WARNING: TALKS ABOUT DEATH, GORY DESCRIPTION, GUNS, EXPLOSION, STABBING, AND MORE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

WARNING: TALKS ABOUT DEATH, GORY DESCRIPTION, GUNS, EXPLOSION, STABBING, AND MORE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED ⚠️

CHAPTER 4: The Infected Type

The mosque was abandoned but it had windows and there were things to cover up the doors that no longer locked.

"That should hold, for now."

Jake said as Khonshu went to one side of the mosque while the girl was at the other side in more a darker corner.

They had already searched the place but, luckily, manage to find no infected that were alive to attack them.

The place itself was not in the greatest condition.

It still had a roof and windows that were covered with wood or anything whoever stayed in the mosque the last time could get their hands on.

He looked at the other two as they situated themselves, he walked over to where Khonshu was.

"She's gonna turn sooner or later. Than you'll have wished you listen to me."

Is the first thing the old man says as Jake sighed.

"Don't worry so much, if she turns la mataŕe, fin de el cuento."

He says as he takes out the revolver that Marc had packed in the backpack and places it close to him.

"Even so, we should take turns. One sleep the other watches the girl."

Khonshu said as he looked at Jake.

Jake sighs before shaking his head.

"Your not only looking age but also starting to act like it too."

Khonshu glared at him before Jake had to stop himself from laughing but managed to keep it in.

"Watch it before I hit you with my old man cane Lockly."

Khonshu warned, like a joke but he was not kidding at the same time. He would know, he has wacked them with that cane when he and the others started to training to be Moonknight.

He was making sure that they had lots of endurance and pain tolerance to be Moonknight.

"Alright, fine."

He responded as Khonshu got up and put his stuff down getting ready to sleep. The sky was still slight dark but bits of light were starting to now peaking over the horizon.

He watched as the stars at the sky were slowly fading now as he looked through the boarded up openings.

The world was quiet, for the most part. Little whisp of wind would be heard every once in a while as the grains of sand followed behind it.

He turned to look back at the girl who had fallen asleep by now, she had used her backpack as a pillow and her hoodie as blanket.

He sighs as he holds the revolver and checked it again. The other two would rest for a couple hours than they can sleep a little too.

His fist and feet burned, he looked down at their fist, torn bits of skin were off and the blood had finally run dry from before.

His hand slightly shook as he opened and closed it.

'Not broken at least.'

Is all he can think as all he can think is that moment. He could feel the moment when that FEDRA soilder pointed the gun at Steven and the girl.

It all came back in a flash, it was too familiar for his liking. He looked at the girl but nothing, she was breathing fine.

He not really sure what to make of her, usually he would have asked for more evidence but this time, this time he didn't.

'Why didn't he ask for more proof?'

He looked at Khonshu who looked knocked out as he got up and walked around the mosque, the echos of his boots hitting the floor.

He swung the rifle he was given by Khonshu during the whole "incident" and walked to the front. The architecture of the place was something he admired.

There were little details and patterns everywhere, even with the little bit of light that came from the outside didn't show everything he could tell.

His hand stroked the walls as he felt every dent and curve of the art in front of him and he wondered what it would have been like if it was slightly brighter in the place.

The sound of rustling caught his attention, he pointed his revolver in front to where he heard the noise, the sound of his leather gloves tightening.

He looked only to see it was the girl. He sighed as he quietly walked over. His weapon still in a tight grip as he was somewhat close and waited for anything.

The girl moved again as it looked like she was just uncomfortable with the side she was on and turn the other.

The light that came through beamed on her, her hair slightly curly at the ends as they became wavy at the top. Her hair was slight frizzy at the sides and ends.

There was also the small splat of dried blood from a couple hours ago still on her cheek.

'Eso puede ser un problema.'

He goes to his pack and gets a small handkerchief before walking back and laying it down on the ground. He pulls out a small water bottle puts it there.

'she can figure it out.'

He tells himself before be goes and gets up and leans on the floor as he waits for his turn.

"Alright, your turn Lockly. You get three hours."

Khonshu said as he gets up, the sun high now in the sky as Jake nods and hands over the rifle before walking over to where Khonshu had laid.

The girl was still asleep, it had been 5 hours now.

Small orange butterflies flew above her, they had managed to get through the cracks of the boarded windows.

One landed on her head, it's wings gently and slowly fluttering, a soft sight to see. He sighs as he looks down at his watch, they needed to go soon.

Katalina feels the warmth on her cheek as she opens her eyes before closing them again and turning the other way as the ray of the sun hit hard.

The butterflies flew from her as she started to wake up. He sits up straighter as he points the rifle at her as he waited for any wrong move to come from the girl.

