Question for you readers out there, who if anybody should Walker romance, if you don't think he should romance anyone then that is an option as well; and I will say I am not afraid of taking the trap route if someone can provide me with a logical reason for that too happen, or nonsensical. LOL.

I would also like to thank the users of Quora for helping me when it came to choosing which weapon to use for hunting in this chapter.

Walker had taken quite the winding path through the forest, hoping to throw anyone with the inclination to chase both him and the small girl Aya on his back after that small scuffle within that unknown village. Not that Walker wanted to learn the name mind you, that was one town he knew both he and Aya would not be welcome in anytime in the near future. So they continued on with what little Walker which wasn't much, even when his team first arrived in Dubai they had traveled light, not expecting to stay in the city long and if it weren't for Walkers own Hero complex it would have been an alright plan for that mission. But now, all he really had were his weapons, one two flash grenades left as well as a full belt of his lethal options.

But that was about it, the soldier guessed he would have to begin hunting in these woods though he had no idea where to even start when it came to which animals were good to eat and which were not; this new world he found himself in was so alien from the one he had left that Walker wasn't sure he could even trust many of the plants around him as he made his way through the woods. It was for that reason that Walker was almost glad he had Aya with him as the small girl could at least help him pick out which animals were usually used for food in her world. The plants on the other hand would have to be figured out at a later date as Walker had no ambition to start randomly taste testing plants in order to find out if they were poisoned or not.

"Hope the rest of the 33rd is figuring this out as well." The soldier thought to himself as he continued along the small game trail he had been following through the forest, hoping that it would lead Walker and Aya to a main road that they could begin to follow towards the capital as while Aya could give him the general direction he had to go; Walker found himself wanting to follow a road so he would not have to bush whack his way through the forest for the foreseeable future.

"The main road should be coming up soon Mr. Walker." Aya said with a small squeak as Walker pushed her up his back, making sure the young child was comfortable in the position on the soldiers back as he pushed through some particularly thick underbrush; Walker using his arm to move the branches of the tree's out of the way so they wouldn't hit Aya in the face when Walker pushed through them.

"Alright Aya, thank you. You feeling alright though? Not too tired or anything?" Walker asked, he had been walking most of the night with the girl on his back and the soldier had to admit his heavily scarred body was beginning to feel the pain of the work he was putting it through, his muscles had begun to produce a dull ache that caused Walker to clench his teeth as he pushed on.

"I am getting a little tired." The small girl said with a soft yawn as she pressed the side of her face against Walkers back, smiling a bit as the soldier raised an eyebrow slightly.

"You want to stop and camp here for the night then Aya? I'm going to have to hunt for our food anyways and I'm guessing we're still a long way from the capital, so might as well rest for the night to regain our strength for the days ahead." Walker asked as he came to what looked to be a small clearing, the perfect spot to set up a campfire and maybe even build a small shelter so they could at least be protected from most of the elements at night.

Setting down his weapons, Walker placed them too one side making sure there were still close by so he could reach them if the villagers found them even after their long hike through the forest or if some animals decided that they seemed like a good snack while they rested and recovered.

"I-If you want too Mr. Walker." Aya replied sounding almost a bit sad as Walker set her down, allowing the girl to stand on her own two feet as Walker began to look around for suitable wood to start a fire with.

"I know I want too, my body has been aching ever since the village." Walker said jokingly with a small laugh as he looked over at the crimson haired girl, her body seemed to shine in the moonlight as Walker watched her begin to follow his example though the wood she gathered was much smaller than what the soldier was able to carry.

Martin hadn't noticed up until now what with everything going on and him just meeting this small girl a few hours ago in that poor excuse for a medieval village, but Aya's hair seemed to shine in the moonlight her hair taking on an almost ethereal quality as she gathered up small sticks and dried leaves around her, along with a few rocks that could be used to keep control of the fire and prevent it from spreading to places they didn't want them to go. "Makes me wish I had my own kid." Walker thought to himself, though he had to admit with his line of work even before Dubai it would have been a stupid proposition.

