Li'l Sparky // [Daryl Dixon]

Nebraska

Season: 2

Episode(s): Nebraska - Triggerfinger

*Ryan's POV*

I keep one hand on my bow, just in case these men try anything. The skinny one starts pouring shots.

"I'm Dave," he introduced himself. "The scrawny-looking douche bag there is Tony."

"Eat me, Dave," Tony chuckled. Why couldn't it be Tony Stark? For once, I'm asking for a good thing... 

"Hey, maybe someday I will," Dave joked. "We met on I-95 coming out of Philly. Damn shit-show that was."

"I'm Glenn," Glenn smiled in a friendly manner. "It's nice to meet some new people."

"Rick Grimes," Rick turned to Dave and handed him a drink. 

"How 'bout you, pal?" Dave gestured to my dad. "Have one?"

"I just quit," Daddy said. 

"You've got a unique sense of timing, my friend," Dave smirked. 

"His name's Hershel," Rick said. "He lost people today, a lot of them."

"I'm truly sorry to hear that," Dave said solemnly. "To better days and new friends. And to our dead-- may they be in a better place."

Tony looked at me in a way that made me shiver, "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Ryan," I snarled. "And I'm generally a nice person, but call me 'sweetie' again and I will slit your throat." Tony held his hands up in mock surrender. 

I noticed Rick staring at Dave's behind. There was a handgun in his belt. 

"Not bad, huh?" Dave took the gun out in a non-threatening way. "I got it off a cop." 

"I'm a cop," Rick said. 

"This one was already dead," Dave defended himself. 

"You fellas are a long way from Philadelphia," Rick pointed out. 

"It feels like we're a long way from anywhere," Dave said. 

"Well, what drove you south?" I asked. 

"Well, I can tell you it wasn't the weather," Dave joked. "I must've dropped thirty pounds in sweat alone down here."

"I wish," Tony muttered.

"No, first it was DC," Dave said. "I heard there might be some kind of refugee camp, but the roads were so jammed, we never even got close. We decided to get off the highway, into the sticks, keep hauling ass. Every group we came across had a new rumor about a way out of this thing."

"One guy told us there was the coast guard sitting in the gulf, sending ferries to the islands," Tony told us. 

"The latest was a rail yard in Montgomery running trains to the middle of the country-- Kansas, Nebraska," Dave added. 

"Nebraska?" Glenn queried. 

"Low population, lots of guns," Tony shrugged. 

"Kinda makes sense," Glenn nodded.

"Ever been to Nebraska, kid?" Dave asked Glenn. "A reason they call 'em 'flyover states'. How about you guys?"

"Fort Benning, eventually," Rick responded. 

"I hate to piss in your cornflakes, Officer, but... we ran across a grunt who was stationed at Benning," Dave started. "He said the place was overrun by lamebrains."

"Wait, Fort Benning is gone?" Glenn asked in shock. "Are you for real?"

"Sadly, I am," Dave nodded. "Oddly, the truth is there is no way out of this mess. Just keep going from one pipe dream to the next, praying one of these mindless freaks doesn't grab a hold of you when you sleep."