Without Me (Infinite x Reader)

Chapter 8 ~ Play the Part

The storm has eased up a bit. The wind has died down, the constant downpour switched to a light drizzle. Most importantly, the lightning stopped. We knew this wouldn't last for long, so Zero and I had agreed to keep moving.

   We have been travelling in silence for an hour now. We haven't eaten in about two day. Water wasn't something we have discovered yet. My stomach was starting to hurt from the physical exertion without nourishment. Zero didn't really seem to show any sign of slowing down. He was larger than me, so Zero should require food. Yet he didn't act like he would need any in the near future. I wondered if it was an act.

   I stop for a moment and tilt my head skyward, parting my lips to have some of the rain fill my mouth. I wondered for a short moment if the smoke and chemicals from the chaos of the war would have polluted the air and the downpours. I try to push this out of my mind, the water seemed clean, and hopefully the distance and surrounding forests would have cleansed the climate.

   I swallow the cool liquid and lick my chapped lips. After, I keep trekking on. Stopping had caused me to lag behind Zero a bit. I stomp through the tall grass to catch up.

   Zero glances behind him at me. He looks me up and down for a moment. "You holding up fine?"

   I nod, ignoring the slight lightness in my head coming and fading. Zero didn't seem convinced, but he looked back ahead of him anyway.

  "Hopefully a village or town will show up soon, then we can drop in and collect some resources."

   Zero's idea didn't seem bad. We would just have to hope that nobody recognizes Zero as who he used to be. I doubt that I would be searched for, I'm nowhere near important on the ranks. Hundreds of soldiers, civilians and people go missing during war, so why would an exception be made for me? Zero, or Infinite, would be a priority. Infinite is the main villain who fights the war, in control of just about everything. If he disappears, then do the copies and duplicates of Shadow, Metal Sonic and everyone else vanish? If these people disappear, then only Eggman and his robots will be fighting the war, that takes out a lot of warriors on his side. The war will likely end quickly without Infinite's help. So that means everyone will look for Infinite as soon as possible.

  I shake my head, trying to forget the war. I left it behind, I shouldn't think about it.

   Zero slows down slightly so I can be by his side. I could tell by the sudden change in his pace. We walk side by side through the thick grass, the blades coated in cold, wet drips of liquid. Our hoods were pulled down, now Zero's long hair was dripping water. I wondered if that thick hair would weigh him down.

   We continue to walk for an extra twenty minutes. The emptiness in my stomach was getting difficult to ignore. The field was slowly thinning out, the waist high grass lowering to below our knees. There was a large clearing in the distance. I squint my eyes. It was a small town. There were a few dozen houses, some close together, others spreading further apart from each other. This must be some sort of farming community.

   The houses were made out of a faded red and orange brick, the roofs were covered in a dark brown shingle. The town didn't seem to have any defenses of any kind. It seems like the war has not reached them.

   Zero stops in his tracks, lowering slightly to the ground when tiny figures become visible in the town. I quickly drop down with him. Zero looks at me. His eyes were very serious, like they always seemed to be, but this time it was like something would be on the line.

   "Act like we're refugees from the war. If anyone asks, we were searching for a friend, but they were killed recently so we finally decided to run from the war. Let's say that they..."