#and both Janine and Maxine had a field day when they found out

[curly5runs]

A few weeks ago all I could keep thinking about my lil early season headcanons because 1: I was lonely and ZR keeps my mind full, 2: I'm nostalgic for seasons 1-3 (spoilers up to s3). So I'll share some of the funnier ones here :). These are not in any particular order as I was just scribbling them down as I remembered them.

My Five had her tounge cut out, which is how she got to Abel, ect ect. So she mainly used pens and notepads to communicate, and sometimes a bit of ASL. The first time she signed "Thank you" to Sam, he thought she was blowing him a kiss and he stood there awkwardly until Maxine clarified what it meant.

Her first words (almost non understandable and muffled from missing that lil piece of muscle in her mouth) after the tounge incident happened during that one mission where Five had to jump on a moving train. The train pulls around to the crew, they ask why she looks so distraught, and she deadpan says "Life is a party and I'm the ✨fucking✨ piñata" (inspired by an incorrect quote I saw on here a couple years ago but I can't remember who posted it u_u) and continued to not say anything else until s3.

When she found and snatched a kitten mid s2, she assumed it was a female because she had only ever had lady kitties and didnt know males dont have super visible bits right away. One day a few months later, shes playing with kitten!Archie and she notices some 🏀🏀 growing. Horrified at her gross miscalculation, she ran to Sam (just ✨roomate✨ at the time) screeching. Concerned, obviously, he asked why she was so freaked out, so which she replied by scrawling on paper "Archie is an ArcHE".

She had godawful posture her whole life until the apocalypse. The end of such an era occured because Simon took personal offence to her slouching; and would physically thwack her (not too hard, but enough for shock value) with a ruler or stick if he caught her walking around town lookin like a dang question mark. She has excellent posture now.

Again, because of her lack of tounge, once she started to talk, it was mostly saying people's names at first to get their attention. But she couldn't pronouce S, D, N, or Js very well, (among many other letters) and some folks got accidental nicknames by Five. For example, Sam got turned to "Ham", Jody turned into "Yoie" and Janine turned to "Ahneen". Everyone was very nice and supportive and didnt make fun of the names they had been bestowed. Except Simon; who's named turned to "Hymen"

People think that Eugene and her would have alot in common both being Canadians, but they (affectionately) 😒 at eachother because they're from vastly different parts of the country (mostly that I HC hes a city boy and shes very much an isolated bumpkin). Despite their differences, they are good pals and like to scream sing Arrogant Worm songs at the top of their lungs as a past time.

Five has fallen in the comms/radio shack twice while trying to be helpful. The first time was after she got strep throat while in New Canton right at the start of S2, but it didnt settle in until getting back to Abel. It was a nasty cough and she felt half in the grave. She knew she definitely hadnt gotten bit, but was terrified of noone trusting her to not be a zombie. So she just continued on her buisness doing her best to not look like she was about to drop dead; until she was helping the radio boyfriends in the comms shack and just,,, collapsed in front of Eugene, Jack, and Sam, bringing down an array of equipment and some books with her. The second time it was sort of a runner group project to organize the mess in there, and she was tasked with untangling the wires. She was starting to hang them up higher and somehow got a foot stuck in the web, and very slow motion fell to the floor with a leg in the air, and everyone had to help her get sorted. Very embarrassing.

She cries. Alot. Normally its out on the field if something real bad is about to happen. The first time she audibly wailed within the gates, a few folks panicked and ran to her. Where she pointed and whimpered at a spider on the wall. Shes scared of very little but spiders are a deal breaker.

The way people knew for sure that it was Five infiltrating Abel under Moonchild's control was because her kitten was running after her in the bush, loudly yowling, and everyone put two and two together. Cover blown via cat screeches 😔.

She gets overheated really quickly, especially while exercising. She sticks to a sports bra and pants, and no amount of cheeky commentary or lack of degrees in the air will get her to wear anything else. When Janine tried to get the runners to wear uniforms, Five became a pain in her side because she simply would not. Janine would catch her before a mission and make her at least wear the tshirt. But she would immediately fling it off once she got out the gates. Janine gave up, and the uniforms pretty much just became a formality for special events.

She puts up her hair with a sharpened stick. Both because she cant get the right hairties for her texture, and because it makes for a good concealed weapon in close proximity. But because they keep getting lodged in Zombie eyesockets or covered in blood/bits, she keeps collecting good replacment sticks whenever shes outside, so at all times she has a pile of loose sticks in her belongings.

She absolutely *refuses* to get her socks/shoes wet. She will stop mid mission, being chased by an angry, on fire zombie, sit down, peel her socks and shoes off, then go into whatever body of water she has to cross. Wet feet is a huge nono, she would rather get bit than have to run with w e t feet.

During the s2 mission clip where Sara and Five were running on top of the train, I got a "collected a pair of trousers", so the only logical explanation was that she got hit in the face with an airborne pair of pants and kept hold of them.

She gets very obvious mum privileges from Sara, and whenever Sam or one of the other runners need something from her, they get Five to ask her for them. Sara has no shame in showing favouritism towards her baby child, and Five definitely doesnt mind.

She keeps forgetting to put on sunscreen, and being as sickly pale as she is, she burns like paper under a magnifying glass. One day Sam had enough of her coming back from missions the same shade as the barn wall. Just before opening the gates for a supply run, he hustled outside -tube of sunscreen in hand- smeared a huge glob on Five's face and arms, and wouldnt give the raise the gates signal until she rubbed it in on all her exposed skin.

She's terrible at most games, whether it be not being to serve the ball if it was on a platter in a friendly game of volleyball, or getting the worst rolls in D&D and her character losing all dignity; she is trash. But she kicks abosolute ass at Gin and Dutch blitz. In Gin she gloats and cackles everytime she throws her cards down, in dutch blitz everyone is horrified at her violent behaviour and unleasing of a lifetime's worth of internal rage through her tiny hands. There's been a couple finger casualties.

Being so young (a month from 17) when she showed up to Abel, and being really shy (tasty tasty trauma), everyone assumed she was really gentle mannered and sheltered. That is, until, the most disgusting and ruthless game of cards against humanity one evening. Noone saw her the same ever again >:].

I doubt anyone will read this list but if you made it here hi! :D These definitely arent all of them as I ran the majority of these seasons when covid started and I literally had nothing better to do than dedicate my life to this podcast.

[zombierunfiction]

Season 2 Mission 23: Galvanize

The next day found every runner in Abel ready to run with headsets and spray canisters on their backs.  Charlotte felt jittery knowing what was coming.  Next to her was Sara and Jody both of whom were equally worried.

“I hate this...”  Sam said softly into the head sets.

“We all hate this, Mr. Yao.”  Janine said .

“It's the... it's the bloody waiting.”  He clairified.

“We have no option.”  Janine concluded.  “We can't evacuate because we can't let him take Abel.”

“I know!”  Sam stressed.

“We can't go out to meet his forces, we don't know where they're coming from.”  Janine continued.

“I know, I do know.”  Sam said a little louder before sighing heavily. “It just reminds me of last time.”

“Last time, when Van Ark sent his army of mind-controlled zombies, and Abel Township was blown to smithereens?”  Janine suggested.

“Yeah, well, don't you remind me!”  Sam said quickly.

“It's different this time.  We know him, we know how he operates.  We know what he's here for.  New Canton have set up their soldiers to defend themselves, and we have a plan.”  Janine explained.

“And we're ready!”  Jody said trying to sound enthusiastic.

“Ready, willing, and able.”  Simon said laughing.  “Abel.  Did you uh, did you see what I did there?”  He said grinning.

Charlotte rolled her eyes as Evan stepped over to them.  “We're armed with knowledge.  Most valuable weapon there is.”

“Knowledge, experience, teamwork.  And the biological countermeasures.  Sam, we've got this.  Haven't we, Char?”  Sara said looking at her.

Charlotte nodded slowly.  “Yeah.  Yeah we got this.”

The sound of someone walking through the comms shack is heard.  “Message has come in over Rofflenet, you have to see this!”  Jack said.

“Thanks, mate. Yeah.”  Sam said as papers rustled.  “Guys, this is it.  A messages has come in from Dogville, that outlying settlement to the west.  They're coming.  Van Ark's sending his zombies in.  Guys, they're coming.”

“Then we're going out to meet them.  Run with me, Char.  Try to keep up.” Sara said as the gate lifted letting the runners out into the field. They didn't get far from Abel when Jody grabbed Charlotte's arm.

“Guys, you realize we're running directly towards a bunch of fast zombies?” She asked pointing towards the horde of zombies that were heading right for them.

Simon chuckled running up to them.  “Well, that is what we love to do, Four.”

“It might be what you-”  Jody said quickly before Evan jumpped in.

“It's all in the game plan.”

“We need to see what we're up against before we- oh...”  Sara said as she reached the others seeing the horde for herself.

“Yeah. I see what we're up against.”  Charlotte said seeing the zombies seemed to keep growing in numbers.  “Do you see it too Sam?”

“Got it on your headcams.  Looks like a phalanx of, what?  Five hundred? Yeah, about that.  About five hundred.”  Sam said surprisingly calm.

“Fan out, as we practiced.  Keep going.  We need to surround them.” Evan said as they all seperated heading around the horde.

“Looks like that block of thirty at the front is the fastest.  Moving at about an eight-minute mile pace.”  Sam said before taking a deep breath.  “If I sound calm, it's because the training in sounding calm is paying off.  Not because I actually am, you know, calm.”

“Is it because you can see what we see, Sam?”  Jody asked.  “That they're speeding up, and headed straight for Abel.”