She rubs her eyes wearily before she started to sit herself up. She blinks a couple times as turned her head and seeing the old man looking at her.

She sigh as she looks at the rifle in his hands.

"I'm not gonna attack you, you can put the gun down man."

Her voice quiet yet echoed nonetheless against the walls of the mosque.

"Still could happen worm. You may have been able to convince them of your immunity but I'm not taking that chance."

Khonshu responded as his eyes dug into her brown ones. His black ones reflecting the girl as her eyes flickered between his.

She huffed before she looked at the colorful floor then she see seeing the handkerchief and a water bottle.

"What?"

She muttered as she picked it up, the cloth was slightly worn down but still had slight softness to it as she felt the fabric with her fingers.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

She puts the handkerchief in her pocket and picks the water bottle up.

"He left it out for you, clean your face. Along with whatever you need to do as well."

Khonshu instructed as he threw her a magazine at her which she barely caught. The magazine was a food magazine with foods she's never even seen before.

"Do what you have to do as well, we're gonna be walking a while so hope you rested up enough."

She opened it to see different recipes being shown from dinner to deserts, they all looked good but even she knew she would never get a chance to eat it. Maybe in her dreams she could.

"Where?"

His eyes darted to a pair of doors which lead to the rest of the Mosque.

"Nothing bad gonna pop out of there, right?"

She asked as her head turned to looked at him.

"Just you."

He replied with a deadpan face which she returned before rolling her eyes.

She hesitates before feeling for her switchblade and sighed in relief when she felt it there.

The doors were slightly heavy but she pushed through as the sight of a red rug was shown laid out, it was slightly dirty after many years but the color of red didn't fade.

The walls were decorated with patterns and designs, some chipped from the weather but most still intact with cracks here and there.

Soon she made it to the restroom, she pulled out her switchblade and opened slowly opened the door as it squeaked.

She felt herself tense. She knew they went around the check the perimeter, but that didn't mean nothing couldn't have gotten in when they were asleep.

The door opened as the she saw it.

The roof of the ceiling had been broken which would explain the dead infected and the large invasive cordyceps that took up half the wall.

The air around smelled of infected, dryness and a rotting corpse made her retract a bit.

She stood there as she looked at the dead infected, before looking at the ground and seeing a piece of the ceiling.

Picking it up and throwing it at the infected, the sound of a crunch answered her question as her shoulders relax.

She looked at dirty mirror that was covered in dust of the cordyceps that accumulated over the years.

She wipes the mirror in a circle motion and finally seeing herself after 3 weeks.

'I look like shit'

Her hair was slightly frizzy at the sides and bottom. She wished she had a brush but used her fingers to try and pat down and run her fingers through it.

She pulled some hairs out but it definitely looked better. Soon a glimmer caught her eyes as she felt the necklace and the locket.

Slowly she opened it to see the writing ingrained into the metal.

" There is nowhere in this world I won't be there to protect you, whether death or life."

Her finger traced the lettering of the sentence, just feeling it gave her a sense of comfort. Her eyes read the sentence over and over until she felt it was being said to her.

Tucking it back under her shirt she grabs the handkerchief from her pocket and the bottle of water before pouring some on.

She saw the splat and droplets of dried blood from her attacking the soilder. She could still remember how she felt the moment that device was on her neck and the pinch came.

Fear.

That was all she felt, fear.

She felt her chest tighten, her hand scrunched her shirt as she felt the air leave again.

Shutting her eyes tightly she sat down on the floor and started to take deep breathes, she just needed to breathe.

Her eyes burned as she tried to keep it in, in and out her breathe went as the air around suffocated her.

She couldn't breathe.

She just needs to breathe.

Her nails dug into her skin as her hands shook.

Eventually, everything slowed down, she looked around, and felt light headed, finally inhaling the air that was avaliable that he lungs would take she started to count.

What she heard.

What she tasted.

What she could feel.

She was here, here in this broken and beautiful Mosque with people who saw her as an object to trade for weapons.

She wanted her parents back.

She wanted him back.

She knew, knew that they would never come back though. They are gone, no one is gonna protect her from this.

Her fate. Her fate was to save the world, that's why she is here, her immunity, it would make up everything. Every sin that she had ever committed.

Against humanity for the pure reason of her existence being both a blessing and curse.

She took another breath before wiping away the few tears that did fall. It would be over soon, they would take her and leave her alone.

Just how it was meant to be. She was afraid but willing to be alone for the rest of eternity if it meant that she could fix the world with her immunity.

Because that meant something.

It has to mean something.

Pushing herself off the floor she opened the bottle and poured water before rubbing the handkerchief on her cheek.

The dried blood rubbing off as she did motions in circles to take it away.

It would always be there, because she would know it would be there.

