The Kids From Yesterday {Lahad}

[Rei Sonozaki]

She picked her way among the rubble as carefully as she could, long legs stepping gracefully between the fallen plaster and destroyed bricks that used to be at least recognizable as buildings. Now though, they were nothing but the elements from which they were created, mortar, cement, pummice; a mess, a fossil of a once great structure that no longer existed, and as long as war raged, as long as the virus was active, would never exist again.

She laid each foot down carefully, quietly, doing her best not to disturb any of the corpses littering the floor, doing her best not to make a sound. She didn't want to attract more of them than necessary, and she didn't want to disturb the bodies of the long deceased. However, even with the care she exhibited, she seemed to linger by each body a little longer than one normally would, even when treading cautiously, and should anyone have been close to her, they would have heard her say a quiet prayer, barely more audible than a whisper. It was all she could say to those departed, and hope they would not rise again.

Some obviously already had, their dishevelled clothing and bitten faces and necks a clear sign that they were, or had been, dead once. They had obviously been put back down at some point, rekilled, righting the natural disaster that was the virus. She knew from experience that a number of skirmishes had taken place in the area, and it wouldn't surprise her if many more would take place. She had even helped in some, doing her best to aid other humans in halting the tides of remorseless undead.

Sighing lightly, Rei looked about her, at the ruins of her former school, and remembered the sights and sounds of people playing, the sun streaming through windows, the babble of teachers. It was nostalgic, and it touched her deeply. She remembered being a child, remembered the fun of youth. Yet here, now, it was all different. It was as if that could never be experienced again. Maybe in future generations other people could grasp what she had once, hold onto the simple joys of being young, but not her. She was no longer a child, but an adult. She was the kid from yesterday, and today, she had to be someone, something else.

As she came to an opening in the corridors, an area where all the walls of the old school had been destroyed, she looked about her, large blue eyes sharp, missing nothing. At first, she registered nothing. But then, out of the corner of her eyes, a flicker of movement. Her hand instantly went to her back, long, slender fingers wrapping about the hilt of her smooth bokken. Concentrating on where the movement had been, she made a move toward it, readying herself for the possible onset of combat.

“Hello?” she called out, more a warning than anything else. Should there be no answer, she would attack whoever she came across, human or not. Safety first. If it was a human, she'd know soon enough. If it was an undead she would strike them down, and return them to their graves. She would not let them sully her old school, not let them prowl the halls that had once meant so much to so many.

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

A light wind blew, picking up dust from both the parched dirt, and the ruins of a once prosperous metropolitan area. The history of what the buildings once were was indiscernible, aside from a few low structures that still stood. The main streets of this particular area was littered with corpses, and far too dangerous for Lahad to traverse. He stuck to alleyways and high rubble piles, weaving his way over crushed brick and stone, through tangles of rusted re-bar, keeping a low profile so as not to draw attention to some of the corpses laying in wait. He had learned the dead's tactics over time, and had seen first hand the effectiveness of it. They would falsely present themselves as passed on, and strike when least expected, and because of this Lahad was always weary of bodies that seemed like they had recently been killed. Nothing but rubble and death was in this part of the city, but he never knew exactly what some of the still standing buildings hid. Perhaps some discarded ammunition? Maybe some who were able to avoid the dead whom walk? It was this curiosity that caused him to eye down a fairly large building from afar that still stood, and in the low hanging dust that was picked up, a shadowy figure slowly making it's way toward the building. Lahad grasped his shortened assault rifle tightly -- He could not tell from this distance whether it was a shambling corpse, or a careful human. He would have to make a break for the building it was heading for, and see for himself, as by this time it had already made its way to a broken section of wall. Lahad watched it enter before getting a good look around the outside of the building, and seeing nothing, sprinted down from the rubble pile he hid himself atop. Each footstep he took was muffled by leather soled footwear, but his overall weight caused some small chunks to break loose from the pile and tumble down, making enough of a ruckus to literally wake the dead in his opinion, though nothing stirred as he looked around after reaching the bottom. He pointed the assault rifle where he looked, holding it tightly against his shoulder, lowering it only slightly as he sprinted from his previous location across the dirt street and toward an alleyway to the side of the building the figure had approached. The Ruchnoy Protivotankovyy Granatomyot bounced on his back, being held loosely on him by an olive drab sling as he sprinted and made a sliding stop as quietly as possible to the alleyway.

Halting for a moment to catch his breath, heavily breathing through his nose, he peeked up through a window sill; the window long since shattered, pieces of glass littered the ground around the sill inside the room. The room was littered with rusted and rotten desks strewn about as if there was a commotion at some point within the room. He saw no movement, or bodies within the room, and so as quietly as he could, vaulted over the sill and into the room, his leather soles pressing down upon shattered glass and making it crack, letting out an audible noise that Lahad wanted nothing of. He took long strides to avoid any more shattered glass, his assault rifle held tightly at his hip, pointed downward until he needed it. He made his way to the entrance of the room, and peeked out the doorway, which had long since had it's door blown off it's hinges. Lahad caught, only for a moment, the movement of the figure in the hallway before pulling away and taking a deep breath, lifting his assault rifle to point at the ceiling. He decided he would not fire prematurely, if he heard an audible groan, it was one of the walking dead, if he heard a voice, he would know it was human. Lahad pushed off the side of the doorway he was on, and crossed the threshold of the door to the other side, not looking down the hallway where the figure was, he moved too quickly for him to get a good look. He pressed himself against the wall as closely as he could, the RPG still secured to his back made it difficult to be completely against the wall. There was a corner separating the hallways, and from the other side of the corner he heard a voice call out

"Hello?"

