Zero

Chapter 10: Bird Brains

"Alexis" I hear a voice call. I hear yelling all around me. Far away, too far to tell what the yelling is about. "Alexis, snap out of it!" I feel an earthquake, my body shaking forwards and back. Maybe that's what the yelling is about.

I blink back into reality, slowly coming to terms with it - as if my 'episode' wasn't reality at all, just a dream. It is upon opening my eyes, that I realize that the 'earthquake' was really just Mike, shaking me in a panicked worry. I couldn't help but notice how his grey shirt stuck to him with the help of sweat. His blue eyes were wide and wild, almost scary. I almost laughed at the freckles that dotted across the middle of his face - remembering a time when we were kids and he insulted my freckles. Mike is able to sigh a breath of relief, before someone bursts into the room - causing me to jolt in a painful way.

As I let out a hiss of pain, the Punk-Barbie who just bursted in begins talking in an annoyed tone with Mike. I ignore them, and try to stand - if I can't walk, I'm no good in the apocalypse.

Once I'm standing (which takes much longer than it probably should, and causes even more pain in my leg), I tune back into their conversation. Something about people. A truck. Zero.

"Like who the fuck is this Zero chick?" The girl's tattooed arms fly about in an annoyed gesture and her bobbed hair shakes with her head, "I'm pretty sure she's dead by now, based on how they described her. You should have heard them 'she took out a whole horde, she should have made it here, blah blah blah, Zero this, our guide that' it was annoying as hell. And then when I told them that we haven't seen her - well this one chick she got all angry and-"

"Where are they?" I question, thankfully cutting of the female (who's hair reminds me of pink cotton candy).

She looks me up and down, "The hell are you?"

I glare at her, already knowing that I'm going to enjoy the day she gets bit, "Name's Zero."

Mike looks at me questioningly, "You go by Zero now?"

I shrug, "Seemed fitting at the time."

"Whatever. Mike, just take this bitch to her friends - get them to shut up."

"Phoenix!" Mike chastises, trying to get this chick to not be such a pain.

It doesn't work, "Hurry up, would you. Pretty soon they're gonna camp out at the gate or something. I'm not sharing any of the supplies."

"Hey! Bird-brain" I call getting the woman's attention, "I'm going to punch you if you don't shut up."

"Yeah okay cripple." Her statement is heavily punctuated by a swift punch to the jaw - which causes her hands to fly to her face, and her feet to move backwards and all the way out the door.

"So, those stories about you killing hordes?"

"Partially true" I state, crossing my arms, and leaning my weight on my unhurt leg. To be honest, I kinda feel like complete crap right now.

He looks at me questioningly, "And yet I find you half-dead in a truck, in the middle of nowhere, shot."

I nod, "Sounds about right."

"You're something."

"Sure - now are we going to go see what the commotion is about? Or are we just going to stand here like idiots?"

Mike rolls his eyes, before offering an arm out to me. I laugh at myself - and my sorry state - before gripping onto his arm and using him as my own personal crutch as we walk out of - what I assume to be - the med center.

I hobble out of the med center, Mike as my crutch, "So, where are we going?"

A small grin tugs at his lips at my question, "Front gates. Did you not hear anything Phoenix said?"

A pained grunt escapes my lips as I continue stumbling around, "Just the parts where she questioned my existence and insulted me."

"You never listen to-" Mike is cut off by the sounds of people yelling.

I strain my eyes to look over at a fence. My eyes quickly find the truck, and the people I've been - sort of but not really - leading around. Hands are on weapons and eyes are wide with panic.

In that moment, I understand what it's like to be a dog.

Adrenaline surges within me, at the thought of my people being hurt, and before I know it, I've grabbed Mike's handgun from his pants, aiming it at a scruffy guy with a shotgun raised at Addy.

I walk, without the aid of Mike. I can't help but thank the lovely adrenaline gods for their gracious gift. "Hey, you, cretinous man-child!"

My shout earns me quite a few looks. Some from Mike's men around me - questioning, confused. Some from my people - relieved, confused. Most importantly, one from the man-child holding the gun.

I raise the gun in my hand, pointing it at his head, "Good. I've got your attention, now, could you please put your gun aside before I kindly blow a hole in your fucking brain?" Then I think about it, an lower my gun a little, this time aiming directly for his dick, "How does that sound?"

"Who the hell are you?" he questions, eyes wide. It's a good thing he wore the brown pants today, 'cause I think he just used them.

I turn off the safety, glaring at the man who still has his gun raised, "I'm the greatest thing you'll ever see, possibly even the last."

A hand rests on my shoulder, and I can hear Mike's voice in my ear, "Lex. Let me deal with this - these are my people." His voice is soft, convincing.

I tighten the grip on the gun, "Then make him put his gun down before he become truly brainless."

"Grey, put your gun down. It's fine - these people are friends. Let them in." Mike speaks, voice loud, commanding. I can't help but watch in amazement as the people actually do what he says.

"Zero!" I hear Addy call, and before I know it she's standing in front of me, staring me down. "Damn. What happened?"

"Nothing much." I say with a shrug, only for Mike to interject.

"I found her almost dead in a truck, in the middle of nowhere."

I roll my eyes, "He's making this sound more serious than it should be. Now, onto other important matters...Mike, where's the food?"

"Chill out for a moment Al...Zero. Zero." He stutters, before looking at me for approval. I nod at him, just wanting to get whatever it is done and over with so that I can eat.

"Zero." He says again, and I just look up at him in confusion. His gaze is down, so I look down and am greeted with blood soaking through the bandage on my leg.

"Shit" I'm able to say, as the pain catches up with me and my leg kicks out, leaving me on the ground.

/// I hope you weren't bored by this short chapter. Zero/Alexis is starting to get attached -even though she's only known them for a short while. Some drama with Mike is coming up (but don't' worry too much, it shouldn't affect the story...too much).  Please comment and/or vote or even follow me on Instagram for more updates and little pictures of my life (I'm the_fumble_bee on there). I apologize for any typos or grammatical errors - my rough drafts are sometimes abhorred things.

Till next time, Bee ///