She sighs as she looked at herself again.

Her beginning eye bags starting to form from the amount of sleep she didn't get. This was probably the most sleep she's gotten in days now.

Her parents would scold her, saying things like.

"Te vas a quedar corta así."

She chuckled at the made up version of them. She missed them.

She poured some water into the palm of her hand as she splashed it on her face to wake her up more.

Soon there was a knock.

"Niña?"

A voice called out, she knew who it was.

She turned towards the door.

"Estoy bien. Almost done!"

She yells as she looks at herself one last time before putting the handkerchief back into her pocket and grabs the water bottle.

She opens the bathroom door and looks around before finding him leaning against the wall.

"Vamos, we're leaving."

He said before getting up and down the hallway. The revolver in his hand ready to shoot if nessecary.

She looks at the gun and then remembered the switchblade she has, it feels heavy in her hand as she closes it and shoves it back into her pocket.

"Took you long enough, we have no time to waste."

Khonshu rushed them both as they packed up what they had.

The wooden table tables were removed by the two as Jake went first and checked around for any infected.

"Clear."

He states as Khonshu opened the door more and starts to get out before Katalina follows behind.

There are other buildings around but most had been lost to the sand or by people.

"I thought cities were full of infected?"

Katalina questioned as she looked around but ultimately there was much but streets and broken down shops and cars around.

The sand had covered due to the winds and broken windows, no longer were building or apartments protected by the harshness of Egypt nature.

"Thats what they tell you. But they only say that to keep people in, away from others to keep them isolated."

Khonshu explains as she paid attention while Jake overhears the conversation as he looks around for any infected of unwanted people.

The sun rays burned on to of the city as light shined on the broken down city that once thrived of life.

There we no vendors, no shops, no children playing around, no mothers telling the older ones to watch the younger.

Nothing more than rotting, burned buildings and stands that will never have a full living person to occupy the space.

A arm is put out before she stumbles and looks at who had stopped her.

"Oh."

She looked at the giant hole, it was filled with piles and piles of what remains of the "old ways."

Clothes, electronic, cars, corpses.

The smell was mostly covered by the smell of ash and dust of how long that was hole was created.

"This is how they tried to keep the infection from spreading. "

Jake spoke as she was about to ask but eventually just closed her mouth before nodding.

They walked around the filled hole.

It was quiet as she found a rock on the floor and kicked it around as the two keep going looking at each other speaking through their eyes as she kicked the rock in front of her.

"Here, help me up."

Khonshu voice rings out as Jake grabbed Katalina shoulders and pulled her back as he went to help him.

Jake put his knee and palm out as Khonshu climbed onto the tipping structure, the structure looking at its last leg about to sway one way or the other like the tower of Piza.

"Ven acá."

Jake ordered as Katalina walked over before putting his knee out.

"Climb."

Is all he says before she looks at him hesitantly to which he sighs at it.

"Just do it."

At his words she starts to climb, he starts to stand up and she jumps a little before Khonshu grabs her hand and pulls her up.

Eventually she makes it to the top before looking down as Jake jumps up and Khonshu grabs his hand and helps pull him up.

The building started to shake slightly, they all stood still as they waited for it to stop.

The ground eventually stopped shaking as they waited another minute before starting to walk inside the building.

"See if you can find anything."

Jake tells the both of them as they nod before Katalina follows Khonshu while Jake goes into another room.

Jake opened the door to an office, signs of new projects needing to be done were scattered on the floor, some with drops of blood.

It smelled of metallic and dryness filled his senses, nothing he couldn't handle.

"We can't stay here for long."

Marc says as he appeared in a broken window, he seems anxious but tries his best to repress it.

"Ya sé."

Jake replies as he pulled the drawer on one of the desk. It held nothing, he leaves it as he goes somewhere else.

"How is she doing?"

Steven said as he appeared in the dirty mirror as Jake started to rummage through the cabinet.

"She's fine. Deja de estresarte por ella Steven, te va dará dolor de cabeza así."

Jake asserted as he found a water bottle that was dried up.

Nothing. Everything in this place was practically useless at this point. Nothing would really be of value for him or the other two.

"Why did you give her the cloth?"

Marc asked to which Jake stopped, he wasn't sure about that one.

No, he did know.

"If we ran into anyone, you really think it would be normal for a girl her age to have splattered blood on her face with us?"

Jake argued before he just rubbed his temples.

Marc looks at him deeply, he doesn't believe him.

Steven gaze lingers on Jake who usually had a better responds but something seemed different this time. He could tell something was different.

"It would raise too many question."

Jake uttered to the reflections, both nodded as they took the answer because they knew they would get nothing else out of the alter before disappearing. He doesn't like arguing with them, that not his job.