Lahad sighed a sigh of relief. The voice was human, definitely, but he was not sure if he heard correctly, it sounded feminine. Lahad peeked the corner with one eye, catching a good look at a young woman standing there, eyes alert, and more than likely spotting Lahad's little peek over the corner. Lahad pulled back and processed what he had seen, a young woman, in what looked like a short skirt, and shirt, armed with a long stick in the shape of a sword. Lahad was no stranger to swords, but he felt them unwieldy in such a situation as this, where if the dead were to get within melee range, it would be very bad. Lahad felt it would be good to respond, but not allow himself to be seen, lest the girl be a member of either North or South faction, or even a foolish 'zombie hunter'. Lahad took a moment before responding to the call out. "Faction?" He shouted over the corner, wondering what response they would have to such a question. He worked it out in his mind that he would bolt down the hallway if she responded either north or south, if she responded neither, he would reveal himself, rifle held above his head in a posture of good will.

[Rei Sonozaki]

“Faction?”

The other's voice rang out loud and clear, almost deafening in the quiet of the dull twilight. It made Rei freeze, and the grip she had on the hilt of her bokken only tightened. The question posed confirmed two things; one the person was a human, and two, they had the same survival instinct as she had. They wanted to make sure she was no walking dead. They wanted to make sure she wasn't about to turn on them due to differing allegiances. Luckily for them, and perhaps for her too if they were as wary as she, she was remarkably neutral in her political leanings. While she had a small preference to the Northern Factions due to their policies on P.O.W's and community care programs, both armies were as bad as each other. They all destroyed life unnecessarily. They all killed mercilessly.

She stepped towards the area the sound emanated from, still watching her feet on the gravel and rubble laced floor. Parts of old buildings were prone to falling away without warning, and the last thing she wanted was to end up lying face down in the dirt. Clearing her throat a little, coughing out some of the dust that she had breathed in, she prepared her answer to the afore asked question. “I am of no faction! And yourself?” Despite her knowing that this man was indeed a man, rather than a corpse, she moved wearily and spoke with caution. She knew not his intentions, and she had heard tales of scavengers roaming the wastelands, preying on single survivors, killing, stealing from and having their way with them as there was no longer any law to prevent such evil.

“Are you going to show yourself?!” She sounded more sure of herself when she spoke again, as if in the few feet she had covered she had become some how more bold. In truth, she had, as with every inch closer she got, the less distance she would need to cover later should this other, whom she figured was a man due to the tenor of his voice, prove to be hostile. If he was armed with a gun, or any projectile for that matter, she'd need to be almost standing next to him for her weapon to be of any use, and as she did not know if he was or wasn't, she did not like the idea of leaving her life and position to chance. Rei Sonozaki was a survivor, and she had not lived so by long taking foolish risks.

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

Lahad took quiet, careful breaths as he waited for a reply, listening closely for footsteps of either hers, or the ever-vigilant undead that would prowl quietly and pounce upon unsuspecting people. He heard nothing for a moment, save for a light howl of wind through the building. He clenched the forward grip of the assault rifle tightly, waiting for a reply, and sure enough it came in a positive answer. "I am of no faction! And yourself?" led Lahad to sigh a sigh of relief, lowering his assault rifle to his waist and letting it hang by it's sling from his shoulder. She identified herself as being of neither faction, this was good, Lahad did not want to have to waste his ammunition on a person who was overly zealous about their political disposition. He took a moment to think to himself, as to why a young woman, so seemingly unprepared would be here of all places. This moment passed all too quickly, his thoughts interrupted by the feminine voice calling out again, this time more sternly, as if she wanted to give the impression of intimidation. "Are you going to show yourself?!" It reminded Lahad of his plan, he quickly grasped his assault rifle, not by the pistol grip where the trigger was, but the horizontal forward grip, and held it above his head; the olive sling for the assault rifle hanging loosely around Lahad's neck. He did this before turning the corner, assault rifle still held high above his head, he wanted to show her that he was not in an aggressive position, even though the Ruchnoy Protivotankovyy Granatomyot still slung on his back was intimidating to say the least. Lahad held his free hand infront of him as he turned the corner, but after turning the corner, Lahad had come to a startling realization that the woman was not as far away from the corner as he had seen previously, and showed this in his eyes. She had moved so quietly he hadn't picked up any footsteps, even when he was so quiet. Commendable that she knew how to take care of herself like that, despite being overly under-armed for a place such as this.

Since he revealed himself, he took the time to look her up and down, still with a surprised look on his face. She definitely didn't have any other weapons than the long stick she carried, which she was gripping tightly. His eyes passed over her torn skirt before looking her right in the eyes, those hard blue eyes that made Lahad want to look away, even though he did not. He took a moment and a breath before replying to her, she was well within melee range since she covered the short distance, and could easily knock him unconscious with that weapon of hers and take everything he had. "Salaam..." Lahad stated plainly, though he held little hope she knew what the word meant, he quickly followed it up, "I have shown myself... I mean you no hurt..." Lahad should have brushed up on other languages other than his own, while he knew a good vocabulary of other languages and could get the jist of what he was saying across to whomever he was speaking to and vice versa, it was still hard to come up with some of the words on such short notice like this. He kept the rifle above his head, his arm starting to shake a little from the weight. It may have been lighter than a traditional assault rifle, but it was definitely loaded, and added quite a few pounds to its load making it difficult to hold in such an awkward position for any long period of time.

