(The Walking Dead) : Life after Z.
A/N: just trying out a new profile for Asma. This one is similar yet different from the others. She's human, of course, she has a dark past, she has her issues but she's not a bad person. She's a survivor and she is determined to stay alive, even if it means killing people. I retell the day she encountered those she calls Z. (for Zombies obviously) TWD belongs to its owners.
Three years later.
She parked her bike in the middle of the street and glanced back at her group of three partners who were riding an old Impala. The night would soon fall and they needed to find a shelter, right there, in the middle of the road. They didn't see Zs walking around in miles so there was little to no chance to have any during the night, but who knew? These things never rested, they didn't need to. They didn't need to stop by and drink or something. They were dead. Dead for good. Three years could change a man and she certainly did change. She developed quite a nice taut figure, with strong arms and abs, and strong legs. She became more efficient in hunting and fighting. Her hair was always neatly braided and turned into a high bun. While she still had her baseball bat, now stylized with barbwire, the former timid young woman had a pair of guns on each side of her torso, a smaller gun attached to her ankle, two knives attached on each side of her legs and a couple of grenades in her bag.
« I suggest we keep driving for another couple of miles, we're not far away from the nearest city. »
« And do some clean-up there Amelia? I'm sorry but I'm very sore. We all are. We've been fighting non-stop since we left Denver. We should stop here tonight, take turns to watch out for Zs, and then go back. »
Amelia Soto was the second woman in the group. She was Eurasian, with very short black hair, cut into pixie hair, deep green eyes, a tongue piercing, and a bunch of tattoos on her back. She was fond of guns and was always carrying around a sniper rifle, two uzis, and a couple of grenades as well She was quite older than Asma, almost 38 years old, but was well versed in mechanics and was the one tasked to start over cars and repair any machines they could encounter, which came in handy at times. She trusted Asma after the latter found her at the beginning of the Zs awakening and protected her until they found enough equipment and a car to run away.
« You're the boss. If you think we can stay here, then I'm good with it. » She replied to the pink-haired lady who leaned her chin at the back of her hand. Asma glanced at the tall lean man who left the car.
« What do you think Hamid? » She asked. He was wearing glasses and had short black hair and bronze skin. His eyes were brown and he was sporting a light goatee. Unlike the girls who had no problem using guns, he was more fond of blades and was sporting a French rapière. and a hunting knife he always kept on his back. He used to take fancy classes before the Zs awoke and spent most of his life leaving at home and providing internet services from there. He was a fine tactician and very often suggested Asma's ideas of how to handle some situations, especially when they had to cross a city and there were other groups of survivors. He was the second to join their group after Amelia saved him from a certain death. Both were sharing a special bond that was hard to define. They occasionally had sex, but both knew there was something more to their relationship than casual intercourse. Yet, with the Apocalypse falling upon you, they didn't quite know what to do with it.
« We can stay for the night. We would need to leave as soon as the sun rises though if we want to reach out to the other city, find a decent shelter, and clean the place. »
« Yeah... I knew I had a good idea. » Replied the pink-haired lady with a grin.
The second man to leave the car was Abel. He was a huge German man, with broad shoulders and a face that could make Captain America jealous. He truly was handsome but was barely aware of it. He was developing growing feelings for Asma who didn't seem to be aware of them and therefore didn't have the chance to return or reject them. Soft-spoken, sweet, and always willing to help, he was the perfect guy for all the heavy work. He used to work at a « moving » company and could lift a lot of heavy furniture a day. He also was fond of guns and used very heavy ones. He owned two Smith and Wesson and a magnum 357 but usually only used it when it became very hot and dangerous for the crew. And usually, on humans, for he couldn't waste the bullets on mere creatures. He was among the first to witness the appearance of the Zs and survived long enough in his zoo (hunting and eating the animals trapped there until there was nothing left. He then met the group when they were trying to hunt in the zoo and joined them so he wouldn't be alone.) Asma smiled at him as he was starting to unpack their tents and help Amelia and Hamid prepare theirs as well as preparing his and Asma's.
« I don't know though. We'd be very vulnerable to any humans trying to cross by. I don't really trust this road. » Complained the last man on board. He was shorter than the statuesque Abel but still taller than little Asma, the shortest of the group. He was lean but muscular, as only a Tae Kwon Do Blackbelt could be. He was a handsome Korean named Jae Do San and actually a martial artist and teacher who found himself kicking his way out of the Zs when they awoke. He ran into a group who was simply driving through his city and offered his help in exchange for whatever good they could give him. He still carried around a small Beretta and a knife but was more efficient with his powerful legs.