"Hey?"

He turns quickly pointing the revolver towards the girl before seeing that she raised her hands up. Her eyes widen at the weapon pointed at her.

"Woah! Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

She voices as she put her hands down so slowly that he notice the slight tremble her hands did when they did come down.

"Didn't scare me."

He responds.

"Doesn't look like it from here."

She muttered before clearing her throat and looking down after seeing his deadpan expression.

"The old man with the cane, Khonshu. He needs you for something."

She tells him as he nods as she leaves and he follows behind.

"He's over there."

Pointing towards what seemed like another entrance he walks over to Khonshu who is looking out into the world.

Khonshu hears the sound of Jake's footsteps and turns to see him.

"Took long."

Khonshu comments as he points to a building, but the building is shining brighter than the others.

The top pointed up with its roof still intact unlike some other apartment and structures that surround it.

"That is where we go to drop her off."

Jake looks at the whole thing, the building that hide the capital building were either titled or the tops completely destroyed with only rubar and concrete left behind.

"We would have to cross through the Tanta Museum to get to the capital building, its longer but safer that way and less chance of attacked by infected or by other groups."

Khonshu hummed at the information.

"The shorter route would make the drop faster. The longer we are out here, the higher chances of groups finding us on this tra-"

"Guys!"

A shout intrupped the two as they turned around to see what the girl was shouting about, a small dust cloud was in sight of Sand Riders came into view.

"Shit. Sand Riders must have saw us back at the Mosque."

Jake cursed as he looked at Khonshu.

"Grab the girl!"

Khonshu stressed as he puts his pack down and starts to dig into it for something. Jake has an idea of what he is going to look for.

"Grab on!"

Jake shouted as Katalina ran over to him as his hand was extended, she jumps but can't reach.

"Merida, hold on!"

Katalina curse her body in that moment, she really needs that growth spurt to kick in soon.

Jake jumps down and get back into position like before.

"Just like last time."

He tells her as she nods and doesn't hesitate this time, one shoe after the other she climbs and gets one shoe on the palm of his hand before he lifts her up and she jumps as well.

She grabs the edge as she dangles slightly before pulling herself up with what she had, she makes it up.

She turns around and extends her hand out, he sees it, he seems hesitant to think the girl could even take his weight.

"I can take it!"

She shouts before he grumbles under his breath and jumps, she grabs his arm tightly as she pulled as hard as she could.

He started to pull himself up, she let go of one hand before grabbing one of the loops of where his belt was on his jeans and helping get him up. He makes it as well.

They look at each other for a second before she nods and he nods back, he pulls her up on her feet.

"Come on idiots!"

Khonshu yells as he goes down the line onto the next building over.

The line was long but eventually he made it as he got rid of his harness and roped it around for them to use.

"No, no. Your kidding me?!"

Katalina exclaimed as she saw what he wanted her to do, the drop was high, she could do heights but not this height.

(Okay, maybe she pissed him off a little more than she thought.)

They were going to kill her.

She was going to die from falling, splat, dead, all her brain matter would smudge the already dirty floor below. She really wishes that FEDRA soilder had kill her when he had the chance.

"No, I'm not."

Jake answered as he reached for the harness and grabbed her arm.

"Look I'm sorry about the joke from before. Just don't make me do this."

She says as she pulls her arm a little away from him, he could tell how scared she was of this, her backing away, her shoulders getting tense, they way her words cane out much more quieter than before.

He looks behind her, they were getting closer, he need her to just do this. He gently pulls her closer by her shoulders to make her look at him.

"It's not because of that, no tienes mucho opciones ninã. Trust me. That dust cloud is getting bigger, the bigger and closer it gets the more chance you are of being in danger by that group than this rope."

He finally says as he looks at the dust cloud that had just gotten closer, he's got no time.

She nods as her eyebrows furrowed but understood what exactly he was telling her as he starts to put the harness on.

The sound of a click let her know she was attached to the rope and he pulled it slightly to make sure it held her to make sure she didn't fall off in the middle of her ziplining down.

"It won't snap, right?"

Her eyes turned to face him as he was about to let her go.

Her brown, golden eyes digging into his darker, brown eyes, the sunlight hitting her as he stood in the shadow of the inside of the toppling building.

Her eyes searched for something in them. Reassurance, cause she needs that from him.

She needs to know she'll be okay. She needs to know if she can trust him.

He told her the truth.

"It won't."

He reassures as he let her go before a small yelp came out of her as she slid down the zipline, grabbing onto the line as hard as she could, her curles whipping in the air as she went down.

"Watch her, please."

A voice said, it was Steven, he knew it was him so he did. For his sake.

He watched as she made a stop with Khonshu grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to the inside of the other broken building he landed on.

