Maiko stares at the creature in front of her, one that was once an innocent little girl just a few moments ago. Riki's words kept echoing in her ears, and she could almost hear her deceased husband's words all over again.

Though he knew the consequences, Riki readied his gun, ready to shoot, when suddenly, the little girl's body falls and he saw a big cut on her neck. Standing there was Juro, holding a dagger as he looked at the body of the walker.

Then he looked to Riki. "Tch, Leader, what are you trying to do? Lead more of them here?"

Riki was about to snap back when suddenly, they heard shouts coming from the entrance of the forest. "Riki! Maiko! Juro! We need to go! There's too many, we can't handle them all!" That was Tatsuro's voice.

"Crap..." Riki cursed, getting up, tugging Maiko up with him. "We need to leave." He grabs a walkie talkie from his back pocket and briefly makes a report to the others. 

"Fend off the ones closest of the gates and open them slightly so we can slip in. Takuto, get everyone who's already inside the camp to pack up as much stuff as they can. Supplies, weapons, clothes and all the shit we can gather." he orders. "We're moving out."

"Riki, are you insane?! Where the hell are we supposed to go?!" the blonde's reply comes from the other line and the leader sighs with exasperation. 

"Just do it. Grab some tools and miscellaneous stuff while you're at it, we might need it. But mostly the essentials." Riki barks, before directing the conversation to someone else. "Taiga, are you there?" 

The trio began hurrying their way back, not wanting to put the team in danger. Maiko, tears still in her eyes, looks back a final time to the dad body of the little girl before turning away and running off with the two boys. 

"I can hear you, Yanase." Taiga replies in conformation as Riki begins giving out orders.

"Whoever you're with right now, take someone and start helping the pack up inside. Take your brother, actually. Take Hyosuke and grab the medical supplies and clothes of the team. Grab some spare bags as well." Riki says, jumping over a fallen tree.

"What about us, Riki?" Atsumu's voice comes in through the radio and Maiko snatches the gadget from the leader. 

"Kashiwabara? Listen up, the brothers are getting the meds and clothes for the group. You and Hirukawa grab the food and weapons. Kenshi's already grabbing all the scavenging necessary items."

"Got it."

~*****~

"LET'S GO! EVACUATE!" Riki yells, hearing the endless pounding of the walkers on the backside gate. Dammit... He didn't expect this, this was slightly out of his vision and plans...

The Foxes, with teamwork (and no arguments for once), managed to grab all the essentials needed. But now, they knew this camp was going to fall. This wasn't a normal horde, not a normal group that their tower shooters could handle.

Maiko was recently assigned as a new tower guard, seeing as she was a sharp shooter but even with her, Yuki, Tatsuro and a few other on guard, it wouldn't be enough. "Kenshi! Is the trailer and van ready?"

"They're both running, I-" suddenly, they hear a loud crash and then the groans and shrieks fro the walkers coming closer. 

"Crap... How many of them are here...?" Maiko mutters, fixing her backpack. "Close the front gates, Hiro!" Atsumu calls to the ginger, who hurriedly shoves the front gates of their camp close to buy them some more time.

"We can get five people in the van with the driver. Arisugawa, Togoshi and the Kujos will go with Boss." Riki said, pointing to the van. Atsumu climbs into the driver's seat, Yuki taking the passenger seat. The other three stay in the back. 

Usually, the van could carry more than five but the supplies also had to come with them. "We have six... Four in the trailer other two in the car to pull the trailer. The rest of the supplies are in the trailer." Riki says, grabbing the keys to the car as Kenshi hooks up the trailer to the car.

The zombies didn't take long to try and break down the fences and gates of the camp and soon, they began pounding at the defenses again. "Let's go, we can't waste anymore time."

"But where are we headed?" "....." Riki didn't have an answer, but Maiko and Juro did.

"I know where. I'll drive the car, hop into the trailer. Riki, come to the passenger seat." Maiko said, grabbing the keys from Riki, jumping into the driver's seat as the rest piled into the trailer, Riki settling beside Maiko in the car.

Maiko flashed a thumbs up to Atsumu, who drove the van, before starting the engine and driving off, the van following behind them. In the side view mirror, Riki could see the walls and towers of their camp fall as the walkers began staggering out, following their vehicles but of course, not being able to catch up.

"I know a place a few towns west of here." Maiko said to Riki, making him turn to her. "An old acquaintance of mine owes me a favor so she can help us out with it."

"Are we going to be sharing with another camp?" the leader asks, a bit irritated at the thought of letting some people ride on the Foxes' back throughout this ordeal.

"Of course not. As I said, she's an acquaintance who owes me something big. This is how she'll repay me." 

"Mad, much?" he poked, making Maiko grip the wheel tighter. "I never said I got along with her. I saved her ass once. Big time. And she owes me."

"Good thing you saved this favor." "Good thing I know where she is."

Maiko makes a sharp turn to cut through some fields and within half an hour, they arrived at a small village with tall standing walls. There were towers with guards in them.

