It's Dangerous Business

The group was totally confused. The question Bridget just asked burned deep inside Miles' head. But then, who could he be in the 'other' live. Or was it just them. But another world!? It still sound very much crazy to his ears. "I guess so..." Richard finally got out of his mouth. "I mean, it can't be coincidental now can it?" He bit his lips and he really spread some uncertanty from himself. Miles felt it, he felt it from the whole group. No one was sure what in the world actually was going on and what the purpouse was for this madness. All they knew, is that they've awoken here, without knowing each other. And why? Nobody still knew. Silence returned as the rain got away. Small drups where still clattering on the windows and now only the sound of the car buzzing and rainclatter was heard. It made everybody quite grumpy. Since everybode seemed lost in thoughts and just stared. But then the car made a sudden stop. It seems they were at their new found destination.

"Seems like we arrived," Carla said, smiling at both Piers and Isabela who sat on the opposit side of the truck they had been transporting her in.
"Shut up!" Piers hissed and nodded towards her while Isabela touched his shoulders, probably wanting to calm him down again. It seemed like the SUV had stopped and Piers opened the back doors and stepped out after he had signaled Isabela to look out for Carla.
She could see it was still raining even though the storm had stopped. The other cars in the caravan had stopped moving, too but she wasn't entirely sure of where they had brought here and just before she could make herself an image of the approximate location Isabela had gotten up and closed the doors in front of her eyes.
"Some fresh air might've been good for you, too, you know," the woman said, the same smile still on her lips. "I mean, how long have we been in here now?" She knew that Isabela wasn't smart enough not to answer. The longer she would've played this game, the more answers about her location she would've got while figuring out a way to crush both of them down. She would take care of the other survivors later... or not at all.
"Four hours," the BSAA soldier answered after taking a quick look at her watch. "You've been unconscious most of the time, though."
Four hours. Enough time to make it to the BSAA headquarters in Chicago. This is probably where they had taken her. This is also where they would have interrogated and killed her afterwards. She had to think quickly and effectively. Piers was probably outside, talking to one of the guards at the gates while the rest of the survivors was assumingly about to get out of their truck. Isabela was tapping the steel of bench she was sitting on. She was nervous, yet trying to hide it.
Carla couldn't help but smirk sneakily while thinking of how she could make Isabela feel even more uncomfortable about her situation. She couldn't just leave Carla in the truck all alone, neither could she sit still and be quiet until Piers came back.
"So...," Carla started. "What are you going to do with me?"

"I don't know," Isabela began. She knew Carla would try to play tricks on her. Isabela would have almost been disappointed if she didn't. After all, here she was, taking care of the biggest criminal in history. "You're not really my type, no offense," the BSAA soldier continued, giving Carla a 'sweet' smile.
The criminal scowled for a second but didn't let the confusion over such silliness be witnessed for long.
They sat in silence, hearing nothing but the rain outside. Isabela was hoping for Piers to come back soon.
She knew how much having Carla in their grasp meant to him and she wasn't gonna let her slip away.
"Don't you agree?"
"Hm?" Isabela had not been listening nor looking at her.
"Society. What would they think of you? A pretty woman like you, in the military? Joining soldiers? Wouldn't they wonder why you are not happily married, with a bunch of children around around your legs?" she paused but didn't wait for an answer. "Isn't it always there? Somewhere in your subconscious? What they think? Isn't that, too, why you joined this place here in the first place? To be able to kill villains? Bring some justice? To make, if nobody else, at least yourself proud?"
Isabela wrinkled her forehead and narrowed her eyes, but still didn't look at Carla.
Carla just smirked and continued.
"And yet, you fool yourself. It's not just those who kill, murder, rape, that are the bad guys. Sometimes, they are right there with you. By your side. Smiling at you, hugging and holding you, reassuring you, wrapping you into their little plots and twists and turns. How often have you been back stabbed? Many times, I am sure. I can tell. I, myself, too, have been betrayed often."
"You and I have nothing in common," Isabela murmured.
"Oh, but we do! Look around! What are you fighting for? A world of people getting more stupid every day! Kids grow up with immature, irresponsible parents, or with parents who never wanted them in the first place! Tell me, were you a wanted child, Isabela?"
Isabela's frown deepened and she tried even harder to look away and ignore the woman's words.
"I see ..." was Carla's confident answer. "People murdering each other on the street, in their homes, in alleys. Children getting slaughtered, women getting raped, friends getting thrown aside, lovers cheating on one another, presidents who don't care, siblings that have abandoned you ... A society in which it is ... 'cool' to be an idiot, dressed up like the next whore at a train station, smoking, doping, drinking ... a society that tells you what and who to be. Label after label they give it all names. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, Christian, Catholic, Mormon, retarded, mentally ill ... " Carla chuckled sickly and shook her head in disgust.
"Is this what you are fighting for, Isabela? What do you think they will do, after you kill me? Let's say I give you the cure and all is good and well and all thanks to you and your Piers. What would they do? Praise you? Adore you? LOVE you? For how long? A day? Two? Maybe a week? Build you a monument, maybe? So they can later write on it, piss on it and spit on it? In the end, people will forget what you have done, just as they always do. In the end, the truth will be twisted to something they can live with. You are not a hero, and you are never going to be one. This world is dying already, with or without the virus."