Khonshu starts to get her off the line, Jake take it as his signal that he can go now. He looking inside his pack and pulled out his harness.

He checks the rope before going down the ziplines across the other building that had either troppled or were just left in rubbles below him.

His curles going with the wind and before he knows it is caught by Khonshu hand who pulls him in.

"Make quick work."

Khonshu whispers as Jake nods and grabs the rope before pulling at its ends as it snaps. The line is cut and the rope dangles on the other side.

"Lets move."

Khonshu commands as he breaks the door down Katalina and Jake following behind him.

The place was much more brighter than the one they were in previously. The sound of clicks stopped them from observing the building.

Clickers.

Both Khonshu and Jake looked at each other with a nod.

Jake turns to look at Katalina who looks confused, he puts a finger up to his lips before mouthing.

"Don't make a sound."

She reads it and nods as Khonshu grabs her by her wrist and they slowly go the other side making sure to look where they stepped.

Appearing on the other side was the clicker itself.

'What fucking luck.'

She feels like the world was just messing with them at this point.

They froze as it screeched in their face, the other two stood still ans didn't make a sound nor breath as it twitched as if was trying to find them.

Katalina could feel her muscles and jaw tightened as she tried not to make a sound. Her eyes were closed as her hands turning into a fist.

Jake knew he could get rid of the thing, but he would need to be quick about it.

It was only until another screech that Jake eventually stabbed the clicker in it head, the knife digging into the thick layers of gray and green harden skin.

The blood spilled as he takes it out and stabs the clicker again, it overflows as the infected crumbled and spasms on the floor before dying all together.

Katalina could finally breathe again as she unclentches her jaw and her muscles started to relax again, they wait a second to make sure it died. Khonshu nudges her as he tilted his head for her to get moving.

They all slowly walk down broken stairs as the sound of clickers starts to fade, they hopped down once the end of the stairs came.

Well, the guys did.

"I don’t know about you guy, but I don't plan on making my knees hurt just yet."

She whispers as she looks down at the two men who look at each other before Jake sighs and Khonshu takes out his rifle leaving the two as he searched the area.

"Necesitas auyda ?"

Jake ask as she looks down then at him

"Nope. Just give me a second, I think I might have an idea."

She says as she sits down and slides down, Jake can only look as the girl then dangles herself from the edge of the broken floor.

He watches the girl knowing damn well that this was a stupid idea but letting her figure that out might be good for her.

She holds on before seeing that this was probably not her best idea with no way of getting back up to think of something else. She's stuck.

"Fuck."

She mumbles under her breath as she sighs.

"I might need help."

She finally admits

Jake let out small snort at the girls stubbornness but also realization that her "idea" wasn't gonna work.

He shakes his head and puts his bag down at the side before looking up at her.

"Let go, I'll catch you."

He says as he opens his arms to show her that he was ready.

She feels her face heat up a little not by the heat of sun but of the pure embarrassment she is feeling, but she doesn't think she has another choice.

She can try though, right?

"Isn't there like something I can climb down on?"

She grimace as she says that.

"Ninã."

He started to scold her.

"Alright, okay. Fine, just-"

'This is embarrassing.'

She takes a breathe before letting go and falling, closing her eyes last second as the feeling of her stomach dropping lasted a second.

Before she knows there are arms around her back and knees holding her tight to make sure she didn't slip through. Her arms hugging his neck for support, her head under his jaw as they stood there for a second.

It was tight but not enough to hurt her, just enough to keep her close to him.

It felt like a hug, something neither him nor any of the alters have had in what felt like years.

He feels a memory come back.

Randall, when he was a kid, he loved going at the top of slides or swings before Marc, Steven, or Jake had to catch him as he flew through the air making him feel like a hero from his action figures and show.

Because he trusted them, that they would always catch him, protect him.

They couldn't, not when it meant the most.

What makes them think they can protect her anymore than they could have Randall.

Jake felt as his eyes rolled back.

Marc fronts as he starts to turn and dropping her on her feet. He unwrap his arms from her and she unwrap her arms from his neck.

"Thanks. Sorry for all....that."

Is all she says before she rushes herself out the feeling of embarrassment still left behind for him to catch on.

He remember how it got to here, It's not like he had a choice. It was either they catch her or she literally breaks her knees.

He stays there with his thoughts, he still feels the weight of his brother like he was still there. He feels the weight leave of a child in his arms, there was nothing left to protect after all.

He shakes his head as he grabs the backpack from the ground where Jake had left it and followed behind where Khonshu was waiting the girl looking at the scene.

"This place once was filled with people, language, culture, and so much more than you could have imagined worm."

He hears Khonshu tell the girl as she looks up at him then back at the broken and wreck the world had become since the days of the outbreak.

