Thank you to those who commented on the story and here is the next chapter.

SO WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US?

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

CHAPTER ONE: HOLES

Misty approached Marlton's computer room and knocked on the door. There was a lot of loud clicking and tapping of keys coming from inside and then Marlton opened the door, though stood blocking the view of what was in there.

"I'm going into town," She said, trying to look past him. "You need anything?"

"Um... no thanks," He said, blocking her view and trying to divert her attention. "Who's going with you? I thought it was Samuel and Russman's turn anyway?"

"Nobody, and it is. But Russ is asleep and Sam is up to some crazy shit in the shed."

"Crazy how?"

"I don't know, I just hear a lot of banging around. I was hoping you would check it out."

"I guess I can, but let me come with you," He said, coming out of the room, causing her to have to step back as he shut the door.

"Why?" She asked. "I can take care of myself,"

"Yeah, I know but I would feel better watching your back," He said, almost sheepishly.

She would have gone off on anyone else about how she was perfectly capable of protecting herself, but she could see that Marlton was genuinely worried. She smiled, and hugged him.

"That's sweet of you Marl," She said.

Marlton slowly wrapped his arms around her as well, almost as if he didn't know how to hug. He made sure his hands did not touch her bare flesh, but he accidentally brushed her side and Misty felt how smooth is palms were. So strange considering all of the hardships they had faced over the past few weeks.

"It's Marlton-..."

"Oh shut up," She giggled and pulled back.

She saw him blushing and smiled again.

"I'm going to wait on the bus and hold up T.E.D.D. If I can. You can go check on Sam."

"Roger," He said, and headed out the side door as she went out the front.

Marlton drummed nervously on his thigh as he waited for Samuel to answer the door. He wasn't nervous at all about what the paranoid schizophrenic was doing, but if he took a long time to answer or explain himself, Marlton might miss the bus and Misty would head out alone for sure. After a few more knocks, Samuel answered, opening the door enough to stick his head out.

"What?" He asked, suspiciously as usual.

"What are you doing, Samuel?" Marlton asked.

"Who wants to know?" He asked.

Marlton sighed. "Misty. I don't have time to waste on you . And you know we all work as a team, so you know 'who wants to know'-..."

"Man of the living, do you believe in me or not?!" Sam shouted, cutting Marlton.

Marlton blinked twice. "Samuel, should I-..."

"I do, I must!" Sam cried. "But why do you come to me?"

"Sam-"

"You hear him, don't you?! Tell me you hear the alien's voice!" He shouted into Marlton's face, his eyes blazing in a frightening manner.

Marlton recoiled from the cheesy breath and shook his head vigorously. Samuel had begun to scare him. The door slammed immediately on his answer. Marlton blinked again and turned away, heading for the farm house. Samuel was taking the alien thing a bit farther than normal. Marlton looked around inside his computer room for a notepad, he scribbled notes on. He made a note to Samuel, asking him to see him privately when he returned that night. He looked under his computer desk and pulled hut his weapons. An Executioner side arm and the Galil assault rifle.

He wanted to get something more modern as his primary weapon, being a man of computers and technology, but so far the Mystery Box had only given the Galil, the Executioner (which he liked), and the SMR rifle, of which was not a fan of and he stored in the fridge. He headed outside and slipped the note under the door of the shed before heading to the bus.

On the left side, he found Misty tightening the bolts on the outside ladder. She saw him approach and finished up quickly and turned to him.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"Indeed. I think it would be in our best interest to visit the pharmacy in town. I'd like to set Samuel up on some medication."

"Why? What's wrong with him other than what we already know?" She asked, slipping the wrench she was using into a loop on her belt.

"he's talking to the voices in his head again, but he has started to act on them as well."

"That can't be good," Misty commented.

"my thoughts exactly," he replied and jumped slightly as T.E.D.D honked the bus horn. "Let's go."

They climbed on the bus and sat in the only seat in the back, both checking to see if their guns were loaded and cocked. With a jolt, the bus began moving toward the power station.

"A max ammo would be nice about now," Misty sighed, as she tossed an empty clip for her FN FAL into the floor.

"I'm working on the mechanics of this so called "magic" and I think soon I will not only be able to predict when power ups will appear, but be able to make them appear." Marlton said, though most of this was stuff on his list of things to do. He just wanted to reassure Misty.

"What about points?" She asked.

Marlton frowned. The subject of points was a tough one. The whole zombie invasion, wonder weapons, and perk-a-colas were explainable. But Marlton didn't know where to begin on how to explain the strange points system that seemed to govern their lives now.