“Run faster, guys.”  Sam said as everyone sped up.  “Faster than that.”

After several minutes of running to surround the horde the Major came over the coms.  “Runners in position, Seven?”

“Aye aye, ma'am.  Fifteen runners positioned to keep pace with the swarm.” Evan replied.

“Fifteen of us, against Five hundred zoms?”  Jody cried softly.  “Feels like a suicide mission!”

“It's not.”  The Major said.  “We have the one thing zombies lack.”

“Fear? A sense of smell?”  Jody asked still sounding paniced.

“Brains. You're all armed with a weed killer spraying device filled with the doctor's latest batch.  You have our entire supply out there.  Enough to slow all those fast zombies down.  Make them less susceptible to instruction, too, from our research.”  The Major said.

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, is that going to be such an improvement?  I mean, five hundred new shamblers heading for Abel?”  Simon questioned.

“At least that crowd in the back will stop knowing how to use those guns they're carrying.”  Janine supplied.

“There is that.”  Charlotte said as they continued to keep up with the swarm and the other runners.

“Runners Eleven and Seventeen, take positions at ten and two o'clock.  Runners Three and Seven, six o'clock position.”  The Major ordered as the four runners in question responded with agreements.  “We're reaching the perfect place for it.  The valley where the land dips down.  The spray will linger in that sheltered area even after you've gone past.  Now, runners, as one, on my mark, run through the lines of zombies, spraying as you go.”  Every runner go their sprayer wands ready as the Major called out the order.  “Mark!”

Charlotte and the runners began running around the perimeter of the horde spraying the mist over the swarm.  The mist was pungent and smelled of rotten fish guts and mold which made Charlotte and all the other runners cough and gag.

“Holy-” Sara coughed hard.  “This batch is stronger than the last, isn't it.”

Charlotte coughed hard.  “I think I'm going to have an asthma attack!”  She said pulling her sweater up over her nose.

“Potent stuff, alright.  Taking no chances.  That'll stop those zoms dead in their - “  The Major said as the zombies started to run faster.

“Major I think we have a problem.”  Charlotte said as she ran away from the group.

“I see that.”  The Major said as Jody cried out.

“They're speeding up!  They're getting faster when we spray them!  And those ones at the back – oh God, do you see?”  Jody said as Charlotte looked back feeling her body go cold.

“They've got a rocket launcher.”  She breathed.

“Get me the doctor, now!”  The Major shouted as the runners did their best to keep away from the now super fast zombies.  

Jody cried out as one was gaining speed on her right near Charlotte. Charlotte  ran over and kicked the zoms knee knocking him down allowing both of them to escape.  “We're gonna die!”  Jody whimpered.

“Just keep running Jody.  You can do it.”  Charlotte said putting her hand on Jody's pack.

“What's going on?”  Maxine asked quickly.

“You're zombie slowing spray and made the zombies twice as fast now.” Charlotte said before the Major could.

“What happened doctor?”  The Major said right after.

“I don't know.  I don't know!  It's the same basic molecular structure. I just increased the concentrations, and-”  Maxine explained quickly.

“You didn't test this batch?”  The Major stressed.

“I -”  Maxine breathed.  “We needed it so quickly.  There wasn't time to run full tests!  It worked on cell cultures in the lab.”

Suddenly a scream is heard near by making Jody and Charlotte look over.  “They got Seventeen!”  Jody cried out gripping Charlotte's arm to keep up with her.

“This isn't a bloody lab, Doctor!”  The Major shouted.

“Yes, I see that.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry!  I-” Maxine said before Sam jumpped in.

“Runners, listen to me.  They're fast, but you can do this.  Make for the treeline.  Zoms can't climb trees, and even if these can, you'll have the advantage of being above them.  Just go, now.”  He said quickly.

“Leave Abel undefended?”  Charlotte asked quickly.  “We can't do that.”

“Yao's right.  No sense wasting lives on an unwinnable battle.  Runners, live to fight another day.”  The Major said softly.

“We've lost.  We've lost, Five.  Abel can't stand up to this kind of assault.  Save your own lives.  New Canton will take you in when we're -”  Sam pauses for a moment.  “Listen.  I just wanted to say it's been an honor being your operator.  All of you.  Always, uh, chipper Runner Three, Runner 'back from the dead' Eight.  And Runner Five...”  He paused again as Charlotte gritted her teeth.

“No... Sam...”  Charlotte felt tears welling up in her eyes.  “Not again...”  She breathed as Jody held onto her arm tighter.

“I know I might not get to say this again-”  Sam was suddenly cut off by static and Nadia's voice broke into the channel.

“Hate to interrupt a good death speech, Sam, but we've got a little present for you.”  She said cheerfully.

“What?” Sam asked.

“We had a few free runners ourselves.”  Esteban said as well.

“Fifty runners, in fact, as a loose end,”  Nadia said happily.

Charlotte let out a happy laugh.  “Nadia... you have excellent timing woman.”

“Look at it this way Charlotte.  We're square now.”  Nadia said.

“Absolutely.” Charlotte said wiping her eyes quickly.

“I can see them!”  Sara said.  “Coming over the hill, with noisemakers!”

“And pistols, and sonic blasters to block the reprogramming signals.  We think we can help you out with this little logistical problem.” Esteban said happily.

Sam sighed happily.  “Oh my God, you guys!  Are you really the elves from Helm's Deep?”

“Not being a geek, I wouldn't know, but as a famous Australian once said, 'Did you think

we would leave you crying when there's room on our horse for two?'” Nadia asked with a grin.

“How is that better than a Lord of the Rings reference?”  Sam questioned.

“Runners Eight through Twenty-two, modulated dog whistles.”  Nadia said as the whistles began to blow.  “Runners Thirty-Seven through Fifty-Three, set up the shooting gallery on the east.  We can't take them all, Sam, but we can surely make a dent.”  

“Modulated dog whistles?  Genius!  I mean - “  Sam laughs happily.  “Gus, fall in with New Canton runners.  See if you can get in behind the zoms and take a few out as they go.  We might be dealing with speeded-up, mutant, mind-controlled zombies, but if we pull together-”

“-in ten feet.  Runners, run!”  Nadia said fast as the runners changed directions heading towards the New Canton runners.

Several zombies took swipes at the runners coming very close due to their increase in speed.  The New Canton runners took our several with their guns but they just kept coming.

“What the hell did you guys give these zombies?  I've never seen anything like it!  They're so fast!”  Nadia said as Charlotte ran around a tree to avoid a zombie who jerked himself off course falling over.

“And jerky too!”  Charlotte said rejoining up with Jody.

“That jerky movement's new.  Since we gave them the spray.”  Sara said.

“Second team, prepare to fire!”  Esteban said.  “Fire!”  He shouted as round after round of gunfire took out several zombies.  “Not so jerky now, huh?”  He said confidently.  “Hm... Abel Township, do you have a firing squad in the northwest quadrant?”

“Us? We've just got a bunch of useless weed killer tanks.”  Sam said.

“Look at the northwest quadrant.  Six zombies just fell to the ground.” Esteban said.

Charlotte and Jody jumpped back as four zombies crossed their path getting incredibly before falling down.  “Four just stumbled and fell over here.”  Charlotte said as they ran the other direction.

“It's like they get so jerky, so twitchy-”  Jody said slowly.

Simon coughed for a moment before speaking.  “Here, two just went down. Looks like they're trying to do the horizontal Macarena.  Twitch twitch, jerk jerk.”

“They're all going down.”  Sam said as Charlotte and Jody stopped for a moment seeing zom after zom start to fall down onto the ground.  “All over the field...”  She breathed.

“It looks like they're dying.”  The Major said softly.

“I'll say.  This one just twitched it's own head clean off.”  Sara said.

“Third team, hold your fire.  No sense wasting bullets.”  Esteban said.

“They're jerking more and more.  And then they just stop!”  Nadia cried out in surprise.  “What the hell did you give them?”  

“Maxine, you did it!”  Sam cried out.  “You bloody well did it!  They're all dead, Maxine! You and your clever scientist brain, you little beauty!”  He kisses her loudly.  “You've killed them!”

“Are they - “  Maxine breathes.  “definitely?”

Sara groans.  “There's brain matter coming from their ears.  I'd say they are definitely.”

“That means that-”  Janine said slowly.

“It means that this is it.  We can defeat the zombies!”  Sam said exceitably.  

“All runners in the field, come to Abel.  This must be shared with everyone.”  The Major said as all of the runners began heading back towards Abel.  

Over an hour later the Major was kitted up with a headset and stood by the gates where she could look at everyone gathered in the township.  Sam and Charlotte stood in the com shack making sure that the outlying settlements and New Canton were getting the Major's broadcast.

“People of New Canton, people of Abel.  Friends, colleagues, runners.  This war has been long, and our losses have been great, and it is not over yet.  There will be hard days ahead of us.  We have lost good friends, whose memories we will never forget.  We will suffer further losses.  Some may be harder than we feel we can bear.”  The Major spoke loudly as Charlotte felt Sam wrap his arm around her from behind pulling her closer.  “But know this – today was the day the tide turned.  Today, humanity began to fight back.  When civilization is re-established, and they come to write the histories of this darkest time in the life of our species, they will write about the Battle of Abel, and they will say, that was the day on which the worst was over.  We will take back Britain from coast to coast, from shore to shore.  Battle by battle we will reclaim her.” The Major said confidently.  “And let these words ring – that this day, this battle, has not been the end of the beginning.  It is the beginning of the end!”  