[Rei Sonozaki]

As Rei continued her approach to the corner of still standing wall she believed the male to be hiding behind, she was all too aware of his silence. He was far slower to answer her questions than she was his, and she wondered what it was he was thinking, what it was he was planning. Was he readying himself to leap out at her, pounce her seemingly defenceless self and beat her half to death? Or was he just trying to work out how easy it would be to shoot her, trying to guess the distance she was from him by the sound of her voice? No-one wanted to waste ammunition out here by misjudging the length between the gun and the target.

However, just as she'd been beginning to grow uneasy, wary of his lack of response, he stepped out of cover, taking her completely by surprise. Gasping a little, shock getting the better of her, she took a step back and dropped herself into a combat ready pose, holding her bokken almost horizontally to the ground, angled towards the newly revealed, now confirmed, man. Her blue eyes searched him, watching for any signs of threat, but after a good few seconds, she realized there was none. He held his gun high over his head, horizontal to the ground, and even if he'd wanted to he wouldn't be able to lower it, aim it and fire before she could strike.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened up, lowering the bokken slightly, although it was still not in a position one would call relaxed. She raised a questioning eyebrow, now taking a proper look over the other than she didn't think he was about to shoot her. He was tall, that was perhaps one of the first things she noticed, very tall. She was by no means short, standing a few inches taller than many in her class, but this man was nearly a head above her. He was made to seem even more gargantuan due to the large, anti-tank weapon on his back, which added width as well as height. However, despite his size, and despite the seeming strength he possessed, he had a nice face, open, and he looked well-meaning despite the variety of weapons he carried and the ragged clothes he wore.

As she was looking him up and down, she noted he was reciprocating the action, looking her up and down with equal interest. It made her uncomfortable, wondering exactly where it was he was staring, but she said nothing and made no effort to move. She was used to being admired, even despite her not being the happy go lucky girl so many men seemed to adore. Apparently assets and ripped skirts made up for that. Yet, in this case, she couldn't tell if he was admiring her or sizing her up. Either way, it actived the unease in her that had kept her alive thus far.

“Salaam”

The man spoke, and this time, while he spoke not a language she recognized, she took it to be a greeting of sorts. His accent was not one she was familiar with, but if she had to place it, she would have guessed he was from somewhere in the Middle East, the few recollections she had from Geography class springing to mind. She only nodded her response, not quite what to say in return. She did not think this was the time or place for a 'hello'.

“I have shown myself...I mean you no hurt...”

Despite his clearly limited knowledge of the language he was speaking, Rei nodded her head, happy that he was at least trying his best. What more could he do if he wasn't a native? She wondered if he was going to be able to understand a word she said, but she thought it was probably worth trying.
“Well, if you aren't going to harm me, you can lower the gun I think.” With that, she nodded at the gun still hovering above his head.

“What are you doing out here?” With her next question, Rei showed how forward and single minded she was. She was not good when it came to social interaction, not quite understanding social decorum.

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

Lahad was taken aback slightly by the fast reaction the young woman had; she was ready for him to attack as soon as he turned the corner. Not surprising, if she had been out here in the wastelands for any period of time she would have to know what she was doing. His arm still quivered from the fatigue of holding the rifle above his head, but this was soon to be relieved by her permission to lower the rifle. "Well, if you aren't going to harm me, you can lower the gun I think." was Lahad's cue to let his arm drop, with relief coming not shortly after. He took his hand completely off the rifle and allowed it to hang by it's olive sling across his shoulder. Noting that she was looking him over as he did, he took the time to break eye contact with her to look over the weapon she pointed at him; no mere stick, it was obviously crafted to be used as a training weapon of sorts, though he didn't doubt it could do immense damage if used properly. Turning his head away from the weapon, his wandering eyes fixed with hers again, it had been awhile since he had seen another person, but it was obvious to him that most of the time he was looking down on them. Not in a sense that he was above them, but merely because he was slightly tall of stature; this time was no exception. Lahad did not discriminate that she was much fairer of skin than him, though he was not particularly dark either. His thoughts were interrupted by a follow up question, that he himself would have asked. "What are you doing out here?"

He blinked and stared at her for a moment, before breaking eye contact yet again, taking a look behind him then around the hallway. That was a good question, really, but the best answer would have been "Surviving..." which escaped his lips, as he looked over the young lady's shoulder for a moment down the hall; seeing nothing and looking back into her eyes again. It was a common question that Lahad was used to being asked, who in their right mind would make a living out in the wastes, with the dead that infest these lands? Perhaps Lahad wasn't in his right mind, but he served a purpose, and had committed himself to God's will, it was this that made him wish to strive in this desolation.

