PARADOX ↦ ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

38

The sound of the gun rang through the air.

Shiro sighed as he cocked the gun. He needed to get better at his shooting. He wasn't sure how many walkers he had missed the day of the Galra camp had fallen. He just knew that he needed to get better. He raised the gun again, closing his left eye as he kept it still, aiming for the red paint in the center of the circle. He kept his arms relaxed. If they were stiff, they could be injured with the gun's recoil.

He pulled the trigger, the bullet flying through the air and hitting just outside the target. Shiro then let his arm fall, holding the gun as he opened it to reload. He then let out a small sigh of annoyance. He needed to be ready for anything, the team would be leaving to the Galra camp soon.

"You know if you keep both eyes open, you could see straight down the line of fire." A voice stated from behind him, her arms behind her back as she held up the little girl. "When you only have one open, you can only see from that certain angle. It depends on your vision."

Shiro turned around to see Allura, her hair pulled back and Gea holding onto her shoulders as her boots crunched in the light snow. Both wore coats that were slightly big on them and a little dirty, but kept they them warm in the chilly weather. He felt a warm smile sneak to his face when he saw the two girls approach. Once the young man had gotten close to Allura, spending more time with her, Gea warmed up to him. She was alone and didn't have her parents, and with Rick dead, she only had Allura that she could call family. That changed when she met Shiro.

The little girl smiled and slowly slid from Allura's arms, landing on the ground. She was extremely skinny, her skin sticking to her body like thin elastic. Her dark hair stringy, some already missing in patches toward the front.

Shiro smiled and knelt down as she approached him with a smile. He felt her arms wrap around him in a hug. "Hey sweetheart..." He greeted and looked at her. "How are you?"

"Good!" Gea spoke in an upbeat tone, looking down at the snow. "Lura said you would be out here."

Shiro smiled and looked up at Allura, who watched them with a happy smile. "Did she now? She must be a pshycic." He chuckled and the girl laughed.

"Yeah! Like a superhero!" Gea exclaimed before her eyes scanned towards an empty patch of grass not far away, sitting in the middle, she saw a dandelion, wilted, but the yellow still prominent. She quickly pointed at it and looked at Shiro, as if she was asking him if she could see it.

Shiro nodded with a smile. "Go on!" He urged, watching her as she turned to run towards the circle not covered by snow a few feet away.

Shiro slowly stood as she did, his gaze going from happy to rather disappointed and sad. He didn't turn as he heard Allura's footsteps, then felt her arm around him. He returned the gesture and never moved his eyes from Gea, his own arm wrapping around the young woman.

"How much time did they say she had left?" He asked after a moment of silence, the girl ahead unable to hear the two as she studied the dandelion. She was afraid to pick it, in fear of it dying afterward.

"A few weeks at most." Allura responded, staying close to him. "They can see it in her side as it grows, but the coat hides it. That's something we can hope no one else will notice. We aren't like the Galra, but sometimes things need to be done in order to ensure others survival."

"They aren't going to do anything to her..." Shiro assured her. "Not when I'm alive at least."

Allura frowned softly at his answer, her gaze staying on the girl. She wished she wasn't in her current situation. The doctor residing in their camp never had the technology to remove a tumor, let alone detect one at an early state. They just had to hope she would not attain one, or that it was not cancerous. Unfortunately, the symptoms were too serious that they could not be anything else.

"I know." Allura spoke as she watched Gea slowly take the flower from the ground, careful to pick it up. "I know."

She then let go of Shiro, kneeling down as the girl ran towards them. She plastered a fake but large smile on her face as Gea came back. She watched Shiro do the same, welcoming the girl back to them.

"Look!" She cheered as she held the dandelion up to them. "It's still alive!" Gea's voice was more than happy, her tone innocent, oblivious to the ticking clock as it slowly ran closer to zero.

"It's beautiful Gea!" Allura complimented as Shiro nodded.

"Yeah..." Shiro agreed before he gently took the dandelion from her hands, placing the stem on the bridge of her ear. He tucked it back with her hair as the blossom of the weed poked out next to her eyes. Gea giggled, staying with them before the sound of a dog barking was heard, a truck's engine not far behind. Lance at the wheel.

The three turned their attention towards the incoming truck, the dog running alongside. The vehicle stopped when it remained a few feet away. Keith hopping out from the truckbed and walking towards them. His rifle was slung over his shoulder, hands in the large brown coat pockets. Rover walked with him but stopped a few feet after, not wanting to be too far from Pidge.

Keith gave a warm smile to the girls and added a small wave, before he looked at Shiro. "We've got the truck set, Lotor and the girls are at the gate, ready to go."

Shiro nodded. "Alright, let's head, we need the head start before night. There's no horses right?"

Keith shook his head. "We didn't want to risk the possibility of not having a fast getaway, let alone a ride back. Coran and Elia gave us access to their gas supply. Should have enough to go there and back."

"Good." Shiro spoke as he looked at Gea, who now sat on Allura's hip. He smiled and gave the little girl a hug, looking at Allura. He gave nothing more than a small salute and a wink. "I'll see you later princess?"

Allura smiled softly, walking with them as they go to the truck, Keith climbing in back. "You better come back." She chuckled.

"Promise?" Gea shouted after him, wanting him to make sure he will come back.

Shiro got in the passenger seat, standing on the edge for a moment to look at them. "I promise." He spoke before he closed the door, the truck starting again before starting to drive along the beaten path. Allura and Gea waved as they left, watching the truck head into the distance.

It took a few minutes to get to the front gate, Lotor standing outside the truck he and his team would have. Hunk was with them, standing next to Narti. He let his eyes land on the truck in the distance, seeing the dog run alongside it. He glanced at Narti and spoke to her, helping her up into the truckbed moments later.

Lotor opened the door to the driver's seat; the smell of smoke came from the cigarette in between his lips as he waited. Ezor and Acxa climbing into the truck to join them as well.

Lance brought his truck to a halt as Pidge dropped the back barrier, Rover hopping up into the metal bed with her, Keith sitting next to them both.

Shiro looked at Lotor before he gave the signal to head out, a simple nod.

Lotor nodded before he removed the cigarette, throwing it to the ground. He then stepped on it, digging it into the ground to destroy the flame left in it before he climbed into the vehicle to head out.

They were about to become the cigarettes.