"Seems we're here..." Richard said while Rubi already opened one of the doors and let in a cold blaze of air and still a few drups of water. "And the weather is still shitty..." she answered him going out of the vehicle. Everyone then got out and Piers walked over to them. "You," he started nodding over to the whole group. "We've got a few places where you can stay." and he pointed over a small building west of the military barracks. "Wow, seems great to be here again..." Raylan said sarcastically, and Piers made a slight angry look on his face. "Also a quick note," he continued with hesitation, "If some of you guys want to be with the interrogation of Carla you're free to come, But one must go," and he looked over to Richard, "and that's the one who spread this in the first place."
RIchard was amazed and the rest of the group frowned. "Why me?" he answered nervously, and he began to feel uncomfertable while he stroke under his nose where his mustache slightly began to grow back again. "We need you to verify what she says." Piers answered detirmind. "But I have no idea what she did!" the former taxi driver answered. "But I can at least help out a bit..." he then decided with looking over to an worried Elena. "Great, you will walk with me and Isabela and the rest can follow Sir Eko, he will accompany you to your chambers." and Eko already came over and added himself to the group. "Whom of you want to come with me?" Richard said and looked over to the group whom stared back awkwardly. "We will all come won't we?" Elena said and took Richard's hand who smiled in reply. "We need to support our group member." and she smiled back. "Of course we will join," Raylan said, "I wasn't planning on getting any sleep any soon." Birdget also nodded and Rubi sighed. "Fine, I will just delay the sleep I need once again." and Bridget and Elena started to chuckle a bit. "Well, I might not even know you, but what the hell." and Miles also walked over to the group. Eko stared amazed to the group he was supposed to walk over to the barracks and walked away alone instead. "I feel like we've left him out now though" Miles said but with a huge smile. The rest of the group frowned at this reaction. "Alright let's save isabela from that horrid woman." Piers said and everyone walked over to the car where Elena and the mysterious woman Carla were.

She had reached her goal. Isabela's facade of an imaginative self was broken and she showed her deepest, her most intimate, her true emotions. The tough BSAA soldier she had thought she was came to the point where she had to expose her real nature. With Isabela starting to weep Carla faced an entirely different woman. A desperate one. A broken soul, just like she was. Another victim this world and this world's population had taken.
If planing her escape wasn't Carla's main objective right now she would have even considered offering Isabela to join her killing spree. Come to think of it, it even seemed like she felt a bit of sympathy for a split second. She wasn't the type to care for people, she had never been but after what Simmons had done to her her ability to care for others had vanished completely.
"You are right," the BSAA soldier stuttered after wiping away the tears from her face.
Carla narrowed her eyes and raised one of her eyebrows. Did she her what she thought she heard? She was right? She knew that she had broken Isabela but she didn't expect her to admit her agreement.

They moved to where Isabela had been left with Carla. Rubi was ahead of the group, impatient to get this all over with and get a - as she thought, well deserved - cold beer.
But as soon as they got closer, Rubi could tell that something wasn't right. The whole aura of the place seemed to be off. She frowned and didn't slow her approach.
Despite Isabela's desperate tries to cover her emotions and what Carla had awoke in her, Rubi could see the traces of tears on the soldier's dirty face.
With a click, she had loaded her gun and Carla was staring down the barrel. "What, I-"
"No tricks with me, bitch. What the fuck is going on?" Rubi asked - more like, demanded.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Carla spat, glaring at the black-haired woman in front of her, ignoring the gun at her forehead.
Isabela didn't look at anybody at all.
"What's going on?" Piers joined, putting a large hand on Rubi's arm, in attempts to lower it. But despite the killer's slender appearance she was stronger than he had thought. He gave her a frown. Rubi just made a slight move with her head, pointing to Isabela, sitting silently next to Carla, still.
Piers wrinkled his forehead and then looked back at Carla, an angry expression covering his face, as it did so often these days.
"What did you do to her?"
"Nothing," Carla grinned, but deep inside she almost DID feel sorry. But then again, had it not been true? Everything she said?
"I just told her what you, too, already know."
"And that is?" Piers asked annoyed.
"We should just shoot her, who gives a fuck. There's no negotiating with people like this, just shoot her and be done with it," Rubi commented.
Piers hesitated and Isabela looked up, her eyes empty.
"She's right," she repeated, whispering the words as if they were a secret, a sin. A sinful temptation. A horrible truth.
"About what? How can you say that?!" both Rubi and Piers said almost at the same time.
The others had caught up and gathered close behind them, exchanging looks with each other, wondering what was going on but keeping quiet and in the background.
"What is there to save, Piers? What?" Isabela asked, looking at him. He shuddered. "This world ... look at it, look at what happened to Chris ... to all of those we loved? And what happened to us?! Look at you! So full of anger and me ... who am I kidding? If I could I would build a cottage high up in the mountains and stay there, far away from this sick world and it's twisted society!"
Rubi lowered her arm, looking at Isabela for a while, then expectantly at Piers.
"There's NOTHING to save! Nothing and no one, Piers! It's over! It's been over for much longer! The C-Virus didn't destroy this world ... WE did! Humanity did!"
Rubi noticed a satisfied grin on Carla's face, but as soon as the woman noticed she was being watched, she let it fade and just looked back at the killer. She, too, agreed.
They all did. They all had lowered their heads, thinking back to all their adventures, all their pain and misery, the misfortune and for what? Nobody had ever even thanked them for getting rid of those cyborgs.
"Maybe ... it needs to die," Elena mumbled, just loud enough for her friends to hear her. Nobody had noticed how quiet it had grown. Only the silent, sad sounds of the rain hitting the ground they stood on, the metal roofs of the cheap barracks. A crow cawed in the distance.
"Maybe that's the only way to break the cycle ... "
"She's just trying to manipulate us all!" Rubi exclaimed, breaking the silence with her harsh voice, pointing the gun back at Carla.
"Do you not agree? How can you see what your friend here says, as the truth?" she asked, looking into the killer's green eyes.
Rubi wrinkled her forehead again and narrowed her eyes. She had to admit, it was true ... but what was there for them if not this wretched planet? They had nowhere else to go, nowhere else to be and just for that, they had to save it.
Rubi expressed those thoughts and Carla nodded. "True ... and yet, how happy are you?"
"That doesn't matter, I just want to live," Rubi answered, gently pressing the trigger but not shooting yet. She waited for Piers to decide her fate, because after all, it was him she had hurt the most.

