CHAPTER 2.

The air was calm, not even a feather would cradle its self to the ground. The street her brother lived in was quiet, completely deserted. The morning sun was shadowed behind rich, marble, grey, coloured clouds, that hid a crown of rays. 

Keeping caution that anything could happen, she prepared herself for the unexpected. She swung her rifle onto her back and took out a knife, taking out the nearest walker that clawed Hannah's window. 

She kicked the back of the women's knee and struck the blade into the soft, flesh at the bottom of the skull. The women collapsed onto the ground, Hannah gave Echo a thumbs up to get going. That was all Echo focused on was getting to her family, and praying they were still alive. Echo jogged over to the small blue-coloured home, that had a small, half-destroyed garden in front. It was a typical adorable 90's house. Echo halted in her tracks when she reached the porch's steps. She never expected to be seeing the same small walls that she stayed in. It was once her uncle's home, but he was arrested. Of course, Myles renovated the home, making it brand new than the shit hole her uncle made it into. The rocking chair on the porch rocked gently back and forth, with the gentle breeze.

Echo raised her fist against the door. With hesitation, she knocked on the door, three times, and hard. She heard footsteps shuffle over to the door. The door swung open quickly, and she locked eyes with a familiar face. He was almost unrecognizable. Myles, her brother looked older, more lean, sharp jawline, icy blue eyes, and messy black hair.

Myles's breath hitched and he froze. Echo's eyes watered, when a little girl came to the door, pushing her father slightly over. The little girl was cute, she had her father's eyes and her mother's features. She had braided blond hair and the most innocent face a child could possess.

"Aunty Eazzy!!" the little girl squealed in a blissful voice. Myles widened his eyes and shushed her. Echo knelt down and held out her arms, tears escaped her eyes. Her niece jumped into her arms and gave her an iron grip, and hug.

Echo hasn't seen her family in four years, she missed so many Birthdays and Christmas with her niece, Breanne. Breanne was ten at the time. Myles was silent and gave a small smirk. He moved to the side allowing them to walk in. Myles had bags packed at the front door, Echo picked up Breanne and squeezed past Myles and the bags. She still couldn't believe Hannah didn't want to show her face to Myles. It was like she was ashamed and scared of him. Myles wouldn't hurt anyone unless he had to.

"You were the last face I expected to see today," Myles said in awe taking Echo into a tight embrace, hugging her as if it was the last day on Earth. Echo's breath shuttered, her muscles relaxed and she gave in to the hug.

"We couldn't save the city. I couldn't save them. But I can save you three." Echo said in guilt. Myles immediately caught on to where she was going with this. Guilt was like a dance partner to Echo, full of emotional indifference.

"You can't save them all. They were planning to nuke the city, but instead, they sent you to save a city that has already fallen. You did all you could, Echo." Myles replied to Echo.

Echo let go of Myles and gave him a nod, "But I'm not going to let it happen again." she said in a determined voice.

Echo looked at all the bags packed at the door, it was very few. She knew Myles did well about not taking anything that wasn't necessary. She sighed in relief, she made it in time, before they decided to leave.

"We had to wait it out, overnight. The neighbourhood was full of those creepers." Myles peaked through the small window next to the front door. He saw one slowly limping around the street.

"Is that so?" Echo questioned awkwardly.

"Ya, dad and I had a camp out upstairs. I managed to win the quiet game." Breanne said with pride. 

Echo smiled, "Did he snore?" Echo joked. Myles rolled his eyes playfully.

Breanne gave a Cheshire smile and nodded. It warmed her heart when Myles went along with the joke.

"Indeed, munchkin." Myles kissed Breanne on the head.

Echo's mind spiralled to her current objective. Remembering she told Hannah to wait twenty minutes, she had ten left.

"Can you guys wait here, so I can quickly pack up?" Echo questioned Myles.

Myles crossed his arms and looked back out the window.

"I say you have a bit of time. But just a warning Noah burned a lot of your stuff when you left. I managed to save anything necessary." Myles warned her. Echo's hand-formed behind her back into a tight fist.

"What an asteroid," Echo mumbled, being aware that Breanne was in the room. Echo slowly crept to the small wooden staircase, gliding her fingers across the old-wooden railing.
She had to admit Myles made the place look like this wasn't the home they grew up in. 

Echo sure didn't expect to be in these tiny walls again. Every step gave a cringe-worthy creak from the stairs. She arrived on the main floor, she marched down the narrow hallway to the last room. She hesitantly curled her fingers around the door handle.

A memory flashed through her mind. She was fifteen at the time her parents died, they left them to her uncle and aunt. Her aunt was the only person who kept Noah sane. And when she died from lung cancer, Noah went into depression, drinking his sorrows, and taking his anger out on Echo.

