River thought for a moment and tried to think if the forest was damaged. "I don't believe the forest was hit. I'm not completely sure. Even if it was, Texas would be far closer from there than here." she went behind the counter again and found a small pocket knife. "I think it would be smart to check the town a little for extra supplies. There's more of us so food and water will not last as long." River was trying to think in everyone's best interest as Leanne ate the meal at the table.

Marcus was still trying to figure out what happened there in the alley. Why did he use a flamethrower on one infected when he clearly saw i could've handled him with my knife? He thought to himself. He hadn't said a word since Jace poped out that alley. Not wanting to show his cards and what he personnaly was there for, Marcus had his poker face on. He liked the idea that River had. "You are right River, we should look around to see if there is anything we could use". Without even waiting for a respond he stepped outside, put his hat back on and stood there looking at the sky.

The sky was so bright not even a cloud was showing up. Malus was looking up wondering what he would need to finally put together his master plan. Scavenging every inch of the small village he was in, he grabbed everything he felt could be of good use and took everything to his church. So that day he was scavenging an old farmer's house. As he approached the house as stealthy as he always was, he heard a sound coming from the house.

He tried to look through a window but they were all so dirty that he couldn't see anything inside. So he tried to figure out where the sound was coming from and decided to enter the house by climbing up the side of the house to get through a window on the second floor. Once in, Malus made each step count, he went really slow not to make any sound. He got to the stairs and begun going down just as a dog ran straight out. "It is a damn stupid dog. I should just kill him for dinner tonight. He is lucky!". So he began searching the house but didn't find anything of value to him. Only one door was closed and locked. All the house was dirty but not that door, as if someone cleaned it recently.

"Then its settled, we will leave after we search the town a little. We should go in partners, its still dangerous and if one of us gets pulled we will need someone. Call out if you need help and do go to far away from the other group." River started announcing. She wasn't much of a leader, but she was starting to really step up. She looked at the group of people and her sister as she looked at her.

---

Leanne thought it would be a perfect time to talk to Marcus. She hadn't seen him since he left for the military. "I will go with Marcus. Give us time to catch up." she said getting up. Leanne was wobbly at first but quickly got her balance. Shooting a quick glance at Marcus she put her hand on River's shoulder. "Be safe sis." Leanne said softly as she walked out the door.

Marcus was getting impatient, he hated to stay still for a long period of time. "Come on Leanne, we have no time to waste. Let's all be back here by sunset."

Just as Leanne was catching up to him, he turned around and looked her straight in the eyes and asked her right away, "What happened to you Leanne, you look so messed up!?" He saw in her eyes she was not the same girl he last saw before joining the army. He was wondering even more so since he saw how her little sister, River, had become such a strong girl.

Leanne looked up at him. She didn't want to tell anyone what happened before the bombs hit, so she came up with a lie. "When the bombs began to fall here, I found the closest shelter. The bar was the only place that wasn't getting hit or had people inside. So I hid there. I've been there since." she avoided eye contact with him and started to walk ahead. Leanne knew that her sister would see through her lie but hopefully Marcus wouldn't.

"I thought I was going to die, so I drank a bit to pass the time." Leanne made her lie grow even bigger and hoped when he found out the truth, it wouldn't change their relationship. She still had a slight crush on him and didn't want to show that either. "What about you? What have you been up to this whole time?"

---

River looked at the door then over at Jace. "Guess that means we have to stick together. We can either go out the back and search the buildings that way or through the front and go down the street. It's up to you." she grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder and walked over to him, awaiting his decision.

Marcus learned pretty quickly how to read people's faces, he needed to since he put his life in the hands of his squad. So when Leanne was telling him her story, he knew something was wrong about it but did not bother to ask why. He didn't feel like it was the right time or place. Thinking about his past, Marcus did not want to answer her question at all, he made it short and sweet. "Oh well, I learned how to kill and survive and I was good at it."

Marcus stopped in front of a building, looking through the window, trying to see if anyone was in it. "Wait here Leanne, I will go clear the building and I will call you up when it is." He went in and started clearing out each room in a very methodic way. It was not the first time he did that, he was in a special operations squad in the army which led him to do a lot of infiltration. Once the building was clear, he shouted to Leanne. "Come in, it's safe!"

Leanne rolled her eyes, she had walked in shortly after he had. She didn't want to wait outside for him to be a "gentleman". If she was gonna get attacked, she was going to. "I'm right behind you. and that wasn't a very good answer. Learned to kill and survive? Really?" Leanne passed him and held her pocket knife out and the flashlight, River snuck into her back pocket, out to light her way.

Looking around she saw mostly ruined building pieces or crumbled granite from counter tops. "Am I going to get a real answer or is that what I'm getting left with?" she asked, sticking out her hip slightly, looking back at him. Leanne just wanted him to cut the crap and tell her what happened to him.

Marcus just ignored her, he knew how stubborn she was. "You are not doing this, don't boss me around Leanne. I'm not a little boy anymore. I see you might need me way more than I need you. It's over following you around. It's time to wake up and realize the world you were in doesn't exist no more." He knew how rude he was to her but he needed to if he wanted her to stay alive. "And how can you blame me for answering like that, I know you lied too."

Marcus stopped searching and went to her. When he got behind her, he put a hand on her shoulder. "Look at me Leanne. It's ok now, you are not alone anymore. Stop hiding from yourself and everybody else. Look at River, she found you all by herself. You need to be the bigger sister and be good to her for once in your life. Your life depends on it."

