Marcus awoke after spending a night inside a gas station. He sat up on his sleeping bag and let out a yawn before looking around. This was a safe enough place for him to stay for the nice. He blocked up the main doors and the one in the back. The windows would be fine if he didn't move around much. He started his day off by opening up a can of some kind of soup and began to eat. He was down to his last two cans of soup, and had about one bottle of water left. He just sighed a little and shrugged his shoulders. Marcus would have to pick another place dry to find some food and water. As the days went on though it got harder and harder to find food. Once he was finished with his meal he yawned again and got up and rolled his sleeping back up. He grabbed that and his backpack throwing them over his shoulder with his rifle swung over his other shoulder. "Well I suppose I better get moving. I need some more supplies. I should of started looking a few days ago." He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders moving over to the doors.

He started moving everything out of the way he used to block up the door. It was just a bunch of shelves and chairs. Once they were out of the way he reached for the door and pushed it open. He peeked his head out and took a good look around. "Hmmm it looks all clear." Marcus stepped outside the sun hitting him in the face. It was a hot day, but it was the middle of the summer and it was close to noon. The gas station was in the middle of no where on the side of a high way. Marcus headed out south away from the big city. He came from there and that place was a hell hole. He barely made it out of that alive. He reached up and rubbed his forehead before speaking. "Damn it. It's hot today...just like yesterday and the day before that, and the day before that...and well yeah." He rolled his eyes and chuckled a little bit. "I really need to find a group or something. I'll go insane if I have to keep talking to myself." He said before taking another look around making sure there wasn't any of the face munchers out there. That's what he called them, face munches his own little nickname for them.

Far From Home by Five Finger Death Punch

Another day in this carnival of souls
Another night settles in as quickly as it goes
The memories of shadows, ink on the page
And I can't seem to find my way home

And it's almost like
Your heaven's trying everything
Your heaven's trying everything
To keep me out

All the places I've been and things I've seen
A million stories that made up a million shattered dreams
The faces of people I'll never see again
And I can't seem to find my way home

Cause it's almost like
Your heaven's trying everything to break me down
Cause it's almost like
Your heaven's trying everything to keep me out
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alexandria

I sang along to one of my most favorite songs that I could think of. Music used to make life seem so simple, and yet nowawdays it just reminded me of the things I have lost or never did possess. We had started early this morning, Missy Bleu and I. It wasn't much of a day to smile upon for there were dark clouds cast in the sky. It never failed to cross my mind how much I missed civilization till I began thinking of my best friend back before the outbreak, when we would hang out and talk for hours on end about absolutely nothing yet feel like we covered so much in the time passed. Missy's growl beside me grew loud enough I could hear it over the music.. I had to slow the truck down a bit and really focus on the road. There was nothing but a few empty cars and a couple of straggling walkers shuffling about, a couple even so daring as to look our way and begin to journey over. I shook my head and pushed my foot down on the gas, driving straight passed them all, taking one out with the side mirror with few loud thumps following as it smacked against the side of the truck.

Pulling a turn around a corner, I pass below a freeway overpass and slow the truck down to a complete stop when I come in sight of a gas station. My eyebrows narrow and head tilts slightly, looking over at Missy. "Whadya say, Miss Thang'? Should we see what we can find.. with our luck?" She barked in response, and of course I always took her answers as my own. A definite yes. I let out a heavy sigh and grabbed my crossbow from the back of the seat, setting it in my lap with about 6 bows strapped to it's side and 6 on my back. I crept the truck up to the corner and got out real slow, crossbow in hand and aimed up-- ready for just about anything. I heard Missy climb over the seats and jump down beside me, stopping just at my side like I'd taught her as to not run off without me in this hectic world we were now living in. I pocketed my keys and shut my door as I slowly made my way to the back to check the back door of the gas station store, seeing that the front was barred shut somehow. "Hope there's just a couple of walkers in there.. aint wantin' to get in a gun fight with no one.. especially without a gun." I shook my head and whispered softly to myself, "No bueno."

Marcus was up the road away's when he thought he heard something behind him. A car? He turned his head to look over his shoulder to see the truck pulling up at the gas station and some one getting out. He hid some where and grabbed his rifle looking through the scope. It was a girl and her dog but was there anyone else he thought to himself. Was she really alone or did she have more with her in that truck for following behind. He gave it a few moments before slinging his rifle over his shoulder and standing up. He had a choice to make, keep walking or go and see if this stranger was friendly. He didn't have much on him and he couldn't afford to loose it all. Marcus also knew he was out numbered that girl had a dog on her. Mostly likely that dog was more then just a pet, a partner to help her out of bad bind with face munchers or people trying to steal her shit. He looked back down the road where he was headed. "Well...If I keep going this way she'll catch up to me some time." He sighed and looked back down at the gas station. "Well...Let's see what will happen."