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

<  64   >

Season 1 Beginning

Season 2 Beginning

[cinderscoria]

(if i time it right) the thunder breaks

Pairings: Maxine/Paula, though it’s not the focus Warnings: Small one for depression, not nearly as prominent as my other fics tho Spoilers: Through the season 3 finale Title: (if i time it right) the thunder breaks Summary: (i wanna love you, but i don’t know how)

or, Maxine struggles to understand Five’s aversion to antidepressants and comes to realize she doesn’t really know the Runner at all.

-

Dysthymia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder…

Maxine presses her lips into a thin line, dark eyes scanning over the personnel file in her hands. It’s been three years since Five came to Abel and about that long since she’d read through the file Mullins had sent over on their “temporary loan.” Truth be told, she’d barely glanced at the background and psychological portions, more interested in what she had to know about the Runner’s body in order to treat her properly. But years later, Five’s physical well being isn’t what’s concerning her now. It’s been three months since that awful day in London and Runner Five… hasn’t been doing well.

The doctor had to seriously dig to find this damn file, and reading through it now she’s wishing she’d paid better attention to it. The time stamp is dated almost four years ago—Five would have been fifteen when Mullins took her in. Maxine closes her eyes and tries to imagine the Runner that young and already dealing with the imbalances in her brain. She’s good at hiding it. Five can wipe her face cleaner than anyone Maxine knows—including Janine. Maybe that’s why it’s taken this long for Maxine to look up exactly what is wrong with her Runner.

She skips the background like she always does—everyone deserves some privacy, although what Five could have possibly been up to at fifteen she couldn’t imagine—and peers at the list of medications Five had been on. Trazodone, Zoloft, and Lamotrigine.

“Two out of three ain’t bad,” she murmurs to herself.

“Maxie?”

Maxine jumps but manages to hold onto the file, whirling to find Paula standing in the doorway of the lab, dark eyebrows furrowed. “What are you doing up so late? It’s past curfew.”

“I know,” Maxine admits, crossing to her so she could give her a kiss. “I was thinking.”

“About what?” Paula places a hand on Maxine’s belly and they stop a moment to grin at each other, amazed all over again they’re going to be mothers, before Maxine kisses her again, softer this time.

“I’m happy,” she says quietly, moving to put her hand on Paula’s. “I am here, with you, and our baby, and nothing is wrong.”

Paula smiles into her mouth. “I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there.”

Maxine draws back to look into her eyes, serious for a second. “Did you know that Runner Five has brought in more antidepressants than any Runner in Abel, ever?”

“No?”

“She has. I’ve been keeping track.” Maxine holds up the file. “Mullins diagnosed her with multiple mental and emotional disorders. She had been on medication before coming to Abel, but as far as I know she hasn’t taken any since.”

Paula catches on immediately. “You’re worried about her.”

“I’ve been worried since Moonchild made her hurt Sam,” Maxine tells her. The memory of it is still so raw—she’d been woken from her pod to Janine attempting to hold down a damn near hysterical Sam insisting through a half-strangled voice that they needed to find Five, Jody lying unconscious on a cot and Five missing in action, again. She hadn’t known what to think, couldn’t even get the full story out of Sam until she’d threatened to tie him down so she could treat him. Even then, his story made no sense: Five sneaking back into Abel, opening the gates, knocking out Jody and then confronting him in the comms shack where they’d hidden the ZRD; how she’d smiled as her right hand crushed his windpipe and her left raised her ax to deliver the final blow; how she’d stopped, eyes widening, spilling over with tears, and then she’d dropped her ax and sprinted from the room, leaving Sam distraught and hoarse and baffled in his shack.

“And then Simon,” Paula guesses, breaking Maxine from the memory. “He and Five were close, even after everything.”

Maxine nods. She’s seen Five on the roof of the bunkhouse, fingering the rosary beads and cross Simon had given to her before he’d put on the helmet. “Living an apocalypse is traumatic enough, but come on, Paula. The girl’s not even nineteen yet.” She draws a breath. “I wanted… to find a way to thank her. For not giving up on me, for bringing you back to me, for everything she’s done for us—for Abel, for the world, really. With all the medication she brings in on every mission we have more than enough to get her started. I want her to be happy, too.”

Paula smiles at her and runs a hand through her hair before kissing her again, one more time, lips gentle. “It’s a wonderful idea,” she tells her.

“Why thank you, darling,” Maxine teases with a laugh. “Go on back to bed. I’m going to write a formal request to Hiram Mulligan and then I’ll join you.”

“All right, love.” Paula’s hand lingers where it rests on Maxine’s stomach before she slips out the door and into the night.

Maxine grins, breathless all of a sudden, wondering how the hell she got so lucky.

-

It takes two days for the request to go through, but Maxine knows Hiram likes to be thorough. There’s a lot of danger in prescribing medication nowadays, especially for the mentally ill, because there’s only one professional psychiatrist in the entire township and the man has a lot on his plate on a good day. Monitoring closely is a thing of the past now—but trial and error could be disastrous when some of the medications could literally kill you.

Maxine has a little more faith in Five than that. She’s survived everything life has thrown at her so far, after all. Maxine just hopes she can make her a little more comfortable doing so, that’s all.

Luckily, it’s Five’s rest day when the request goes through, so Maxine sets to tracking her down.

Where does Five go when she isn’t running? Maxine grins to herself and heads straight for Sam’s shack.

Only to find their head radio operator sprawled out on his cot, dead to the world and snoring—decidedly alone. Despite herself, Maxine has to smile softly at the sight. Paula may be her soul mate but Sam Yao is undoubtedly her best friend in the entire world, and seeing him finally able to sleep makes her heart hurt a little bit.

They almost always schedule his rest days with Five’s, so the fact that she isn’t here with him is kind of puzzling, though if the Rice Krispie Treat wrappers are anything to go by she’d been in at one point. Maxine eases the door shut again and gnaws on her lower lip, deciding to check the track next.

Five’s only satisfied when she’s doing something to help the Township. If Maxine had been paying better attention, she would have caught onto her Runner’s self worth issues back when she’d seemed convinced that they would kick her out of the Township if she didn’t bring back a certain number of items out on her run. Maybe that’s Maxine’s fault, for making her swing by the hospital that first run in—the same hospital their previous Five, Alice, had been caught and killed in—before they’d granted her sanctuary. But that was before she’d gotten to know the girl, barely seventeen then, so young and so hard and angry and violent. Her brief flashes of mischievous humor, her gentleness around children and animals, how Sam made her soft, how Sara made her strong. How she’d understood that one day at the damn barn, when Maxine had to see if the message was from Paula, enough that she willingly put both herself and Five in harm’s way just to know. By all rights and purposes, Five should have been furious with her. But instead she’d nodded and gripped her arms and saved her life and eventually, finally, brought Paula home to her.

Unexpected tears spring to Maxine’s eyes thinking about it, and she brushes them away, surprised and annoyed. There’s no reason to feel guilty about it years later. Five was doing her job. She’d been there when they’d found Paula’s “last” transmission. She’d been used as a hostage to lure Maxine out after being captured that first time by Van Ark. And when that was all over, she’d dropped at Maxine’s feet out of sheer exhaustion, her body pushed to the limit, and Maxine had realized suddenly and with violent clarity that Jade Black, Runner Five, was her friend and she was terrified she was never going to see her again.

Maxine shakes herself of the memories and promptly blames all this sentimental nonsense on her rampaging pregnancy hormones.

The track is really just a carved out loop in what must have been a crop field, though it’s been paved now and the dirt has been packed to make it more even. There are bleachers—wooden and hand built. They have to improvise in an apocalypse, after all.

There Five is, jogging at a steady pace, earphones stuck in her ears as she circles the track. One of Simon’s quirks—he liked to pick up ipods, mp3 players and walkmans and hand them to the other Runners (after Jack, Eugene, Phil and Zoe had ripped them of their tracks, of course). They listen to the music as they train until the battery runs out, and then onto the next one.

Five’s the only one who still does it now. Maybe she’s trying to keep something of Simon still alive in the aftermath. Maxine’s not one to snatch away a person’s coping mechanisms.

She waves Five down on her next go around, fingering the pill bottles in her pocket, feeling oddly excited about this entire thing. There goes that sentiment again.

Five is wary as she slows and takes her headphones from her ears. She signs a quick, one handed What’s up? at her as she approaches.

“I’ve been doing some reading,” Maxine starts out, trying to shove her sudden nerves to the side so she can get this done. “Your file, actually, the one Mullins had on you? Anyway, I saw that you used to be on medication before you came to Abel and you stopped, so I dug around a bit.” She draws the bottles from her pocket and offers them to the Runner. “I only got 50 milligram tablets of Trazodone and 200 milligram tablets of Zoloft, so monitoring is going to be weird. We’re going to have to be creative to make it last, but it should be okay if we go slow, I think.”

She beams, waiting for Five to respond. The teen stares at the bottles for an uncomfortably long second before shaking her head. I don’t want it, she signs.

“What?” Maxine blinks, trying to figure out if she read her hands wrong. “Why not? It’s all right here, Five, I don’t—”

And Five cuts her off with a set jaw, signing, I’m fine. I don’t need it.

“Five—” But the Runner has already stuck her headphones back in her ears and takes off again, at a faster pace this time.

Maxine stares dumbfounded at her back as she puts distance between them.

-

“I can’t believe this!” Maxine rages, pacing the length of the comm’s shack. “Do you know how much negotiating I had to do to even snag her spot with the highest dose? Because I know that she has a high tolerance for medication, I knew that from experience! I knew she’d want to work her way up to 200 mg, I knew that about her, and she doesn’t even want to try!”

