Hold Tight (--Ava, Brian--

[Jeremy Renner]

Zombies. What had the world come to? Jeremy breathed heavily in soft heaving, moist breaths as he slowly jogged from cover to cover. He knew Smith was overlooking this operation with earnest intention of keeping Renner's ass safe. "...Hope to fucking god your paying attention up there." Renner replied quietly to his own lonely thought which was eminated in a low grumble. The sound of the moaning of the dead brought Renner into a crouch behind a car from a jogging stance. He cradled his m18 commando in his arms. The newly instated version of the m16. Renner pressed his back against the car 's trunk. He felt exposed, squatting low beneath the visible edge of the car.

He breathed inwardly, his feet and legs pushing the rubble away from his feet in reality of trying to find solace behind cover. He pressed two fingers to his ear. "~Smith. I've got three bogeys in line of the target mark. Twenty seconds. Over.~" Renner peered around the corner of the car. They were milling about, looking for something. "Peer down your scope and take the effing shot. I am not going to sit here." No shot came. Renner looked in the far direction of where Smith was perched on a distant rooftop. "Asshole." Renny slid his colt commando from his side pocket.

His only silenced weapon. Then he saw why Smith wasn't taking the shot..

[Ava Taylor]

This was fucking ridiculous. Ava of course, knew that she should have been more careful. She was trying to be silent as she walked past the three zombies. But no, of course nothing ever went right did it? Ava scowled as she shot at one of the zombies with her Semi-Automatic Pistol. She could probably find a better gun in one of the numerous shops around the city, but right now it was all she had.

Ava shot again at the zombie, heard another one coming up behind her. Those bastards never gave up did they? She turned around, hitting it with the butt of the pistol. The third zombie grabbed her arm and she attempted to fight it off of her, shooting at it. "Just..can't get..scratched or bit." She breathed, tearing away from the other zombie. She had a feeling of being watched, but she couldn't risk looking up to see if someone was there.

[This Darkened Heart]

Smith peered through the scope of the beautiful sniper rifle Jeremy had lent him on their previous engagement. His breathing had become soft as he became one with the weapon. His finger on the trigger and his other arm lay resting comfortably over the arm holding the weapon. He was focused and when a soldier was focused... "Boom." Smith softly chuckled as he imagined himself pulling the trigger and blowing his friend's head off. He followed Renner's movements through the scope moving the rifle as needed. Then he stopped, ducked behind cover and Smith moved the scope two inches high. Renner's voice cut in over the ear piece.

Smith didn't respond. He peered down the scope at a woman fighting off the three zombies Renner had mentioned his phone call. "Don't worry, hunny. We have to put the kids to sleep. Can you just say goodnight?" Smith finally reported back, speaking louder than Renner for the fear of being eaten alive wasn't so adequate. Smith waited. He slowed his breathing, letting adrenaline take its place for the much needed shot. Precision. When a good soldier used precision it was lights out. "Move it, Renner. That lady needs our help. I'll let you be her knight in glistening armor." Smith watched his friend stand and stop.

Smith sighed quietly. Smith moved the rifle back towards the group and took the head off the first and closest zombie; the one grabbing the woman by the arm. The second fell after losing its left leg and the third one lost its chest, literally. With all three dead Smith stood leaving the rifle where it was. He jumped for the rope connecting a small metal crane and slid the rest of the way to the ground. His gloves beginning to smell like burnt rubber. His feet hit the ground and he came into a rolling, crouched position pistol raised. "Renner! We have to move!" Smith called across the street to him. "AnaLulu says we got a shit load of company."

Smith started to run his pistol waving steadily in his hand. He came to the woman's side. "I'd love to stay and chat and swap ghost stories but we can do that all later when we are save." Smith stuck a hand up to get Renner's attention. MOVE!

[Jeremy Renner]

"..Spare me the theatrics." Renner grumbled at the sight of Smith rolling and zip lining. He slid his colt back into the holster and cradled his commando rifle. He took a deep sigh inwardly and stepped across the street. "You have to be Jackie Chan, right? Zip lining and shit?" Renner stuck his hand out towards the woman. "Hi, I'm Sergeant Renner." He looked back at Smith who looked pissed about something. "Gee. It's not like I have ever talked to a woman before." Renner said bashfully and then turned his head over his shoulder. "AnaLulu was right for once." An army of the sick came staggering from around a corner.

"I'll buy you both a beer if we can get back to the pent house with all of our appendages still intact." Renner raised his rifle to a comfortable position and began to jog. "I'll take point!" he said ecstatically.

[Ava Taylor]

Ava watched the pair in disbelief. She took Renner's hand and nodded slightly. "Ava Taylor." She said shortly, seeing the zombies coming up. "Damn." She shook her head and slid her gun back into it's holister. She laughed slightly as she took off after the two. She would thank them later, when they got back to the pent house she guess. Which qwas probably their safe house.