She remembered fighting back when her uncle threatened to kick out her brother and her when she didn't have the money for rent. Asking children at the age of fifteen and seventeen for rent was insane. Maybe not in some households, but he didn't allow them to get a job.

She remembered turning her back and getting her arm grabbed by her uncle, just for calling him an insane asshole. She remembered how hard she struck her uncle in the jaw. He took off running after her and to her and her brother's shared room. Echo could recall the moments her brother protected her, even when he sent Myles to the Hospital for fractured ribs.

She recalled every moment, with vivid images. That Her uncle took the garden gnome off of the shelf, next to the siblings, shared closet. He struck Echo on the side of the head with that gnome smashing only a part of it. She could still feel the scars etched into her skin.

The worst thing happened, and she regretted all of it. At the age of seventeen, she lied about her age, abandoning her brother, to escape, and join the army. She visited Myles and his newly wedded wife four years ago, confronting her past with zero excuses. Myles forgave her and told her that after she ran away, he went to live with his girlfriend Hannah.

She still couldn't believe that Myles didn't tell the Police about the abuse until he was nineteen. She hoped Child Services would have taken them sooner, and that she wouldn't have joined the army.

But the army became her home, made her stronger, and accepted her with open arms. She proved her worth even up to the age of twenty-five. Myles was twenty-seven. Echo pushed those memories to the back of her head and entered the small bedroom.

Myles was right, there was nothing she reconsidered. Her room looked like a guest bedroom, the wall wasn't beige, but a beautiful ocean blue. She opened the closet seeing an old leather vest that was a bit big for her when she left. She pulled out the duffel bag that was stuffed in the corner of the closet. She grabbed a couple of her old shirts and a vest. Then she ran over to the bathroom that was connected to the guest room. She searched for a hairbrush, toothpaste, and a toothbrush. With disappointment, she couldn't find the toothpaste, but she knew Myles had it.

Before stepping out the door she packed her gun into the bag and walked over to the old-wooden wardrobe next to the queen-sized bed. She opened it, and her eyes weighed upon a tool that helped her on so many occasions. 

The same rifle that saved her life countless. She grabbed the rifle, retracing her fingers on the gun, gaining an instant connection. The name Archangel was etched onto the handle of the gun.

She grasped onto the gun and the small zip-lock of bullets down on the bottom of the wardrobe. Echo turned her back on the room.

But she stopped when she saw the same gnome. She was surprised Myles didn't toss that out earlier. She felt her blood boil underneath her skin. She grabbed the half-smashed gnome and dropped it onto the floor.

*Smash*

"Good reddens." She whispered. Turning her back to the room. She met up with her brother at the bottom of the stairs. His arms were crossed and he kept a concerned look.

"You alright?" Myles questioned.

"Ya, I'd say so. But I wouldn't say so for that gnome." Echo replied, pushing past Myles that blocked the bottom of the staircase. Myles pinched the bridge of his nose, "I should of known..." Myles whispered knowing Echo had a concussion, due to that gnome. It brought back memories she didn't need to be reminded of.

Not to mention it was made of porcelain, the last gift her aunt gave Echo before she died. Something so memorable and beautiful became a shattered nightmare.

"Ya, I didn't like the gnome anyways. It was creepy." Breanne commented, grabbing her black backpack and putting it over her shoulders. Myles jogged to the front door and looked out the window, he snarled when he saw three of the dead roaming the neighbourhood. For that one stood too close to the sidewalk for comfort.

A pit formed in Myles's stomach. The three were a small family across the street from Myles, the type that had a typical white picket fence, and yellow tulips, and the family always brought over apple pies to share with the Chambers family, after her uncle was arrested.

The neighbours knew about the constant beatings, but they were afraid of what Noah would do. Until the neighbours across the street called the Police after they saw Myles was chased by Noah, along with a kitchen knife, glued to his palm.

Echo had no knowledge of that memory, Myles kept his closet full of skeletons to a minimum.

"Three creepers..." Myles warned Echo before she opened the front door. She opened the door, with caution.

"Wait here, until it's clear." Echo suggested to her big brother and her niece.

"No you don't, it's not safe," Myles warned Echo grabbing her arm. She pulled her arm out of his grasp, remembering her uncle at that moment.

Myles froze immediately after remembering she didn't like being touched unless it was a hug.

"Shit, sorry," Myles mumbled. Echo walked past Myles, ignoring the apology for a moment and focused on the threat. She placed her bag and her gun down and crept quietly behind the women. The woman was Miss Harrington, the woman who called the Police when she saw Myles nearly got stabbed.