"Shoot her," Piers said, his eyes focused on the woman that had caused him nothing but pain in the past year. He was determined her life had to end at this very moment and the only way to stop Isabela from "turning" was to end Carla's misery.
"What? No!" Isabela shouted after all the minutes of inactivity and sorrow. She stood up and her eyes switched between Piers and Rubi.
What was she doing? Piers was desperate. He was sure it was the only and right thing to do but now that he saw Isabela and how emotionally connected she seemed to be to his arch-enemy, he suddenly started to doubt his thoughts.
"Jesus, shit or get off the pot," Rubi yelled after being as close to pulling the trigger as she could have possibly got.
The tension has reached a point that Piers couldn't stand anymore. Why was it up to him to decide what would happen to her life? He had enough reasons to coldheartedly shoot her in the face but then he would not have been better than her. What would Chris have done?
The raindrops were still hitting the ground and small puddles of water were forming themselves on the uneven streets of the camp.
Surprisingly enough, Carla had been the only calm person in the situation. Everyone in the group behind Piers was mumbling something, Rubi's hand started to shiver, Isabela stood more or less protectively next to the criminal and Richard was dangerously close to him and Rubi. Carla was smiling as if she had predicted the whole scenario.
"I'm gonna do it," Rubi said and as she took a few steps closer to the truck it seemed like everything was slowing down. The raindrops seemed to float in front of Piers' eyes, Rubi's finger was pulling the trigger, people behind his back started to shout, Isabela was closing her eyes while the only thing Carla did was smiling. He felt like his heart skipped a beat and before he could even blink, a gunshot was fired, he saw Richard jumping into Rubi's direction, yelling something he could not even understand and the next moment the echo of the shot was clanging through the entire campus, a few birds on the rooftops of the barracks took off into the cloudy sky and soldiers started gathering outside the camp.

The shot still echoed through Raylan's ears as the scenario in front of him went by so fast. Everyone stood and looked at the small group, Richard lied with Rubi on the ground, as Richard tried to get her down while she tried to strangle herself loose. "LET ME GO!" she screamed with the highest pitch of her voice. The small smoke of Rubi's gun faded away and the group was quite amazed with what they saw. "Why..." Elena mumbled as they all saw Isabella on her knees in front of Carla with her hand over her shoulder. "Why did you do that!?" Piers ordered with more rage then they ever saw before. He slammed his wrist against the car and it made a loud bang. Suddenly a smack was heard followed my a moan and Rubi got up and triggered her gun again while Richard got up with what seemed a broken nose. "Rubi stop!" he said with a weird voice but he got pulled back by Raylan because he saw Rubi glancing angrily over to the former Taxi driver. "Asshole! I could've shot her if it wasn't for you pushing me!" she said with anger and again aimed down at the grinning woman in the car. Isabela was panting and got out of the vehicle resting her body against it and slid down to sit. Bridget went to stand next to her fellow killer and grabbed her arm. "You don't want to try again."
"We need to reason with her!" the undertoned voice of Richard was heard from behind his hands where he still grabbed his nose. "And why is that!?" Piers again yelled rushing towards Richard and grabbed his shoulders. "Why!? We could've been done with her this second!" and he shook the man like as if it was a ragg doll. "Who-ho-ho now don't get all touchy boy." Miles said and reached out his arm but Elena got in between "Hey stop that!" she demanded and she touched the shoulder of the mercenary whom pushed her roughly to the ground. "Don't tell me what I must do!" Piers again yelled and he put himself face to face with Richard whose face was now all bloody. Miles walked over to Elena and helped her up when he recieved a small thanks, but the fight wasn't done yet. "Now, why reason with that piece of shit!? HMM!? Is it because you worked with her!? Is that it!?" he again shook the man and Raylan knew what to be done. He got in between and smashed his fist into Piers' face. "Now is not the reason to fight!" He began waving the pain of his hand away. "Can't you see she's enjoying to see us fighting like this!?" and everyone realised this little piece of info by a sudden click. "Piers... Just, stop this madness,... and let it be justified, on another way..." Isabela panted while Bridget attended to get the bullet out of her shoulder. She moaned slightly while Bridget hushed her and Rubi just stood there glancing at Carla whom was still grinning. "Yeh, keep on grinning..." and she began to spit on Carla. "Well.. that wasn't very nice." Carla said with a grin and it was seen she really enjoyed this scene. The scenario froze and got silent. Bridget was still helping Isabela out and Elena and Raylan now attended to Richard's nose whom was bleeding pretty badly. "You guys are all mad." Miles said and he unsheated his sword and ran over to Carla, "We all know what to do!" In a blink of an eye he cut the ropes of her hands, grabbed her neck then held her down. "Now bitch, maybe it's time to choose your final words." he hissed looking down at the most satisfying grin he ever saw.

"Go ahead! Go ahead and end my miserable little lif. Slit my throat at this very instant!" Carla yelled after the man had pushed her onto her knees on the wet street. From the corner of her eyes she could see what else was going on. Some soldiers had gathered by the fence, others had probably gone inside the headquarters to call for help. Richard was sitting on the ground a few meters away, some people around him. Isabela was leaning against the back of the car, the blonde woman with her.
As for Piers, he was standing right next to her, looking down, longing for her life to finally end. He problaby wanted to grab the sword out of Miles' hands to chop off her head all by himself. But he was too much of a mess for that at this moment.
She didn't know what motives the young man who had his big hand placed on the back of her neck was following but it could also have been the chaos everyone was involved in, that made him grasp the nettle.
"Do it," yelled Piers and everyone seemed to be focused on the situation again.
"Do it," she repeated the captain's words. Carla smiled. She had nothing to lose. She could have finally been free, her chains broken. She could have gone to a better place. She never wanted to take the easy way out. She never wanted to kill herself after what Simmons had done, she would have never made it so easy for them. For the whole world. No, they had to catch her, had to make her suffer and they had to kill her like the animals they were. And this would have been the moment where it all ended. "Please."

