TROUBLE [twd]

long time no see

-- 7 Months Later --

Nanami heaves out a deep breath, now happy that a cloud didn't follow suit. He liked the winter, really. But, when it was just he and Michonne on the road with two of her walkers on chains, he learned that maybe the cold wasn't the best thing ever.

"There's a steakhouse nearby," Michonne announces, looking over her map, "Maybe we can come through there for some supplies."

"Yeah.. Maybe they have some half eaten cans of barbecue sauce left over," Nanami huffs.

Michonne shrugs, flipping through the phonebook for other stores, "Beats eating air."

Nanami's stomach had growled itself to exhaustion and he couldn't really remember the last time he'd had a proper meal outside of a couple wild berries they'd found nearly a week ago.

"Air doesn't have an expiration date," Nanami offers- still thinking about that box of cereal that was over a year old and gave him a stomach ache after he'd eaten it out of desperation.

"We'll find something there," Michonne attempts to lighten his mood, "Best to look rather than give up, anyway."

--

"Kiko!" Daryl shouts.

Sakiko steps out from behind Glenn, drawing her arm back before flinging the knife through the air.

Daryl shoots an arrow from his bow at the same time- both weapons taking down the two walkers that threatened them.

Glenn tugs her back in formation, the group hurrying forward. Ryan picks up Sakiko's knife as they run, handing it back to her, though she already had another ready in her hand to fly again.

"Through here!" Shane yells, ushering Hershel and Beth ahead.

The group follows before they're cut off by a sight they never though they'd see again.

"Oh shit. It's a dead end," T-Dog mutters.

"No," Rick steps forward, "It's not."

The group looked at the prison, able to read Rick's mind.

It wasn't a dead end. It was safety and security.

--

Nanami's feet dragged with the same amount of energy that the walker he'd heard Michonne call 'Mike' had.

"Looks untouched," Michonne points out as they stand in the parking lot of the restaurant.

"What did you do before this?" Nanami asks suddenly.

"Why do you ask?" Michonne questions, tugging the walkers forward.

"Me and my sister.. We didn't even know this was going on until we got to Atlanta. Did you see the broadcasts? The quarantines? Anything?"

Michonne knocks on the wooden door, leaning against the wall as they await to hear any noise from inside.

"First the CDC put out messages about symptoms.. Then, a lockdown began. We lost internet, then the phones.. Most television stations went silent and there was only emergency broadcasts being aired. The president said it was spreading quick, then after a week- he stopped showing up on screen."

Michonne's eyes grow distant, remembering the early days of the outbreak.

"The military took over from there. Safety camps were put up in larger neighborhoods, hospitals, churches.."