Sam, sleepy-eyed and decidedly unhappy about being awoken from his nap, says, “Maxine, I really think you might be overthinking this—”

Maxine whirls on him. He startles backwards, eyes widening, as she leans into his face and hisses, “I am not overreacting.”

“I said over thinking!” he protests, hands up. “Listen, Maxie, it’s really nice that you’re doing this for her, but you have to understand that Five isn’t the type to accept help from anyone. She thinks it implies that she’s weak.”

“I just wanted to help!” Maxine says incredulously.

“I know, I just—” Sam pinches the bridge of his nose. “You tell her that, you could probably get her to take the meds, but Maxie, it’s taken her this long to even think that we might actually want her here at Abel.”

Maxine glares and breathes hard through her nose. “What the hell does that mean?”

“She told me once,” Sam says, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses, “that she is okay with being needed, even if she isn’t wanted. She thinks that if she has a job to do she has to do it, no exceptions, or we’ll cut her.”

“I… what?”

“Yeah.” Sam looks up at her from his cot and smiles a little, though the expression holds no mirth. “If you imply that the medication is to help her do her job, she’ll take it, but she’ll also think that she’s failing and that probably won’t help at all. So.”

Maxine, floored, drops into the chair at his desk and stares at the wall for a long moment. The anger dissipates immediately, leaving her tired and sad. “Okay then,” she utters. “How do I get her to not think that?”

Sam ponders on it. “I don’t know if you can, to be honest Maxine. She’s always been that way. It’s taken me a long time to get her to understand that she’s enough by herself for me, regardless of what she does or doesn’t do.” He grins, self deprecating. “Actually I think it took her almost killing me to get it through her head. That I’m her friend and I accept her for who she is.”

Hurt floods through her. “She doesn’t think we’re friends?”

“No, it’s not that. She holds herself to a certain expectation, who she thinks you approve of.” Sam runs a hand through his unruly black hair. “She’s good at it, I didn’t catch it for months. It’s like she conforms to whoever she thinks is best for you. Like how with me she’s gentler, with Janine she slips into an almost military persona, with Simon she would pull pranks and joke around, you know?”

“Well yeah, obviously,” Maxine says, furrowing her brow. “We all experience varying levels of comfort around the people we’re closest to, how much of ourselves we can reveal depending on who we’re talking to.”

“Yes but Maxine, you’re not hearing me.” Sam leans closer, dark eyes bright. “She does it with everyone. It’s like those flip books, yeah? The ones where you can change the outfit by flipping the pages? Except I don’t think she has a base, Maxie. Like all of these different masks make up her face. I don’t think she even knows who she is at her core.”

“You seem to know,” Maxine points out.

“Yes, but it took three years and a near death experience to get us to where we are,” he counters.

“So you’re saying I should get her to try to kill me.”

“No! Oh, you’re joking,” he realizes, before giving her a light smack on the arm. “That’s not funny, Maxie! You’re one of the mothers of my child, I need you to stay alive! Good grief,” he mutters to himself. “Anyway, listen, Five is just a really tough shell to crack, but what you’re doing for her is good. You should keep at it.”

Maxine studies him for a second before it dawns on her. “You want me to get her to want the meds,” she says.

Sam winks at her. “Got it in one.”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

The radio operator shrugs and grins. “Convince her you want her instead of need her.”

“Oh, is that all?”

“You can do it, Maxine,” he says sincerely, “you’re the most stubborn person I know.” He reaches out so he can snag her hand and squeezes it once. “If anyone can convince our Runner that she’s loved, it’s you.”

Maxine sighs. “As if anyone can say no to that face. All right,” she concedes, giving him a small smile as she makes her way to the door. “I’ll try.”

“That’s my girl.”

-

Maxine stands at the edge of the track, worrying her lip and gazing at the far end of the Township. The walls they erected have spread the bigger Abel grows, so what was once a straight cement wall is now a winding ridge that curves alongside the treeline, providing some additional cover.

Five is long gone, of course, probably took off the second Maxine stormed off to find Sam. Maxine just needs a second to process all of this. All… of it.

On one hand, she’s hurt by Five rejecting the medication. She can’t help but feel resentful—her going out of her way to help her friend, all of that work for nothing, Five dismissing it with barely a glance had stung and she isn’t entirely sure why. But at the same time… she remembers being young and angry, unable to be herself around the people she cared about. Growing up gay, black, and female at the same time as being the daughter of a wealthy business tycoon did not coincide with the picture of the ideal Midwestern teenager. Maxine had to fight for every good thing in her life, and she’d had to fight everyone doing it. So she understands, sort of, where Five is coming from. That at least warrants some measure of patience.

A hand appears on her shoulder. Maxine jumps a mile and whirls to find the subject of her thoughts standing behind her, looking inappropriately abashed—be it from her earlier behavior or the fact that she’d scared Maxine just now, the doctor isn’t sure.

“Five,” she exclaims. “I didn’t hear you come up.”

The teen flashes her a grim smile, no teeth. Maxine wants to kick herself. Of course Five can’t call out a hello. Off to a fantastic start already, Maxie.

I’m sorry, Five signs to her. Thank you for the pills.

Maxine stares at her. “You’ll take them?”

Five watches her with a furrowed brow, like she’s trying to read between the lines. That’s what you want, right? she signs with a shrug. Doctor’s orders?

Maxine wants to tear her hair out. This is like trying to navigate a minefield! She inhales deep, keeping a lid on her emotions. “What do you want, Five?”

Five doesn’t have to sign this one—the startled look on her face speaks for itself. Maxine elaborates, “Do you want the meds or not? If you don’t want them I’m not going to force them down your throat. I just figured it would be nice to balanced again. I know you’re going through a hard time, especially lately—”

And at that Five snorts and throws her hands up. Everyone is going through a hard time right now. She spreads her arms wide, indicating the apocalypse as a whole probably. Everyone has something wrong with them.

Maxine holds the teen’s eyes. “I don’t care about everybody else. I care about you.”

Brief incredulity crosses Five’s face, and doesn’t that just hurt more than the barbed words the Runner is signing? Does she really not believe that she’s her friend?

Five seems to read her face, because she shakes her head and looks away. It’s not that, she signs. I know you care.

“You just don’t believe me.”

I believe you think you care, Five counters.

“You don’t think I know you well enough to know?”

I think I lie well.

It’s said so simply Maxine is startled into silence. Five is very matter of fact stating it, almost cold, but Maxine knows what she’s doing.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she prods softly.

Five sighs, caught. She has to think about it, looking anywhere but Maxine’s face. It’s not that I don’t want it, she allows finally. There are so many other people, they need it more.

“And you think you don’t need it.”

I’m alive, right? It’s signed with a sardonic grin, such a spot on reflection of Sam’s earlier self-deprecating smirk it’s eerie. Maxine suddenly understands exactly what Sam meant when talking about Five’s masks.

She shakes herself and carefully maps out how to tread going forward. “Five, you’re not a robot. Nobody expects you to keep going when you reach your limit—”

But they do, Five corrects. I do have to. Or the world ends, remember? Or people die? And her face crumples. People die anyway.

Maxine knows that’s for Simon. She pushes the pang back. “Five, death is not your limit. You know that, don’t you? You don’t exist just to keep other people happy. You do it really well, and I will forever be grateful for that, but I’d rather have you happy and failing than—”

Happy? Five’s brows shoot up, and she huffs a laugh that’s all air and no voice. “Happy” isn’t real. I cannot fix me not being happy. I cannot be happy for you. It doesn’t work like that.

She seems to be on the verge of something. Maxine studies her. Her shoulders are rigid straight, her almond shaped eyes bright and wide, her lips pursed, her fingers fists. It’s then Maxine realizes, all of a sudden, that nothing she says is going to help Five.

She doesn’t understand the girl at all.

That said, she can listen. Five needs to get this out. She doesn’t talk much, Maxine knows, outside of mission reports and whatever conversations she has with Sam. And it can’t be nearly enough to get out everything the teen feels on any given day. That’s unhealthy even without them being smack dab in the middle of an apocalypse, where they can die at any moment and lose people they care about. Maxine doesn’t know a damn thing about where Five came from and who she’s lost, and that’s hardly fair. The least she can do is provide the outlet Five sorely needs, even if she doesn’t realize it.

So she waits, and sure enough, Five’s hands come up again. Maybe before, it would be okay for me to have pills, she says, fingers trembling. Before, when I was not the majority and I was sick and I deserved special treatment. But now, everyone is sick and broken and wrong. I can’t complain about it hurting because everyone hurts. It doesn’t make me special.

Maxine has to bite back her argument. Nothing she says Five will believe, but God that’s so wrong Five is special she is important she is allowed to hurt and get help for it and to be treated like she’s precious—

But Five isn’t done. If I can do my job, I can stay. I can protect the people I care about and it will be okay. I have made it this far without pills.

“But unhappy,” Maxine points out, unable to help herself, unhappy too.

Five smiles again. It doesn’t reach her eyes. Did you read the background in my file? And when Maxine shakes her head: I was diagnosed when I was eight. I didn’t get medication until I was fifteen. I had pills for seven months before D day. I will not take away medication I don’t need from people who do. I won’t.

The admission makes Maxine’s mouth go dry. Eight. Eight years old. She can’t even imagine Five being eight years old. She tries to picture a scowling child, hardened already by life’s hardships and the glitches in DNA she can’t control, and can’t quite manage it.