Maiko hopped out, placing her weapon on the ground with no instruction. Hands in the air, she called to the guards. "I need to speak to Naoko. Tell her Maiko Fukuyumi is here for her favor."

The guards looked at each other strangely and with no words said, one left and soon came back with a tall ginger girl. "Good to see you again, Fukuyumi."

"Rie." she greeted shortly, bowing her head. She heard a gunshot and turn d around slightly to find a walker laying on the ground, shot by Naoko, who was holding up her pistol. "Thank you."

Riki and the rest of the Foxes watched, shocked that Maiko barely reacted to the bullet that was hurtling her way. It seems she trusted the woman enough.

"You're here for the payback, hm? What do you need? Food? Water? Medicine? Clothes and weapons? We don't have anymore space for more people, especially for the people you have now."

"I know that. I just need some intell. Any empty towns or camping grounds to build a place?" 

"Build?" the girl cackled, "You think you have time for that? A horde from the south'll be coming soon. What the hell happened to your team's camp?"

"Huge horde from the north took it down. Must've been more than a thousand of those fuckers." she answered, making the ginger grin cockily. 

"Normally I would've turned away or laughed and shot you by now but I owe you..." she sighed, running a hand through her hair. The Foxes have all pulled down the windows of the trailer and cars, listening to the exchange.

"Tell ya what," Naoko suggests. "There's an old camp from a bunch of survivors a few miles west. More so from here. Some old group lead by Shitozikawa stayed there for a couple of months, when they left though, he left the camp in our hands, saying we might need more space."

"We have enough for our camp and weapon and supplies so that place has been abandoned for a while. I'll give it to you and your team." Naoko said lazily, playing with her gun, making sure the safety guard was on. "Just drive a few miles more to the west and you'll see two old cabins there. One of the cabins is two stories and another is just one. There's a lake behind them so you can't miss it."

"There's already a stable fence and gate, I heard the team there left some things so you can have those. Our group doesn't need it. They have a little farm near the back of the cabins and the perimeter of the fence is pretty big so there's a lot of space inside the walls."

"Sounds good. We'll take what we can get. Thanks for the intell on the horde, too."

"Mm. We square?" "We're square. Thanks, Rie." "Thanks.... Oh, and by the way, he gave this to me. He said it's yours." Maiko bends down to pick up her weapon from earlier and picks up the small journal chucked by Naoko beside it.

"I'll take a look at it later, I'll see you, Rie. Take care, dumbass."

"I'm the dumbass? Who's talking?" Naoko chuckles, then grins slightly, "Take care, baka."

After that, the group left and Naoko returned into camp.

"You haven't changed a bit."

~*****~

"Whoa... This is better than I expected." Riki nods as Hiro and Kenshi push the van and car into their new camp, along with the trailer."

"Alright, we'll put up the supply tent again and we'll make the one story cabin our medical station for the time being. The Kujos and one person can take up the two spare rooms in there."

"I'll go." Yuki volunteers, grabbing his bag. "Let's unpack first and then get organized. Go." Riki orders and everyone separates.

In the second story cabin, which was pretty big mind you, were 5 bedrooms. Maiko and Juro took one room on the second floor, along with Kenshi, who took the room across from them. Takuto and Riki shared a room with two beds whilst Boss and Hiro took the two other rooms for themselves, leaving Tatsuro with no room. Yuki offered to share his space with the former detective.

Night fell quickly and everyone was asleep with many plans ahead for tomorrow. But Miako was still awake. Sitting on top of the trailer outside, she sipped on the root beer in her hand as she looked out to the night sky.

She heard a quiet bump and then felt someone take space beside her. Riki.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. "What about you?" she retaliates, giving him a side glance. "Fresh air. Couldn't sleep. You?" "Same... Just too much stress I guess..."

"About what?" "About everything, you idiot." she snaps quietly. "Everyone... Those people who turned into rotting monsters... They don't do anything but eat and eat anymore. And what do they eat? People... Maybe even the people they loved so much."

"What if that happened to me?" she chuckled, laying back as she tossed the now empty can aside. "Would I end up killing everyone I love? Juro? All of you?"

Her words struck Riki and the leader was speechless. "You're probably shocked. It hasn't been that long since we met but I feel you guys could be a new family to Juro."

"What do you mean?" "Ever since he lost his father, Juro hasn't been too comfortable talking to men since all he can think about is that if he gets too close, if he lost them, he'd lose someone important again. But he doesn't have problems with you."

"Not only that, he doesn't want to get close to anyone anymore. Sometimes I feel he's only close to me..." she muttered, sitting back up, only to lean her head on the ravenette's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind it too much. "I know that he knows..."

"Huh?" "Juro doesn't know everything, but he's got enough pieces to make a picture with his mind." Mai answered. "Yoshiko and I haven't told him everything he needs to know about his past but sooner or later he's going to find out. I've been too obvious anyway. Remember that girl?"

Riki thought back on the little girl Maiko had so desperately chased after. "What about her?"

"That's my weakness and that's Juro's strength." "What do you mean?" "That's why I'm failing to keep it from him and why he's so close to figuring it out. Because I'm weak."

"And that's why I lost her..."