Chapter 60 - Wallers

The next day, Blue and Eve were leaving the pizza shop after their much-needed time alone. As they walked out, Titus pulled up in a large pickup truck. He hopped out of the truck and smiled at Blue.

"Am I late?"

"Right on time." Eve walked up and shook his hand.

"What the hell is going on?" Blue looked at them, confused.

"I told you, didn't I? White on rice. This wonderful lady called me last night and asked if I could spare a few awakeners. She said her stupid-ass friend was trying to go to the wasteland around Dayton by himself."

Blue looked at Eve with his eyes squinted. "Are you serious?"

Eve shrugged her shoulders.

Titus slammed his hand on the hood of the truck, and two awakeners climbed out.

"These are two of my executives, Mr. White and Mr. Black. Both of them are S-rankers, and both have been instructed to do what you say when you say it and to protect you at all costs."

Blue walked up to Titus. "This isn't needed, Titus."

Eve leaned into Blue's ear. "As your guildmaster, I say it fucking is."

"You heard her, Blue. How can I argue with that?"

"Ugh, fine. You two are working on my last nerve."

Titus laughed as he slapped Blue on the back. "Good luck on your search, my boy. I'll make sure Eve gets back to Eclipse safely."

"Such a gentleman." Eve slipped her arm through Titus's arm.

Blue shook his head and jumped into the driver's seat. He looked at the two executives. "Well, come on. We ain't got all day."

The two men hopped into the back seat as Blue peeled out of the pizza shop parking lot toward the western gate.

After two hours of driving, the place where the gate was located appeared. An abandoned Air Force base on the east side of the city. Blue rolled the truck up to the gate and looked back at the two S-rankers.

"It's weird they would just leave this base to rot like this."

"This base was more for logistics. It wasn't built to hold a line or fight back, sir."

"Okay, well, hold the 'sir' shit. My name is Blue." Blue looked out the windshield. "Aaron said after we cross the main gate to the base, the monster gate should be a few hundred yards ahead and to the left near an old gas station. You boys ready?"

"Yes," both men said in unison.

Blue drove slowly toward the gate. As he looked around, he could see buildings torn apart and rubble littered everywhere. There were no monsters in sight. No movement or activity could be found anywhere within their view.

"You guys think it's a little too quiet?"

"Well, according to our own research, the monsters that were previously in this area were the same ones that were part of the attack last month. So it stands to reason we may not have to encounter any monsters in here at all."

"Stands to reason. Don't ever assume shit like that." Blue gripped the wheel tighter. "I have a bad feeling about this."

As Blue noticed the gate, he stopped the truck. He turned off the engine and hopped out. The two S-rankers also hopped out. All three men stood and took in their surroundings.

"I had heard there were survivors and camps of people in this city. Where is everyone?"

"Probably holed up somewhere. The path from here to Columbus is treacherous, to say the least. Most would die on their trek to Columbus."

"As Mr. White said, they are probably underground or have their own bases set up in various places. They could be watching us right now."

"Wonderful. Well, we aren't here for them. We are here for what could be in there." Blue pointed at the gate.

The three men started to walk toward the gate as a gunshot rang out. A bullet skipped across the ground right in front of Blue's feet. The three men stopped immediately.

Blue sighed. "I really don't have time for this."

As he looked around, he realized he and the two S-rankers were surrounded by hundreds of men and women. Each of them looked as if they hadn't showered in years. Their clothes were brown and ragged. Some carried guns, while the rest were clearly awakeners who had their abilities ready to let loose at Blue, Mr. White, and Mr. Black.

Blue watched as the group of men and women parted and an older man started walking toward him. The old man walked slowly, using his cane to support himself as he approached. He stopped right in front of Blue with three larger men standing behind him.

"May I ask, young man, what is your business here?"

"May I ask why it is any of your fucking business?" Blue chuckled.

The three men behind the old man started to step forward. The old man lifted his cane and stopped them. "Unless you wish for an early death, I wouldn't. These three could kill us all if they wished."

Blue tilted his head. "Kill you? Why would we do that?"

"Why wouldn't you? There's plenty of supplies still on this base that could be yours, and there's nothing we could do about it."

"Old man, are you senile?"

"Are you that naive? You must be a waller, huh?"

"Waller?"

Mr. White leaned into Blue's ear and whispered, "Someone who lives in a stronghold."

Blue's eyes went wide as he looked at the old man. "I am here because there is something that I am looking for, and it could be inside that gate."

The old man chuckled. "There is nothing left in that gate. Not a mana stone or treasure. We made sure of that."

"You cleared it out? How? When?"

"When the horde moved. Come. No use talking out here. I'll show you what we've collected from that gate. I am sure there's more to be discussed as well."

The old man led Blue and the two S-rankers into a small building. He walked them to an office in the back and sat down behind the desk.

Blue and the two S-rankers sat on a couch by the wall.

The old man waved his cane at the three men who were following them. "You can stay or leave. Either way, if they wanted us dead, we'd be dead already."