But now, he doubted he had any business raising a kid and as Walker looked away not wanting to stare at the young girl for too long; he began to wonder if he even deserved the happiness that came with having a family. He was a monster to his very core now and he doubted that anyone would want to shack up with him once they knew what happened in Dubai, the thought fell to the wayside much to Walkers happiness, focusing on the here and now was what he was good at and the situation definitely required him to be focused on the here and now.

As they finished setting up their small fire pit, Walker pulled a small lighter from one of the many pockets on his BDU that had yet to be either melted away by fire or destroyed by the heavy combat. Using the dried up leaves as tinder, the Delta Operative lit the dried leaves he had placed at the center of the small wooden teepee he had created with the thin sticks he had found on the ground.

"Ooooooooo!" Aya exclaimed as she watched Walker flicks the lighter on, the small flame from the device lighting the dried leaves up until the small fire pit they had created blazed with a fiery brilliance as the wood within the pit caught fire.

"How did you do that?! I didn't sense any mana generation from your body or in the air! It's like the flame just appeared out of nowhere when you used that thing!?" Aya asked as she looked up at Walker with bright crimson eyes before looking back at the fire with a look of awe on her face.

"This thing?" Walker asked with a soft chuckle as he produced the small lighter in the palm of his hand, allowing Aya too look at it with her crimson orbs as she stared with awe as Walker flicked the small lighter, a flame appearing from the small hole at the top of the device as the flint within lit the buitane.

"It's called a lighter." Walker explained as he let the flame disappear from sight, not wanting to waste too much fuel as he looked down at Aya, her look of awe causing the American soldier to chuckle slightly as he patted her soft head of crimson hair.

"H-how does it work Mr. Walker?" Aya asked with a sot whine as she closed her eyes, almost seeming to begrudgingly accept Walkers headpats as the Delta operative smirked slightly at the younger girls antics.

"Well, you see it uses science; a small amount of fuel within the lighter is ignited by a small stone that causes sparks when it is rubbed against some metal, this causes the lighter to produce a flame thus enabling us to have a fire." Walker explained gesturing to the newly created fire before them as Aya looked at it with wide eyes.

"Is that some special item from your country!? I bet it's really really expensive right?" Aya blurted out, asking several questions at once as Walker rubbed the back of his head; now wishing he had started the fire the old fashion way as the lighter had brought up many questions from the girl that he didn't know how to explain.

"Well, where I come from these things are pretty cheaply made Aya, you could buy one with some pocket change most likely; though around here I bet it would be worth more than its weight in gold coins or whatever this country uses for currency." Walker explained, trying his best to be as vague as possible as he slipped the lighter into one of his BDU's many pockets, even with it being half destroyed the pockets around his waist were still mostly intact.

"Really?! That's so cool! Your homeland sounds awesome ! I never knew devices like that could exist!"

"Oh, it's not all that good; we still have plenty of problems we need to sort out." Walker said with a soft smile, he knew he was putting it lightly to say the least the world he had come from was one with little care for people like Aya, much like this world he found himself in now most would pass by homeless kids like Aya without a second thought about who they were or why they ended up there.

"Anyways Aya, you know you don't have to call me Mr. Walker; Martin or Walker is just fine, your making me feel older than I am." Walker said with a chuckle, smiling as he rubbed the back of his head; hoping the girl wouldn't notice him desperately trying to change the subject.

"O-o-oh, s-sorry Mr...I mean Walker, I just thought since you seem much older then me...not that your old...I mean ...It's just…..Ahhhhhhhhh!" Aya seemed to just shut down at that point, her cheeks turning a rosey red as she cupped each side of her face with both of her hands embarrassed as she looked away from Walker, still stuttering and shaking as the soldier raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, it's alright Aya; you just don't have to be so formal with me; your my partner in this mission, not my servant or whatever." Walker said calmly, smiling a bit as he pulled her a bit closer to him; the delta operative letting out a soft yawn as he leaned back against one of the trees that surrounded the clearing the two of them found themselves in letting the newly created fire warm his tired body as he felt Aya curl up next to him, one of her small hands clutching the damaged fabric of his BDU as she let out her own rather cute yawn.

"A-alright, Walker…..*Yawn.*" Aya mumbled as she rubbed one of her eyes as she clung to Walker like a child would her father if she thought he was going to leave her as soon as she fell asleep. "Y-you know, your a really nice man; I'm g-glad I met you today." Aya mumbled as she nuzzled into the soldiers side, apparently ready to drift off as Walker reached down to stroke her head.

