"We're going down to Dixie, away! Away! That Dixie boy got to understand he needs to find his Uncle Sam…" A man wearing a police riot helmet over a grey balaclava ski mask sung as he drove a Harley Davidson down the lonely abandoned highway leading to the once great city of Atlanta, "Hide away, hide a- hello what the fuck?"

The sight was… peculiar to say the least, a man looking like a Sheriff riding a horse into Atlanta, "Howdy there!" He cheerfully said easing up on the throttle trying his best to not frighten the horse and to hopefully put the man at ease.

He didn't look to shabby for a survivor, a little bit tense but then again the man on the bike had a very intimidating aura; police riot helmet, gray ski mask, Israeli styled combat gear a family heirloom from the Six Day war, the bullet resistant vest had some black punisher skull designs, a .45 caliber pistol on his right leg holster, a Uzi strapped on his back, and to top it all off a Khopesh sword sheathed on his left side with a knife sheathed on his left hip. Yes this man was no greenhorn when it came to fighting just about anything.

"I don't want any trouble. I'm jus trying to find my wife and my boy." The man he's dubbing as Cowboy had his hand out as if he was trying to defuse a dangerous criminal, well he was right about the dangerous part.

"And I don't want any trouble Cowboy, I just find it a bit strange that a… Lincoln County Sheriff is all the way out of his juristiction riding his horse into a potentially hostile area that may be filled with the walking corpses. You don't see that every day." The 'Cowboy' was giving the masked man a strange if not perplexed look, "Say partner want some water? Maybe some Matzo bread? It's a bit dry so you'll need that water for it."

He dismounted the bike with his hands up to show no hostilities while he carefully retrieved the food and water as promised from a saddle bag, "Why… Uh thank you, who are you?" The Cowboy asked dismounting his horse.

The man removed his helmet and right glove sticking his hand out with a shit eating grin, "Joseph Abel Abdiel is the name, killing walking corpses is the game. Who might you be sir?"

The man smiled taking Joseph's hand, "Rick, Rick Grimes. I'll have to admit I didn't think I'd meet someone as friendly as you Mr. Ab-ab"

"Abdiel."

"Abdiel, right sorry." He sheepishly said scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"You say you're trying to find your wife and kid eh? Need some help? I'm just wandering about, looking for adventure and such!" He said with pride, a pride that made Rick raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh… You're just going to help me? You don't even know me and you don't want anything in return?"

"Nope."

Rick sized up the man in front of him; he looked military, very prepared, but young, and he was unusually friendly which was a red flag for him, "Why?"

"To be honest I'm kinda bored, nothing else better to do since the fires in the cities died down and you're the first non-asshole I've seen in a while I was just hoping to hang out for a while. So do you want some help?" Joseph asked with a smile, regloving his hand and setting his helmet back on his head.

He couldn't find any lies in the man's voice and the road was pretty lonely, "Ok Joseph, I think I'll take you up on that offer."

"Woo! Let's get a move on, night time with these creepers is rather dangerous without a pair of night vision goggles." Joseph revved his bike's engine softly trying again to not startle the horse.

'Lori, Carl, here I come.' Rick said to himself in his head, he hoped that his family was in Atlanta and that Joseph won't turn on him. He sure was a strange man, showing up out of nowhere and just offering to help, just like that.

'Yay! I'm helping somebody, I feel good about myself now!' Joseph had been alone for a while since the start of the outbreak and during the short amount of time he's crossed some horrible sights, hopefully his new found friend will find his family and then he'll be on his way. Rick seemed cool and all but the lone wolf life was for him.

Further down the road in Atlanta Joseph turned his bike off and started walking it, something wasn't right here. Where were the regulars? Check points? Anything that symbolized military presence. Rick pulled up beside him, "What'cha doing Joseph?"

The armored man looked around the area with cold hazel eyes, calculating every possibility of an ambush, all was too quiet. He upholstered his pistol and screwed a silencer on the barrel, some corpses were noticing the two, "Listen and look."