He saw a flinch of regret in her eyes, yet desire to be taken from this world. He held the point of his sword closer to her neck, making a small cut in her neck where the blood already spilled out a bit. He saw Carla now biting on her teeth "Yes, that's it a little closer now..." she mumbled. Miles however didn't feel like he could do it. Just like in his past, when he faced his best friend Bass... They fought but he didn't have the heart to kill him, he wasn't like that anymore. Cold hearted and full of anger towards the people, to have power over them. "You just considered yourself lucky." he hissed and pushed her hard back on the ground. "For God's sake!" Piers yelled and pushed Miles away from him and ripped the sword out of his hands. "Hey!" Miles yelled as he tried to get up but it was too late. Piers already got to the point of having the sword at her throat. "Come on captain do it, for Chris' sake." she hissed in Piers' face. "I know you want to." Everyone saw piers hesitate for a while, but then the deadly stroke came a yell filled the air as Piers held the sword up high and stabbed it in the nech of the woman. The group gasped by the sight as blood spilled out of the now, choking woman. Piers stood up and threw he sword at Miles who didn't catch it but just let it fall to the ground, amazed by what just happened. "Finally... I am gone from this world..." she said with the combination of smothering. Piers stood over her his eyes filled with anger and it seemed as if he didn't regret this at all. "Wow..." Miles muthered and the group just felt silent, looking at the now liveless body if Carla Radames.

Piers had fallen on his knees, right nex to Carla's corpse. He started crying and it touched Bridget more than what she was expecting. She didn't even know him three days ago and still didn't know anything about him but she - and probably everyone else - could see the agony and pain in his eyes. It must have been the biggest relief but one hell of a pain to overcome at the same time.
Bridget kneeled down again to take a closer look at Isabela's shoulder. The soldier had passed out a few moments after Carla had passed away. It was probably due to the time without sleep, the stress, the pressure, the wound and other circumstances Bridget wasn't aware of.

A few minutes had passed and some guys in suits had joined the group along with a bunch of BSAA soldiers. She didn't really know what ranks there were but they all had a bunch of different medals and patches on their coats so Bridget was guessing they were rather important to the military service.
Isabela had been taken away to the medical station and accompanied by Miles. Carla's corpse was brought away into the HQ and Richard and Elena had left the place as well, taking care of his broken nose.
Bridget was sitting on one of the steps inside the SUV, Rubi right next to her. The woman with the eye-patch sighed and rubbed the sweat and dirt of her face before she raised her head and took a look at the sky. The rain had stopped, the clouds had started to vanish and some sunrays were visible. Rubi's head was buried in her hands.
Piers was talking to the BSAA people. His face looked like it was hit by a bus. But nobody looked better at that moment. Everyone was exhausted, sad or without any emotions at all. Raylan leaned against the fence right next to the car, his arms crossed, staring at one of the puddles of rain on the ground. The crows that had been startled were returning and continued accentuating the situation with their terrific sounds.

"Are you feeling better?"
"Who ... ?"
"You probably shouldn't sit up too quickly. No worries, it's just me, Miles."
"Where am I?"
The soldier slowly sat up in a small, hard bed. Looking around, while holding a hand to her forehead that was suffering a major headache, she noticed she was just in one of the three medical stations in the camp. Not far from the others, she thought, guessed ... She shook her head.
"Did anything ... happen?" she slowly asked, looking at Miles who sat in a small, uncomfortable looking chair next to the bed, by the tiny window. It was still raining.
"Well ... I am not sure if you wanna or SHOULD hear any of it just yet, you know."
"Don't pity me," she said it without anger, instead, she smiled softly, regaining her memory slowly.
"You have barely been asleep for more than a few hours. Piers finally took out Carla and people have come to take her away already. Richard went with Elena, who was gonna take care of his broken nose, the rest ... they are still outside," he looked out the window to reassure himself, and then turned back to Isabela with a nod.
She was silent for quite some time, and Miles was already leaning back again, not expecting an answer, when she finally did.
"So she's dead, hm?"
"Pretty dead, yeah ... it's for the better. She just tried to lure us into believing she was right. She would have said anything to stay alive."
"I am not so sure about that. In fact, I think she DID tell the truth JUST to die! She ... didn't want to live. Not here anyways. Maybe she's somewhere else now, somewhere where the world is more like what she wanted it to be."
"Full of zombies?" Miles joked and squeezed a smile out of the tired soldier.
"Thanks for helping us in all this, Miles. You are a great guy and were a big help, too."
"Ah, nothing to thank me for. Not like I had anything better to do. Coffee?"
"Nah ... I don't think I am quite ready for that yet. An energy drink will do."
The mercenary chuckles, shook his head and stood up, trying to go and get the poor thing her request.
As Miles was gone, Isabela laid back down and stared at the blank, black metal ceiling, listening to the rain hitting the station noisily and yet somewhat peacefully. The sound made her drowsy again and before she could think any further about the gained information, she had fallen back asleep again, dreaming of Carla, Piers and a better world.

"I really need a beer right now ... "
Bridget grinned but didn't laugh, in fact, she actually agreed with her black haired friend and let go of a silent sigh.
Not far away, Piers was still talking to others but Rubi didn't listen, didn't hear, didn't focus. She just stared into the distance, reliving what had just happened, listening to the crows and the rain. The voices of the people around the camp just yet another background noise.
"Hey, don't doze off," Bridget mumbled, almost asleep herself and nudging her friends shoulder.
Rubi made a grunt and stretched her legs a little. Everything was oddly surreal and slow, as if they were in a slowed down movie, a movie where the scene had stopped. What would happen next?
Without her own noticing, she must have asked the question out aloud, because Bridget next to her shrugged. "I have no idea ... maybe I'll get another tattoo."
Rubi grinned and nudged her friend back now.
"Do you think we'll be able to cure the Virus?"
"That's a good question," Bridget answered after a moment of silence. "Maybe. I am sure they will find something. They have to."
"Does your ... nurse graduation and life give you any useful intell?" Rubi teased and Bridget rolled her eyes.
"Not really, just that anything can be cured, if you just don't give up."
"That sounds poetic ... "
"I know. Sorry."
They both grinned and then looked out at the camp again, letting their thoughts drift off to whatever they were chasing. It mostly revolved around the future but also the past. What had just happened? What will happen next? And most importantly ... what was happening right now?