"I'm not all that good of a man Aya…..I can promise you that." Walker muttered to himself as he looked into the flames of the now roaring fire pit.

"Hey Aya….." Walker paused mid sentence as he looked down at the young girl, the soldier shutting his mouth quickly as he noticed Aya had fallen asleep; leaving the wounded soldier alone with his own mind as he reached for a long fallen stick, using it as a poker for the firepit.

The American soldier let out a yawn as he looked own at Aya, sleeping form once again; smirking as he felt the young girl clutch his left side a bit tighter her head laying upon the ruined chest plate of his BDU like it was the softest thing in the world to her.

Walker still couldn't believe the young girl trusted him, the soldier who had torn Dubai asunder and killed mercilessly in a vendetta that left him broken within the tallest tower of Dubai and forced both the 33rd and the remaining civilians within Dubai too scatter and yet here he was, protecting a young girl from villagers he barely knew charging in head on once again without thinking and without any form of backup.

And yet this girl trusted him too take care of her, to feed her, cloth her and protect her from the dangers of this new world he found himself stuck within. It was a responsibility that Walker never thought he would have, being career military and never having children or even a steady relationship were children could have been possible.

He didn't want to get too close to her though, he couldn't, he wouldn't allow her to see the monster he was inside and that was a solemn vow that Walker made to himself right there and then; part of him needed this girl to trust him. The part that still believed that he could still do good, despite what he had done; at the very least it was a step on the path of atonement and Walker knew it would most likely be a path he would be walking for the rest of his life given the fact that there was no United States military around here too bring him to justice and even if he was able to link up with the 33rd he doubted they could find a way to bring them back home.

So he was stuck here, atoning.

And he would atone.

As God as his witness he would atone for what he had done.

"Adams take out the lookout." Walker ordered as he raised his M4A1, ready to fire if the 33rd noticed their movements around the Gate, Adams quickly moving behind the 33rd lookout the larger man slipping his combat knife from its sheath as he crept up behind the lookout before plunging the blade into the soldiers throat; Adams slipping his hand over the 33rd soldiers mouth to prevent the man from screaming as blood began to flow from the open throat wound.

"Sweet dreams, bitch." Adams muttered as he slid his knife from the man's throat.

The soldier died in Adams arms as Walker and Lugo moved up behind him, Adams laying the soldier down to prevent any noise as the other two took cover behind the sandbags that made up the overlook position. "Alright Lugo, what are we up against?" Walker asked as the delta sniper peaked over the sandbags to get a look at the enemy forces below them.

"An Army, give or take." Lugo replied much to the man's obvious chagrin.

"No shit." Walker said as he peeked over the sandbags, easily spotting the massive amount of troops stationed at the Gate them along with the Hummers and Strykers would cause more than a headache for the small delta team.

"How we gettin' through this?" Lugo asked as he ducked back down in an effort not to be seen by the 33rd as Walker began to think, they didn't have the manpower to take out the Gate on their own without significant firepower; the Delta operative began to wish for an AC-130 right about now as that was one of the only things he could think of that could deal with both the troops and the armor protecting the strong point below.

"This might help." Adams interjected as the larger man pointed at a nearby mortar.

Walker couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he spotted the mortar, it wasn't the weapon itself that caught his attention; but rather the rounds that had been stored next to the emplacement.

They were white phosphorus, rounds that were usually used as a way to camouflage troop movements and illuminate certain areas. Atleast, according to international law that was what they were supposed to be used for; but as they had already seen in this hellscape of a city the 33rd held no such restrictions against using the mortars as a weapon against the civilian rebels.

Walker had seen those people after they had been subjected to the mortar rounds, their flesh burned and charred; clothes melted into wounds from the intense heat of the chemical flames. All the while, they were unable to put the fire out, it tore through their clothing and stuck itself to skin; burning its way through muscle and bone with its intense heat as whomever it attached itself too suffered an agonizing death that they couldn't escape from.

It was a horrible weapon.

