It was time.
The day had come, and Don was fully prepared. He was wearing the usual black jeans. He had on his black tee shirt and shoulder holster. Over that was the combat vest that John's mother and Noah patched. He had his Smith and Wesson M&P's holstered neatly in the combat vest holsters. There were a few mags in his pockets for his S&W's.
He had both of his newly acquired Desert Eagles in the shoulder holster. A lovely silver and a slick black. The mags for these were also in his combat vest. Noah had applied a patch onto his combat vest for his silencers to be placed in. He could attach them to his S&W's so those would become his ranged sheath weapons.
The mag holds for his shoulder holster had the rifle magazines. That particular rifle, The Tikka T3x Tac A1, was strapped to his back with the strap resting over his shoulder. He also had a lovely tactical shotgun strapped to his back, which was adjacent to the rifle. The slugs were nestled in a hip pouch that Josh found while scavaging a couple of days ago.
Of course, that wasn't all.
Don had his signature combat knife sheathed in his combat vest sheath. He had a boot knife hiding in his black boots. He had a neck knife clipped to the inside of his shirt and a karambit sitting in his back pocket.
Lastly, he had his black gloves, which had hidden blades in each one. Don was more than well-equipped at this point. Adding on anything else would be overkill. Sadly, he did have other things. He was also wearing his traveling bag. Inside the bag were food and water for at least four days. There were also ammo boxes and a few explosives—stun grenades, standard grenades, and smoke grenades.
Don finished fitting his gloves. A flicker of the wrist brought out the hidden blade. He ensured it was in working order before sheathing the blade with a flicker of his wrist. Then, turning on his heel, he was about to leave the master bedroom when someone collapsed into him: arms wrapped around him tightly and a face buried inside his chest. Don looked down to see it was April. A soft smile curved across his lips, and he embraced her affectionately.
"I am going to miss you, darling," April spoke as she looked up at him.
"I will only be gone for a few days at best." Don chuckled lightly and brushed her hair softly.
"Yeah... but that's too long." April whined cutely.
"I know. I'll be back before you know it. Okay?" Don leaned down to place a loving kiss on her lips which she repaid in kind. She held the kiss intact for several moments before parting her lips from his. She had to push herself up on her tip-toes to reach him, so once she set back on her heels, she smiled lightly at him.
"Okay." She replied softly, and Don nodded lightly. He laced their fingers together. Both of them walked toward the door, and when they left the room, they were greeted by everyone waiting in the living room to see Don off.
"Uhh..." Don was at a loss for words. "What, did you think we wouldn't see you off?" Rebecca inquired with a smirk. "I am only going to be gone for two days." Don released a soft sigh and shook his head to hide a slight smile.
"Two days is like two weeks in apocalypse time. So yeah, of course, we are gonna see you off." Noah remarked, and Don chuckled. "Very well."
"Be careful out there, man. Just because you are some badass doesn't mean you are invincible. Always be aware of your surroundings." Josh was the first to speak up as Don walked past him. Don nodded to him. "Will do."
"Remember to take some time to relax and take in your surroundings. Just because we are in an apocalyptic world doesn't mean you can't take the time to breathe. Even if this isn't our world." John was the next to speak up as Don moved past him. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, John." Don answered.
"Hey man, if you find any of the good stuff. Can you bring it back?" Jake nudged Don as he passed him, which caused him to shake his head. "You wish." Jake pouted before both of them laughed a little.
"I'll be sure to keep the bugs away. So make sure you come back safe and sound!" Tyrone commented when Don passed him. Don brought the back of his hand up with his handballed. Tyrone glanced at it for a moment before knocking the back of Don's hand with his own, which was also balled up. It looked like a fist bump but with the back of the head.
"You almost forgot this." Noah handed Don his Tonto, which was in the sheath. Don took it and strapped it to the backside of his waistline. "Thanks." Don replied, and Noah nodded. "No problem. I'll work on those weapons for the others. Since you left the laser sights, I'll be sure to have the blueprints drafted up by the time you get back." Noah added, and Don nodded with appreciation.
Sofia accompanied Juan, and Catalina was next. "Sofia wants to say something to you." Catalina said, "Go ahead, hunnie." She gave Sofia the okay with a nod, and Sofia moved up to Don.
"Everyone says you are going away for a little while. It's dangerous out there, so I want to give you this." Sofia took out some kind of makeshift necklace. A simple string with a piece of wood attached to it. The wood was shaped like a star. "It's a good luck charm. It will keep you safe. So always wear it, okay!?" Sofia exclaimed with a stern look.
April, who was still standing beside Don, smiled softly, just as everyone else did. Don squatted down to take the necklace and put it around his neck. "Thank you, Sofia." Don patted the girl's head, which caused her to smile before returning to her mother's side. Juan and Catalina also wish Don a safe trip. "I will," Don replied.