"... I would ask of you, what you have ask me. Why in this lands would a flower come to destitute place like this?" Lahad attempted to sprinkle his broken English with some flattery at least, she was a woman of course. Feeling relaxed slightly, he placed a hand on his forehead, almost forgetting that he was wearing a black headband, adorned in white Arabic the words 'la ilaha illallah, Muhammadur rasulullah'. The words meant alot to him, it was a both a blessing and a way of life for him. He took a moment to wonder what this woman would have been through to come here of all places? This building was dilapidated, and seemed to offer little in resources. There probably wouldn't even be food in a place like this. Maybe memories? He would ask her if he got the chance, but for now, he waited for her reply. Lahad slowly crouched down, eyes still locked with hers, until one knee rested on the ground, and he knelt in a fairly comfortable position. The weight of the RPG was getting to him as he stood there.

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei let out a long, pent up breath as the man before her lowered his weapon, letting go of it completely. Despite the fact he had stood in the stance of someone who had surrendered, his releasing his grip on the rather snub-nosed gun calmed her greatly, and, almost instantly, she began to feel more at ease. In return, as a show of her own harmlessness, she lowered her bokken, allowing the slightly pointed tip to rest on the gravelled floor. However, her eyes remained hard, occasionally travelling from his face down to his hands, making sure they weren't reaching for anything that could cause her harm. With the imminent threat of bullets past, and the thought of a lead ridden corpse having left her mind, Rei allowed herself to give the man one last scan, taking in a few more features of his face, looking for anything telling. Nothing popped out at her that hadn't previously done so, and as hard as she looked, she saw no dark or untoward emotions in his eyes, or any other part of him for that matter. Rather, she found his slightly bronzed skin and brown iris rather intriguing, although she refused to admin it to herself.

Her thoughts were broken by a simple one word answer, 'surviving' and it was one that made her smile despite the awkwardness of the situation. Rei was not one to smile much, but there was something in the man's simplicity that meant she couldn't stop her lips breaking into a small grin, and it had been the first emotion she had shown in sometime. She normally presented herself a stoic and unaffected young woman. However, it was not one that remained for long, as she noticed her companion look off over her shoulder, as if he had seen something. Warily, she followed his gaze, though she kept her eyes on him until the last minute. Blue irises scanned left and right, and despite her caution, they rested upon nothing. They were still alone, still safe.

His voice once again caught her attention, and she turned her head back to regard him. His question was, of course, the same as hers, although spoken in a somewhat staccatoed language, as if the poor boy was desperately trying to grasp at words he knew but couldn't find use for. "... I would ask of you, what you have ask me. Why in this lands would a flower come to destitute place like this?”

“I am doing exactly as you are; surviving. What more is there to do in a world like this?” With that, she dropped her head, looking at her feet as if she were embarrassed about something. The truth was quite different, and a red tint had taken a hold of her cheeks, a burning sensation flushing them pink. It was rare that Rei received verbal compliments, especially from 'nice' boys. Or at least someone she assumed was 'nice.' Rather, normally, the 'bad boys' would shout something about her ass or chest as they passed her. She was used to dealing with them, and knew exactly what to do. This however, being called a flower, was totally unexpected and remarkably alien.

Breathing deeply, she tried to control herself. This was ridiculous. Rei Sonozaki did not blush, and she certainly did not show emotion to people she did not know. Nodding to herself, resolving to reign in her embarrassment, she was about to look back up at him when his face appeared below her. She looked down at him, wondering why on earth he was kneeling. Was her face that interesting? No, she was being stupid, it was because he was tired. She only had to cast a glance at the huge rocket launcher on his back to know it must weigh a ton, and standing straight and still would probably be tire him immensely.

Clearing her throat with a swift cough, she looked quickly away from him and around them, remembering they were in a dangerous place. Death was never far away, and when they seemed safe. “I wouldn't get comfortable. We ought to move soon. These halls don't tend to stay quiet for long.” And like that, her voice was firm again, her face stony, as if no smile or blush had ever existed.

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

Lahad could feel relief almost immediately after kneeling down, relaxation was a commodity in all too short supply in these parts. He rubbed his shoulder underneath the olive sling, it was getting raw, and a twenty pound steel tube may not sound like much, but after carrying it for what felt like forever, it will eventually get to you. This did not distract his eyes from hers; gaining a low view, he did not miss much as she lowered her head to his earlier comment. His lips seperated in a fashion that could only be described as intrigue, raising his eyebrows at the same time. He could have sworn he saw her face flush, though she looked down as if she was embarrassed. She responded to him promptly "I am doing exactly as you are; surviving. What more is there to do in a world like this?" This time she seemed to speak more softly than previously, as if he had moved her in some way. Lahad closed his mouth and hardened his chin in thought. She was right, these lands were nothing more than hardship now, offering no solace, no releif. What more could an individual do than survive? He broke contact with her eyes, looking to his left in thought, he could not comprehend a world that was not at war, though if he could, it would be one in which confrontations would be resolved with the word rather than the bullet. He brought a hand up to his face in a loose fist, pressing it against his lips as he pondered. Though she quickly gained his eye's attention with a cough, seemingly to clear her throat, speaking firmly again as if nothing had happened. "I wouldn't get comfortable. We ought to move soon. These halls don't tend to stay quiet for long."