Five nods once, as if confirming Maxine’s thoughts, but the doctor gives her a small smile. “Five,” she starts, gently, “I can’t even begin to understand what it’s like.” The teen remains guarded, sensing a catch—even though there isn’t one. “There was a time when I suffered through a few depression episodes myself. And I know it’s not the same, I know “once upon a time” doesn’t even come close to how you feel every day since you were eight.”

As long as I can remember, Five confirms.

Maxine takes a breath. “That said, you have to know that Dr. Mulligan and I discussed it and we can afford to part with the medication you need. We have balanced it, compared notes, determined probabilities. Between you and the other Runners, we have and will probably continue to have the resources to spare, with plenty left over, to get you started on Zoloft and Trazodone. And if we run out, then we run out, and I will let you know far ahead of time so we can either replenish supplies or wane you off it so you don’t have to cold turkey it, but the point is, I am offering you this because I can afford to, because I have the ability to and because I want to. Because you are my friend and I care about you, and even if you can’t be happy I can at least help you stabilize.”

Five’s still waiting for the but, and Maxine smiles. “So what do you say?”

You’re sure. You’re sure it won’t hurt anybody. Five holds Maxine’s gaze as the doctor nods, and her eyes suddenly fill with tears. Okay, she signs, okay, okay, okay, okay.

Maxine opens her arms, and Five—so adverse to touch—throws herself into them.

Eight years old, Maxine thinks, stroking Five’s hair as the Runner cries soundlessly into her chest. Jesus.

-

Two months later and Five shows up in the lab, rapping her knuckles to grab Maxine and Paula’s attention.

“Five!” Maxine exclaims, getting up off the bar stool. “Come on in, honey, we were just discussing names for the baby.”

The teen arches her brows. Without Sam?

“Oh no, he’s given us his input,” Paula says with a laugh, holding up the list of names the radio operator had scrawled out. “I can’t even read most of these.”

Five grins—the expression lights up her entire face, and even though Maxine’s had months to get used to it the change still surprises her. She looks so much younger smiling like that. Maybe I can help, she signs, pulling up a stool herself. I can read anything.

“I don’t know, Five.” Paula clucks her tongue and turns the paper towards her. “This chicken scratch is worse than Maxie’s when she’s rushing.”

“Unkind,” Maxine says, giving her girlfriend a smack on the shoulder. She smiles at Five. “Anyway, we still got a ways to go before we have to worry about that. How are you doing? Really?”

The teen ducks her head, a show of bashfulness that usually comes from people showing they care about her. She still hesitates, unsure of anything that appears to be free and without consequence, but around Maxine she’s relaxed exponentially. I’m good, she signs, one-handed. Very good. I think they’re working.

“Well that’s good,” Maxine says, beaming. “Dr. Mulligan told me that you seem brighter and more regulated, too, so score one for us, right?”

Five nods, somewhat jerkily, glancing up and then away in the same second. Maxine doesn’t press, and sure enough the teen continues haltingly. I wanted to say thank you. I’d forgotten what it was like to be this high. I’m sorry I fought you on it.

“Five,” Maxine starts gently, “I can’t fault you for not wanting to take away resources from people. That was really noble of you. But you know that even if we were low on medication, I still would have given it to you, right?”

That brings out a spectacular frown of disapproval from the teen, but Maxine holds up a hand so she can finish. “Because regardless of you being important to the Township, you are important to me. And I want you to be okay. Actually I want you to be happy, but, you know. Baby steps.”

“The same goes for me too, Five,” Paula adds.

Five smiles at floor. Maxine reaches out and squeezes her arm once, aware that a good chunk of her mothering towards the teen is pure hormones—but honestly, if she can get in good practice and give Five a piece of the childhood she’d never had at the same time, then she isn’t complaining.

And neither is Five, despite the awkwardness that comes with accepting gifts she doesn’t think she deserves. But they’re working on it, and that’s all that really matters.

Five reaches again for the paper and glances through it. Then she points at a name and fingerspells it for them.

“Sara,” Maxine reads, trying it out. Warmth spreads through her as she ponders the name. Paula grabs her hand, soft and sweet and real and here. Maxine smiles at Five.

“It’s perfect,” she says.

[zombierunfiction]

Season 2 Mission 3: Walking On Broken Glass

The next day things had settled down between Charlotte and Janine.  They weren't really friends still but there wasn't any fist fights.  The crisp air of fall found Charlotte, Simon and Jody getting their packs ready for a mission that they knew almost nothing about.  The whole time Jody was chattering about the Halloween celebration that was going to happen at New Canton the following day.  The Major had happily given everyone a day off to enjoy the event.  Simon was running a costume contest, Sam was running a bobbing for apples event, and Charlotte would be helpping Jody and Eugene with food.  Eugene had been forceably volunteered for the job since he had been mopping around without Jack around.  Around the afternoon New Canton were also going to let their children go to Abel, with runners guding them, to go trick or treating.

"So Charlette what are you going to dress as?"  Jody asked.

"Well I might not be able to knit like you but I can defenatly sew.  So I made a special dress.  I left it at New Canton before we left the other day."  Charlotte said as she tightened her laces for her shoes.

Jody giggled.  "Mine is a surprise!"

"Well I am just going to be myself.  Just much different."  Simon said with a grin as both girls looked at him oddly.

"How do you figure?"  Charlotte asked.

"I'm making myself look like those old comic book characters.  I heard Janine can recreate it."  He said confidently as Jody and Charlotte shrugged.  A bark directed their attention behind them where Evan was walking over with his dog, Bonnie.  She was a pretty golden retriever with a brown spot on her backside and tail.

"Hey Evan.  Taking Boonie for a walk?"  Charlotte asked.

"Nope you guys are."  Evan said as he handed Charlotte a silver whistle.  "Take this.  She will respond to it."

Charlotte looked at the whistle then down at Bonnie who sat next to Charlotte obediantly.

"Alright Runners all ready?"  Sam asked.

"Ready!"  All three called back and Bonnie barked in response.

"Open the gate!"  The gate opens as gun shots ring out taking out several zoms that had come close to the gate.  "Runners, set off.  We want you a safe distance from Abel before this mission begins.  So, uh... Good.  Good day everyone.  Thank you for attending this experiment so promptly."  Sam said sounding nervous.  "Also in the communcations booth with us for this official test today are the Doctor-"

"I really don't think you have to be like this."  Maxine said.

Sam laughed nervously.  "Just announcing the mission, as per protocol, Doctor Myers, as I always do."

Charlotte rolled her eyes.  

He founded stiff and uncomfortable.

"You sound like Janine."  Maxine said sighing softly.

"As I was saying, the doctor, and the Major has also joined us, to witness our well-oiled machine of command!"  Sam said trying to sound confident.

"Don't mind me!  Just carry on as if I weren't here.  Just observing, you know?"  The Major said.

Charlotte and Jody laughed softly.  Of course the Major was there, thus Sam's odd behavior.  Like a student when a teacher is hanging over them.

"Not at all, We're just, yeah, see, this is exactly as normal.  We're a highly disciplined force, here.  Carry on running!  We need you a good distance from Abel before we begin today's mission."  Sam said with a nervous laugh.  After a while  Sam came back rustling papers.  "Very good work, runners!  Now, the mission on my log today is..."

"It's here."  Maxine said softly.

"Ah, yeah.  Thank you, Doctor Myers.  the mission today is to lay dosed caltrops for zombies, to test our VS-72 hybrid... Um, I'm not sure I fully comprehend that mission statement, Doctor Myers.  Would you care to, uh, elucidate?"  Sam asked confused.

Maxine sighs softly.  "Guys, you've each got a bagful of spiked half tennis balls that I've dipped in a formula we think will slow down the fast zoms."

"Oh yeah!  I heard you had Runner Two sawing tennis balls in half and driving nails up through them.  I thought it was occupational therapy!"  Sam said.

Maxine chuckles softly.  "They'll always fall cut side down with the nails pointing up.  We're hoping that it will be a good delivery mechanism for the formula.  But to get the zombies to walk over them, we're going to need you to run with a couple of fast zoms chasing you.  You'll need to be fast and in control, okay?"

"So, uh, we're going on a run, chucking tennis balls behind us as we go?"  Simon said laughing.

"Sounds brilliant.  Runner Seven wants us to take Bonnie for the run too.  Guess she will like the run."  Charlotte said as Bonnie ran beside her.

"I'm not sure I've got a form here for that.  I, uh... doesn't this sound a bit dangerous, all around?  Sending runners out in front of fast zoms, with a dog?"  Sam questions.

"Splendid idea.  dogs love a run-around.  Zombie virus has no effect on them.  Ecvellent.  Runners, get ready!"  The Major said confidently as Bonnie barked.  "Release the zombies!"  

For a moment none of the three heard anything.  Soon enough the fast zoms were heading right towards the.  They began throwing out the bright yellow tennis balls that were cut in half with sharp nails pointed up right in the path of the zombies.  Bonnie barked as they ran, several of the zombies stepped on the nails but it didn't slow them down.

"Wow, that's amazing!  Look, that one zom chasing Five has trodden on a spiked tennis ball.."  Sam said as Charlotte looked back seeing the zom behind her.  Suddenly it began to drop back.  "... and it's slowing down!  And look. there goes another one, slowed right down!"  Sam said as the zoms began to drop back.  "That's amazing!  It's really working!  What did you put on those nails, Maxi- I mean, uh, Doctor Myers?"  

"The information the MAjor brought us from the army base up north was really invaluable."  Maxine said.

"Hoped it would be.  Marvelous result."  The Major said proudly.