Somehow, Samuel knew how much things cost and how many points each person apparently had. He claimed the voices told him but Mistry wasn't so sure. Marlton kept a tally of points and a key to let him know how much to subtract or add to their scores when opening doors, buying weapons, etc.

"I don't know" He finally said and shrugged. "I guess once I put Samuel on some drugs, I can begin questioning him about his knowledge of the points and magic."

"I don't trust him," Misty said.

"Quite obviously," Marlton said, closing his eyes and pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"No, I mean..." Marlton glanced down as he felt Misty's hand on his thigh and he looked to her eyes, and saw the seriousness and worry in them. "I think we should kick him out of the farm. Like now."

"He-he uhm..." Marlton stuttered, unable to form words (especially to contradict Misty) with her hand so close to his crotch. "he could be... u-useful."

"I don't care Marlton," She said, and he knew she was serious because she used his whole name. "I don't want him near you. I saw from the bus how he acted. He looked like he was about to kill you and..." She paused, giving his leg a squeeze before pulling her hand away. "I won't have that."

Marlton was silent, staring into Mist's well... misty eyes unable to bring up all the arguments that his scientific mind was conjuring.

"O-Okay, I'll tell him to get out when we get back," He said.

"Take your gun and make sure he's out, or I will," She said, sternly.

"I will, I will," He assured her, and glanced out the window as the power station came into view. "I'm going to check in the power station to make sure everything is running smoothly."

"Hurry," She sighed, and he nodded.

He opened the bus door and took a few steps before jumping straight into the air as a roar behind him scared him half to death. Three gun shots later and a few splatters of liquid on his back and he turned to see a zombie laying dead just behind him. Misty stood in the door way of the bus and tossed her clip on to the ground.

"Those were the last of my slugs, so you better get your rear in gear and get back out here before the next wave gets going."

Marlton nodded and ran toward the outhouse. He scrunched up his nose and tried not to throw up at the smell as he dropped down into the power station and woozily walked into the large white room. He always forgot about the stench there. He heard the distant roar of zombies and this encouraged him to get a move on. He ran to the control room stopping short at the entrance to the power station.

"Ah shit," Marlton murmured as he saw well over ten zombies walking across the cat walks.

He glanced behind himself and saw several more coming through the power core.

"Jesus," Marlton murmured, priming a grenade and tossing it into the power station.

The grenade rolled across the catwalk and eventually fell into the pit of lava below. With nowhere to go and one grenade left, he felt a pit growing in his stomach. Was this it? This was how it was going to end? Fucked over in a stupid situation that should have been routine.

He could hold off until Misty came looking for him, but he'd never endanger Misty that way. He had to let her know to go ahead to the town without him. He looked to his right and saw a hole where zombies would climb through. The zombies surely had some sort of tunnel system to travel about. It was a long shot, but the best idea he had.

He hopped into the hole as the zombies entered the room. He pulled the pin on his last grenade and left it lying at the entrance to the hole. Misty would hear the explosion and know something was wrong, so he had to move fast.

The tunnel was dark and he had to hold his calculator/watch out to see in front of him. Soon he found himself walking through a sort of burrow in the dirt. Many tunnels lead off of the one he was in, but he decided to simply go up.

However, he finally came to a dead end. The tunnel simply ended and he could hear the zombies not too far behind.

"No!" He shouted, punching the ceiling of the tunnel.

To his surprise, his hand went through the dirt and broke into fresh air. Excited, he quickly thrust his other fist through. Maybe he could make it!

"Where is Marlton, you dirt gobbler?!" A voice shouted above him as he attempted to pull himself out.

Where was he? He was right here. Wait...

"Misty, no!" Marlton shouted as he broke through the surface.

His words were covered by the familiar sound of B23R firing, and a strong impact hit his left shoulder, peppered with two more rounds following the first into the hole. He gripped the wound and cried out as he felt warm blood spilling out against his palm.

"Marlton!" Misty shouted in surprise as she realized the emerging zombie she had shot was her nerdy friend.

Marlton roared again in pain as he felt clawed fingers dig into his ankle and strike bone. Misty grabbed him under his arms and hauled him out of the hole. The zombie that had grabbed his leg managed to tear a large gash before losing its grip.

The bus honked loudly behind them and Misty quickly drug Marlton on to the bus, thanking God that he was so skinny and easy to carry.

"Misty..." Marlton groaned, his eyes widened behind his large glasses. "I-I can't feel my arm..."

Misty could see blind panic in his eyes despite the tears that were filling hers. She slammed the bus doors shut and dropped to Marlton's side as the bus began to move.