Marcus was maybe a strong guy but deep inside he was always that sweet, loveable guy who just wanted to help everyone, and that is the reason in the first place he joined the army. He wanted to make a difference in the war to try and put an end to all of this. The war did not go the way he saw it, that is for sure but he still believed he could get through all of this. He just needed people with him he could trust. After finding Leanne and River, he knew he found what he was searching for.

Leanne began to become defensive and mad at him. "You know exactly what the hell happened to me. Don't act like you don't know. When River left I lost everything." When she felt his hand on her shoulder she turned around and decked him. "Who's hiding. I am who I am! River and I know where each other are all the time. We have a freaking twin like connection. I wanted to lose it when we were kids."

Leanne walked down a hall looking around. "Why are you even here? Just to insult me or because of her?" she shook her head, still upset at him. He saw through her lies so now she didn't even want to talk. She would stop talking to him. If she didn't speak, he wouldn't have anything to put against her or tell her sister.

Marcus was not good with girls, he always got in trouble with them even though he tried to be a good man for them. "I came back to see what was left of our place. I was alone and did not know where to go. I needed to see if the people I always cared about were still alive, so finding you in this situation breaks my heart. I want to help you and your sister get through this. I'm not leaving you girls ever again, I promise that." He kept looking around and found a can of her favorite food. "Here Leanne, have it. I want to show you that I'm here for you. You'll never be alone." Marcus gave Leanne the can with the most adorable smile he could do and went out the house, done searching it. As he got out of the house, Marcus looked back at her. "I don't want to lie to you about why I am back here but I just don't feel like it is the time or place. I promise I will tell you but for now you just need to trust me please."

Leanne scoffed and put the can on a tilted desk. She didn't want any help, she just wanted her sister safe. Screw the world as long as River was fine. "Look, this tough guy, sweet act needs to stop. We don't need your help. We got this far on our own. Hell, River traveled here on here own. The only thing you're going to do is get one of us hurt." Leanne's tone was full of sass and disdain, even if she didn't mean it. She wanted to protect River from everything, keep her safe. If Marcus was going to stand in the way of that, Leanne wasn't going to hesitate to kill him. She would without a second thought.

She grabbed a few things then walked out of the building toward another one. Leanne just wanted to finish searching buildings and stay with River. "Why did I even leave her?" she muttered to herself. She should've asked to pair up with River. Then at least she would've been able to have a nice conversation that didn't involve insults or wanting to shoot people. "Keep your trap shut for the rest of the time we scavenge? That would be a blessing. I don't need any of your promises. Not one." Leanne looked at him then turned abruptly to another door, walking inside the seemingly untouched house.

Marcus stood there, in the middle of the street, stunned at how cold and mean Leanne was. He tried to figure out why she had that aggressive mood. Did she forget about their long friendship they had together? So he sat there, crossed in legs, removed his backpack and placed it beside him so he could take out his bottle of water. He removed his hat and took a little sip. He waited there for Lea to come back out, he thought to himself, still that cold, stern, and heartless girl I grew up with eh? He heard loud noises from inside the house. "Everything is alright in there!?" He shouted to Lea, before taking another sip of water.

Leanne scoffed and didn't answer him. She refused to talk to him at all. She just continued through the house, knocking stuff over as she went and not thinking much of it. As she continued she was reckless and caused a glass vase to fall and shatter against the ground. Leanne jumped at the sound then realized she caused it.

Behind her there was another sound. One of those things was walking toward her without her knowing it. Lea sighed and turned to look through the house more. When she turned the thing went to lunge at her. Quickly she took her knife and shoved it into its throat. "Shit..." she shouted as she backed away from it. "Not this house!" Lea shouted out to Marcus and ran out.

Dmitri looked around as he heard voices nearby, searching around an empty house for supplies. He sniffed once, the smell of death and depression filling his nose. He took his baseball bat out, spotting a male with his back turned to him. He hid against a wall and peeked out a window, trying to find the second voice. He pulled up his red bandana over his mouth and nose before walking to where he heard somewhere enter the same house he was in. He then grabbed an empty glass bottle to try and make a distraction if necessary.

As Marcus got up really slowly putting is bottle of water back in his backpack, he saw Lea ran out and started laughing is ass off. "Oh my god, seeing you run out like that made me remember those times we used to prank that old lady on our street! Hahahaha Remember?" Marcus looked at Leanne and realised something might happened in there. "Are you ok Lea?" Marcus turned around to offer is bottle of water to Leanne. "Here take some"

Leanne hopped out the door with a bit of blood on her hand and on her knife. "See, I can take care of myself." she said, still in shock. What the hell were those things? And why were they in houses? "Do you know what those things are?" Lea asked a bit confused.

Marcus looked at Leanne and how scared she seemed. In a soft, reassuring voice, Marcus answered: "Sadly, yes I know oh too well what they are. It is the reaction of being exposed to the chemicals in the bombs, but the good thing is that the chemicals do not stay airborn for very long, we just need to watch what we eat." Marcus got his hand in one of his pocket and showed Leanne a small booklet that the army issued where it explained how the bombs worked and what they did to living things.

Leanne rolled her eyes and tossed the booklet back. "That wasn't just chemicals. Why would the army tell you what they used to kill the world." Lea walked away from him, back the way they came, and shook her head. If there were more of those things she would need a gun. And she knew just the place to get one.

Marcus followed behind her, keeping a good distance between them. He gave up at this point to try to talk to her. He knew he had to talk to River about Leanne to try and figure out what is going on with her. He kept his hand over the knife holder on his belt just in case he had to pull it out. He walked slowly watching all around them making sure it is safe. He recognized some of the old buildings he grew up around. They even passed in front of the elementary school they used to go together, it looked like such a wasteland.