Chapter Text
His entire body shook as he leaned over the river. Cupping his hands he dipped them in and brought what little water he had captured in them to his lips. Water had never tasted so good before, but he still had to be careful; nobody knew how the infection started to spread in the first place. So many people had been effected so earlier on that one of the theories was that it had gotten into the water supply and some people were just lucky enough to be immune to the original infection. Someone debunked that rumor rather early on, but the thought still made Mikey a little sick to his stomach.
Checking over his shoulder Mikey let himself relax, collapsing to the ground. The fighting, the running, the killing, all of it had his limbs begging him to just stay still for a minute or two. To relax for the first time in a year, but he couldn’t do that, not really. Even as let his eyes close for a second his left hand rested on the hilt of the gun he carried, while his right gripped the metal baseball bat with spikes like it would never hold anything else ever again.
All he wanted right now was a nap, a real nap, even if it only lasted for five minutes. But he couldn’t risk it, not sense he had lost Gerard, Bob and Ray a few days ago. And really he was being hopeful when he thought of Gerard and Ray still being alive. That horde was huge, and that explosion Bob had set them up for was even bigger. The fire that resulted swallowed everything, and Mikey had no other option but to run in the opposite direction of the rendezvous point. He didn’t stop until all he could see was a little bit of smoke in the distance. But just because there was a fire nearby, that didn’t mean the zombies would steer clear. In the three days he had been alone he had seen too many to kill, and had been forced into hiding rather than fighting them all. Just a few hours earlier they had gotten bored of trying to get ahold of him and left in search of another meal. But he had no doubt in his mind that they would be back soon enough.
And with that thought firmly in his mind Mikey sat back up. When he reached for the backpack he had been carrying he heard the snapping of a branch from the other side of the river. He couldn’t be sure of its origins: human, zombie, or animal and lately it was hard to tell the difference between the three even when looking them eye. Either way it wasn’t a good sign, but he needed to fill that water jug in his backpack if he wanted to survive. For a moment he didn’t move, waiting to see if whatever had made that noise would make another mistake. It did.
Close to the edge of the riverbank this time, whatever it was, had kicked something that splashed into the water.
“Did you hear that?” A voice asked.
“Water,” another replied.
Even though Mikey wanted to relax, he didn’t. Just because these were humans he was dealing with didn’t mean he was safe. With the outbreak of zombies, came the loss of humanity. But at least knowing it was humans Mikey knew he could wait them out. Stealthy like a cat in the night Mikey gathered his things and hid behind a nearby tree. The zombie apocalypse diet allowed his entire body to fit behind the rather slim tree trunk without exposing any part of his body to anyone across the riverbank.
“Finally,” one of them gasped as they burst out of the thickett and took in the river. “I thought we were going to die of dehydration.”
“I’m glad we didn’t” the other one said, “how fucking annoying would it be to die of dehydration in the zombie apocalypse?”
“You would rather get bitten?” A third voice asked disgusted.
“No, I’d rather die saving someone then running out of water,” the first one said.
“Does it really matter?” A fourth voice said sounding even more exhausted than Mikey felt. “Either way you die, at this point it doesn’t matter if it’s some big gesture or some stupid mistake. You die, you become one of them, it’s as simple as that.”
“Jesus Christ Joe,” the first voice said, “the apocalypse really has changed you.”
“For fucks sake Pete of course it has,” Joe said angered, “not all of us have some disconnect from reality that allows us to ignore what’s inevitable. Don’t you get it, we’re doomed.”
Jesus, Mikey thought, this guy is an absolute pessimist. Ironically before the apocalypse Mikey wasn’t the hopeful type at all, it was always his brother’s job to be hopeful, but then along came the virus and the roles reversed. It wasn’t something he could explain, but then again there wasn’t much about the way he was living that he could explain.
“Alright Joe calm down,” one of the unnamed ones said, “we’re all a little on edge, we can’t be dividing ourselves right now. Let’s set up camp for the night, Pete and Joe you two can take the perimeter, Andy and I will set up what’s left.”
“Fine,” Joe huffed.
Mikey stiffened when he heard the sound of boots splashing through water. One of them was crossing the river, and if Mikey decided to run he would leave his back exposed.
“Disconnect from reality,” the guy muttered under his breath when he stepped onto Mikey’s side of the river. “What reality? Oh that’s right the actual zombie fucking apocalypse reality we live in. That fucking reality.”
Mikey held his breath as he silently checked his clip, there was only one bullet left and he wasn’t about to waste it on some insane guy talking to himself. He shoved the gun into the waistband of his pants and gripped his bat with both hands. As the voice kept muttering over and over, his fingers danced on the neck of the bat, he was getting ready strike.
“Reality is a joke,” the voice was on the other side of the tree, “it always has been.” With a deep breath Mikey swung just as the guy stepped around the tree. Seeing the glint off the bat he ducked and the momentum Mikey used to swing it landed the spikes in the bark. “Hello to you too.”
“I’m good at hand to hand,” Mikey said balling his hands into fists taking a fighting stance.
“I’m not going to call you a liar,” the guy answered, “but I think my bullets will do more damage then your fists.” He lifted the sniper riffle and aligned the barrel with Mikey’s forehead.
“For all I know that things for show,” Mikey said even as he stepped back, “ammo is hard to come by these days.”
Without saying a word the man with the gun lifted a handgun out of his waistband and fired it into the air.
“Well if the rifle isn’t loaded, this sure as hell is.” Another set of boots splashed through the water and before Mikey knew it another guy was standing there aiming a gun at his temple. “So let’s try that again; hello.”
