Zeros jaw clenches, "Because it benefited them." He answers through his teeth, "They got food in exchange for nothing."
Serenity stomach grumbles at the mention of it. She remembers the taste of rat meat the night before and her mouth waters. She ignores it for now, tilting her head and her shoulder throbs despite the slow movement. "But you said in order for us to survive this, we have to help each other."
It doesn't make any sense. If they're supposed to help one another, why are they arguing and trading and tricking?
Zero scratches his neck, frowning, "I also said that some will take what you have and leave you for dead."
She doesn't reply. She can't understand the situation at all. Why would they take from them and leave them for dead. She still doesn't understand why they couldn't have just stuck together.
Dropping the topic, she watches as he begins to wrap up her wound with the new cloth. She clenches her eyes shut, whimpering when the fabric first touches her bare tissue. Her hands curl and uncurl as she bares the treatment, hissing when Zero pulls the fabric a little too tight.
Once she's all patched up, he steps back. She flexes her arm, hissing out at the drag of the cloth against her. It's hard not to get angry at the three strangers for tricking her. If they actually had a first aid kit, she wouldn't have to endure this. Not to mention she can't wrap her head around the need to trick them in the first place.
"Let's go." Zero says. He straps his sword to his hip and swings his backpack over his shoulder.
"Where are we going now?" She asks. She grabs her bat that leaned against the counter and swings it in a circle.
"We're going to find them, and when we do, I'm gonna kill them." Zero's voice is dark, tinted with an edge that sends a shiver down her spine.
Her eyes widen, noticing a twinkle in his eyes. It's similar to the look he wears when he's slicing through zombies, one full of wicked intent. Before she can get a word out, Zero is marching back into the other room.
Kill? She thinks, surely he doesn't mean it. A sound of frustration escapes her and she runs after him. The sun is high in the sky, white clouds drifting by. Gravel crunches beneath her boots as she slows down once she's at his side. A handful of zombies wobble down the street, feet dragging as they make they're way towards them.
"How do we even find them?" She asks as she glances from left to right. When one comes too close, she smashes the end of her bat into its open mouth. Its head snaps back, neck bone jutting out as it gurgles at her. Cringing, she yanks her bat back and the body crumbles to the floor.
Other than the dead, she doesn't see any sign of the strangers who cornered her. They must have left quickly the moment they walked out of the abandoned house.
Zero doesn't stop walking and points ahead of them, seemingly at nothing.
"How do you know they went this way?" She asks, squinting in front of her to see if she can find whatever he seems so sure of.
"I don't." Zero shrugs, clothes rustling at the movement. Serenity frowns, because the need for violence he displayed moments before is gone.
"What if we don't find them?" She asks. He pulls his blade out and slices a wandering zombie's head down the middle. She gags as two parts of a brain slaps to the floor with a wet squelch.
"We will." Zero says, seeming unconcerned about the situation now. Yet, despite his calm body language, the air around him crackles with dangerous tension.
"How do you know?" She narrows his eyes on him.
"I just do." He sighs, "Trust me, okay?" He glances at her and raises his dark brows. His hair is pushed away from his face, eyes darker than normal.
Serenity hums, finding his sudden calm demeanor unsettling. She takes a step away, shivering at the power that seems to radiate from him, "Okay."
They walk in silence, Serenity ignoring her growling stomach and distracting herself with stuff they pass. The sun moves in the sky, giving away just how long they travel. The houses begin to spread out, revealing bare land full of grass.
In the distance, something shines in the middle of the road.
When they reach it, Zero crouches down and picks it up. Serenity comes to stand behind him and takes in the dented can of ravioli. The top is missing, the contents missing.
"Now I know we're on the right track." She nods her head.
"You doubted me?" Zero scoffs, standing up and tossing the can away.
"You lack explanation." Serenity nods her head and continues to walk.
They fall into companionable silence again, as they follow a path of empty tin cans.
Bored, Serenity swings her bat, clenching her jaw as her shoulder throbs.
"Watch where you throw that thing," Zero mutters as he side steps the next hit.
"Sorry," She smiles and drops the bat at her side.
The sun begins to set, the skg changing to pink and purple. Just when Serenity is about to suggest they give up on what seems to be a useless search, a loud boom goes off a distance away. The sound echos, making her ears ring.
"Woah, what was that?" She asks with wide eyes.
Zero smiles, and changes direction so they're going towards the noise, "That, my sweet girl, is what we're looking for."
He takes off into a run, his backpack bouncing against him. Shaking out of her stupor, she goes after him. She grits her teeth at all the movement, the cloth rubbing against her open wound. She really needs to find a way to stitch it up and soon.
The gurgles and groans of the dead reach her ears, but they don't slow down. She wants to ask him how a loud noise is what they're searching for when she thought they were looking for the three strangers.
"Damn it, Lizzie!" A familiar voice shouts. He doesn't sound happy with her, "You only made it worse!"
The two of them round a corner and that's when Serenity sees them.
Standing on the outside of the hoard of zombies, the red haired girl from before clings to a wooden pole, the metal weapon in her hand shakes. Smoke escapes the end of it, and Serenity wonders if it was that little thing that set off the noise.
She scans the crowded dead and finds the other two stuck in the middle. Calvin has what looks like a curved blade, almost similar to the sword Zero carries. The brown haired boy carries a weapon similar to Lizzie, except the end is longer, as if something is attached to it. He fires it in rapid succession, and the zombies he shoots fall to the ground.
Serenity follows Zero as they walk towards Lizzie. Her eyes are wide, darting around as she takes in the large number of dead.
"Hi." Serenity calls from below her. Lizzie screams, tightening her hold on the pole. She looks down, red hair falling into her face.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice shakes, barely audible over the hoard.
She points to Zero, "He wants to kill you." Serenity calls out to her, "I don't think you should have given him a bad first aid box." She says matter-of-factly.
Huffing out sharp breaths, Lizzie climbs her way back down to the floor. She jumps the short distance down, and pushes her hair out of her face.
"What happened?" Zero asks, watching as the other two fight them off.
"We were laying low to eat," Lizzie starts, hands tight around her gun, she shifts from foot to foot, "They came outta nowhere. You have to help us. They won't make it out by themselves."
Zero snorts. Serenity frowns at him, and leans against her bat that presses against the concrete sidewalk. He did say he was going to kill them, and with all the dead, they can just do the dirty work for him.
Still, it doesn't feel right to let them fend for themselves.
"I think we should help them." Serenity says.
"Why?" Zero turns to glare at her, "They screwed us." He waves a hand at Lizzie before giving her his middle finger. "Once they're gone we can take what they have." He ends with a shrug.
"You have a real charmer here." Lizzie bites out. She glances behind her, putting all her weight on one foot.
"Look at her," Zero says, "She wants to leave them too. Surprised she hasn't done it yet." He turns to face her fully and steps forward so he towers over her. "Why haven't you?"
Lizzie glares back at him but she doesn't answer.
Serenity ignores him, "But you said we should save as many people as we can."
"Yeah, but not people like them." He steps back and scratches his head, "They're bad apples, remember?"
She scoffs, nose wrinkling as she eyes him. So maybe he really did mean to kill them. She looks at the two men fighting for their lives while the three of them debate. She clenches her jaw, fighting to ignore the ache in her shoulder. "If you won't, then I will."