Morning sunlight streamed through the windows as I made my way toward the barracks where Troy and Jessy were finishing up drills with the volunteers. The sound of boots hitting the ground in perfect rhythm echoed across the courtyard like a drumline at a funeral—motivating, but still kind of depressing. Our army was growing fast, and with every passing day, the Federation became stronger. Or at least louder.
Troy spotted me first and walked over, handing me a heavy black backpack.
"Your gear's ready, sir," he said. "Rations for a week, two extra mags, and about fifty rounds. Should keep you alive out there."
"Only fifty rounds?" I raised an eyebrow. "What if I run into a horde?"
"Then… run faster," Troy deadpanned.
I chuckled. "Great. Love the confidence."
Jessy stepped forward, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Marcus… you sure about this?" His tone was calm, but I could hear the concern underneath. "You disappear for a week, people will start asking questions."
I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"I'll handle it. Keep training them. The Federation needs soldiers more than ever. And, you know, people who can hit something other than the air."
Jessy smirked. "We're working on it."
After that, I headed to the residential building where Taylor and her friends were staying. When I entered the room, Taylor was seated by the window, sunlight hitting her hair just right, making her look… breathtaking. Like, if there was still an Instagram, this would be the post that breaks the internet. Shenna and Alexia were sorting through some clothes Max had sent over.
Taylor looked up, and for a second, our eyes locked. She smiled—a soft, almost grateful smile—and it caught me off guard. My chest tightened unexpectedly. Great. The apocalypse and now… feelings? Who ordered this?
"Morning," I said casually, stepping inside. "Just checking in. You all settling okay?"
Taylor nodded, her voice gentle.
"We're fine. Better than fine, actually. Thanks to you."
Before I could answer, Shenna smirked and teased,
"Yeah, our hero showed up right on time. If it weren't for you, Marcus, we'd probably be… well, let's just say things would've ended badly."
I chuckled lightly, scratching the back of my neck.
"Glad I got there when I did."
Shenna kept talking.
"Max hooked us up with work, by the way. Administrative stuff. Paperwork, schedules—things we're good at. Feels nice to have a purpose again."
"Good," I said. "This place runs because everyone pulls their weight."
I turned to leave, but before I reached the door, Taylor's voice stopped me.
"Marcus… wait."
I turned back, eyebrows raised.
"Yeah?"
She hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly.
"When you get back… we should go out. You know… a proper dinner. Just the two of us."
Her words caught me completely off guard. For a second, I just stared at her. Taylor Swift—asking me out—in the middle of the apocalypse? Was I hallucinating? Did I drink bad water?
I managed a smile, though my heart was racing.
"Dinner, huh? Sounds nice. Candlelight, music, and the distant screams of the undead for ambiance."
Her blue eyes searched mine, almost pleading.
"Promise?"
I stepped closer, lowering my voice.
"A week from now. I promise. You have my word. Assuming, you know… neither of us dies horribly in the meantime."
She nodded slowly, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink.
"Then… I'll be waiting."
Shenna grinned behind her, whispering something to Alexia that made them both giggle. Probably something like 'Wow, Taylor's got apocalypse game.' I ignored it and headed for the door, but as I walked away, I couldn't shake the image of Taylor smiling at me like that.
A date. In a world falling apart.
What the hell is happening to me? Seriously. Zombies, bullets, and now… romance? Did the universe just turn into a bad rom-com with extra gore?
[Door closes. Marcus's footsteps fade away.]
Shenna: (grinning like a shark) "Oh. My. God. Did Taylor 'Miss Ice Queen' Swift just ask our fearless leader out on a date?"
Taylor: (glares but her cheeks are pink) "Shut up, Shenna."
Alexia: (giggling) "No, no, don't shut up. This is the best thing that's happened since, well… since the world ended."
Shenna: "Seriously, Tay, a dinner date? In the apocalypse? What are you gonna wear? That jacket from yesterday or… oh, wait, maybe one of Max's fancy uniforms?"
