The Wanderers [Old Version]

Chapter 29: We Love You

Nico's POV
I woke up and had to shield my eyes from the sunlight. The room I slept in had a large window facing the sunrise. Petra was still sound asleep across the room.
I walked into the other room and saw that Rain was still sleeping, and so was Bryn. Marc was also still sleeping the room he claimed.
I found a staircase that led to the roof and took it outside. Two trains sat idling in the back of the depot. A few boxes of ammo sat on the roof, a body holing an Old World sniper rifle laid next to it.
A sleeping bag and a small gas powered grill were sheltered from the years of weather by a small awning of the building. I took the pistol ammo that the body had and took the grill down the stairs.
I set it in the main room and took Bryn's bow to go for my morning hunt. I didn't want to use a gun, the sound could attract more fiends if they were in the area.
It was colder today. Much colder. Not cold enough that I could see my breath, but cold enough that my nose was getting red. I tugged my jacket around me tighter and pulled up my hood.
It must've been too cold for even the birds, because only two birds were in the sky.
I took the time to explore the area around our new hideout.
A purple and white hovercraft was parked near an Old World outlet center. The hovercraft wasn't running and looked like it had been there for years.
I stepped inside and was greeted by the smell of decay. Two pilots laid dead in the cockpit area and a passenger laid dead in the back, still gripping a shotgun.
Each body wore white pants and knee high black boots, just like fiends. They also all wore Old World military armor, that only fiend leaders seemed to wear.
The two pilots had rusting silver helmets on with a purple star painted on the top.
The passenger, who was clearly woman, had the tattered remnants of a white beanie on her head.
Fuck Kinareth was written in blood on the wall, lined with bullet holes.
I stepped back outside and noticed that the gas tank of the hovercraft had a hole in it. They must've had to make an emergency landing, where they were killed by whoever was here waiting for them.
Poor bastards.
I went on to check the stores in the outlet center. They had all been picked clean of pretty much everything, minus a few nails and what would've been cereal if the rats and cockroaches hadn't gotten to it before me.
A wine and beer store was the last building I checked.
In it, laid the body of a man in a bullet proof vest and a ski mask. Most of the bottles that weren't shot off the shelves, were laying empty by his side.
In a backpack by his side was a note and four Molotov cocktails, made with wine from the store.
The note read, "Fucking Zeke and his prick friends. We agreed from the beginning that we would just take over a plot of land, defend it, and live there with our families until we died. Cameron shot me in the leg and when I fell, Paul and Tony came and beat the shit out of my legs with their bats. I can't move my legs, they're broken. No way I'm gunna be able to walk out of here, but at least I have all this wine to keep me company. I hope those jackoffs have fun getting assfucked in Hell. If anyone finds this, don't trust Zeke or any of his friends. They talked about trying to steal guns from the police station down the road and then fortifying the Walmart with anyone they find that wants to help. Don't go near the Walmart. These aren't good men."
We already had a good amount of weapons, but if these guys wanted to fortify this Walmart place, it must've had something good in it.
And if they were trying to take on the police station, I bet their bodies would still be there.
From behind me I heard a few bottles fall off the shelf and shatter.
I readied an arrow.

Rain's POV
I woke up with a stiff neck and soreness in my legs and back. I was still holding Bryn's hand, she hadn't moved a bit over night, yet she continued to breathe, so I didn't worry too much about it.
I believed she would wake up.
I kissed her forehead and walked into the other room. Petra was sleeping with her legs in awkward positions, but she must have been comfortable that way. Nico was gone, but I so was his gear, so I assumed he had gone out hunting.
Marc slept in the room across the building. When I walked in, he was laying on his side, running his thumb across his sister's ring. When he saw me he quickly sat up and slipped the ring back on his finger. "Everything ok, Rain?"
"Yeah, just checking up on everyone."
He nodded and pointed behind me, "Has Bryn woken up yet?"
I shook my head. He closed his eyes and nodded, "She'll probably be ok."
"Probably? Way to have some hope."
"Sorry, I just...I don't hope much."
"Marc, I don't know you. I don't know a thing about your past, but without hope how do you go on? There's no point in trying to survive without hope in something."
"I put my faith in myself. My goal is personal. But who knows, I might eventually take a liking to you guys. You're all close."
"I see..."
Whatever Marc's goal really was, I didn't care much. He was helping us survive and that was good enough. If once he complete his goal, he never wanted to talk to us again, that was fine. What mattered is that he stays loyal to us and helps us survive.
Marc stood and grabbed a beanie out of his bag and put it. He slipped a coat on and put on his boots.
It then occurred to me that I was still shirtless. A cool draft blew through the building and gave me a chill.
Marc grabbed his gun, "Should we go out hunting?"
"No. Nico's probably hunting."
"Probably? You should have some hope in him." His eyes glistened, yet a smile never appeared on his face.