A final moan and a small crack was heard after finally Richard's Nose was back in place. They put some plasters and bandages on it and Elena chuckled by the sight of it. "What.." Richard sighed in a distinct voice. "Nothing it looks good on you" she replied while giving him a small kiss on the cheek. He got up from the chair he sat in and they both went outside to rendezvous with Bridget and Rubi. "Wait..." Elena then held him back. "We should probably check on Isabela, see if she's al right." and the former taxi driver agreed to it. Up to the stairs they went as they already saw Miles walking towards the same room with a small cup of coffee in his hands. "How is she holding up?" Richard asked. "She woke up, felt a but rusty but other than that she'll be fine," the male answered while he opened the door silently. "But it seems she's back in her sleep," he continued as he walked silently into the room. "You've been patche dup as well I see." and Miles grinned slightly and Richard made a faint smile back The duo then stepped in slowly and took a chair to sit by the bed. Miles put the cup on the pedestal and also sat down on his chair. The rain still fell and it filled the silence the trio went through as suddenly other footsteps were heard from the hallway. The door slowly opened as Raylan got in and nodded slightly with his head. The trio nodded back and he stepped in. "Still down?" he whispered silently as Miles nodded again. "Piers is still lining up the other mercenaries, and Rubi and Bridget are also still outside," he said while he was also getting a chair to sit on. "I figure they'll be inside soon." And the group sat there waiting for Isabela to wake up again as the Duo still were in the rain, and Piers giving orders. "Let's hope this was the end of it..." Richard whispered.

Piers had just enough time to realize what the hell had happened. It all went so fast. His comrades were approaching, even people from the office he had never seen before came walking out of the buildings, others just looked out of the window, looking scared but curious. Mr. Harrison was jogging towards him, his black coat and hat on that has always made him look so ridicilous. It was fascinating how Piers seemed to regain different emotions in that short period of time. After the events had flashed before his eyes again, he was able to feel the greatest variety of things. He could see things clear again, he could think, he could breathe, he could hear. It was like the cork in his sensory organs and mind that has been Carla was finally plugged out and empowered him of being a complete human being again.
The grief hadn't completely vanished and neither has the regret but it was a beginning. With the sun coming out through the clouds again he could feel the rays of light that were starting to fill his life again. Maybe it was over. The war he had been fighting inside himself. The problems and the trouble had been stacked by fate in the past year and now he had overcome most of it. Now the only way to go was up.

George was the first one to come up to him after most of the survivors from the city had left, Carla's body had been brought away and Harrison had gone back into the building, taking care of things and "generously" giving Piers and Isabela a break. The rest of the soldiers had also left the ally in front of the camp while Bridget, Rubi and Raylan were still gathered around the trucks.
"Jesus, I've missed you, you know," his best friend said and he hugged him. He hugged him for the first time in the past ten years. He had probably really been missing him... a lot. "Believe it or not!"
"Yeah, I do believe you. Now let go of me."
His friends took a few steps back and looked at Piers from head to toe. "Jesus, you look like crap."
"Thanks, George. I'm glad to hear that." He smiled. For the first time in weeks.
"Come, you need to tell me all of what happened. I wanna know every detail. Who these people are, what happened with Carla... what's going on outside the camp. You know, we're not allowed to leave due to the outbreak status... we gotta go to the barracks, we can talk there."
"You know, I'd prefer to be alone for some time, if you don't mind... it's been a few busy days."
"Yes, yes sure," George replied and his facial expression changed immediatly. No longer did he smile but he seemed to get really sad about Piers not wanting to talk to him. But he would understand, Piers thought.

It was still raining, and Raylan had no idea what was happening around him or when he dozed off, but suddenly he found himself in one of the weirdest dream ever. His shadow was complete again for his hat was on his head. he reached for his head and felt it right there. "But how, I thought I didn't have it on in this time line." He looked over to his friends laughing and chuckling at why he just unbelievably touched his hat. "Come on Raylan! Don't be so weird!" Elena yelled. "Yeh, come on let's get a drink! We just defeated them cyborg bastards!" Rubi then yelled. cyborg bastards? was he back? But then, why cheer? Sarah was dead... But weirdly enough Jade also stood at their side. what was going on? Suddenly he found himself in the bar with a small glass of whisky, between Elena and Richard. The whole group sang like a bunch of drunkards but Raylan couldn't get a sip through his throat. "Come on Raylan!" and Richard banged against his body with his, "Sing with us! Raylan? hello? Raylan, Raylan!"
"Hellooo!?" much louder was heard and someone shook his body. "Dozing off now aren't we?" Richard chuckled and Elena grinned as well. "No surprises there!" Bridget said whom sat next to Rubi, "When did you two come in?" Raylan asked after a big yawn. "After that happened." Rubi said and pointed outside where a waterfall of rain was falling again. "Ah.." Raylan said while touching his head. It seemed he really missed his hat these days, he wondered if he could find it here somewhere. Who knows? Movement then was seen where Isabela lied and her eyes opened. Everyone sighed in relief as she looked around. "Oh, must've dozed off!" she said, looking at the cup of coffee next to her on the stand. "Sorry..." she said to Miles whom just shook his head and smiled. Then a wet Piers came in with a not to happy face. "Sorry..." he mumbled. "had to take care of a few things..." and he took a chair to sit by Isabela's side.