"They've been working on modifying the virus effects.  Putting their research together with our work on the vaccine, we came up with this new formula which changes the way the zombie virus works.  We still don't know exactly how." Maxine said softly sounding unsure.

"So this vaccine would be safe to inject into humans?"  The Major asks.

"It's not a vaccine.  This formula only effects fast zombies, as far as we know.  And the caltrops aren't a great delivery system.  We wouldn't want to send runners back over this area in case hey trod on a nail a zombie had trodden on."  Maxine said as the runners looked back indeed seeing the area littered with yellow tennis balls that could potentially still hold the virus.

"Infection city.  I mean, uh, catastrophic infection risk."  Sam corrects.

Maxine laughs softly.  "Yeah, exactly.  But still, this test looks quite-"

Suddenly Bonnie began to bark and took off away from Charlotte nearly tripping her.  "Bonne, come back here!  Come back!"  Charlotte shouted.

"Dog's got away!  High spirits.  After her, Five!  Wouldn't want her to tread on a nail."  The Major said.

"Yes ma'am."  Charlotte said running towards Bonnie.

"Didn't Runner Seven give you that dog whistle?"  Jody said as Charlotte fished into her pocket pulling out the silver whistle.

"Yeah, I got it."  Charlotte blows the whistle as Bonnie barks and runs over.  "Come on, Bonnie!"  She blew the whistle again.  Bonnie barked again and headed towards Charlotte as she made her way to meet up with Simon and Jody.  

"Guys?"  Sam said as Charlotte gave Bonnie a pat before standing straight.

"What's wrong Sam?"  Charlotte asked.

"Fast zombies have stop being... slow."  Sam said as the three of them looked back seeing the zoms were speeding up.  "They're fast and heading right towards you!  Run!"  Jody, Simon, Charlotte and Bonnie took off away from the zombies.  Soon Jody began to drop behind a bit as Bonnie barks loudly.  "Okay.  I, uh... Runner four.  they're close on you.  Speed up, now.  They're gaining on you."

"I'm going as fast as I can!  No snipers within range?"  Jody called paniced.

"If we can avoid it, we don't want to kill these specimens."  Maxine said as Sam groaned.

"There's a reason we never let runners get this close to zombies!  They're moving too fast to be sure of a kill now, anyway."  Sam said.

"Um your specimens are gaining on Jody!  Five, you head that way, I'll go this.  Make as much noise as you can.  Let's see if we can get them to chase us."  Simon said.  "Give me the whistle."  He said holding out his hand.  Charlotte gave him the whistle as Bonnie barked again running now along side Simon.  They split apart as Charlotte starts to shout trying to pull them off Jody.

"Guys, I don't know how, but you've gained another pack of zoms, coming in from the west.  Heading for you, Five, heading right for you.  Don't look back.  Run!"  Sam said worried as Charlotte sped up trying to keep ahead of them.  She could tell they weren't too far behind her.  If she so much as tripped they would be on top of her.  "Oh god, look those zoms are gaining on Five.  And they're out of sniper range.  I don't know what we can... I don't know what to do."  

"Don't Panic.  give me the mic just a moment there, Yao."  The Major said before her voice became clearer.  "Runners Three, Four, and Five, listen carefully, and do exactly as I say.  Runner Four, sharp ninety degree turn to the left on my mark."

"Towards that?"  Jody asked looking over at a group of small trees.

"Yes, toward that copse.  Mark!"  The Major said as Jody changed direction running towards the trees.  "Very good.  Five, continue in that direction you're heading.  Keep an absolutely steady pace, don't let up."

"Wasn't planning on it!"  Charlotte said as she continued to run.

"But that'll take her further away from sniper range!  And four's heading out, too!"  Sam said seriously.

"Runner Three, see the flag at the edge of the field by the large barbed-wire fence? Turn and run towards it as quickly as you can.  And on my mark, blow that whistle with all your might.  Do you understand?"  The Major said.

"Got it."  Simon said as Bonnie and him ran fast towards the fence.

"Zombies travel in straight line, we know that from runner Ten's work.  So it has to be at the previse moment that - four, three, two, one.  Runner Three, stand absolutely still.  Mark!"  The Major said as Simon stopped and blew the whistle hard.  Suddenly the zombies on Charlotte's tail changed directions heading between Charlotte and Simon's position.  Simon kept blowing the whistle as hard as he could as Charlotte kept up the pace.

"Oh my god..."  Sam breathed.

"They're..."  Maxine whispers.

"They are!"  They're following towards the whistle!  Both sets of zoms, heading towards that gate in the fence!"  Sam said excitably as Simon continued to blow the whistle.

"Runner Three do blow the whistle again and Runner Five..."  The Major started before a smile could be heard in her voice.  "head towards the gate so you can close it behind them."  Charlotte took up the rear to shut the gate behind where they kept the zombies.  "Just like sheepdog trials."  The Major said proudly.

Simon kept blowing until the zombies had been herded in and Charlotte locked the gate behind them.  "That was bloody amazing, Major!"  Sam cried out.  "I mean, uh, what an excellent strategy."

"You know, I always though Janine just had a stick up her butt when she was talking about the importance of discipline, but I get it!  Now, I really get it!"  Maxine said truely impressed as Charlotte, Simon, Jody and Bonnie made their way back to Abel.  

"If only we'd have had you here when New Canton attacked, eh."  Sam said.

"Back now, and more fast zombies for you to test, Doctor.  Good work today, runners.  Valuable test of the doctors serum, and valuable information about that dog whistle."  The Major said as they ran back into Abel and Bonnie instantly went to Evan jumpping up on him licking his face.

"Yeah!  We suspected an audio trigger before now, but hadn't really considered."  Maxine said as Charlotte felt her smile fall slightly.  When Janine had been brought to New Canton, she informed her what Sara had wanted her to say about the tones.  More and more she thought about where Sara might be but she pushed that to the back of her mind.

"Excellent.  this is the way we're going to win this war.  Science, tactics, discipline."  The Major said proudly.

"You know, I almost start to believe that."  Sam said in a hopeful tone.

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<     33     >

Season 1 Beginning

Season 2 Beginning

[zombierunfiction]

Season 2 Mission 1: Back Once Again

A week went by in a blur to Charlotte.  Archie or Amir never left her alone to wallow.  She was taken to meals, excersizes (which were performed by each block every morning), and meetings with the council.  The group was intimidating but with Amir beside her she wasn't scared more curious.  They seemed almost paranoid with how they opperated.  They had almost triple the amount of people that Abel did and seemed to waffle between taking in survivors and keeping their numbers as they are.

One such day, early morning a call came out to have the doctors ready because of incoming survivors from Abel.  Charlotte was out of bed looking out the bars of her door as Archie was slowly getting up.  "I need to see whose coming in."  Charlotte said quickly.

"Alright just let me put on my sneakers... he he... sneakers... even that's a fun word."  Archie giggled  as Charlotte did the same.  She had on a white muscle shirt with a flannel red and white pattern mens shirt over it.  Archie had given her a pair of jeans that were a bit tight on her but they were good for now.  

Archie opened the door and led her out into the courtyard where New Canton runners were helpping people from Abel inside.  Charlotte scanned the faces knowing each one but looking for specific people.

She looked over and saw familiar brown hair.  "Janine!"  Charlotte ran over seeing her being held up by two runners.  She was only hopping on one leg while the other was lifted behind her.

"Charlotte... you're alive."  She said thankfully as Charlotte let Janine be taken to the office.

If Janine was alive and in the coms shack then Sam must be alive.

Archie walks over next to her as Jody was led in by a runner.  Jody looked up at Charlotte as large tears filled the young girls eyes as she ran over to Charlotte nearly tackling her to the ground.  Charlotte held onto the girl tight petting her back.

"You're alive... oh thank god your alive..."  Jody cried.

"Yea... I'm alive Jody."  Charlotte said pulling back.  "Do you know if Evan or Simon is alright?"

"I don't know about Simon but Evan is with us.  He should be coming in as well."  Jody said wiping her tears away.

"And Sam?"  Charlotte asked shackingly.

"Why don't you ask me yourself?"  

Charlotte looked up fast seeing the rather dirty Sam standing there with a smile on his face.  Charlotte let out a cry and latched onto Sam tight instantly sobbing.  Sam held her tight burying his face into her neck.  "Sam... Oh god Sammy..."  Charlotte cried as Archie sent Jody on ahead.  The two of them just stayed there holding each other for what seemed like an eternity before Charlotte pulled back cupping his cheeks.  "I'm so happy your ok..."  She whispered.

Sam gently kissed her lips softly holding her tighter against him.  Archie turned away to give them a moment with a smile.  After breaking the kiss Sam kissed her forehead as well.  "I was more worried about you."  He said as Archie turned back.  

"If you two would like to talk you can go into the doctors office together."  Archie said as Charlotte nodded holding onto Sam tight as Archie led them with the others into the room.  Sam was checked out for bites, finding none, and left to lay down until the more serious people were treated.  Archie stood a bit away as Charlotte sat next to him while Sam was laying against the pillow.

"What happened Sam?  Last I saw those zombies blew up Abel and your coms went dead."  Charlotte asked holding his hand tight.

"Well the shack was destroyed and buried Janine and I in there.  One of the stones that held up the shack fell on her foot.  She couldn't walk on it so I had her with me most of the time until we met up with some of the other people when the smoke cleared.  I kept her out of the line of fire until the other zombies were taken care of.  Then we started to head away from Abel much to Janine's complaints.  Believe me Char spending a solid week with Janien in your ear is something I'm not going to miss."  Sam laughs softly as Charlotte chuckled with him.  

