Chapter Text
A dirt and sand ocean littered with broken rocks and spotted foliage. A shape began to appear in the distance, a delivery truck traversing the wasteland on a worn path. The flurries of dust launched into the air in its wake as a broken and aging gas station peaked over the dimming horizon.
Two more shapes in the desert. Two humans standing in front of a long-abandoned gas station that had been sucked dry of its resources long ago. They were in a line with their boots touching the edge of the road. One was a few heads taller than the other. The taller had a modified bull skull, horns included, as a mask with cloth covering the eye holes, nose, and mouth making one-way windows for the wearer. This one was carrying a large suitcase rigged as a backpack and a satchel stuffed to nearly bursting with various items. The other of the two, the smaller one, had what looked like a fox face kabuki mask attached to a balaclava completely hiding any part of the face and head with a hoodie several sizes too large for their body type. What looked like a rugged potato sack was also fit for bursting and thrown over their shoulder.
“You still wanna do this?” Nosa, the bull, turned his head downwards to look at the smaller figure.
Nothing. With Nosa beginning to think the silence was their answer, but then from them just a single sentence.
“I’m ready.” Lisa, the fox, spoke with a muffled serious tone.
Nosa looked back upwards to the growing figure of the truck.
“These guys are chatty. If they try and hassle you, you know the drill.”
She adjusted her mask then cleared her throat speaking in a deeper tone. “Speak from the chest. Project your voice.”
“Yep.”
The truck was upon them in no time. On the side spray-painted in big letters was ‘Hernandez’. It stopped a few yards in front of them and they walked to it, both hoisting their gear closer. Nosa knocked his knuckle in sequence on the back door. Three times, then stop, two times, then stop, then three more times and stop.
With the signal successfully given, the back door unlocked, and hands appeared out from under to lift it open. Two men pushed the door above their heads until it rolled open all the way.
“Howdy!” A tall blonde man with long legs compared to this torso greeted them with a smile, the other went into the back of the truck.
“Hey.” Nosa handed them the satchel and his heavy suitcase then stepped up into the truck. Nosa turned, took Lisa’s heavy bag, and offered his hand to lift her inside.
Once settled in, Nosa helped the tall man close the truck and lock them inside. Two battery operated lanterns kept them from the darkness. The man who had gone into the back earlier and ignored them was sitting in the corner trembling. He tried to steady his shaky hands and fumbled in his pocket. He found a single blue pill and then hurriedly swallowed it.
Lisa sat near the door away from the rest with her things close to her and avoiding eye contact even with her masked eyes. She was use to keeping quiet while Nosa dealt with patrons and pleasantries.
“Give me a second.” Nosa shot a glance at Lisa. She nodded once to him.
There was a small sliding glass window connecting the back of the truck and the front cabin. It was blacked out with colored tape. Nosa rapped their knuckles to the window and then it began to slide open.
The truck driver, a short stout man, with what Nosa thought to be a stupid looking mustache, looked back at him.
“Hey, you sly bastard. It’s been a while!” he smiled. “You coming with us to the next stop I’m guessing?”
“Yeah, hey, Oscar.” Nosa warmed up his smile quickly. “Listen. Me and my friend here are gonna go past our usual spot into Olathe with you. That cool?”
“Yeah, since we’re on the way, it’s no trouble. Seems like forever since I last drove you in there.” He furrowed his mustache and pulled the gears into drive again.
“Years actually…” Nosa trailed off. “But thanks. We’re ready to go when you are.” He knocked on the window and shut it closed. He headed back to Lisa before the sudden start of the truck knocked him over.
After taking his seat, he exhaled a long breath as just a bit of the stress of today fell with it. His limbs still felt like they were weighed down with rocks. Right after, the tall man who first greeted them came closer ready to speak.
“Just, gimme a second alright?” he warned the approaching man “We’ve been walking all day. I’m hot and tired.”
He reached for his helmet and took it off. Dark black hair sprung out from underneath met with olive skin, and dark eyes to match. Dark circles clung to the bottom of the eyes from many sleepless nights. With the helmet off, he breathed a little easier.
The man huddled in the trucks corner with his Joy addiction now satiated, had entered into a courageous and euphoric place of mind. He brought out some jerky from his other pocket and started to chew. He eyed the unmasked stranger.
Thick boots, torn jeans, what looked like a worn knitted checkered blanket that was half torn made into a makeshift poncho, and a long scar closely curving under his visible left breast. Besides the skull, the most notable thing were the gauntlets adorned on his hands and lower arms. Steel plated gloves with spikes on the knuckles and dried blood splatter.
The other, Lisa, was smaller than Nosa. The mask and a faded hoodie that functioned more like a dress for her size, leggings, and a pair of thick worn boots. A pair of metal plated shoulder and knee pads for protection with a metal glove less fancy than Nosa’s on her left arm.
“So who’s this?” the man got Nosa’s attention.
“It’s Bull, remember?” said the other man.
“Bull or Nosa. I travel.” Said the now named stranger.