Elena smiled softly as Piers entered the room and took a seat right next to his partner who had woken up. It seemed like that was the first time in the past few days for the whole group to take a break from everything that had happened.
She had only joined them today and it had been busy enough for her so she also needed to rest. Or at least try to, her mind was troubling her as thousands of questions started to come up again after everything had settled down.
The peaceful atmosphere seemed to be good for everyone as a few members of the group were talking quietly, others were simply enjoying the silence and recovery they were able to get. Elena was one of them. She had dragged her chair to the very end of the room, right next to the window and it's big white and sterile looking curtains.
After Piers had drawn the group's attention to the returning storm outside, she wasn't able to concentrate on anything else ever since.
The big raindrops were clashing against the pane and the dark clouds were gathering on the evening sky. But apart from the usual natural spectacle that rain shower had a different feeling to it... a magical one. The longer Elena focused on the sound and the image, the more she found herself dozing off.
It wasn't like a usual sleep either, in fact, she thought she was very much awake. Like a lucid dream... a transcendental experience that allowed her to look past reality, behind the curtains of the world she was living in. Like the curtains of the window concealed the world outside, the curtains of her mind were concealing the state of dreaming - the state of falling into something bigger, into a world that wasn't meant to be seen and yet she found herself waking up in it.
She could hear bits and pieces of a man talking. "... heavy rain outside is still beclouding the summer feeling..." It sounded like the radio... the weather forcast. "If you are planing to go on vacation, you should definitely go somewhere warm and sunny because you're not getting any sunshine in Miami for the next weeks."
She wanted to shake her head as she started to feel subtle headaches but she couldn't. She couldn't move at all, she couldn't even figure out where she was... where her body was. It felt like her body was disconnected from her mind which was floating through time and space and whatnot.
But something about this felt familiar. Was it the dream itself - given that it even was a dream she was in at this moment - or was it the state of being completely free of everything? Free of sorrow, emotional pain, feelings in general, even memories? Was it the feeling of... feeling dead? Had she died before? Was she dying right in this moment?
The longer she asked herself those questions the more she started losing herself. Losing the moment, losing the feeling of feeling nothing at all. The voice of the radio, at least she thought it was one, still echoed through her head. They became louder as the questions in her head were slowly vanishing.
She was able to open her eyes. She couldn't tell what she had seen before she did so but now everything was assuming a shape while she felt her body coming back to her, like the plug she needed to feel complete again, or to feel anything at all.
There was a window just like the one in the barracks. Only the ugly curtains were missing. It was also raining outside, even harder than in the BSAA camp. She started feeling the place she was in... she started smelling it, hearing it, knowing it.
Yes, this was her apartment back in Miami. Her apartment in the "other life". This was her past life she was living right now. And this was what felt familiar; she had heard the man's voice on the radio before, of course she had, right before she had ordered the taxi that had brought her to the airport. This was the moment where everything had begun, the story that had changed her life.
The bell rang and she turned around. It felt so real... well, it had been real before, but right now it felt real. She didn't know that dreams could feel so real, still, given it was a dream in the first place. She took her case, her backpack, her keys and everything she needed from right next to the door, then she turned around again and took a look at the apartment again.
Something had changed. The walls suddenly looked filthy and broken and the more she looked at them, the more they seemed to change. In fact, she saw them falling apart right in front of her eyes.
Not only the walls were altering, also the floor, the ceiling, the furniture and before she knew what was happening, everything was being consumed by fire.
"No", she whispered, yet it sounded like she was yelling with all her heart and for the first time in this very strange state she was in, she was able to aspirate a sound. What the hell was going on?
Elena went over to where the wall towards the streets was and she leaned over to look outside. It felt like she wasn't able to control her body anymore, like she was a program that was simply proceeding or like she was a video game character that was controlled by the player.
What she saw outside made her realize what was going on and where she had been all the time. The streets were on fire, people were screaming, gunshots were heard, police cars, fire brigade sirenes... and zombies. Thousands of zombies. In the middle of all that - a taxi cab, the driver holding an iron suitcase tightly to his chest, while crawling onto the car top, kicking the hungry undead and smashing their heads in with said trunk. It was Richard. Without a mustache, as Elena could discover after having taken a closer look and having almost fallen from her apartment.
"What the hell?" she gasped and the scenario was enhanced when a helicopter appeared in front of her face, causing her to almost fall down again. She held on to what was left of her apartment wall as the bright flashlight of the chopper dazzled her eyesight.
"Mrs. Fisher! You're under arrest for having caused a global bioterrorist attack! Hands up or we'll have to shoot! Turn around slowly and you'll not be harmed!"
"You're on a chopper! You can't even reach me," Elena yelled back after hearing the pilot's extremely loud and disturbing and also rather ridiculous announcment. What the hell was she saying? They would've shot her just because of her absurd answer! "I... I mean... yes, everything you say! I surrender!" What the hell was she doing?! This wasn't even real! And yet, if it wasn't, why did it feel so freaking authentic!?"
"Elena!" Suddenly the door behind her was kicked open and Richard entered the room, the suitcase still in his hand. "You have to jump!"
"What?!" Now things were getting really abstruse. Why the hell would she jump down there? "No way! Are you kidding me? Do you even know how high this building is?"
"Yeah, well, I just ran up the stairs. 108 in number on every floor!" Richard explained and wiped the sweat of his forehead.
"Don't you have anything better to do than counting the steps?" asked the reporter and crossed her arms.
"Mrs. Fisher! We'll count to 10 and if you haven't surrendered by then, we have the permission to shoot you!" the pilot announced as the rotor of the helicopter was producing enough wind to make the entire apartment shake.
"Yeah, yeah, we have bigger problems over here! Richard has counted all the steps and I don't know why!" the apparent criminal yelled back and waved the pilot to signalize him she didn't have time for something like an arrest right now.
"10," the pilot started to count, while she was still busy arguing about the apparent number of stairs Richard had climbed. "9" he continued.
"Okay, so I thought there were 42 stairs per floor" Elena continued.
"8" continued the pilot.
"Well, at first I thought there were 23 twice but that would make 46 and we all know that can't even be possible" said Richard.
"That's true, 46 sounds like a pretty dumb number. Have you considered 15 stairs as well?" Elena asked.
"4" said the pilot.
"Hey, you can't just skip 4 numbers!" Richard yelled.
"I didn't skip the numbers, I asked you if you have considered 15 stairs!" answered Elena.
"16" the pilot continued.
"16? No, no. It has to be 108!" Elena screamed and she fainted.


PS: this is supposed to have a part 2 but I'm so tired right now and I don't really know how to go on, so feel free to post ^.^

"You can't just faint you silly thing! Get back up, or I will spank you myself!"
"Could I watch?"
Rubi just sighed and rolled her eyes, ignoring Richard's comment and continued to try to wake the fainted Elena up.
"What - where? Is this for real?" she slowly came back, trying to sit up, but a headache - way too painful not to be real - stopped her midway and she laid back down again.
"Yes, all real, all good. Here, have some tea!"
"TEA?! You never drink tea!"
As Elena blinked, the person who had been Rubi, then turned into Sarah who stood over her, smiling down at her.
"Even in death she still has glory, doesn't she? Elegance," Sarah mumbled quietly, gently.
It began to rain.
The ground Elena laid on was wet and cold, kinda soft. She dug her fingers into it. Earth.
"She does ... I wish I had saved her ... " Richard mumbled just as quietly and soothingly.
Elena turned her head, left and right and saw two solid earth walls rise up next to her. A grave! She was lying in a grave!