"Have you seen anyone else?"  Charlotte asked.

"Other than our group no.  Is Maxine here?"  Sam asked as Maxine walked over.  

"Hey Sam."  Maxine said softly.  

"She came in a couple days after I came in."  Charlotte said smiling.

Maxine began giving Sam a check up before pronoucing him fine.  Archie led them to the showers where Archie held Charlotte outside with a knowing smirk while Sam showered off the dirt and mud letting the clothes be changed into a set from New Canton.  Archie then led Charlotte and Sam to the room and shut the door with Archie outside.

"Get the feeling we're prisoners?"  Sam said as he sat down on Charlotte's bunk.

"The way Amir thinks they wanted to keep the few Abel people locked up until the council could figure out what to do.  Since you were all brought in I'm guessing I won't be in this cell for much longer."  Charlotte said sitting next to him.

"So... how is everything with your ex?"  Sam asked carefully.

Charlotte takes a slow breath.  "It was odd when I first arrived.  I worried that I would fall for him again.  But I only thought about you.  Amir and Archie kept me safe and informed about the goings on here and with the council.  He's a good friend now."

Sam smiled gently wrapping his arm around her.  "So I'm not going to lose you to him?"

Charlotte giggled.  "No your not.  I like you and your oddness."  

Sam chuckled then kissed her softly.  Charlotte happily returned the kiss cupping his cheek gently.  She was so unbelievably happy to have Sam back and alive.  She had spent the last week hoping beyond hope that he would be alive.  

A cleared voice breaks them apart as Amir stands there with a smirk.  "I see your man has arrived."  

Charlotte smiled holding onto Sam.  "Amir this is Sam.  My boyfriend.  Sam this is Amir."

Sam nodded slowly.  "Hello there."

Amir stepped over holding out his hand.  "Nice to meet you Sam.  Happy to see you alive.  Char was not a happy person when she came in."

Sam smiled and shook his hand standing up.  "Nice to meet you too.  So... do I get my own cell?"

"The concil is setting up beds in other parts of the castle that you can stay in.  Char will be moved out of here since she's not a threat at this time."  Amir said as Charlotte looked at him slowly.  "That headset.  Do you still have it?"

"Of course."  Charlotte said.

"Have one of your Abel people take it."  Amir said as Charlotte pulls it out from under her pillow and holds it to Sam who takes it.  

"I'll hold onto it for you."  Sam said.

Charlotte takes a deep breath.  "Amir could you give us some privacy?"  Amir nodded and stepped out of the room shutting the door.  "Sam... Nadia found out that we had Lem's headset.  From what I understand she doesn't know it was me who had it but she was... dangerously calm about it."

Sam nodded as he looked down at the headset and looked at it.  "I can get the New Canton headset off this one so if we get caught with it then she won't be the wiser."  He whispered as he disconnected wires to the second piece then snapped off the other headset.  "Have they made you one of their runners yet?"

"Archie said the council was considering it since they need all hands to help out.  Hold on to it and when I know I can get rid of it when I go out for a run."  Charlotte whispered looking up at the door to make sure Archie wasn't looking in on them.

"Alright."  Sam said as he kissed her forehead.

Two weeks passed and Charlotte was indeed made a runner.  Runner Ninty-three is what Nadia called her.  She had gone a couple runs with Archie as a way to test her skills.  She had tossed out the New Canton headset during her first run while Archie was picking up some med supplies.  Late one evening Sam woke up Charlotte and led her into the coms shack that was much cleaner than Sam's was.  Nadia was a short auburn haired woman with a cherb face that was set in a serious expression.

"Sorry to wake you both up so early but we have good intel that came in not too long ago.  From your Major."  Nadia said.

"Where is the Major?"  Sam asked.

"Right here Mr. Yao."  The Major stepped in behind them.  The Major was easily 6'1 with ink black hair and olive skin.  She had on a black button up shirt and dress pants.  Her hair was cut short and it barely brushed her ears.  Her voice had the sound of someone raised particially in South America and American south.  "I thank you both for coming in this evening.  Charlotte you know that trainning you've been doing for the last week?"

"The nets?  Yes."  Charlotte said.

"Good.  We will be sending you out on a run tomorrow.  This will be for you to head for Van Ark.  We have word that he has some files that we want.  Or that is what he will think.  You will learn more when the time comes."  The Major said as Charlotte nodded slowly.  "Miss Al Hanaki.  Mr. Yao I will speak with you privately.  You may go on back to bed Charlotte."  

Charlotte nodded kissing Sam's cheek before walking out of the shack.  She saw a jeep being loaded up near the tunnel on the western side of the courtyard.  She saw Amir speaking with Esteban by the jeep.  She walked over to them as Esteban looked over at her as she approched.

"Have a safe trip Amir."  Esteban said.

"Thank you."  Amir said as Esteban walked away leaving the two alone.  "What are you doing up this late?"

"Just a meeting with the Major.  You know she likes covert meetings.  What's going on?" Charlotte asks.

"Council is sending me to London."  Amir said.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow.  "Why?"

"Looking over how things are going there."  Amir said crypticly.

"Right... classified council trip.  Well be careful."  Charlotte said as Amir smiled.

"I will.  You just take care of yourself and your man."  Amir said as he gave Charlotte a tight hug.  Something inside Charlotte's gut made her squeeze him tighter.  Something told her that London was not safe.  Amir climbed into the jeep as a driver got inside with him and drove off through the tunnel and out of New Canton.

The following day the runners were out in the field with Nadia taking control of each mission.  Gunshots rang out as an older woman was trying to shoot out several zombies that were on Charlotte's tail.  

These zombies on her tail were Van Ark's fast zoms.  

"There are too many; we'll never hold them!"  The older woman said paniced.

"Just hold the line, Runner Forty-seven.  Remember the formation we practiced.  Hold the line!  We'll pick them off, one by one."  Nadia encouraged.

"Okay... okay."  Fourty-seven said as she continued to fire.

Charlotte ran through a building complex, roughily around the 4th floor, that had been under construction before the outbreak and all of the equipment was left to rot.  "Runner Ninety-three, I know you haven't beenr unning out of New Canton for long, but this one's all on you, now.  We've got you on headcam and long-range cams.  Four of our runners are pinned down by zombie assult.  We need you to get after Van Ark and his soldiers before they can reach the helicopter.  You have to run down that gantry you're on, drop down onto the roof of the next building, and keep running.  If you do that, you might just get to the helipad ahead of them.  Don't think of anything else.  Focus on your mission.  It's time to be a hero, Runner Ninety-three!  Run!"  Nadia said as Charlotte ran across the thin gantry then stepped onto the roof.  She continued to run as fast as she could.

"Got it."  Charlotte said as gunshots rings out as one zipped past her making her duck and races into the building shutting the door fast.

"Watch out Ninety-three!  That shot was close."  Nadia said fast.

"Your not kidding."  Charlotte said as she reached up feeling some of her hair was cut from the bullet.  "Well I guess someones got to even out my hair when I get back."  

"I think Runner Twenty could do it for you."  Nadia said.  "Alright Van Ark's just coming out of the building now.  We know he and his soldiers came to this lab to pick up valuable intel about the zombie plague.  We need that intell, Ninety-three, and we need it not to fall into Van Ark's hands.  We know he'll use it against us!"  

"On it."  Charlotte said running through the building as fast as she could hearing the zombies following after her.

"You're going well.  Now, when you reach the edge of the building, there's a laddy down.  Just start to climb."  Nadia said as Charlotte ran towards the ladder.  "Oh... no... Oh no!"

"What's with the oh nos?"  Charlotte asked.

"Fast zombies heading for your position from 5,7, and 9 o'clock.  On ground level, but... there's nowhere for you to go apart from ground level.  You have to get down the ladder as fast as you can.  Get down and sprint to the high-rise building along the other side of the plaza."  Nadia said fast as Charlotte slid down the ladder and took off away from the three groups of zoms.  "They've got steel-boltable doors, and we know they're open.  Go Runner Ninety-three, go!"  

The sound of zombie moans and groans mixed with the sound of helicopter blades appearing.  "I think we have company."  Charlotte said as a door shuts over the headset.

"What the - ?  Nadia, what the bloody hell is going on?  I leave your comms room to go to the bathroom for five minutes - and by the way, you need better signing in New Canton.  That bathroom was not easy to find! - and when I get back, Runner Five is being chase by... forty zombies?"  Sam asks coming in sounding annoyed.  "Those are fast zombies!  How did this happen?"  Sam shouted.

"I need you to head up those stairs, Runner Ninety-three, fast as you can."  Nadia said ignoring Sam.  Charlotte ran up the stairs quickly as she could hearing the zoms beginning to get closer.  "If you can get up to the twelth floor, there's a walkway joining this building to the next one, which is outside the fence, so you should be able to get out the-"  

"Why are you calling Runner five 'Runner Ninety-three'?" Sam interrupted making Nadia growl.

"We've renumbered your runners during the period we're running joint operations out of New Canton while we deal with out mutual enemy who destroyed your Abel Township, if you recall!"  Nadia said pointedly.  "We have to put our differences aside, and-"

"And you don't think it's confusing for a runner fleeing for their life to be called by a new designation?"  Sam questioned taking a seat.

"The designation Runner Five is already assigned to another runner here in New Canton."  Nadia said.

"And your Runner Five is where?"  Sam questions.

"...London."  Nadia said slowly.

"And will be in London for how long?"  Sam continues.

"A few months."  