Taylor: (rolling her eyes but smiling) "You two are impossible."
Alexia: (teasing) "Impossible? No. Just curious. Because last night, when he saved our asses—what was it you said again?"
Shenna: (dramatic voice, mimicking Taylor) "Oh Marcus, my hero! Thank you for saving me from that one terrifying walker that totally almost got me!"
Taylor: (laughing despite herself) "I did not say that!"
Alexia: "No, but your face did. Girl, the way you looked at him after he stabbed that walker… whew. I almost blushed myself."
Shenna: (snorting) "Please. It was one walker. One! And Marcus acted like it was nothing. Didn't even break a sweat. You were practically swooning."
Taylor: (covering her face, laughing) "I was not swooning."
Alexia: "Uh-huh. Sure. Next time, maybe he'll save you from two walkers, and then what? You gonna propose?"
Shenna: (smirking) "Or faint dramatically in his arms. 'Oh Marcus, hold me! I can't handle all this undead danger!'"
Taylor: (laughing hard now) "You two are the worst."
Alexia: "Worst? No. We're your support group. For your apocalypse boyfriend fantasies."
Shenna: "Yeah, better hope that dinner date isn't just canned beans and disappointment."
Taylor: (throwing a pillow at them, still laughing) "Enough! Both of you!"
Alexia: (grinning) "Admit it, though… he's kind of hot when he's stabbing walkers."
Taylor: (muttering but smiling) "…Maybe a little."
Shenna: (gasps dramatically) "A little? Girl, you practically asked him to build you a love bunker!"
After checking on Taylor and the others, I made my way toward the gate. The Federation was already awake—men and women moving about, tending to chores, preparing for another day of survival. Kids carried water buckets bigger than their heads, and someone was already yelling about who stole the last bag of rice. Civilization might have ended, but morning drama survived just fine.
I walked through the main road, my boots crunching against gravel, and every pair of eyes seemed to follow me.
Full gear. Backpack strapped tight. Handgun holstered. The sword—my sword—resting across my back.
A few people stopped what they were doing and called out:
"Morning, Marcus!"
"Boss, where you headed all geared up like that?"
I flashed them a quick smile, hiding the truth behind a calm voice.
"Just passing by. Gotta check on a few things outside the walls."
A lie, but a necessary one. They didn't need to know what I was really planning. Better to keep the worry down and morale up.
As I approached the gate, the massive steel doors loomed ahead—reinforced plates, welded bars, and a fresh coat of black paint that gleamed under the morning sun like a shiny 'Do Not Die Out There' sign. Two armed guards stood watch, alert as ever. And then there was Allen.
Allen was impossible to miss—one of my original twenty bodyguards. Six feet tall, built like a damn tank, skin dark as midnight, and muscles that looked carved from stone. His bald head caught the sunlight, and for a split second, I thought of The Rock—if The Rock had decided to join an apocalypse militia instead of making Fast & Furious movies.
Allen saw me coming and grinned wide.
"Well, well… Boss man's going out again, huh? You sure about this?"
I chuckled, slapping his shoulder.
"You worried about me, Allen?"
He smirked.
"Hell yeah, I am. Who else is gonna keep this circus together if you don't come back? It ain't me. I can barely organize a card game."
I grinned at that, then adjusted the strap on my pack and glanced at the towering gate.
"Don't worry. I'll be back before you even miss me."
Allen shook his head, muttering something under his breath before signaling the others to open the gate. The heavy steel doors groaned as they slowly parted, revealing the broken world beyond—the silent road stretching into the unknown, littered with abandoned cars and the faint stench of death on the wind.
I took one last look at the Federation behind me—the walls, the watchtowers, the people who trusted me to keep them safe. Then I turned back to the wasteland.
"Time to finish this operation," I whispered, gripping the strap of my pack and stepping forward.
The gate slammed shut behind me with a thunderous CLANG, sealing me out in the wild.
-----------------------------------------
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