Marcus started walking down to the gas station. He didn't try to hide his weapons nor did he pull them out, being honest not stupid. Once he got closer to the gas station he put his hands in the air and stood there. He was close enough way that she could hear him if he yelled and far enough away that she couldn't get the jump on him. Push if she tried shooting at him he could take cover from behind a car. He looked around to make sure they were alone. No face munchers in sight, that's good he thought. He then sighed and called down to the girl. "Hey! You aren't gonna find anything in there. It's been picked dry, I should know I spent the night in there." He called down to her and took a look around yet again making sure he didn't attract any attention, even looking behind him to make sure he was clear and as far as he could see he was.

Alexandria

I could hear shuffling coming from the back, a low moan sounding off as well and I didn't need to walk around the building to figure out there was a walker back behind the store. I sighed and instead walked up to the front door and noticed it wasn't completely closed up but that it was slightly opened up. I glanced around me to see if there were any walkers headed our way, nothing. Looking down at Missy Bleu mumbling, "'Kay girl, scout out." I smirked as she got up from the ground and shoot out her fur and watched as dirt flew in every direction possible, then padded off to do as I had asked. "Good girl," I called after her then looked back at the door, narrowing my eyebrows. "Alright.. here goes nothin.." I set my crossbow down and take a deep breath, running up on the door and ramming my shoulder into it, pushing some of the stuff behind the door aside.

"Fuck.." I grit my teeth and rub my shoulder, about to take a step inside when I hear a masculine voice behind me causing me to jump a bit and whip around. I bend down and grab my crossbow out of pure reflex, training the cross hairs on the man's forehead and advancing slowly by the time he had finished speaking. I take a good look at him, noticing where his weapon is and that he neither has it in his hands nor is he reaching for it. "Better not take my chances.. been there before." I thought to myself. Missy was now at my side with her head low and teeth bared, the fur on her back and neck standing on end as she growls at the foreign man. "I don't see any reason that this can't be civil, but I've been screwed over by people I thought I could trust before. What makes you think I'm going to trust you so easily just because you have your hand off of your gun?" I keep my eyes trained on him just as Missy does beside me as well, my crossbow still up and aimed.

Marcus looked down at the girls dog then at her chuckling a little bit. "Why should you trust me? Seriously? I saw you before you even knew I was here. I have a rifle, I could of hid and taken both of you out and stole your shit. Piece of cake, but I didn't. I thought I'd try my luck. With that crossbow aimed and that dog on attack mode it sure seems like I made the wrong choice." Marcus shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest before taking a look around. Call him paranoid he hated staying in one spot for too long these days. Always moving and never stopping. He looked back at the girl still smirking a little bit. "Now I think you, your dog, and me can work together. I don't see the point in fighting now days. Everyone wants to kill each other for supplies. That's pointless, what we should be doing is working together. Something tells me we'd all live through this is we all just got along, sadly though that'll never happen with some people. So you have a few choices missy. You can pull that trigger on your crossbow, tell your attack dog to rip my throat out, just forget we ever saw each other and go our own ways, or we could partner up for a bit. I'll be honest I don't have much to offer when it comes to food and water but I'm able to defend myself. It's the reason I'm still alive....if that wasn't clear." He said with a small chuckle still looking at the girl. "So? What do you say?"

Alexandria

I listened to the guy speak, raising my eyebrow when he mentions how he had already seen me before we saw him. Beside me, Missy stops growling and tilts her head when he says 'missy', sitting down on her haunches and just watching the man. I sigh heavily and shake my head, slowly dropping my crossbow to my side. "You got a lot of nerve, telling me I'd have to shoot you AND send my dog after you. She's just for show. I'd see to it that the first and only shot I'd take would stick you right between your eyes." I stared him down for a few seconds longer before I slowly made my way over to him, my free hand on my pistol at my waist. Having a better, close up look at him he looked to have missed a few meals as I'm sure anyone still alive had since all this happened. I chewed on the inside of my lip lightly and decided I could act a little human to him, thinking to myself, "What's the worst that could happen?"-- "Name's Rogue." I pop open the door to my truck and set my crossbow in the backseat, calling Missy to me and having her jump up in the back seat as well. I shut the door and look over at the guy, brushing the bangs in my face straight back. Taking my glasses off slowly, I ask, "When's the last time you ate a decent meal?"

Marcus laughed a little bit and shook his head. "I never said you had to shoot me. Those were just the four choices. Shoot me, send fluffy after me, walk away from each other, or partner up for a bit. Seeing as you're the one with the weapon out I'd let you make the choice. Gentlemanly isn't it?" He said with a smirk before letting out a chuckle. "And I am sorry, your dog is just for show? Then I'll take your word for it, it's just the way she or he was showing me his or her teeth...well you can't blame me for thinking he or she wasn't an attack dog." Marcus stood still as she walked up to him, watching her closely with a small smile on his face. Once she gave him his name he simply nodded and gave her his name. "The names Marcus. Nice to meet you Rogue." Marcus looked around yet again as she walked over to her truck, just making sure there was nothing else around them and let the other times they were clear. Boy was this guy paranoid, how'd he even sleep at night?

