I won't let you give up

Ch. 2

Get yourself together, Parker.

He swiped angrily at the wetness cooling his skin.

Get out of here and be useful. No time for feelings.

Then again, when was it ever?

If he could have it his way, he would never have to deal with emotions again.

Wouldn't have panic attacks from just being near guns.

Wouldn't hesitate to kill infecteds.

Sometimes he hated being able to feel.

It made everything ten times worse.

Especially when the infected were children.

He had had to kill them before.

Little ones, almost babies, whose skin was rotting and falling off.

Those would never leave his mind.

He picked his way carefully through the debris, holding his machete close, listening intently for noise of infecteds.

There was one down the alley next to him, but its attention was on the bloody carcass on the ground.

His stomach twisted, and he hurried onward.

Just go.

Don't think.

Just go.

As he approached the store, faint footsteps came from it, along with light breathing.

That doesn't sound like a walker.

The infected were always dragging their feet, and their breathing was rough, and raspy.

"Hello?" Peter stepped back as he caught sight of a woman in the doorway.

Her hair was red-blonde, and her eyes were narrowed, and distrustful.

"Who are you?"

Peter blinked. "I could ask you the same thing. You're like the only non-walker I've seen in months."

Her stance relaxed somewhat. "You're not infected?"

Peter glanced behind her. "Nope."

If there was someone else with her, or if she didn't have great intentions, he needed to keep his guard up.

She obviously noticed. "Kid, I'm alone, okay? My group is several blocks from here. I'm just scouting for food."

Peter sheathed his machete slowly. "Me too. Alone, that is. And searching for food."

She tilted her head to the side. "You live around here?"

He didn't answer that. "What's your name?"

Something flashed in her eyes. "Natasha. Natasha Romanova."

He gave her a slight smile, just the barest twitch of his lips. "Alright then, Ms Romanova. Enjoy yourself. And stay away from me."

He was several feet away when she spoke again.

"What's yours?"

He turned to see her in the same place, hands in her pockets.

"Peter," he said quietly. "Peter Parker."

A flash of something- recognition- flared in her eyes, and then it was gone.

"Cool. See ya round, kid."

He watched her trace her way around the corner until she was gone.

That was weird.

So imma do short chapters and quicker updates instead of longer chapters and a while between them.