She was right again, they would not be long for this world if they stayed in one spot for too long. The undead were not particularly smart, but in hordes, were insurmountable, and would quickly mass up if they were to know there was fresh meat in their domain. Lahad lowered his hand from his mouth and brought his opposite hand to the wall adjacent to him, helping himself to stand back up with shaky knees. It had been a day at least since he had eaten anything, and fatigue was starting to set in. Though he got to his feet, he still kept his hand on the wall, helping to relieve some of the stress. His eyes staring into her's, those hard blue irises, that hid more than he could possibly imagine. "You are right..." Lahad broke out, his voice showing signs of stress. He took in a deep breath through his nose before taking a step toward her, her now lowered training sword close to his feet. "... But where... Where we go?" Lahad struggled to say, not because of a lack of comprehension of language, but from fatigue. They had to move, but he was not sure he would be able to keep pace with her. The sense of comfort he once held was now gone with the dry gusts of wind that licked at world. Lahad offered a prayer, taking a moment to break gaze with the young woman, and look up at the ceiling, reciting the words. "bismi-llaahi r-rahmaani r-raheem" He mustered dryly, staring at the ceiling for a moment, remembering what they meant: In the name of god, most gracious, most merciful. There was little mercy to go around in this world, he hoped at least there was some to spare for his soul.

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei watched the man's movements in his silence, eyeing him carefully, trying to work out what kind of person he was through the movements he made and the faces he pulled. He was intriguing to her, and she knew him to be different, special, in the near five minutes she'd known him. She knew not was special about him, other than that he was different to the asses, the jocks she had once been forced to associate with, the type of men who leered at women, drooling as they imagined the things they could, and probably would, do to them once they had forced themselves on them. The thought alone made her shudder, an image emblazoned into her mind of the boys that walked past her through out her high school career, patting her butt or trying to feel her thighs. Should this be that man's only saving grace, should it be all that was good about him, then he was good enough to be in her company, and he could be any kind of murderer and be better than them.

However, no matter how much she watched him, no matter how much she tried to figure him out, there was something about him that remained elusive. Try as she might, she could not place him. Nor could she work out what he was thinking. It was something new to Rei, something exciting. Something exciting yet scary. There was a part of her that loved she couldn't read him, while there was the cautious side that made her think this to be a somewhat dangerous quality. She made a mental note, that no matter how nice, interesting, or non-threatening he seemed, she would keep a slight guard up, remain attentive. She had survived for months, and had walked among the infested uninjured, protecting her school. She would not mess up the second she met a human of similar stature to her.

As the man rose, Rei noted his shaky legs, the fact he seemed tired. How long had he been out here? How long had he carried that thing on his back? Raising an eyebrow as he rested against one of the still standing walls, she wondered how long he would survive without sleep. She imagined, without rest, it wouldn't be much longer. His senses would dull, as would his accuracy, and he would end up fatiguing himself into an early grave. Noticing that he was staring into her eyes again, she quickly averted them, having to force down another rising flush. What was wrong with her?

“But where...where we go?” It didn't take her long to decide where to lead him. She knew the area like the back of her hand, and she knew of a number of safe havens. Looking at him, at how tired and worn he looked, he ought to sleep before he tried to do anything else. He'd be dead by the end of the next day otherwise, through losing the will to live or making a stupid, irreconcilable mistake.

“There are a few streets near here with houses that are still standing...or mostly standing anyway; a few unaffected by the bombs. It is sheltered there, and safe. Most of the places still have furniture, and if we barricade ourselves in, we can sleep until light. Then you can decide where it is you need to go from there.” With that, she turned on her heel, her hair catching a breeze and tangling, blowing out behind her. She took a few steps, setting off in the direction she knew they needed to go. Casting a look back over her shoulder, she paused a little, as if impatient. “Unless you have somewhere better to be?” It was then her eyes dropped to his gun, and then travelled to the rocket on his back. “You don't need relieving of any extra weight, do you?” she asked, her voice hard and sarcastic. “We don't want you moving too slow. If you run into any problems, you'll be zombie food if you can't run.”

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

Lahad finished his internal prayer, he hoped that by the grace of god he would be spared, and allowed to continue his mission on this world, whatever it may be. He knew this much; the undead scourge needed to be plucked one by one like so many weeds from a garden. His thoughts on this cleared quickly, however, the young lady he had just met spoke to him. Weary-eyed Lahad looked at her, though she did not look back at him, not into his eyes, and not directly. She averted her gaze from his but seemed still to look him over. He could tell she was noticing his weak state, he tried to not make it too painfully obvious, but it seemed Lahad had lost that much strength that he was not even able to keep up a facade of vitality. He tried his best, however, pushing off the wall and standing on his own two feet as she began to speak. "There are a few streets near here with houses that are still standing...or mostly standing anyway; a few unaffected by the bombs. It is sheltered there, and safe. Most of the places still have furniture, and if we barricade ourselves in, we can sleep until light. Then you can decide where it is you need to go from there." she revealed, and Lahad nodded in response, though it would not be seen, for after she spoke, she turned on her heel. Her hair, catching the wind and flaring out behind her before settling. Lahad felt strange, was this a dream? or was she a messenger of god? an angel sent to keep him on the right path? he did not know nor care to question at this point. He was interested to say the least, he yearned to learn more, his mind moved a mile a minute, wondering. His face would not betray him and reveal the keen interest he had taken in this girl, but his eyes probably would.