Hearing her question he raised his eye brows and shrugged. "And decent meal? Easy! Long before this outbreak. A decent meal to me is when I visit family and they cook up a home cooked meal. Other then that'd I'd just eat fast food all the time." Marcus chuckled a little and shook his head. "No seriously though I had a can of soup this morning, it was cold but it filled me up." He smiled a bit before looking back at the city. "So did you come from there? If so isn't it just one giant shit hole. Damn I'm surprised I even made it out of there alive. Too bad it's picked clean." He sighed a little bit sinking his hands deep in his pockets."I was heading up the road, far away from that damn city. I wanted to come across a small town or something. I need to gather some more supplies. Water, food, ammo, some new clothes. Maybe some where clean to wash up." He looked over at the gas station and chuckled. "That bathroom...in there....wow. Not a pretty sight that's for sure."

Alexandria

He let out a chuckle, "I'm sorry, your dog is just for show? I'll take your word for it. It's just the way he or she was showing me it's teeth.-- You can't blame me for thinking it's wasn't an attack dog." I nod, adding quietly but enough for him to hear me-- "She is an ex police dog." I smirk and add, "Nothing too big and bad.." I laugh a little to myself, imagining her do her worst to him and almost smiling at the thought. I looked over at Missy in the car and thought, "Teach this smartass a lesson, huh girl?" Obviously I knew she couldn't hear my thoughts but it was entertaining to me in a way. The only way I knew how to entertain myself anymore. "The name's Marcus. Nice to meet you, Rogue." Marcus looked around yet again, I noticed as I walked over to my truck, probably looking for any walkers around. "I better not be picking up some 51/50 dude.. I don't wanna be the person to have to put the dog down behind the shed." I rubbed the back of my neck, sighing heavily as I bent down and looked at myself in the side mirror of my car. Zoning out on the scrapes, dirt and scars on my face I only caught him say "Did you come from there?--" and snapped out of my daze, popping up and followed his gaze towards the city. Blinking slowly, I just stared at the tall buildings and the intimidating dark clouds hanging over them. "I did in fact come from there, but I kept on the outside of the city because I've run into several cities that were overrun and didn't want to risk going into another one." I glanced back at Markus as he changed his glance as well, but ended up looking at the gas station and then he chuckled a little. "That bathroom...in there....wow. Not a pretty sight that's for sure." I smirked and shook my head, popping open my door to unlock the passenger door for him to get in. "Ha, good thing I've gotten used to no bathrooms-- though the thought of a porcelain toilet is heavenly.. maybe even just a simple outhouse." My eyes widened at a sudden thought and added quickly, "One that doesn't smell so damn bad." I pull myself up into my truck and shut the door, looking over at him through the passenger window as I roll it down. "Get in, and we can find a place to settle down for the night. I've got some men's clothes in the back in a bag.. might be able to fit into em. There's also a couple of flannel jackets back their too that were my father's. You can have one of them, if you need a jacket too."

Marcus walked up to the truck taking a look at it first then looking down the road. He smiled a little bit before looking into the passenger side door. "Well we still have a few hours to kill before night fall, and I don't think I'll be a fan of a flannel jacket in this heat." He chuckled and reached for the door opening up the door and climbing inside before shutting the door. He fixed his seat before looking over at Rogue. "Thanks for this by the way. Pretty rare to come across a decent human being now days. Last person I came across stabbed me in the shoulder and made off with a bunch of my stuff." Marcus chuckled and shook his head a little bit. "It hurt like hell...but oh well." He shrugged his shoulders and leaned on his door looking out in front of him. "So how much gas do you have left? If you don't have much I'm sure we can check every car we across for some...if some one hasn't gotten to them before else that is."

Alexandria

I nod, starting the truck and putting it in drive. "I've got enough gas to last me a good while. I made sure to stock up on it the other day when I came across a gas station that was practically untouched. Was quite the bitch to pump it all out though." I point up onto the dashboard and add, "There's a case of CDs up there.. just about every CD known to man in there, haha. If you wanna listen to something, I've got no problem with it... or if you'd like to talk, we can do that too. Whatever you feel comfortable doing." I flip a U-turn and drive in the direction away from the city. In the back seat, Missy reaches her big head over and sniffs at Markus's armpit, really pushing her nose in there. Pulling back quickly she sneezes as she shakes her head and shakes out her pelt, sitting back upright. I roll the window down on the driver's side back seat, Missy scooting straight over and sticking her big black head outside and lolling her tongue out like a typical dog.

Marcus smiled and went for the CD case flipping through it slowly looking at all the CD's. He searched until he stumbled upon one of his favorite bands. He pulled the CD out and stuck it into the CD player. "Avenged Sevenfold baby! It's the album with Shepherd of Fire! Hell yeah!" He chuckled and started to play the city. He smiled and leaned back in his seat. "Hell yeah, I haven't heard any music in such a long time. This...this is nice." He felt the dog sniffing him and chuckled a little bit. "Yeah...I bet I don't smell to good right now. It's hot out though...and that bathroom back at the gas station. No way in hell was I gonna wash up in that hell hole." Marcus looked over at Rogue and tilted his head a little bit. "So? We headed any where special? Some place you need to be? Or have you two been on the road jumping from place to place?"