But it was the only thing that could even begin to give them a chance of taking the Gate from the 33rd. "Alright set it up." Martin ordered as he and Adams began to move towards the mortar.

"Your fucking joking right?! You two have seen what this shit can do and your just gonna use it without a second thought?" Lugo interjected as he stared down both men, the sergeant obviously apprehensive about using such a weapon even if the 33rd had already shown they would use it on them.

"We might not have a choice Lugo." Adams shot back as he set up the mortar, positioning the launcher on its stand; burying the legs in a soft sand a bit so the Mortar would stay on target and not jump when it was fired.

"There's always a choice." Lugo shot back, spitting onto the soft sand as he approached the mortar slowly as if it were a venomous snake that could bite him at any moment.

"No, there's really not, now come on let's set it up." Walker ordered his voice becoming more forceful as he began to run the targeting laptop through its boot up sequence.

"It's that an order…...sir." Lugo replied venom laced within the tone of his voice as he grabbed the shell containing the mortars targeting camera.

"Yeah, it fucking is Lugo now can it and launch that camera." Walker shot back, his icy blue eyes digging into the younger man as the Sergeant finally relented before sliding the camera shell down into the launcher tube.

"Roger that, launching camera." Lugo replied almost robotically, Walker didn't pay it any mind though all he needed the Sergeant to do was follow orders and do his job right; if he wanted to ask Lugo what he thought they should do at the moment he would have come out and asked the Sergeant directly. A small thunk was all that was heard as the camera shell launched into the air, letting out a puff of smoke as the camera deployed its parachute; allowing to to float above the Gate.

"Camera online…..Sir." Lugo spat as he held a mortar shell in one of his hands, ready to load in when ordered as Adam's took up a supporting position in an attempt to draw enemy fire away from Lugo and Walkers position as two men took deep breaths, preparing themselves both mentally and physically for the hell they were about to unleash upon the 33rd's position.

"Look! Up there!"

"Intruders! Take them down!"

Gunfire echoed throughout the Gate as the 33rd spotted the trio of delta operatives finished their preparing of the mortar, the laptop screen that served as the mortars targeting computer lighting up as Walker prepared to fire the first shell. "Alright, targeting online. Everybody ready?"

"Whenever you are Walker!" Adams replied as he took cover behind the sandbags, bullets burying themselves into the thick wall of sand and polypropylene as Lugo primed the shell before he loaded the mortar shell into the weapons chamber as Walker selected his first target, the group of Stryker LAV's that had taken up positions near the front of the Gate and were currently being used as a cover for a large group of American soldiers as they took pot shots as the in cover delta operatives.

A small thump was all that it took, then suddenly the Gate was engulfed in fire and mayhem as the White phosphorus mortar exploded above the soldiers below, it didn't matter if they were behind cover or not. Nothing could stop the phosphorus as he stuck to everything it touched, like the devils hands that refused to let go once they got ahold of you.

Walker could already hear the screams, the soldier wincing slightly before his features hardened in the reflection of the monitor before him. Walker knew he had just unleashed pandora's box by firing at the first round, but there was no time to think in the Delta operators mind.

"Load another shell and fire on that fountain!" Walker yelled out as Lugo slid another of the phosphorus shells, the younger man muttering under his breath as Walker head another heavy puff as the shell was launched up into the air; only to moments later release its load of chemical flames as they scattered over the fountain as thick white smoke began to drift with the wind, carrying the screams of dying soldiers along with it.

One after another Walker launched shell after shell of White phosphorus, until finally the camera floated over the Gate proper; revealing a large group of heat signatures that Walker guessed were 33rd soldiers still in hiding as they attempted to avoid the ever spreading fire that consumed the rest of the camp.

"Alright Lugo, last one." Walker nodded as the younger man remained silent, grimacing slightly as he slid the mortar down the tube of the launcher; seconds later a small puff of the shell launched from the weapon could be heard followed by the sound of the mortar releasing its toxic, superheated payload as the thick white smoke continued to spread throughout the camp.

The flames began to build as Walker watched from afar as the screams continued to filter through the smoke as he watched, his eyes tearing up from the smoke as Walker pulled the piece of cloth he used to block sand from his mouth over the lower part of his face in order to filter the toxic smoke slightly as Martin looked around for Lugo and Adams; the two other delta operators were nowhere to be seen as Walker reached for his weapon only to have his M4A1 disappear in a cloud of sand.