“Hi,” Mikey said putting his hands up in surrender. He watched as the two men in front of him visibly relaxed a little. Nobody spoke, but just as the two with the guns shared a glance Mikey ripped the bat out of the tree, ducked under the rifle and swung again. He missed, but the momentum gave him space to retreat.
“You’re a sneaky little shit,” the one with the sniper rifle chuckled.
“Pete,” the other one said, “stop messing with him. Look kid we aren’t going to hurt you, my friend here is just an idiot.”
“I’m not a kid,” Mikey said, but then realized that probably wasn’t the best response he could’ve come up with. Shaking his head a little he asked, “And why should I believe you?”
“Yeah Patrick, why should he believe us?” Pete asked, “this is the zombie apocalypse afterall. Oh wait could it be that we haven’t shot him yet, even though he’s swung that monstrosity at me twice now? Or maybe it’s because we have food we’d be willing to share with his lanky ass? Or I don’t know the fact that we’re not zombies?”
“He’s scared-”
“I’m not,” Mikey interjected, “I’m pissed.”
“Aren’t we all?” Pete said lowering his gun, Patrick following suit. Slowly Pete stuck his hand out for Mikey to shake. “I’m Pete.”
“Mikey,” skeptically Mikey shook Pete’s hand.
“Alright Mikey,” Pete said, “how about we put our hostility on some very high shelf that even you can’t reach and relax. My friends and I have enough supplies to share, and it looks like you could use some rest.”
“I’m fine,” Mikey said, “I have people I need to get back to.”
“I hope they’re not that way,” Patrick said pointing behind Mikey just as the familiar sound of a zombie howl sounded.
“Actually,” Mikey sighed, “they just so happen to be.” Without thinking Mikey drew his handgun from his waistband and took aim. Just before he pulled the trigger he remembered that this was the last bullet he had, besides the one he wore around his neck, and that was for one particular emergency. He lowered the gun and tucked it back into his waistband.
A moment later Pete fired the sniper rifle hitting the damn thing right between the eyes. Mikey was impressed by Pete’s shot, but it still didn’t compare to his own. None of them said anything, for a minute.
“I’ve got to go,” Mikey said finally and started to walk in the direction where the zombie came from.
“Where there’s one there’s about twenty more,” Patrick called after him.
“We can’t let him go off by himself,” Pete said to Patrick, “it’s suicide.”
“What do you suggest I do?” Patrick asked confused.
“I don’t know, but can you in good conscious let him go?”
“Why is it my responsibility to feel guilty?”
“Fine,” Pete muttered. “Mikey, you can’t leave, you’ll be dead before you reach the next town.” Pete jogged to catch up with Mikey who wasn’t moving very fast. He hadn’t even made it to the zombie yet.
“I can do what I want,” Mikey retorted continuing to walk on. “It’s the apocalypse nobody can tell me what to do...well one person can, but he’s not here right now.”
The smell of rot and blood drifted towards the pair with the breeze. They both cringed, but were hardly phased. Zombie may have been the worst smell at one point, but now it was just a cruel reminder of what their lives had become.
“Listen I’m just trying to help a fellow human being out,” Pete said. All of the sudden Mikey stopped, only a few feet away from the zombie. “I know it’s not something you don’t hear often, but it’s true. My friends and I are part of a large group, right now we’re on a scouting trip for more survivors and supplies.”
“Shut up,” Mikey muttered taking a few steps closer to the zombie who was already being swarmed by flies.
“I’m not lying,” Pete said, “we’re dedicated to finding away out of this.”
“Stop talking,” Mikey said getting on his knees and leaning closer. He could hardly see past the disgusting insects and started to swat at them. But he didn’t have to see past the swarm to tell who this was. “No, no, no, no. Fuck. This can’t be real, this can’t...fuck.”
“Hey, are you alright?” Pete asked placing his hand on Mikey’s shoulder. Another howl blaring across the clearing. “Don’t worry I got it.”
“No,” Mikey shot to his feet. “Let me see your scope.” Cautiously Pete handed Mikey his gun and watched as Mikey peered through the scope the entire gun shaking.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to handle a gun,” Pete said wearily just as Mikey fired. The shot pierced the approaching zombie through the heart, and all it did was anger it enough to get it to run at them. Mikey dropped the rifle to the ground and readied his bat.
“What are you doing?” Pete shouted as Mikey started to walk towards the zombie. It wasn’t long before he planted his feet, pulled the bat back and just stood there waiting for the zombie to get close. As soon as it was in distance Mikey swung for head the spikes sticking into the skull. His follow through ripped the head right off of the zombie’s neck as he let out an angered cry.
“You bastard!” Mikey yelled as he kicked the headless body. “We trusted you. We trusted you.” Pete watched as Mikey whacked the bat against the ground the head still attached. Over and over he did this until it was completely shattered. “You got what you deserved you piece of shit, Bob Bryar, I hope you burn in hell.”
“He’s an angry one,” Patrick said now beside Pete. “We should let him be, he’s probably dangerous.” Just then Mikey’s body couldn’t take it anymore. His knees clattered together and his body hit the ground before he could even register what was happening.
“We’re all angry and we’re all dangerous. But that doesn’t mean we deserve to be left alone.” Pete patted Patrick on the shoulder and went to where Mikey had collapsed. He picked Mikey up and carried him back the makeshift camp Andy had put up as Patrick finished the perimeter sweep for him.