Lahad's ponderings deep in his mind were cut off when he noticed her starting to walk off, he could only assume she was going to lead her to one of these sheltered areas. The few untouched remains of the metropolitan area this once was. She paused for a moment, casting a gaze over her shoulder at Lahad, a hard gaze that caused Lahad even more daydreams as to what this girl was hiding in that head of hers. "Unless you have somewhere better to be?" she called over her shoulder at him, almost seeming impatient with her tone, though Lahad shook his head and took a few slow steps to follow her. His hands raised to grasp both the slings for his RPG and short assault rifle, trying to relieve some of the pressure on his shoulders by pulling the slings forward, with little success. His eyes caught with hers, but she did not look back into his, instead she seemed to be eying his weapons. Perhaps she was a scavenger? Someone who would take him by surprise in his weakened state, and take from him the weapons he had recovered. Lahad's suspicions were raised when she asked, though sarcastically, "You don't need relieving of any extra weight, do you?" but backed it up with a convincing reason “We don't want you moving too slow. If you run into any problems, you'll be zombie food if you can't run.” Lahad was now close behind her as he slowly made his way. He refused to break eye contact with her, with those sapphire eyes. Lahad breathed in deeply through his nose before taking a few steps ahead of her, his pace quickened, but it took more of a drain on Lahad. This time it was him that looked over his shoulder at her, the end of his mouth curling into a light smirk. "I... I will manage..." he finally replied to her, looking away and ahead of him, hoisting both slings to a higher point on his shoulders, he waited for her as she would lead the way, and Lahad would follow. Normally he would have suggested taking the high ground to avoid traversing the streets, but they had to make time, just as well, climbing the rubble piles was perilous and energy consuming. Lahad would be on the ready, even though he was not particularly sharp, for both the undead, and this young lady who hid more than she cared to tell behind those gems of eyes.

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei watched the man intently as he began to follow her, taking a few slow steps, using his hands to separate the straps of his weapons from where they bit into his skin, the weight of them pulling down hard, no doubt causing him some pain if he never removed them. As she looked at him, at his guns, she wondered where he had found such items, for weapons like that were not common place among those who were not soldiers, and from what she'd seen so far of this man, he was not allied with either of the warring factions. At least, he had not made any allegiances open, and nor did he wear their uniforms, and so she thought it safe to think him a neutral agent.

He caught her up soon enough, and then sped past her, copying the tactic she had used on him only moments before, moving ahead of the other to spur them into action. She raised an eyebrow at him, surprised at his sudden burst of energy, and she wondered if he was hiding that expertly from her, or if the thought of sleep and rest had given him a second life. Either way, she doubted she would find out, but it gave her hope of the man actually surviving and reaching their destination.

There was something still strange about the other, her new companion, although Rei still struggled placing it. It was not so much his garb, although he did not seem like he was dressed in the garments of those living in any area near here, and nor was it his accent or skin tone. While they were both out of place, it was not unheard of for those of different nationalities to have moved into the city before it was destroyed, when it was somewhere that people wanted to live. Perhaps it was his actions or weapons, but on seeing them no chords were struck within her. What was it?!

And then it hit her. She noticed it as he took a few steps ahead of her, as even standing before her, his eyes were still locked on hers. Rei finally realized that in the entire time he'd been around her, he'd been staring her in the eyes, barely blinking. It was as if, though he was trying not to show it, he was greatly interested in her as she was him, and that he thought the key to unlocking her lay in her ice blue eyes. Was she that interesting? Was she that mysterious? Blushing again, she shook her head, muttering “I'm sure you will” in response to his statement, and then strode out, moving quickly so as to get a head of him and get out of the school.

She kept up that pace for sometime, more alert now that she was moving again, eyes jumping from side to side in an attempt to spot any possible danger. Luckily, the place still seemed largely deserted, a small mercy in such times. From time to time, she would cast a glance back over her shoulder, making sure her companion was still following her, making sure that he wasn't lost. The old buildings destroyed walls were maze-like now, and one wrong turn could have you wondering the deserted space for hours.

The silence between the pair was uncomfortable, and as they walked, Rei remembered how at school, those who walked with other people tended to talk to them. They liked to make 'small talk.' Having never really participated in such an act, Rei was unsure how it worked, but she felt as though, in this situation, she had to try it. It would be an awkward journey otherwise. Clearing her throat with another cough, she looked over at him quickly, though broke eye contact soon after.

“So what you said earlier, when you stood up, what did it mean?” His use of his native tongue had intrigued her, and she wondered if it had any reference to her. Not that she expected it to, it just seemed as though her natural curiosity got the better of her. Pausing slightly, she then decided out of courtesy, that if the two were to camp out together, he should know her name. “I'm Rei.” She spoke somewhat bluntly, without warning, as if this were a bold statement she was unused to making. “Do you have a name?”

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

It was no everyday that Lahad allowed himself to be led around by a stranger, let alone that stranger being a woman, but this particular situation was one of necessity, and Lahad would be able to defend himself. Though this did not seem the case, if she wanted to, she would have attacked him a long time ago, which led Lahad into a sense of security, a sense that she would not harm him as long as they were together. He had allowed her to carry on slightly ahead of him, the winds stirring up dust from the old streets and rubble piles that littered the area outside the dilapidated building. Her reply was not as hard nor sarcastic as her previous statements had been. "I'm sure you will" rung in his mind as they carried on outside of the building. She moved fast, and Lahad struggled to keep pace with her, but he did his best to stay within a few feet of her. His weapons bounced and swung on their slings as he kept up as best he could with the energetic girl.