Two of the men stepped outside and closed the door. The remaining man sat on a couch across from Blue.

"My name is Jon. I am the leader of this enclave you have found yourself in the midst of."

"I am Blue. This is Mr. White and Mr. Black. They are from the Association."

"Blue? Like Blue, as in the man from the ranker competition?"

"You saw that?"

"Do not think of us as savages, young man. We have television and basic amenities."

Blue waved his hands in the air. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It's okay. You aren't the first wallers to come and look down on us. You sure won't be the last."

Mr. White leaned forward. "Can you explain what you meant when you said the horde moved?"

Jon placed his cane on the table. "Most of Dayton is destroyed. More than three-quarters of the population is dead. We gathered as many survivors as we could into one place. Here, just outside the base. We created our own fortress to stop monsters from attacking. We snuck onto the base for supplies when we could. About a month ago, we noticed the monsters, all glossy-eyed, started leaving. They all headed east. The city became quiet, and so did the base. After the last monsters walked out of sight, we came here to the base and started to fortify it, secure entrances, gather food and supplies, and whatever else we could. After a week and the monsters didn't return, we raided the gates for anything we could find to trade with other survivors or use for our own survival."

Blue looked at Mr. White. "The Midnight attack."

"So you're saying you trade with other survivors?" Blue leaned forward.

"The world didn't stop for us outside of the walls. Survivors travel in groups, moving constantly. When we come across them, we trade valuables, though those who travel usually don't last long."

"Why don't you head toward the strongholds, then?"

Jon stood from his desk and grabbed his cane. "Follow me."

Blue followed Jon into a warehouse next door. Blue stopped the moment he entered. Men, women, and children were huddled together around barrels that were lit on fire. Most looked like they hadn't eaten in weeks.

"This is why. We have over ten thousand people total. Most of them look like this. We have around two thousand men and women who are awakened. The rest are helpless civilians. They would die before we ever made it to Columbus. Two thousand awakeners cannot protect eight thousand civilians from monsters while we march down a highway."

Blue's eyes stayed wide. A single tear left his eye as he quickly wiped it away.

"Do not pity us. We survive and will continue to survive. Whatever drove those monsters east has been a blessing for us. We have finally been able to gather enough supplies to feed everyone and enough room on this base for everyone to have their own space and have some resemblance of the life they lived before all of this occurred."

"What... what if we could get you all to the stronghold?"

"Impossible. The monsters fill the lands between here and Columbus."

"They don't. Not anymore. That blessing you talked about was a curse for Columbus. Those monsters all attacked Columbus at once. There isn't a monster to be seen from here all the way to Columbus."

Mr. Black stepped forward. "We could get everyone to Columbus in waves. Start with the children, women, elderly, and the sickly ones. Then come back as many times as needed for the rest. It would also allow us to scavenge the base for more supplies and any mana stones you've all gathered."

Blue raised his eyebrows. "See, we could make it happen. You could be a waller yourself. By the way, how did you know how strong we were?"

"It is my ability. Insight. It allows me to see everyone's strength."

"See, perfect. We need people like you. The more people that can come into the stronghold, the better. Civilian or awakener. Our goal is to expand the stronghold anyway, and to do that, we need both."

"I wouldn't be against it, so long as you could guarantee our protection. You're talking about moving ten thousand people seventy miles. That is a lot of logistics that I fear not even the Association has the means to gather."

Blue lifted his arms to his sides and spun around. "We are on a military base. With some flux users and mechanics, I bet we can get some of the vehicles they left here up and running."

"The Association also has five-tons that we found at an abandoned Army National Guard base. So while the trip may not be pretty or fast, we can absolutely make it happen," Mr. Black said.

Mr. White stepped forward. "I understand your hesitance toward accepting help. You think your people have been abandoned. I felt the same way before the Association made their way to my town and brought us into the stronghold. I promise our goal isn't to isolate survivors and put them into categories. With recent events, though, we can absolutely convoy from Columbus to Dayton and bring you all into the stronghold."

Jon let a small smile come across his face. He turned toward the civilians in the warehouse. "They won't be looked down upon or treated like less than?"

"Of course not. They can work, earn a living, or just relax."

"And what of those who are awakened?"

"They can join my guild or any of the other guilds, even the Association. We need more awakeners to help retake land lost to the monsters and help protect civilians. This isn't The Walking Dead, Jon. We aren't trying to hoard things to ourselves or isolate survivors."

Jon laughed. "I suppose you're right. For now, though, how about I show you where we stored all the treasures from the gates? While you have a look, I will take Mr. White and Mr. Black, and we can have a talk with the other elders."

Blue smiled. "I would greatly appreciate that."

"By the way, what are you looking for exactly?"

"A pendant."

"Oh, you'll find quite a few of them in there."

Blue's eyes lit up. "Take me there right now!"

Jon chuckled and led Blue to another warehouse across the street from where they stood. He opened the doors and looked at Blue. "When you are done, we will be in that building right over there." Jon pointed to a large office building. "Come find us when you are done searching."