Rick gave him a confused until he too heard it. Nothing, nothing but silence and some walkers emerging from some broken down vehicles, "Maybe the refugee camp is-"

"Gone." Joseph said dismissively, the usual cheery tone was not heard, instead it was a quiet and cold almost growl like tone. He could see that Rick didn't like the idea of the camp not being in the city, even if he didn't know Rick well enough he knew he'd be a stubborn son of a bitch.

"You don't know that." The look in his eyes were determined on proving Joseph wrong, his family had to be in Atlanta.

Before Joseph could argue any further the sound and the reflection of a helicopter caught their attention, "Well sonovabitch, I just may be wrong Mr. Grimes."

Rick smiled and chased after the helicopter on horseback, it had to be the Army looking for survivors, it could lead him back to Lori and Carl!

Joseph's cycle revved to life, through the reflections of some of the surrounding buildings he saw it, a horde. A fucking horde and Rick was heading straight for it! He sped up in front of him seeing the horde in all of its disgusting glory, "Run! We got a lot of fucking company!"

The horse bucked at the sight of the horde, Rick pulled the reins and followed Joseph as he sped past some undead.

The road was getting crowded and worse… there were no parking spaces. Joseph didn't want another parking ticket, although he doubted that Rick was a meter cop he still didn't want to take a chance no matter how stupid it may seem. Paranoia has kept him alive for a long while, but now wasn't the time for bullshit he had to keep Rick alive; he has a son and wife to get back to and he sure as fuck did not want Rick's death on his conscience.

"Get in the fucking Abrahams! Get in there Rick, gogogogogogogo! Get in the tank I'll gather their attention!" Joseph hastily stopped his bike and undid a saddle bag and tossed it towards the top of the tank.

"What about yo-" His horse cut him off bucking him to the ground causing his gun bag to fall out of his reach.

Joseph growls cocking his pistol, "Get in the fucking tank you fucking schmuck! No bullshitting man, get in the fucking tank!" Rick stumbled and tripped, opting to crawl underneath the tank instead of going on top much to Joseph's displeasure.

Thankfully he found the underbelly escape hatch, "Schmuck!" He muttered squeezing a shot off ending a walking bag of puss that looked somewhat like Michael Jackson, "No Thriller for you motherfucker!"

Another five shots were discharged taking down five walkers, each bullet met its mark right in between the eyes. A walker tried ambushing him but all it got for its troubles was a roundhouse to the side of its head and heavy stomp caving in its facial bones into the skull; the poor horse had been pulled to the ground and was being devoured like a turkey dinner in a fat camp, "Your sacrifice will be remembered my friend!" Joseph said giving the horse a salute and a bullet to the brain to end its misery, a creature of the Creator mustn't suffer such a horrible fate.

He jumped down into the tank just in time for Rick to shoot a rotting soldier in the head, and receiving an annoying ringing noise in his head, "FUCKING FUCKLES FUCK!" Joseph growled covering his ears.

Rick grunted feeling his senses come back to him, "Jos-Joseph you alright?"

Joseph bit back a growl but not a sarcastic comment, "Well you know, making my way down town walking past, strangers wanting to eat me~" Rick and Joseph started to laugh at the horrible song reference but eventually quieted down, "Got any ghost stories? We're gonna be here awhile."

"Hey you two?!" A voice called out from the soldier's radio, "Hey dumbasses you comfy in there?"

There were many things Joseph hated; criminals, Nazis, Communists, terrorists, poorly prepared steak, My little Pony, Hostesses Snow Balls, and some punk ass mother fucker calling him a dumbass. He gingerly plucked the radio from the corpse, "Ahem… WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING A DUMBASS!? I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW I'AM A FOUR POINT AVERAGE MOTHERFUCKER!"

Rick sighed swiping the radio from Joseph who muttered "Aww" "Who is this?"