She kept up that pace for quite awhile, draining Lahad slowly of his remaining energy. He breathed heavily as he kept the pace, though moving quickly caused a numbness in his legs which let him carry on. Lahad noticed her glance back now and again as they navigated the streets. He had to make sure he kept up with her, otherwise these winding streets would be the death of him via starvation or perhaps as a catalyst to an untimely end at the hands of the dead. Things were clear now, from the odd look around he gave his surroundings; perhaps god was watching him, granting him some mercy in his time of need.

They had been silent for quite some time, he was too busy keeping up with her to try and think of anything to say for the time, but she seemed on edge about it. Personally, he did not mind the silence, in it he would be able to discern enemy movements, or if they were being followed, though neither was the case now. It was merely the gentle howl of the wind that made any noise for the time being, until he heard her clear her throat. His eyes locked on her when she cleared her throat, lifting an eyebrow slightly wondering what she would say, and soon after the silence was broken. "So what you said earlier, when you stood up, what did it mean?” A peculiar question, but Lahad did not care, he enjoyed small talk, and if she truly wanted to know, she would listen. He noticed her look at him with those gemstone eyes, however she quickly averted her eyes. What was it about him that she did not want to look at? He pondered for a moment before she broke the silence again, "I'm Rei." she introduced herself, albeit bluntly. Lahad merely broke into a light smile, she did not seem to be the type to make idle chatter, and it was kind of entertaining to Lahad that she was fumbling with small talk as he does with their common language. She posed a follow up question, "Do you have a name?" Lahad was a bit too tired to muster a laugh, but if he did have enough energy he would have broken out into laughter. "Rei..." Lahad repeated after her, he felt it a fitting name for her, for this flower in the wasteland. "... I am called Lahad..." he wheezed, halting for a moment and bending forward. His legs were still numb, but painful cramps were beginning to take over in his abdomen. Fatigue was little to overcome though, a few moments allowed him to carry on with her, pushing himself to close the distance. "... You want to know... What I say earlier?" Lahad stuttered as he trotted behind her, keeping the distance between them only a foot or two. "It was... a prayer... a blessing... hoping that our journey would be a... safe one." Lahad managed to say, breaking to take a deep breath as they kept on the move.

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei came to a halt as the man next to her bent double and let out a long wheeze, it breaking through the silence that she had previously been the one to end. His guns and packs jostled against one another, making the sound of a travelling sales cart, reminding her of the markets she had visited long ago, one's with gypsy fortune tellers, face painters and cotton candy stands. They had no place in this world though, and the reminiscence stabbed at her heart, making her momentarily sad. The emotion was only fleeting though, and her face hardened as soon as she reasserted her survivalist conscience. There was no time to be miserable, no point lamenting the past. There here and now was all that mattered.

“...I am Lahad...” Rei raised an eyebrow. 'Lahad'? It was in interesting sounding name, and one that was certainly not from any locality she knew. It confirmed that he was indeed of foreign origin, though she had no idea where he was from, or why he would want to come to a place like this. Why would anyone risk their lives in this God forsaken city if they had an escape? Unless other places where just as bad...was there no hope for the world?

She started moving again, almost as soon as he'd spoken, happy she had gotten her answer. She walked slowly at first, although as soon as she heard his footsteps she sped back up, not wanting to remain in the open for too long. "It was... a prayer... a blessing... hoping that our journey would be a... safe one." Lahad continued talking, telling her what it was he had said earlier, and she smiled to herself. Anyone who had seen her face would have been confused, her lips turned up in a sarcastic yet somewhat caring manner, a smile full of conflict. Rei thought it touching that someone could believe in a God in this world, found it touching that someone carrying a gun and a metal tube that fired rockets could still hold onto faith. Yet she found it foolish also, and she herself had lost any belief long ago. No God would allow this, allow teenage girls to beat the rotting corpses of former friends into oblivion with her training bokken. “Interesting” was all she responded, though she elaborated no further. That was all she had to say on the subject for now.

As they moved further away from the school, closer to the street in which she wanted to reach, the wind picked up. It caught her hair and twisted strands at odd angles, and blew grit at her face. She narrowed her eyes a little, and thought aloud “There may be a storm brewing.” In such a tumultuous environment, filled with the dropping of bombs and the constantly changing heat waves such destruction caused, thunder storms were common occurrence, and they were a good reason to remain indoors, the wind and rain now toxic from the innards of semi-nuclear weaponry. They had to hurry.

Turning back over her shoulder, she held out her hand to Lahad. It may have looked as if she were offering her palm for him to hold, but she was doing no such thing. She needed him to move faster, and if he was carrying two heavy metallic objects, the pair stood no chance. Signalling to the smaller of the two guns, she inclined her fingers in a 'give it me' action. “Give me the gun. The smaller one.” Her voice was firm. She was not asking her companion, she was telling him. “Don't try and argue. If you want to stand a better chance of survival, stop wasting time. We have to get inside.” The matter of fact nature that possessed Rei could have been somewhat depressing to behold; a young teenage girl having become harsh and direct due to the circumstances of a changed and dying world.