« We'll do with what we have for the night. If you can't sleep, you can still watch after us. » teased Amelia before Asma stood up and helped Abel finish her tent.
They quickly settle down and started a fire to grill their meat and get a little bit of heat in the colder temperatures they have to deal with. For a moment there was a soothing silence. The kind that forces people to remember a moment in their life and maybe start a philosophical conversation about the meaning of it all. Asma was lost in her thoughts, she remembered that after she grabbed Amelia, they both went back to her house for supplies and the realization that her parents actually didn't survive the Zpocalypse traumatized the young woman. Once again she lost everything but in her misery she found something. A new hope. A new family. They have been loyal for three years, doing anything they could to protect each other and the young woman knew that she wouldn't bear losing one of them. She was dependent on them, emotionally speaking, going as far as sleeping with each of them, in an attempt to recreate some « family » bond. The void inside of her grew wider and became heavier as time went by and she was more than ever in need again.
Nobody realized and Amelia might have had some hints but they never spoke of it. They barely spoke of their pasts, if it wasn't related to their job. How funny and tragic it is that when Apocalypse finally happens, the only thing people want to know about you is what you can do. Asma played with her bat, swinging it in her hand before she munched on her meat.
« I remember... I miss chocolate cakes. » She finally said to the startled audience who looked at each other before Abel, Hamid, and Jae started to laugh and Amelia chuckled. « What? It's not funny! I really do miss a big good chocolate cake! Mom used to bake me one, whenever I came to her with a broken heart..she always told me, « A good chocolate cake can mend the most broken heart. » »
« And is your heart broken? » Asked Hamid, curious and bemused by her words. She shook her head and shrugged.
« I miss the taste. My heart can't be broken.. it had already been a long while ago you know. » She said while taking another bite of meat.
« What do you mean? » Asked Amelia with a curious look on her face. Asma tilted her head to the side and shrugged.
« My mom was a crackhead. She abandoned me when I was five because she couldn't afford to feed me... I learned what starving truly means. » She trailed off and took one last bite of her meat, leaving only the bones she kept munching on. They all looked at each other in utter shock and then looked at Asma who was still eating. « There's no need to feel sorry guys. Just eat, don't waste it's all I'm asking for. »
« How could we remain calm? Your mom really did.. wait, so the woman we saw when we went to your house ? » started the Eurasian, but Asma shook her head.
« My mom.. foster mom if you prefer, but to me, she's my mom. She's the first person to ever give me love... her and Dad. It's just..... it's not very pleasant to remember the life before I met the Jensens... » She furrowed her brows and grabbed her baseball bat. « But all I need to remember is to swing this bat. I'm pretty good at it ain't I? »
« Yeah! I was wondering if you were a professional or something! » Jae wanted to switch the topic, it was becoming too heavy for all of them and thankfully, she switched and flashed a large grin on her lips.
« Nope! But Dad showed me how to do it. I used to paint before the Zs awoke. I was about to exhibit for the first time, I was just paid a large amount of money. It's no use today.. money... how weird and ironic. I was struggling to find money, to become someone and now.. it doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't matter at all. I live the life I used to live before, except it's more dangerous.. even more than when I was on the streets. » She sighed and looked up. « But I believe we can make it all. Alive and well. We can build a new life out there... we just need to go to... Washington. I heard they were working on a cure. »
« Washington? It's still quite a lot of road but.. we can make it. »
« Do you believe in this ? » asked a suspicious Abel. « I'm not sure there is a cure. I believe it's what God sent us, a punishment of some sort. »
« A punishment? If you were so confident in what you were saying, then why are you here with us? Why do you try to survive ? » said Hamid in a mocking tone. « It's not punishment. it's a test. »
« I disagree. » started Abel
« A test ? » cut short Amelia. « Are you fucking serious? A test? It's not a test! It's our fault! We, human beings. I'm sure it's one of the government experiments gone wrong! »
« I disagree! It's not a test and it's not our fault! I believe it's God's way to have us repent for our sins. I am with you because I want to repent. »
« You? Repent ? » asked Asma with a couple of blinks. « What do you have to repent for? You are nothing but sweetness. »
« I wasn't always sweet. » He simply trailed off, before they heard a noise. It wasn't walkers because they would have heard them arrive miles away, no, it was swift. It could either be an animal or a man. Asma grabbed her bat and clenched it.