He continued to chew and raised a brow. “And him?” he motioned his head towards the fox.
Nosa interjected. “Oh… yeah, this is-“
“What are you? His puppet? I didn’t ask you.”
“Marco, don’t be rude.” The tall man stopped him from going any further. “He brings in a lot of mags and some good shit.”
“Just call me fox.” She spoke suddenly and deeply the way Nosa had taught her to mask her feminine voice.
Marco exchanged looking between the two until he seemed satisfied with that answer. He began to mind his own business now and went back to eating.
“Here, Will.” Nosa handed the tall blonde his satchel. “Little over 200 mags.”
“Good haul.” Will emptied the satchel to another corner of the truck filled with supplies and mags. He exchanged the mags with some rations and put a few mags back in. “Got some things you might like. Wanna take a look?”
Nosa hopped up and scanned through what he had to offer. He was a traveling salesman. He mostly dealt on people’s desires and the comfort of nostalgia was almost always a price many men would pay. He picked through some of the bountiful supplies and added them into the suitcase he carried on his back.
“I found some expired candy bars a while back. This older guy I sold it to didn’t even care. He just relished in the taste of the chocolate. Told me it had been decades since he had some. Gave me 70 mags for two.”
“You got anymore?” Will looked like he too was trying to remember the taste of chocolate as well.
“For you? 20 mags.” Nosa flashed a grin.
“You’re gonna run me dry!” Will exclaimed and added a sigh. “Come on. 15?”
“17.”
“Done.”
Nosa plucked one Snickers bar from his suitcase and tossed it at Will. Nosa got his mags and then brought himself packed and ready to Lisa.
The next few hours went by rather quickly. The truck raddled now and then over the rocky but barren terrain. Nosa spent some of the time with small talk to Will while Marco grumpily adding commentary at a few points. Lisa was mindful but quiet. Just killing time listening to the men talk back and forth.
Eventually the truck came to a slowing halt and Nosa helped Will unlatch the door and rise it above their heads. Lisa sprung to life and gathered their things along with Nosa gearing himself up. Nosa tapped on the taped-up window and said his goodbyes and thank yous to Oscar and Will. They both dropped to the ground from the truck. They had stopped at an old grocery store. There were men waiting nearby for the trucks supplies and soon more men approached to help carry and unload boxes, mags, food, and other necessities.
They had dropped on the edge of eastern Olathe. A small town was huddled just on the outskirts. It was one of the more popular and active communities even for its size since this was a major point of trade in Olathe and the tri state area.
“Well. Here we are.” Nosa looked around and eyed the town close by.
Lisa pulled a flashlight out of a pouch attached to her back and it cut through the growing darkness.
“If I remember right, we’re in the east. We need to pass The List and then keep going.”
“Great. More walking.” Lisa huffed
Together they started their journey west, getting away from the town until it was out of sight. Keeping out of populated areas wasn’t that hard, but you never knew in a world like this when desperate or blood thirsty men came across you.
Doing some searching for a place to rest their tired bones and legs, proved successful. There was a small empty cavern connected into a rock face jutting from the cliffside. After a security check to make sure they weren’t breaking and entering or disturbing some wild animal, it was time to rest after a long day of nothing but moving. Nosa managed to shove their things inside and wiggle through the entrance with Lisa’s flashlight as a guide. He almost got stuck and panicked to which Lisa had to stifle her laughter. She slid in almost easily. They piled rocks at the opening to cover the entrance. Nosa pulled out two blankets from his suitcase and distributed one to her while they laid the flashlight down to make an orb of light cover them. The desert could be cold and cruel at night.
“This weather is crazy. It really is the end of the world.” Nosa piped up while wrapping a blanket around himself. “Will said they saw some snow the other day.”
“Well maybe if you wore some more clothes, you wouldn’t complain.” She commented while settling herself into the dirt.
“I’m not complaining, it’s just an observation. Besides, I’m invincible as you know. Cold can’t stop me.”
She clicked her tongue at the word ‘invincible’ but decided not to bully him about it. She was about to begin the sleeping process when he spoke again.
“Here’s a mask for the area. These aren’t uncommon since this area is huge in Joy trade. We should blend right in.”
She took the mask from Nosa and fumbled with the balaclava and one she was wearing and fiddled with the straps until pulling it off her head. Long black hair spilt from being stuffed inside.
She held the new mask over her face and tilted her head. “It’s been a while since I’ve worn one of these. Still spooky?”
“Terrifying, Liz.”
She put the mask to the floor. Her hand fished something out of her hoodie as she laid down pulling the blanket over her. Through the night, she liked to hold onto her pendant. A small yellow stone with a cross embedded inside.
“I’ll get first watch. Good night, Liz.” It was gonna be a rough night for her to even get to sleep tonight as is. The horrors of memories that normally crept on the edges of her mind were closer than ever. This journey was going to be hell. She said a quick prayer like she’d done every time her eyes closed for sleep.
“Good night.” Lisa said.