"Hey! Hey! Are you alright?!" Rubi hissed, shaking Elena awake.
The journalist/nurse looked around hectic, spinning her aching head left and right.
Isabela drinking coffee, Miles sitting next to her, Piers on another chair, Richard was there, Bridget too, leaning against the wall, Raylan sipped on a coffee cup of his own, too.
Elena shook her head and Rubi repeated her question.
"I ... think so .. is ... this real? I barely dare asking ... I am so .. afraid ... "
"It's going to be alright," Richard said, joining in and taking Rubi's place, who stepped aside in order for him to get to her, since the medical station was not really big.
He gently put a hair strand, that had escaped Elena's blond thatch, behind her ear and smiled reassuringly. "You fell asleep for a few minutes, then woke up all startled with a scream."
"I .. had such vivid dreams ... "
"Well, no good ones, that much is for sure," Rubi commented, asking Miles for a coffee, if he would be so kind to get one for her, too. The mercenary sighed but obeyed friendly.
"You drank tea."
"Yeah, see, that should have told ya something right there, sweetie," Rubi nodded serious. "Tea ... blergh!" she pulled a face.
"I think it would be best for all of us to just get some rest." Isabela commented, gathering appreciative nods from most of the friends. "We can all use some rest," she added, gluing her eyes to Pier's who stared back at her in return. "I'd like to stay here, though," he said.
"Let's meet back outside where ... everything happened, by the trucks, tomorrow morning, how's that?" Raylan asked and the others agreed.
"Let's wait for Miles and my coffee ... then I'll be off, too," Rubi said, crossing her arms.
Elena smiled a little.
It didn't take long for Miles to return with Rubi's demanded coffee, and in a sip or two and a minute of everyone staring at her, for emptying the hot coffee in such little time, they all got up and got ready to head to their quarters. They made sure Isabela and Piers were okay, then headed off.

Once the others were out of the medical station, Isabela sat up more straight, her back against the wall, her legs still covered under the cheap blankets and looked at Piers. He was looking out the window for a while, in his own little world, far away from his friend, far away from this station and camp, far away from everybody and especially far away from this world.
Isabela looked down at her half full cup of coffee. The brown liquid bubbling away quietly, silently. She noticed with much detail how a fly dropped into it and struggled for its life.
All it would take was for her to stick her finger in it to save it. So little. It takes so little to help someone, and yet? Not helping this poor creature, would it make her feel more powerful? Dominant. Just like 90% of the world would? Hardly anybody would even consider saving it. Most would look at it with disgust and throw the cup away, letting the fly die. And despite the fact that taking a little, pathetic fly as an example, it was still that - an example.
"Carla was right ... " she whispered, still looking down but reaching for the fly to save it.
She didn't need to look up, to know that Piers nodded, slowly, but he did. He agreed. He still did not look at her.
The fly on her finger didn't move. Maybe it died already ... then what was it worth saving for in the first place?
"She was. It is a wretched world, with even more wretched people. Maybe we are lost, doomed, hopeless. I am, myself, disgusted by humanity. It's probably pretty obvious, huh?" he didn't smile. Neither did Isabela.
There was a long pause.
"But then, so was Rubi."
Isabela looked up.
"Rubi was right, too. We do have to live in it and even though I might not make the impression, I do wanna live some more. I do wanna see things, do things ... maybe even find what I am looking for, who knows," he shrugged.
"And you know, despite the fact that it might me messed up and in vain. At least in the end we can say we've tried."
Isabela smiled.
"Chris would have said the same. I am sure he's proud of you."
"You don't know that."
"Oh, but I do. I haven't been here long, yes, but there was this moment I have passed the barracks and I overheard him talking. Not much. I didn't feel like eavesdropping for once and I was in a hurry, trying to get to training. But he clearly was pissed off at someone and said," she coughed and tried to jokingly make her voice sound male and deep. "If only half of you, were only HALF as good and disciplined as Piers, by God! We would kick anybody's ass in no time!"
"That doesn't sound like him."
"Oh shush! You know as well as I do that he liked you a lot and admired and respected you. It just has to get into your little brain!"
Piers smiled a little.
"Maybe."
"Maybe," Isabela answered smiling.
She looked down at the fly that had gotten back up on its hairy, tiny feet and dried its wings on her finger.
"Why save this ugly, annoying thing?" Piers asked, looking at her. She thought she saw some new life in his eyes, some warmth. It warmed her in return.
"I don't know," she shrugged, answering him after a moment. "Why save anyone if you say it like that."
He chuckled. "Because we can, I guess."
"Because we can."
They both smiled and fell silent again.

Richard Closed the door from Isabela's room and the group exchanged looks. "So, I'll just take the room next to her..." Miles said already walking towards the door. "Okay, we'll divide ourselves over this floor, that might feel more secure." Raylan said nodding. "Sure, whatever." Miles replied while everyone frowned at this sudden irritated reply. Opening the door and slamming it he immediately fell on his bed. Tired as he was of all this, wasn't to be explained with words. Al tough all these events that happened made him think. Carla, her opinion over the world. Maybe it wasn't that bad at all. Maybe she really was right. After all he was a Sergeant once. for that he knew what power was, or at least he thought, for not knowing on which kind of big scale Carla must've felt. Letting out a sigh and stretching himself out he suddenly slammed his fingers against the stand next to his bed. "Oh! Fuck my life!" he yelled out of pain while he looked at his fingers. A small cut was formed and it bled a bit. He sighed again and shook his head. "Damn... It's just not my day." he mumbled. For also suddenly his thoughts about Carla vanished. He heard mumbling coming from Isabela's room. Not loud enough to hear though. After enjoying a bit of silence again, for the mumbling suddenly stopped, the door slammed open and Rubi stood in the doorway. "Hi" and she shut it with a loud bang. "I hope you don't mind me sleeping here and even if you do I wont go out," and she fell on the bed next to Miles' and closed her eyes ready to sleep. "Wait what? Why can't you stay with Raylan?" he snapped at her, but he only got a more angry reply back. "Because his room has only got one bed and of course the two love birds need a room and the rest is occupied on this floor." she snapped back. "Okay... fine..." he sighed again also making himself ready to sleep. "Well Goodnight then..." he said with a sign of frustration. But he was only answered by a loud snore. And Miles could feel his irritation level rise. This wont be a good night at all he thought, trying to find his sleep in the incredible loud noise.