"What the hell." Martin muttered to himself as he looked around for his comrades.

"Open your eyes Walker." A voice muttered as Walker turned to face a wall of flames that had formed behind him, within it stood a shadowy corpse but as it began to shamble forwards its twisted limbs sinking into the sand that lay below its burned combat boots. Walkers eyes widened as he recognized the burned face of Lugo, the young man's jaw appeared to be dislocated and half of his body appeared to have been consumed by flames with patches of burned flesh exposed by his tattered BDU as he made his way towards Walker.

The smell was what hit him next, the smell of death as the flames and screams continued to build consuming the buildings around Walker and the camp itself leaving Walker to stand within the eye of this firestorm as Lugo continued to shamble his way towards Martin.

"We need you too see, what you've done." Lugo said as he continued his death march towards his captain, Walker was unable to move through all of this as he watched Lugo get closer the man reaching out towards Walker as he let out a scream.

"You turned us into FUCKING KILLERS!"

Walker woke with a scream, attempting to smother the non-existent flames that covered his body as he rolled away from the tree he had been sleeping under; reaching for the holster that contained his .44 magnum as he cocked the hammer back on the revolver. Walker felt his head hit a stone on the ground as he began to look around for threats, pointing the muzzle of his weapon every which way as his eyes scanned the area that surrounded the small camp. The fire had died our hours ago thanks to Walker falling asleep much earlier then he wanted too, the soldier silently cursing himself out as his mind returned to what passed for calm within Walkers head.

Sound slowly began to return too Walker as well as his heart rate dropped like a stone in a river,. "God damn it." Walker muttered to himself as he slid his weapon back into his holster as he heard Aya let out a soft yawn as she rubbed her eyes, the young girl slowly waking up as Walker began to get too his feet; dusting himself off from his recent mental break as he looked down at the child.

"Uuuuahhhhhhh….Walker, Why did you wake up so early, I'm…..still so…..tired." She said as she looked up at Walker with squinted, tired eyes; her hair seemed to also have a terrible case of bed head from sleeping on Walkers BDU plate.

"Sorry kid, Just a dream that woke me up is all, everythings alright you can go back to bed, I need to go hunt down some breakfast for us anyways." Walker replied in a soft tone, trying his best to allow the young homeless orphan some much needed rest as he made his way over to his stash of weapons as the little girl nodded, unwilling to argue as she curled up on the ground that lay below the tree that Walker had been sleeping under the girl shivering as a cool morning breeze filtered through the tree's as Walker took inventory of his current weapon and ammo situation.

He didn't have much that was for sure, he had used half a magazine when he fired his M4A1 in order to scatter the villagers in his escape with Aya; along with two flash bang grenades that left him with only two of the stun weapons left along with eight of his lethal options ranging from frag to sticky.

He possessed around fifty shells for his M1014, along with six magazines for his M4A1 plus the half magazine that still lay within the weapon, he also possessed forty rounds for his revolver as well as three full magazines for his .50 Barrett. He had enough ammo for the moment, but Walker also knew that without the supplies that the 33rd had scavenged from the ruins of Dubai that none of the ammunition he had now would be replaced.

So Walker had to be careful, especially if he had to hunt for food for both him and Aya as the two of them needed the energy for the journey ahead of them. "I just hope the 33rd is out there somewhere, gathering together and staying put; because without them I don't know how long we'll survive." Walker muttered to himself as he reached down, picking up his M4 as he pulled the bolt back on the weapon checking the chamber before sliding the bolt back into place.

The weapon was neither made for hunting nor did it possess any sort of sighting that would make killing game easier, Walker would have to get up close and aim with his iron sights if he wanted to get food for both him and his charge; the soldier only hoped that the hunting he did as a kid with his family would come back to him as he began to move towards thick brush of the forest that lay beyond the small clearing.

The soldier stopped for a moment as he looked back at Aya, Walker raising his eyebrows and smiling as he watched the young girl sleep on the cold ground; the morning dew surrounding her small body as she shivered slightly causing the soldier to let out a sigh as he looked around. He knew they would need some equipment if they were going to be sleeping outdoors, some sort of blanket and something to lay their heads on would be nice given that Walker already felt stiff from sleeping on the ground all night.

