he guessed. "Taking him to the empty loft, keep watch." She called and after two nods she led the way quicker. "You are staying between two occupied lofts and you are to remain inside and not wonder around."

"I was thinking of walking the town and look for supplies." He dared said.

"We can give you what we can spare and then you can leave us alone." She said in a clipped tone.

"Alright," he agreed, it would not be easy convincing this group that he could help. He had seen many tragedies on Earth and even though a zombie apocalypse was the one he though would not happen for years still, and was new to him, Link could be of help to them.

Alycia opened the door to a residential looking building and took inside. Inside the windows were mostly covered by heavy mantels and others with what appeared to be pieces of a banner,probably from the stairs outside, which he had noticed, were missing some pieces. "This is it," she said pushing open a door and entering a large loft with the only visible exit being the door they had walked in. "The one on the left is mine, to the right is Tyler's and his sisters." She informed turning in a circle.

"Thankyou again," he said and closed his lips quickly less he would utter the question inside him, who do you share your loft with? But he guarded his expression and nodded at her as she left.

That night was quiet, until he heard running footsteps outside and then screaming. He was at the door at once, a short axe on his hand. A scream to his left had him running to the left. "Damn it!" It was Alycia yelling on the other side when a sudden thump and silence came through the door he barged in, the dead-one was on top of her but she was clearly not going down without a hell off a fight, but just her hands wouldn't do; He rammed the axe through the zombie's head which of course made it lunge forward as dead as it would get, he grasped the dirty shirt and howled out of the girl underneath.

"You alright?"

"Behind you" she yelled and he turned in time to see another two making their way to them. "Watch out," he didn't need her yelling directives, he had his senses for that, he managed to kill them in short time and turn once more to her. "What is that in your arm?" she nearly screeched and Link almost afraid to look down, took a peek at the tear on his arm where a flash of metal winked at him, his cybernetic arm showing in all its glory. "I can explain" He stated rushing to cover his arm with a bandage from his pocket, she looked at him uneasy before getting to her feet and moving closer to him. "You have 5 minutes" She said bluntly with a look of shock and anger in her green eyes. Link sighed quietly to himself as he pulled the bandage of off his arm "I lost my arm when I was a kid, at the time they had just discovered a way to replicate a human arm with technology and they needed a human guinea pig to test it on" He explained showing her the gash in his arm revealing the metal components inside. Alycia looked down at the arm trying to find a way this could actually be real.