"Be careful out there." Alice, Sarah, and Sussan stated in synchronization.
It looked like Don had a little fan club now. His brow rose, but he wasn't dense. Everyone knew he was with April, so he didn't really understand their looks, but regardless, he nodded. "Thanks. I will." He replied. April gave the girls an innocent smile.
Ion, Jessica, and Natalie were the next people Don walked past. "Yo, we'll keep this place safe, so you better return alive." Ion stated.
"Yeah, and with your friends." Jessica added.
"I'll make sure everyone remains healthy. It is the least I can do for all you have done for us. Mark is also supposed to be making his way here. He should be here when you return, so I can introduce you to him." Natalie commented, and Don nodded to them collectively.
Rebecca was the last person Don passed by, "You better come back, or I'll be kicking your ass in hell. Got that?" Rebecca stated firmly, which caused Don to chuckle. He brought his knuckles up. "Loud and Clear. Just keep watch over everyone for me, will you?" Don remarked, and Rebecca fist-bumped Don.
"Of course. Someone has to keep these folks in check while you are gone." Rebecca remarked playfully with a smile, which caused Don to chuckle. "Yeah, yeah." Don was now at the front door. April released him, and Don turned around to see her looking softly at him.
"You better come back. When you do, I will litter your face with kisses." April spoke boldly, which caused Don to smile. "I accept. Take care of yourself and the others, okay?" Don asked, and April nodded happily.
Don could see several smiles staring at him. Various people saw him off with a bright warmth. This was unnatural but not unwelcoming. A ghostly arm draped around Don.
"You got quite the family here, Kiddo." The voice was familiar yet ghostly. Only Don could hear it. It was his trainer. Perhaps an illusion or hallucination? Regardless, it did not feel offbeat or weird to him.
Don closed his eyes with contentment. "Yeah." He muttered softly with a warm smile. "Thank you." He added before turning away, and the ghost vanished. Don continued out the door, seeing Rose straddled on her motorcycle. It was a black sports bike from overseas.
"Are you sure you want to come?" Don asked as he moved towards his motorcycle.
"It's the least I can do. That way, you only need to make one trip. Besides, you helped me get my bike." Rose replied, and Don nodded. "Fair enough. Shall we?" Don asked, and Rose nodded as she turned on her bike with a push to start. Next, Don turned the key to start the engine. Afterward, both of them took off.
Last night, Rose brought up the idea of helping Don. Since she was a trained killer, she wouldn't slow him down. She also knew how to use her Seed. She even had her bike so she could transport the other person if they were here—that way, Don wouldn't need to make two trips.
April was fine with it and asked Rose to care for and look out for Don. Don didn't seem to mind either. Maybe, he wanted to keep a close eye on the woman, but who knew? Regardless, she was attending with him now instead of remaining at the base. So Rebecca was left with overlooking everyone's daily training.
They eventually pulled up Downtown.
They needed to pass through Downtown so they could get to Tobin Hill.
Don was bringing the bike to a slow as they pulled into Downtown. Eventually, he stopped his bike, and so did Rose. "Something up?" Rose asked Don, who had this confused expression. The human-made blockade from before was gone. There were no webbings or even signs of bugs. However, there were pikes in the ground with heads sticking from them. All of the heads were men. There was even a makeshift sign that read, 'No men allowed!'
"None of this was here about a month ago." Don stated.
He didn't know why, but he felt that going inside Downtown now would be far more problematic than if it was just infested with bugs and undead. Rose pulled up beside him. "Looks like an Amazoness Encampment." Rose stated, which drew Don's attention. "A what now?" Don inquired, and Rose nodded lightly. "A makeshift outpost full of women. The General called them Amazoness Encampments because they take men as slaves for various reasons. Be it breeding, torture, or to be used as bait. The easiest way to tell is from the piked heads." Rose pointed at the heads on a stick.
"If that doesn't clue you in. Some Encampments even have signs posted to warn men." Rose pointed toward the sign, which was written in dried blood.
"Greeeeeat." Don remarked with a hefty sigh and sarcasm in his voice.
"Alone, they do not pose any threat, but they travel in packs and usually ambush travelers. They are extremely hostile towards men as well. So, should we go around Downtown?" Rose inquired as she settled back on her bike.
Don shook his head, "No. This is the fastest route. I also know what I will come across here, but going an alternative route would length our travel time. In addition to that, I do not know what I may encounter. Undead and bugs sure, but who knows if the World Government is still following me..."
"For now, we'll push the bikes through. I doubt the path will be clear, and I don't want to total my bike." Don added.