"A few months, did you say?  Then we can fight over designations after Runner Five is out of this incredibly dangerous situation!  Probably, you know, after a few months!"  Sam sighs deeply.  "You're doing well, Runner Five.  Just get to that walkway, and we might get you out of there alive.  As fast as you can, Runner Five!  Fast as you can.  We'll get you home safely."  Sam said as Charlotte nodded continuing up the stairs.  The sound of zombies groans and the sound of the door slamming open signaled that Charlotte was in rather big trouble.

"Uh... Sam.  Nadia I think I have company again."  Charlotte said as she continued up.

"Okay I don't want you to panic.  The zombies have broken down the door at the bottom of the stairwell, but zombies are often bad at stairs, so you... oh... right, these zombies are just fine at stairs."  Sam said as Charlotte heard the zombies running up the stairs after her.

"Well, good for them!"  Charlotte said as she continued double time up the stairs.

"They're gaining on you, Runner Ni-Runner Five!"  Nadia corrected through grit teeth.  "You have to speed up!  You're at the twelfth floor now, so if you can just get that door open-"  Charlotte threw open the door and shut it fast behind her.  "Okay, god.  You're in an empty office space.  At the far end, you should be able to see a door leading to the walkway.  Sprint for that, now!  Go!"  

Charlotte ran towards the otherside of the office.  "So, the walkway leads to..."

"Next building along. Runner N- Runner Five, you should be able to come down through that building.  A couple of our snipers are headed for that position to take out the zoms as they follow." Nadia said.  

"Where's Van Ark?"  Charlotte asked.

"He's going for his chopper."  Nadia said as Sam scoffs.

"Sauntering!  He's bloody sauntering to his chopper!  Man who might have engineered the whole zombie plague, and he gets to saunter!"  Sam shouted agast.

"There's nothing we can do.  he's won this one, we've lost.  Only thing is to get our runners safetly home.  So, Runner, Five, open that door and-"  Charlotte opens the door seeing a group of zombies behind it.  Her eyes widen as she slams the door locking it.

"Wrong door!  Zombies behind it!"  Charlotte said as she felt them pounding at the door behind her.

"Ah... Did you know that walkway was-"  Sam started.

"Full of the undead, Sam?  No.  No I didn't know that, otherwise, I wouldn't have told Runner Five to open the door.  Runner Five, head back the way you came!"  Nadia said.

"Uh...back to the stairs that are also full of the living dead?"  Charlotte questioned as she started to run back the way she came.

"There's a second stair case.  On the eastern end of that same wall. You came up the western staircase.  Go to the other staircase and go up."  Nadia said.

"And then what?"  Sam asked.

"We'll think of something! Just run, Five, run!"  Nadia said quickly as Charlotte ran passing the door for the eastern stairs as she heard the zombies trying to break the door down.  Charlotte ran through the doorway and shut the door behind her before racing up the stairs.  

"You better hope there are no zombies up here Nadia."  Charlotte said as she took the stairs as quickly as she could.

"It's clear.  You're on the twentieth floor, now.  They were doing construction work on the roof before the apocalypse, and we think there should still be a..."  Nadia starts looking through the headcam.  "There!"

Charlotte looked over seeing a set of stairs off the main stairs.  "Service stairs.  I assume they go up to the roof?"  Charlotte asked.

"Yep.  Climb up there, and open the hatch."  Nadia said as Charlotte climbed the stairs poping the hatch as a gust of strong wind nearly shut the hatch back on her.  She pushed on it hard enough to get it open as she climbed up slowly.  The wind blew around her fast picking up her hair around her head.  "Okay.  Do you see that gantry at the far end of the roof?  Run there."

"No, you're not gonna-"  Sam questions.

"What option do we have?  Runner Five, that construction gantry extends almost the whole way to the next building, which is just one story lower.  So, if you take a run up along the gantry and jump to the next building, you should be able to get across."  Nadia said seriously.

"This gantry almost extends the whole way to the next building?  How much is it short?"  Charlotte yells looking at the gap between the buildings.

"The last six feet."  Sam said almost paniced.  "You can't possibly-"

"Runner five can do it!  Take a good run up, Five.  You can do it!"  Nadia said as Charlotte took a deep breath.

"You really shouldn't have so much faith in me considering you barely know me but here goes..."  Charlotte said going back to the hatch then running as fast as she could.  

The hatch busted open as zombies began pouring out.  "The fast zoms are coming out of the hatch behind you!  Go Five Run!"  Nadia shouted as Charlotte ran along the gantry then leaped off it flying through the air before landing on the opposite roof rolling on her side.  She looked up seeing where she had come from.  Then stood up letting out a happy cry mimicing Sam's happy shout.

"Yes!  You did it!  You bloody did it!  That'll show those fast zoms who's..."  Suddenly three of the zoms followed her path on the gantry and lept towards the roof.  Charlotte squeaked then took off away from them.  "They can jump."  Sam says dumfounded.  "These zombies can jump!  When did zombies get to be able to bloody jump!"

"Down that fire escape, Five, as fast as you can."  Nadia said as Charlotte easily slid down the fire escape and hit the ground.  The sound of a helicopter's blades cutting through the air drew her eyes towards it glaring slightly.

"Okay, that's good.  A couple have fallen off the side of the building, leaving only... around twenty zombies chasing you?  That's, um..."  Sam said breathing deeply.

"Just another burst of speed, Five.  We're trying to get out guys in potion to... just keep going!  Down to the bottom of the stairs and then across the railway tracks."  Nadia said as Charlotte headed down the stairs and ran over the tracks.  She looked back seeing the zombies still hot on her heels.

"Five, there are barricades that were set up in the event of, uh... well, in the even of an even like this.  Hey, wait, you're trying to get your soldiers in position?  They're not already in position?"  Sam asked.

Nadia sighs softly.  "They're trying to get in position.  There are a lot of fast zoms.  Van Ark's chopper's taking off."  Charlotte looked up seeing the helicopter beginning to rise into the air.

"Oh, oh no... What will we do?  There goes our last chance to get hold of those crucial plans."  Sam said in a lack luster dramatic tone.

"He could still be in audio range.  Might still be monitouring our coms..."  Nadia warned.

"Five, twenty fast zoms are right behind you.  They're not giving up.  They can do pretty much anything you can do.  You've got to keep moving.  You've got to!  Just keep running!"  Sam said seriously as Charlotte nods continuing to run with all her might.  The zombies continued to moan behind her as Sam came back.  "That's it, good.  Major De Santa's in position on the ground.  Handing you over now.  Do what she says, Five.  Remember, she runs this operation."  

"Runner Five, this way!  Towards the barricades.  That's good, yes!"  The major said with a big smile on her face.  "Now as you practiced, deploy the nets."  She said as Charlotte raced behind the barricades and grabbed the netting and threw it out trapping the twenty zoms in the net as it toppled them onto the ground in a squirming heap..

"Got them!"  Sam shouted as Nadia screamed in delight.  "Oh, bloody got 'em!  Mission a complete success, Runner Five!"  Sam cheered as Charlotte stood up grinning at the pile as she panted heavily looking at the Major.  "Repeat, can I just repeat that?  A complete blooming success!"

"And Van Ark away in his chopper before he knew we were intending to catch some of his fast zombies for our testing!"  The Major said as she patted Charlotte on the shoulder.  "Jolly good job, everyone."

"Probably thinks Runner Five is dead!"  Nadia said laughing.  

"Oh, you were amazing back there, by the way. All, Oh no, how could we have anticipated the fast zombies, oh no!'"  Sam imitated Nadia as they both laughed.  "We definitely didn't specifically put Van Ark in a threatening situation so he'd release his fast zombies so we could catch some so our doctor could test them and fidn out what's different about them, that's not the reason at all!"

"And you, with your, 'Runner Five is in terrible danger!' and, 'Who knew zombies could jump!' 'We definitely didn't plan this route beforehand last night so we'd get his strongest, fastest zoms to run our tests on!"  Nadia laughs with Sam.

"Five, you were incredible.  And just like, so brave!  Get back here as fast as ou can, we have an amazing New Canton/Abel Township victory celebration party planned."  Sam said with a smile.

"You were really great at this, Runner Five."  Nadia said smiling as several New Canton and Abel runners came and started to tranquilize the zombies.  Charlotte and the Major started to jog back towards New Canton.

"Yeah, no, Five's amazing at this spy stuff.  Like Five was incredible at wearing your dead-"  Sam clamed up as Charlotte's eyes widen.

"Dead what?"  Nadia asked.

"Dead... nice uniforms?"  Sam tried to save as Charlotte groaned rubbing her face.

For a moment Nadia was quiet.  "That's not what you were going to say.  You were going to say 'dead runner's gear' weren't you?" Nadia said slowly becoming angry.

"I, uh..."  Sam said slowly.

"Someone wore Lem's gear, so we'd think he was still alive, and get distracted.  I never knew which Abel runner it was.  Foggy image on the cameras.  Whoever it was dropped Lem's kit outside of New Canton."  Nadia said slowly.  "Could have been several runners.  I never... I never knew..."  

"Nadia I'm sorry about Lem and all this..."  Charlotte said softly.

"All water under the bridge now, eh?  New Canton, Abel Township, working side-by-side against a greater enemy?  No hard feelings for that time you tried to raid us?"  Sam asks hesitently.

"Yeah, yeah... Water under the bridge, yeah.   We're allies now, that's what counts."  Nadia said trying to put on a smile.

"And we've got the biggest Mars Bar cake ever made waiting for you here, Five.  Come on back, you old hero, you!"  Sam said smiling.

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<     30     >

Season 1 Beginning