She looks back the sight, she can't really imagine that, she has lived in a place where sure their were people but definitely not as many as their was before.

She wonders what kind of things would they sell, would they sell shoe laces or food instead, what type of clothes did they wear, what would they talk about?

"That's, hard to imagine."

She says as she looks out, the places was lifeless, the only thing left was stains of blood and the undead taking over anything with life in it. It sucked the joys of living into the more black and white of surviving.

Marc could feel a small ping of sympathy for the girl as he thought about it from her point before shaking the feeling away.

He can't get attached, that's how he gets hurt.

"How did you get that bite mark worm?."

Khonshu ask as he looked down at the young girl next to him. The next generation of people who will never know about the world before which he grew up and was raised in.

He thought maybe he would die in it too. How foolish of him.

"You know that hotel that was cut off from becoming apartments a couple districts down 11 and 4."

She replies, might as well give it up now.

Marc listened from a distance.

"The one they told everyone never to get close to because it being full of infected?"

Khonshu replied as she nodded.

"It was a good place to see the pyramids and I wanted to see it for myself, got to. But got jumped by a runner and then I got bit."

She told him as picks at her nails looking at them like they were more interesting than the story itself.

"And you went there, by yourself, at 14."

He stated as she nodded. He lightly chuckles.

"You got guts worm, I'll give you that. All for the sight of the pyramids."

He says like a fever dream almost. Deja Vu in a sense it seemed to roll off.

Katalina felt a a tug at the sides of her lips at the compliment from the man, a smile of pride about it but got rid of it quickly so he couldn't see it.

She wasn't sure if doing what she did was even a proud thing to have accomplish.

Khonshu eventually looks out one last time before turning around and leaving through the hole in the wall, she watches before looking back up at the sight again.

Marc listened to the story, it seems realistic enough.

He watches as her eyes flickered, the sunlight making her not seem so much rougher than she looks.

She looked softer, much more younger now. Her eyes however told another story, she was exhausted not just by sleep but what seemed like living in general.

Just like he was, and he could understand. He was there, they all were, but he had to find a way to move on, it took years and he was much older.

This girl was 14 and she seemed so tired, much more tired than he did or any other kid should be.

She eventually rubs her eyes from how the sunlight hitting her iris and started to follow through where Khonshu had also went to before he following behind her.

The three walked a little more now with more distance from the Sand Riders, Marc and Khonshu knew they would eventually lose interest in them since they tended to only just stick around when they found people vulnerable.

The entrance of the museum was grand yet old. There were plants growing on the building itself and little bits of graffiti like the one back at the QZ littered the forgotten history the place held.

The letters half up and the rest laid on the floor of the steps to the entrance of the museum cracked and destroyed.

It was a beautiful entrance, the plants that grew around it made it seem taken back by nature which most cities had been taken by.

The cordyceps were scattered all over the walls and stretched like vines as little bubbles of its air were around.

"Get your mask."

Khonshu ordered and Marc obeyed as he dtarted to take out his gas mask. Katalina looked at them both as they got their gas mask out, she wondered if she would need it too.

"You got a mask?"

Marc asked the girl as she nodded.

"Get it out and put it on then."

He told her as he placed the mask over his face and made sure there were no cracks and that he could breathe.

Katalina heard the change again, an American accent. The one that shouted and then apologized for it (not really but it's what she was gonna get from him right now.)

"But, I'm immune to the cordyceps, the spores don't do anything to me."

She tells him before he gives her a look.

"Not asking, just do it. Get a flashlight as well, its dark and hard to see."

He tells her as she sighs and digs into her bag for the mask for herself and got the flashlight that Harrow had given her.

They all slip their backpack on again and Katalina looks at the door, it's slightly open as the inside seemed almost completely black.

Like pandoras box, ready to be open and get you.

She felt a chill go up her spine.

"So, why exactly are we going through this museum anyways?"

She questions as she couldn't understand why they need to go through this specific building and not the other ones around.

"There is a exit at the top floor of this, it's a shorter way, more dangerous but still a way."

Khonshu explains as she just nods and takes it.

"So, it's fine then? To like go through?"

Khonshu nods and she looks at Marc who sighs and nods slowly as well.

That was all she was gonna get from the two.

Khonshu was the first to get closer to the cordyceps before poking his cane at the thick vine like cordyceps that took parts of the building for its own.

He taps a couple times before stabbing it for a loud crunch noise to come out of it. There is a small cloud of spores came out and came to his conclusion.

"Seems like most of the infected are dead. But some of the spores are still around, keep the mask."

Khonshu ordered as the two nodded and he went in first, the inside was dark and filled with dust everywhere.