"Guess I should give her something to lay her head on." Walker whispered softly to himself as he unhooked his plate carrier from his BDU, the telltale ripping sound of velcro echoing throughout the clearing as Walker slipped the kevlar plating out from the front of the tattered fabric; slowly moving towards Aya's sleeping form before bending down on one knee and slipping the plate carrier under her head.

With that done Walker turned to leave, not noticing the small smile forming on Aya's face as she wrapped her arms around the plate carrier; the small girl snuggling the protective equipment like it was the softest thing in the world.

Walker grunted as he jumped down a steep ledge, stepping over a fallen tree that lay at the bottom of the ledge as the soldier made his way through the forest Aya and himself found themselves traveling through. The soldier would have rathered traveling on the main roads, but given the trouble they had caused in Aya's village along with the fact that Walker didn't actually know which way the roads went; taking a more direct route to the capital through the forest using Aya as his guide seemed like the safer option.

reaching down to his belt as he looked for fresh tracks he could follow in order to find both him and Aya some breakfast, his M4A1 jostling against his chest as the weapon hung by the leather leather sling. Walker turned his radio on, turning it too one of the short range frequencies used frequently by the US military as he picked his way through the forest being careful not to stray too far from the game trails as Walker needed to be able to find his way back to Aya afterwards.

It was then that an idea popped into his head, like a stray thought floating with the breeze that Walker had plucked out of the air as he moved through the densely wooded area, letting out a grunt as he felt a few pine needles prick against his scarred skin as he made his way past he could only hope that the wounds healed soon as he couldn't stand how they hindered his movement.

"This is Captain Martin Walker, United States Delta Operative; any Damned 33rd out there, who are listening to this channel, please respond immediately." Walker said into his comm, his earpiece producing only static as the delta force captain let out an annoyed grunt; switching his radio off in order to preserve the devices battery power as the soldier continued moving through the forest.

He knew he had to find the 33rd no matter what and it was then that Walker resolved to try the radio at least once every morning as he made his way through the forest, he could only hope that the 33rd came to that same conclusion as while a lot of them most likely had more power than him thanks to their vehicles; but Walker knew that they would also realize that it wouldn't last forever.

Or at least he could only hope they did.

Pushing forward Walker continued to move through the forest, looking for any sign of animal tracks or disturbances that he could use to track down breakfast for both him and Aya; his stomach grumbling from the lack of food as Walker realized it had been a few days since he had properly eaten a full meal, his stomach once again voicing its displeasure at that fact as he moved through the forest with renewed vigour, hoping to find some animal that he could cook for food as Walker would rather not have to forage for plants as he had no idea if any of the plants within this new world he found himself in were poisonous and that was a death he would rather avoid, any death was preferable to that within Walkers mind.

It was then that the soldier found a rather large stream, it wasn't too far away from the camp so Walker made a mental note of it for later as it would be a good source for water and a possible bath; part of him wanted to just take a dip and relax, but still he had work to do for both him and his new charge as such Walker continued onwards on his hunt; his weapon still rubbing against his chest as he moved through the forest; the only noise from the delta operative being the sound of his boots crushing leaves and small twigs beneath their soles as a gust of morning wind brushed the side of his face.

Birds chirped above the delta operative as he moved through the trees, looking for any signs of tracks or dens which might have contained small rodents; Walker knew they didn't need much given that they would be back on the road soon but if he managed to bag a deer or some larger animal like that he could use the skin to fashion some sort of bag in order to bring the meat with them as he doubted he would be able to hunt every night given his limited ammunition supplies.

As Walker came to what appear to be game trail, the soldier slipped his rifle sling off of his body as he made his way down the well worn trail, noticing hoof prints that appeared to be rather fresh mixed in with the older prints that made up the game trail.

pushing through a particularly thick piece of brush Walker quickly ducked down as he spotted the deer, using the push he was passing through for cover as the soldier flicked the safety off on his rifle.

the deer was a smaller doe, probably less then a year and a half old Walker guessed as he looked down the iron sights of his rifle; watching as the deer looked around flicking her ears back and forth, listening for predators before slowly leaning down to eat some grass her eyes continued to scan the wooded area she found herself within.