[Lahad Izz al-Din]

It seemed to Lahad that they were making great time; they had already gotten out of visual distance of the building they were once at. However, the wind was picking up, blowing dust and who knows what else into Lahad's face and eyes. He merely narrowed them and unfolded the collar of his fatigue shirt, covering his mouth with the upturned collar. "There may be a storm brewing" he heard her say from ahead of him; and she would not be far off the truth. Such things were a common occurrence, acid rain laced with radioactive byproducts were something Lahad had taken shelter from many times. The acid rain had even once burnt holes into his fatigue shirt, though it luckily did not touch his skin before he was able to take cover from it. These times were trying, even more so for Lahad now that he was feeling more and more the pain of exhaustion setting in. He stopped when she did, though not instantly, he closed the distance between them, breathing heavily but standing tall on numbed legs. Lahad kept an eye on Rei as she turned to look over her shoulder, and hold out a hand. He did not know exactly what she was trying to do at first, but it became clear when she explained. "Give me the gun. The smaller one" she almost seemed to order him to do it, he did not think he was weighing himself down too much with the weapons, but it was probably the exact opposite in reality. Lahad was about to open his mouth to respond, but Rei cut him off almost as if she could see his mouth from behind his collar about to retort. "Don't try and argue. If you want to stand a better chance of survival, stop wasting time. We have to get inside." and with that, Lahad shut his mouth and hesitantly pulled up on the olive sling of his shortened assault rifle. He pulled it over his head and slid it off his shoulder, grasping it by the horizontal grip and taking a step forward to pass it off to her.

This was an unbelievable compromise for Lahad, but in the interest of survival and their common goal, he was co-operating. He was trusting her with his weapon, and not to shoot him, something he had not done in quite some time. Lahad wanted to make this clear to her "I am... Trusting you... With both my weapon... And my life at this point..." He spoke between gulps of air as he locked his narrowed eyes with hers. Narrowed not from spite of dislike, but because of the continued sand and dust being blown into his face from the winds continually picking up. Lahad hiked the sling for the RPG higher onto his shoulder, and nodded. "We... Must keep moving." He stated plainly to her, feeling recuperated a bit from the short time they had spent there standing, or it could have been the few pounds of rifle off his shoulder that made him feel like he could continue for at least a half a mile. Whatever the case, he was ready to follow Rei in her footsteps, she was his shepherd at this point, and Lahad, the sheep. He wondered about this analogy, wondering if he was being led to sanctuary, or to the slaughter. Only time would tell.

[Rei Sonozaki]

Rei watched Lahad carefully as he slid his gun from his shoulder, took it in his hands and held it out to her, watching her with narrowed eyes. She knew that it was to combat the dust that was being blown, but it still looked as though he watching her wearily, as if he did not trust her. Even if that was the emotion he was showing, she could not blame him. To trust someone you had only just met in such a situation could well be suicidal in this world, and for him to offer his gun to her showed he placed great faith in her; faith that would easily be misplaced in others. Yet Rei was true to her word. She was not a murderer, and nor was she a thief.

Taking his gun from him, her eyes widened in shock, noting its considerable weight. She had never thought a gun so small and cut down could still be so heavy. Then, she could not let it show. With a small grunt, she hefted it over her shoulder, letting it rest on her back. The steel was cold through her shirt, and it sent a shiver down her spine. Taking a deep breath, she used both her hands to grip the strap of the gun, and then set off once again. They had no time to waste.

Rei moved more slowly than before, but then, that was to be expected due to the extra weight. However, it meant her and Lahad had a more even speed, and the chance of them getting separated was lessened drastically. Taking deep breaths as she moved, she did her utmost to not let the strain of the weapon show, but she was not used to carrying such a burden, and every few meters she adjusted how the weapon lay, turning it over on her shoulder, trying to stop the strap digging into her skin. “How do you carry this thing with you all the time? No wonder you are so tired.” she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. However, her words were loud enough for any close by to hear, and she regretted speaking instantly, not liking to look weak.

As they continued their journey, Rei led them down numerous side streets, houses destroyed and dilapidated, skeletal frames of former mansions lining their path. When she had first walked down the once familiar streets, tears had come to her eyes, and she had wept, afraid of what it was she saw. Now she was used to such sights, and they barely bothered her at all. They just provided a slight scenery as she made her way home, something that lay in her memory, a long forgotten past.

She slowed slightly as she took her final turn, the one leading to her street. Much of their journey to that point had been made both successfully and in silence, but as she looked down her road, one with houses still standing, some places still having people left in them, trying to hold out, she noted a small group of undead shambling through gardens, clearly drawn there by the scent of human flesh, by the cries of small children hidden behind walls.

Rei spared not a moments thought for those people, nor did she worry. They were safe inside. They had supplies. However, she would struggle to reach her ramshackle dwelling with the living corpses almost right outside it. Her right hand instantly went to her bokken, almost on auto-pilot, but then she remembered her guest. Slowly drawing the wooden blade, she pointed it towards the gathered enemy, and then nodded at the house close by.

“We may have a problem, Lahad. You see that house there? The one with the unwelcome visitors? Well, that is mine, and it is going to be your sanctuary for the night...or week...or however long it is you need to stay. You understand that?” Turning to face him, blue eyes wide and hard, she inclined her head. “I don't know if you are...well...experienced at killing these things, but I have a plan formed. But I want to know if you have one before I tell you mine. I'm hoping for one that is slightly less 'devil may care', if you will.”