Rose nodded and got off her bike just as Don did. They began pushing the bike through Downtown as they entered. The place was eerily quiet, like some ghost town. They were both being extremely cautious as they moved through. Thankfully they got off their bikes because stalled vehicles, bug corpses, and undead limbs littered the road along with other large objects. Even glass was laid out here and there.
It was then...
THWACK!
Don lunged forward with a groan but kept his posture by slamming his foot forward. Rose heard Don groan and turned to see another arrow about to fly into his back like the first one. She activated her Seed. A lime-green color flared in her eyes, and the wind knocked the arrow away.
She released her bike and grasped the hilt of her blade while turning toward the direction of the arrow. She saw someone holding some kind of primitive bow as she took to a quick-draw stance. She drew her blade in a flash. An arc of wind was sent from her blade and hit the person holding the bow. The person groaned in pain as they flew back.
"Thanks." Don growled as he pulled the arrow from his back and tossed it aside. As he looked up, he saw someone coming from around the corner with a makeshift spear. The person was a woman in raggy clothes. She had some kind of face paint on as well. Don quickly drew his 1911 Ruger and aimed.
The woman saw the barrel of the gun and charged him. Don pulled the trigger; however, he couldn't thoroughly squeeze the trigger. "What the hell!?" Don grumbled while trying to pull the trigger several more times.
The woman thrust her spear at Don to try and skewer him. Since Don couldn't use his gun, he would lean to the side to evade the thrust while pulling out his combat knife. Then, he stepped forward and slashed at the woman while putting away his 1911 Ruger.
The woman groaned in pain. She was about to try and hit Don with the side of her spear, but Don kicked her in the stomach to push her away, which caused the woman to stumble back onto her rear.
Don looked from the woman to notice several other people coming out of hiding. Some women were holding primitive bows, and others were holding spears and knives. "The hell?" Don muttered.
Rose made her way to Don and pressed her back to his. "On that side too?" Rose asked since she also saw the same thing on her end. "We are surrounded." Rose added, which caused Don to sigh heavily.
"I don't have time for this..." Don slowly pulled out his Tonto with a reverse grip. He was holding it with an Ice-pick grip while holding his knife with a hammer grip. Rose still had her katana in hand and took to a battle posture just as Don did.
"Do you want to kill them?" Rose asked bluntly.
"Since they tried to kill us, I don't see why not." Don replied, and Rose nodded.
"Then I will use Link. It's one of my other Seed powers. It allows me to link with another person. We can feel each other, knowing what one another will do and how they will do it. It's a bit difficult to explain, but it will help us in the long run. You may feel some discomfort at first, though." Rose explained, and Don shook his head. "Just do it." Don was interested in this seed power, but this wasn't the time to ask questions.
Rose nodded silently and closed her eyes to focus on her other seed power. A soft white glow would shimmer from her body like some aura. The same kind of glow soon came off of Don.
Don's eyes went wide. He could feel what Rose was feeling. He could feel the weight of her weapon, the wind caressing her body protectively, and the soft beating of her own heart. He could tell what she was thinking as well. In return, Rose felt the same as Don. They were now Linked!
An arrow was shot toward Don, and Don cut it down.
A thrust from a spear towards Rose, and she knocked it aside the followed through with a cut that seemed to cut the woman in two.
Another arrow had followed up, but Rose wasn't prepared to deflect it. Instead, Don pivoted in front of Rose and knocked the arrow aside. Rose followed up with an arc of wind with a slash from her blade. The wind cut down the woman who shot the arrow.
Don pivoted back to knock aside a spear that was being thrust toward Rose from behind. He then plunged his combat knife into the woman's throat and decapitated her with a follow-up from his tonto. Finally, Don pushed aside the corpse while looking at the remainder of the people. Rose also eyed the rest while sheathing her blade slowly.
"Earlier, I saw you tried to gun someone down. I doubt our guns are working. Someone is probably using a Seed to disable them. If we can pinpoint them, we can take them out and then kill the rest of these people." Rose stated, and Don nodded, "I agree. Do you have any clue where they might be, though?" Don asked, and Rose nodded lightly.
"I might. Someone with this kind of power would usually be in the backline, but they would have to close enough to keep their power active. Look for anyone hiding that doesn't have a weapon or isn't actively partaking in the battle." Rose replied, and Don nodded while surveying the area.
He knocked aside arrows and spear thrusts while cutting down those who came close to him. When he needed help, Rose seemed to cover him. Rose was also dealing with the same thing Don was dealing with, and Don covered her when she needed help. Since the two of them were Linked, they did not miss a beat. Rose was also trying to find the person responsible. After all, she still had her assault rifle. So she could easily gun everyone down.
This little onslaught lasted for a while, but if they didn't find the person locking their weapons down anytime soon. Then, they could end up in trouble. After all, they were entirely outnumbered.