Taking a deep breath to steady his aim, Walker placed his finger on the trigger of his weapon; he knew he might have to get several shots off in order to take even the doe down as the military issued 5.56 ammo within his weapon was never meant to be used for hunting.

But given his current situation and need to eat, Walker wasn't concerned at the moment about wasting meat. Waiting for the wind to calm, Walker followed with his sights of iron.

The weapon let out three barks as Walker pulled the trigger of his M4A1, the young doe with the sights of his weapon; before finally squeezing the trigger of his weapon as she came to a stop amongst another patch of green grass. The sound of gunfire echoed through the forest as Walker let out a small three round burst from his weapon, aiming for the doe's center mass as the deer feed in a heap of blood.

Walker could tell it was still alive even before he moved, the cries of the deer and the sound of gunfire causing the birds in the area to scatter as the Delta force operative began to move towards the wounded animal, unsheathing his combat knife from the sheath that lay on the side of his belt as the soldier stood over the corpse the deer looking him directly in the eye as she panted on the cold ground.

"Sorry girl, I hope you find peace." Walker muttered a silent prayer as he kneeled on one knee, giving the injured doe a soft pet on the side of her neck as blood flowed from the three bullet wounds; the rounds had passed right through like they were designed to do, but they had never been designed to hunt animals and as such here Walker was having to finish the job he started once again.

Sliding his knife between the deer's chest as he didn't want to waste any more ammo than needed, the blade pierced the heart of the animal as the deer finally stopped breathing; laying on the ground dead as Walker hefted the corpse letting out a loud grunt as he felt the pain of his wounds from Dubai begin to scream as their healing was interrupted by the exertion he was putting his body through.

It was tough going getting back to camp, but Walker managed to do it within the hour and he was surprised as he walked into the clearing only to find Aya, wrapped around his plate carrier as she continued to sleep; a small smile on her face as she buried her nose into Walker's plate carrier causing the soldier to raise an eyebrow as he set the dead doe down on the ground opposite to where she was sleeping.

Quietly Walker got to work skinning the animal, he knew he wouldn't be able to carry all of the meat what with his lack of a backpack or any other form ; so as he cut the hide away from the deer's body he was careful to leave it as intact as he possibly could as he cut it away from the meat the skin of the deer slowly peeling away from its body as he knew it could be used later to create some sort of storage he could carry the meat within, Walker continued his work over the next two hours; sweat forming on his brow as the early morning dragged and the sun began to hang in the sky above him, signalling the afternoon was soon to arrive.

A small yawn pulled Walker from his work on the corpse of the animal as he looked over to see Aya stretched as she rubbed her tired eyes, the small rag clothed girl letting out a few tired mutters about it being too early as she brushed her crimson red hair away from her eyes as she opened them; spotting Walker as he stood over his work wiping blood from his combat knife as he smiled at the young girl.

"Morning sleeping beauty, did you rest well?" Walker asked in a hushed tone as he slid his knife into the dirt, smiling at the girl as she waved at him tiredly rubbing one of her eyes as she let out another yawn as she stretched her small body out, her back most likely stiff from lying on the hard ground as she looked over at Walker with her tired orbs.

"Morning Walker, d-did you go somewhere this morning?" She asked with another soft yawn as she blinked the sleep from her eyes.

"I got us some breakfast Aya, get ready because we're going to be on the move after breakfast; I want to get to the next town as soon as possible because we're going to need supplies for the next leg of the journey."

"Ooook." She muttered as she stretched again before standing up and wiping the dirt off of her ragged dress.

Two hours later Walker had finished skinning the deer, the meat that he could carry had been stored within the skin which was now attached to the end of a stick he could sling over his shoulder to carry and Aya was raring to go. "Come on Walker! The next town is really close from what I remember!"

"Alright Aya, keep close alright; I'm not gonna be able to carry you with the rest of our stuff." Walker warned as he picked up the thick branch with the deer skin bag on the end and with that, Walker began to make his way into the woods towards where Aya said the town was; the small girl that would change his life walking right beside him.

Walker just didn't know it yet.