She absently wondered who in the world AnaLulu was. Nope. Run first, ask questions later. Ava kept one hand on her gun holister as they ran. You never knew when you would need to pull your gun out and start shooting. Damn, that reminded her. She needed to find either more bullets or a new gun, she only had about ten rounds or so left in the cartridge. Her extras had been lost when the zombies decied to raid her hideout.

[This Darkened Heart]

Brian kept his hand gripping his pistol hanging at his side. He watched Renner take off Ava next then Brian. As they ran Brian jogged slowly behind them. Paying assertive glances to make sure their rear flank was clear. "A good military sandwich, eh, champ?" Brian whipped around once and plugged the forehead of one zombie. Brian was incredibly happy now, even if he didn't show it. Now they had three people in their fun family. Happy day. One more mouth to feed. One more added gun. "You can handle yourself pretty well." Brian spoke up as he came to a jogging pace next to Ava. "I'm Brian by the way."

Between them dangled his firearm so he crisscrossed his free arm in front of him in order to shake Ava's hand in a proper introduction.

[Jeremy Renner]

Underneath the playful gait Renner was a serious man. He jogged in a half crouched shooter position, his rifle raised so the back of his weapon rested gently against his shoulder while the nozzle was pointed in a downward level. He led the way through the street towards Smith's laborious penthouse suite. His eye scanning every corner, alley and rooftop. His green speckled globes perforating that fine line between making it alive and being eaten alive. He could hear the hushed conversation of the two people behind him. However that was pushed to the rear of his ferocious focus that only a soldier possessed.

For the most part he kept relatively quiet. Listening to the distant hum of their conversation as a slow, steady vibrant hold on the little push humanity still had left. Even if they did have a chance. A slightest one to prevail. To show the government that people were still alive and had that pizazz to hold the ramshackle of humanity up by its collar run through the flames dragging the dying breed. Everything will be fine, right? Renner continued to lead them having the rifle in his hands felt comfortable. He didn't feel naked. Which was something every soldier shouldn't feel.

It was all morbid, really. A simple shrug, scream, aim and fire should do the trick. Usually. If that's not the case then you should hurl yourself through a nearby window and hope to god the fall wouldn't kill you. A single, heh, escaped from Renner's lips. Now that was simplistic. That's what they would all need right now. Something simple to brighten their day. By 'they' Renner meant the rest of humanity who still had a authentic beating heart. That electric pulse of the beat of the rhythmic life of humanity was slowly stopping. The eccentric dance beat of life had been violently stopped. Everything about it was decayed and falling apart. Renner was just glad they had found a survivor after all this time.

"Almost there."

His tone was simplistic and calming.

[Ava Taylor]

Ava tilted her head a bit when Brian moved up next to her. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ava." She breathed. She gave a short laugh when she spoke about holding her own. "Thanks." She said with a faint smile. "But to survive out here now you gotta be able to hold your own." She said shaking her head a bit as they jogged. "How much farther is 'almost there'?" Ava asked Renner curiously. These two men did seem somewhat odd in their own ways, but at least they were human right? Her eyes wandered back over to Brian a brief moment. "So are you pair military?" She asked. Ava was assuming they were because Renner had addressed himself as Sargent and they both had pretty good guns - plus their clothing too.

Ava took out her pistol, shooting at one of the nearing zombies, getting in the head. "Stupid things." She murmured to herself. She put her pistol away and ran a hand through her hair slightly. Today was just turning out to be one of those days.

[This Darkened Heart]

Brian jogged next to Ava keeping his pistol in hand. "He is. I'm not. I'm, uh, CIA. Ex-CIA. He is the hard edged military type who can shoot the wings of a fly. Renner's a pretty good shot, good to have around at a time like this. That's not the reason I keep him around." Brian exchanged a small smile in a calming tone and fell behind to cover their rear again. He started to jog backwards to mark the distance they had covered. They had made good time. Renner seemed to be in his own world when Brian turned around.

He activated his ear piece and spoke loudly into it. "How much farther, cupcake?"

Brian chuckled softly know that would certainly piss Renner off.

[Jeremy Renner]

Jeremy continued to lead. He was actually counting down the blocks quietly in his head. HOW MUCH FURTHER CUPCAKE! Jeremy jerked his head to the side, his eyes squinting from the sheer ear drum shattering noise that was Brian's voice. "Ow!" Renner turned and forcefully pushed Brian backwards after a minute of looking him over. "That fucking hurt my ear drum, asshole." Renner then turned and began to lead again when a nearby car exploded throwing him sideways into another car shattering its windows. He helped himself up and shot Brian a look. That explosion wasn't one of theirs.

[Ava Taylor]

Ava laughed when Brian called Renner Cupcake. She faltered a bit though when she heard the explosion. Her face turned serious as she looked around. "What the hell was that? And who did it?" She asked, looking back at the pair. She could tell by look on their faces they were wondering the same thing. Well this could definitely not be anything good. She shook her head slightly and looked around again.