"Forgive, and never forget." She whispered, striking the woman in the back of the head. The other one next to the gate of Myles's home followed over to her. The next one was faster than his wife. He let out a raspy moan and snapped its jaw at Echo. She kicked it in the chest, grabbing onto his blue t-shirt and executing it.

The third one was too far away, which meant that she didn't have to kill that one, while it chased after the neighbourhood cat that climbed up a tree.

"Clear!" She whispered/yelled, to Myles and Breanne. Echo returned to the porch steps and collected the limited possessions. Myles held onto Breanne's hand and followed Echo.

"Wait isn't that, Mr. and Mrs. Harrington?" Breanne questioned in concern. She stared at the bodies on the sidewalk and one that leaned against the hedge.

"Not important, Munchkin. We have to keep quiet." Myles told Breanne. The rumble of an engine drove up to the house. Hannah had a lit cigarette and surprised the three of them.

Hannah stepped out of the car, and Myles stopped in his tracks. Echo examined each of their expressions, unsure if the two were more upset or happier to see each other.

"Hey, beautiful." Myles greeted Hannah with a kiss on the cheek. Hannah looked down and chuckled.

"Good to see you too." Hannah chuckled, taking Myles's bag and Echo's. Myles popped the trunk and Hannah tossed Echo's gun in last.

Echo cringed, the sight was probably screwed until she was able to fix it. Hannah hopped into the front seat, allowing Myles to drive. Echo quickly followed over to the passenger's side. Before Myles shifted the vehicle into reverse, seeing four arrive in the Vacant lot next to their place.

Breanne frowned as she watched her home disappear behind her.

"When will we be able to return home?" Breanne questioned her mother, while Hannah unfolded the map.

"We're just taking a vacation-"

"Hannah, please. Don't lie to her," Echo mumbled, loud enough for Hannah to hear. Hannah turned her head over her shoulder, "Echo when you have kids, you can boss them around when you're a parent." Hannah snapped. Myles rolled his eyes knowing this was easily going to ignite into a fight.

"I agree with Echo on this one, Hannah. Breanne will hate us if we lie." Myles whispered to Hannah.

"But she isn't old enough, nor mature to understand what is happening." Hannah shot back at Myles. Echo bit her lip. She knew Hannah was right, this was her child. And she shouldn't have made that call. Soon enough she would have to teach Myles how to kill a 'creeper.'

Along with Hannah and Breanne.

While Myles and Hannah were arguing back and forth, Echo stepped up to fix what she started.

"Just consider this as an adventure, Bree." Echo smiled, ruffling Breanne's hair. Hannah sighed in relief, knowing Echo wasn't the best liar, but it was enough to convince an eleven-year-old.

"Really? What kind of adventure?"

Oh god, Breanne has her cornered with her questions. Echo froze in her thoughts, the lying can't go on much longer. 

"Anyways! I was thinking we should seek refuge at Fireside stadium, where the evacuations are being made." Myles smoothly changed the subject.

"Haven't you heard, it's been taken over. The dead have overrun it, hours ago. The choppers and gunfire attracted them." Hannah validated. Myles swallowed thickly, taking in the information.

"Dead as in zombies? Cool." Breanne interrupted her parents.

"Not exactly cool, munchkin. Things that hurt others aren't cool. Like villains to your cartoons." Myles explained to Breanne. He looked up at the mirror that reflects the image of the back seat. He gave Echo an apologetic look. Echo wasn't hurt by it, sometimes you have to defend the things you love to keep them.

And in her case, her job applied to hurting people. People who terrorized and got in her team's way. They weren't Peace Keepers, they were a part of the Military. She followed different morals and rules, different from Peace Keeping.

And the living conditions, and atmospheres, were a thousand times worse.

"The Military base, down the back roads of Atlanta. It shouldn't be overrun, it has secured walls, lots of weapons, a roof over our head, and should have food." Echo suggested to Myles

"I don't see why not." Myles smiled.

The Military base outside of Atlanta was the first place she was shipped out to. It was the second home she has ever had. And people there who were practically family to her. Echo sighed with aggravation. She tore the ugly, camo jacket off of her and folded it on the floor. It was stained with dry crimson, both from the dead and the living.

And the smell...

Thankfully wasn't noticeable to the average human nose. Echo kept her Kevlar vest on and underneath was a black-t-shirt. Echo leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes. She deeply inhaled, finally somewhere she can relax. Echo was more than exhausted, practically burnt out.

She felt a small amount of weight lean against her side. Echo peaked from the corner of her peripheral vision. Breanne gently rested her head against her side. No doubt there was a connection- a bond Echo and her niece shared.

A/note: Hi everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's opening more of the story to backgrounds and bonds. I do hope you enjoyed the chapter and there is so much more coming up that I'm very excited to write. Feel free to leave a comment on what you liked and votes are always appreciated.

-Hayley.