Bridget had a rough night, some bad dreams and hardly enough sleep to be fully recovered from the stress they have had the last days but it was enough. She had joined the others in the camp's canteene and was just about to take her first bite of the bread she got when the last missing member of the party came in - Rubi.
Her hair was a mess and so were her clothes. Her face didn't exactly look like she was ready for a pageant either. All in all she looked just like Bridget in that very moment.
"Morning sunshine," started the nurse as the former assassin sat down right next to her and theatrically pretended to fall back asleep on the table after bashing her head against it. "You don't look like you've slept a lot."
"I haven't" Rubi mumbled and it was hard to understand as she talked into her crossed arms she had buried her face in.
"Here, have some of my meal, I'm not exactly hungry anyway" said Bridget and pushed the plate she had gotten from the man at the counter over to her desk mate and leaned back on the black wooden bench.
"Nah, I'm not hungry either" Rubi responded and raised her hand to symbolize that she kindly declined the offer.
"Then why don't you take a sip of my beer instead?" Bridget asked and Rubi immediately got up from her dozing position to look the blonde woman straight in the eyes.
"They have beer for breakfast?" she asked, surprisingly awake now.
"It's past twelve... they don't usually eat breakfast for lunch, you know. Besides, they don't get any beer at all, it's just a friendly offer from that Harrison guy," said Bridget and pat her friend's shoulder. "I'm going to take a walk around camp now. Feel free to join me, I could need some company right now."
The rest of the group around the dining table looked up to her and stopped their chatting for a second, then Piers stood up after he had swallowed the last spoonful soup he had in his plate. "I'm coming with you," he said. "If you take the route via the barracks I can walk with you for a bit because there's someone I have to talk to."

Stretching himself out he found himself in the half lit room. "Good afternoon handsome!" Elena already said and went to his bed to kiss him a small kiss on the forehead. "Mornin'," he replied opening his eyes slowly since the light beam which came just through the small opening of the curtains went right down his eyes. "Is it even morning?" he sighed climbing out of bed while Elena chuckled. "I said Good Afternoon sleepyhead! not Morning!" "Oh..."
The duo freshened themselves up as they decided they would go to the canteen. There they already saw the rest sitting there, only Rubi was missing. Miles didn't look very happy and nor did Bridget. Richard and Elena exchanged looks and got their food and sit back at the table where their friends sat. "Does she always snore?" Miles sighed out and rubbed his eyes. "I hardly got any sleep." "Oh, well... She does actually, I just don't..." Elena said but stopped in her tracks. "We are used to it." Richard then finished it with a faint smile adding some coffee in his former empty cup. "And there she comes..." Miles said glancing over to the black haired woman now approaching.
"Morning sunshine," Bridget began with a smile but Rubi sat down next to her as if she was ready to go back asleep again any minute. "And she's still tired!?" Miles said to them with disbelief. "You really get used to it..." Raylan then added, after putting a combination of bacon and eggs in his mouth. "Thank you all, misters and misses 'you get used to it'" the former marine said with a disgust look. Suddenly Bridget stood up announcing she was actually feeling to walk a bit. "I'm coming with you," Piers said, also standing up. "If you take the route via the barracks I can walk with you for a bit because there's someone I have to talk to."
Bridget nodded slightly in return, waved her hand slightly to the group whom all just smiled faintly back with their half eaten plates in front of them.

After they had walked through the gardens of the camp for a while, they could already spot the barracks behind a small field of trees. Piers enjoyed getting some fresh air and he liked Bridget's company. He didn't exactly have any time to talk to any of the survivors he had met and he even had a hard time remembering some of their names every once in a while. Isabela seemed to get along with them a lot better than he did, but Bridget was by far his favorite out of the little group.
"So, who is it you have to talk to, if I may ask? It's probably about the Carla stuff, isn't it?" Bridget asked as they went the last few steps on the small tarred track through some more bushes and trees.
"Personal matters," answered Piers. "Nothing to do with Carla. I'm just visiting a friend I haven't seen since I've been with you guys back in New York."
"Oh, I see. Well, I don't want to distract you any longer. I think I'm heading back. It was nice talking to you" said the blonde woman and raised her hand to wave, smiling a little and then turning around to walk back to the canteene.

Bridget came back sooner than expected. "Well that was a short walk outside indeed!" Elena said with a small smile on her face. "yeh, Piers needed to go to a few other friends he hadn't seen in a while," she answered while brushing her hair out of her face with her fingers. "And it's quite chilly outside too!" Bridget sat down again and Raylan finally got the last bite of his lunch. "Wow, took you quite a while didn't it?" Rubi said with a grumpy face, lifting her head up once again. "I'm getting some more." the former marshal answered and stood up again. "Wait, I'm coming with you!" Richard added and also stood up with a half finished plate. "But you're not finished yet!" Elena said with disbelief. "But I'm hungry!" the male said and he walked away following Raylan's tracks. "Food's really good here hmm?" Richard then said almost pumped to get more. "Sure," Raylan said with a small frown. "Seems like the times we were back at the hotel and you just couldn't stop yourself!" he added with a laugh. "Yep yep!" Richard said while they returned, Richard's plate fuller than usual. "My god you really are a eating machine!" Elena said after seeing the plate of Richard. "Guess that's a sign of things getting normal again!" Rubi added with a smile.
I hope it really is... Raylan thought after getting yet another bite of his new plate.