Broken or stolen artifacts, paintings torn or left alone were around but for the most part everything was where it was left the day of the outbreak.

Katalina looked around, the top of it was filled with designes of constellations words in arabic and english describing them.

Marc looks around the place, it had been years since he's been through a museum, much less one in egypt. However he soon felt his eyes roll back as Steven now fronted.

He was thrilled, the museum had all types of facts such as how things were built in the ancient times of Egypt, the way gods were worshipped, ect.

He looks back then at Katalina who was looking at the ceiling reading what the words said.

"The Egyptian invented modern navigation."

He started out with which startled the girl, that change, it happened again.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that. Just, fun fact, thought you might want to know that."

He says as he looked at the girl who nodded and looked at the ceiling again, she thinks for a second before speaking again.

"Anything else to add to that fun fact?"

She asked as he felt a small jolt of excitement hit him as he nodded and he continued.

"There aren't a lot of land marks in the desert. So, they came up with a way to get about it using the sun and the stars."

She nods with a smile as she ingraves the information into her brain like every other fact she learn in books or movies she's seen.

"It's bloody genius, right?"

He said as she nods.

"Yeah, it is. They are very smart for using the sky as thier way of navigation, like the Polynesian people did as well, they would also use the stars to know which direction to go when voyaging."

She added as well which he made him happy that she was adding to the fact he just told her. Khonshu watched the two talk, he knew exactly that look. Steven.

He uses his cane to slightly hit the wall getting both attention of the two.

"If you two are done, we have somewhere to be, hurry up!"

He reprimand as Katalina looks at him before feeling a little bit of fear and frustration but decided to just do what the old man said.

"Get moving. You, I'll deal with you later."

He says as he pointed at Steven who just looks at Khonshu in annoyance from under his mask, he was just trying to teach her something.

'Hot and cold much'

Katalina thinks as the girl walks pass him following Khonshu who was waiting for them by the stairs.

Steven followed behind before looking at the ceiling one last time. The stairs up were made of concrete with some edges being taken off due to part of the building it self starting to collapse over time.

The two followed Khonshu as as they slowly stepped over the long think vines of cordyceps that took over the rest of the way up.

A sound of clicking caught their attention, a sudden stop was made as they waited for another sound to be heard, Khonshu looks at Steven who grab the gun from pants and pulls it out ready incase of anything.

The girl looks at the two before taking out her switchblade ready to fight for her life if she had to.

They continued up the stairs, their flashlight lightning their way through the dark place as a sense of dread and death went down their spines.

The place started to fill up with more and more spores as dead infected were seen laying there, their bodies no longer resembling anything human or whatever remained of the person they use to be.

They make it to the top, wood and pieces of concrete covered the path of the door, the wooden door was slightly open showing another room of artifacts that never made it to the displays down below.

Khonshu looked at rubble that laid to where they needed to go, he moves forward before squatting down and starting to push it up.

The air started to clear up as the circulation moved, it turns opaque as he moves the junk away. Steven decided to help him as he forward to help him push the things up and out of the way for them to cross.

"Go."

Khonshu strained to say as the girl ran quickly in, the sound of the ceiling about to fall rang out and she push them both back as it fell back. A cloud of gray and yellow dust filled the room and hallway.

The two men landed on floor as they waved their hand to clear some of the dust looking for the girl who was now stuck on the other side, alone.

"You two okay?!"

She shouts as the sound of creaking echoed through out the building.

She looked worried as her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes searching around for the two.

"We're alive, stay over there. Don't move, we'll find a way over there."

Khonshu says as Steven had already gotten up and helped Khonshu us before grabbing his cane.

The sound of groaning and clicking rang in their ears.

"I don’t think I can!"

She yells, her tone noticeable got higher as she hears the stomping of shoes coming, infected, they were awake.

"Then run!"

"We'll find you!"

The two shouted out saying as she runs to the other side, the men see as two clickers were following behind her at full speed.

"They're gonna kill her."

Steven muttered as he felt his mind racing, his chest feeling heavy, it hit him hard, he has this feeling that he needs to get her out of there. And quick.

"Then let's get out of here and find her."

Khonshu rough tone clicking as the two looked for another way out to make sure she didn't get killed in there.

She sprints as fast as she could. She knew about clickers and made a plan on what she probably would do in that situation that had one of them after her.

It went completely out the window.

She looks around for anything, she feels her palm starting to sweat as her switchblade and flashlight were the only thing grounding her. The hurried sounds of the clickers not helping her already panicing state.

The sound of her heart thumping filled her head as she finds a statue and pushs it out of the way before turning away from it and hiding behind a broken display case.

The infected go after the noise as they screeched, she puts her flashlight on the ground and covers her mouth as she tries to calm herself down.

Her nails dig into the palm of her hand but she knows she can't move, if she does they find her.

'However, you aren't immune to being ripped apart, child.'

The words echoing in her mind from what Harrow had said a while back when she was asking him questions.

She hated him at that moment for the image, she could imagine her mangled body as the infected tore through her skin and flesh, her body parts being ripped out whatever made her human.

She could imagine her heart being torn up by their teeth, every little vain and muscles smeared on the monsters mouth as it ate it up.

She tries not to think about that. It's hard.

She looks down at her switchblade, then at the clickers. She doesn't have much choice but to either kill them or they get her.

She rather stay alive to make sure this vaccine thing worked.

She lifted the gas mask and wrapped the straps on her bag. She breathed the air through her nose as it went into her lungs she needs her heart to stop beating so hard.

Sweat formed on her forehead as she wipes it off and looks around.

She needs to concentrate, she needs to remember her training as shitty as it was.

On the ground laid a bottle, a glass bottle, a distraction.

She made a plan, slowly she moves from her crouched position, the clickers still moving around and hearing for any sound to catch their prey.

Prey and predator was the game.

She grabs the bottle, slowly looking behind her, she lifts it and gets ready. The bottle flew through the air and hit the side of the wall earning a yell from the clickers who raced after the sound.

Looking around she found a piece of concrete, grabbing it. She goes back to her spot and ties the flashlight to her backpack.

The two clickers twitched and made small noises as they couldn't find where she was. One eventually moved towards another part of the room, an opening.

She puts the brick down as she moves up.

She knew where to hit as she had seen the guy named 3 names had before and go for the head.

She jumps on its back wrapping an arm to keep her there and she can only reach the neck and goes for it, she stab at the side of its neck, digging deep as the blade goes in again and again.

Blood starting to spill like a fountain from it.

The creature yells and screeched in agony, it tries to claw and bite at her. Eventually she jumps off once she thinks its enough and backs up as it falls to the ground still trying to fight off its attacker.

The sound of the other one becomes clear as she remembers the concrete brick on the floor and throws it at another wall, it turns that way as she moves away from it.

Her hands and blade bloody again. As she looks back and sees a puddle of blood pouring from the infected, it wouldn't get her at least. She was just a little but safer.

She needed a way out, but couldn't find one. The old guy, Khonshu had said there was an exit around this floor, she just wished she knew where.

A bellow was heard grabbing her attention as turned around to see the other clicker getting ready to pounce on her.

It falls down with a thud as it tried to attack whatever got it, a silver cresent in its back glimmered with blood coming out.

Soon, a black boot stepped on its back before the sound of a gun went off as the sound of splattered matter echoed in the room

She flinched at the sound before looking at who had taken down the other clicker. It was the guy with 3 names, he looked concentrated, his eyes narrowing on the dead clicker as if seeing if it would try and fight back.

It didn't, he looks up and spots her as she looks at him then at the dead clicker he just killed.

A switch in emotion happened in his eyes as furrowed concentrated eyes turned into concerned and relieved ones.

"There you are."

He says as he steps over the dead infected and goes to her. She looks at him as his eyes searched for something.

His eyebrows furrowed as he looks at her arm, she looks down and sees the bite mark, it was a little deep and it was starting to bleed. His eyes looked back her concerned and worried about the second bite mark on her.

"You alright? Where did you get the other bite?"

He questions as he puts his bag down and starts to search for something.

Must have gotten her and the adrenaline must've kepted her from feeling it, it was starting to weaken though.

"I'm not dead so that's the good thing, to answer your other question, look over there."

She points to the other infected that she had stabbed to death.

Khonshu came into the picture as he walked over to the dead clicker. He taps on it with his cane as if seeing to make sure she had actually killed it.

"You killed it?"

He didn't really believe her.

"Yeah, with this."

Showing the now bloody switchblade and he hums before nodding.

She's not sure what to make of that, looking back at Steven who now has a bandage for her and a small alcohol wipe.

"Do you want me to clean it or can you?"

He ask her. Nobody has asked her that in years.

"I can do it."

She takes the alcohol wipes and rubs it in deep, it burns and she want to cry a little but holds it in as she finshes cleaning the wound.

"I'll wrap it, alright. Tell me if it's too tight."

Steven tells her as he starts to put a small cloth on the wound before wrapping around some bandage, he is gentle as ties it up.

"Good?"

And she nods.

"Let get out of here then."

Khonshu says as Steven closes his bag and lets Katalina walk in front of him as she gives a small nod of thanks to the gesture.

They make it to the roof of the museum, the exit Khonshu was talking about. The other two take off the gas mask as the bright sun blinded them, they all blinked a couple times to adjust.

"Wait! You were breathing in spore!"