Chapter Text
It’s been three years since the patient 0 was diagnosed with a disease doctors from all over the country couldn’t identify. When patient 0 began eating the flesh of the doctors trying to prevent that very thing, everyone knew that this was the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. Quickly, cities were burned down and the government crumbled beneath it’s already deteriorating foundations. Once civilization before the outbreak was dismantled, people knew that there had be a system of communicating and governing the people who had survived the apocalypse thus far.
Townships began being established in place of cities and towns. Townships were created out of the ruins of the least burned to the ground towns within the state. The townships acted as home bases for people to sleep, get food, get medical attention when needed; essentially, it is a place for survivors to continue surviving. Chain link fences were built fifteen feet up around the perimeter of these townships to keep out the hoards of zombies.
Townships are kept running by a couple doctors. However, townships depend more on the people willing to go out into the desolate areas of the world in order to get more food, medical supplies, or to deliver messages to other townships miles and miles away. These runners as they’re called have to be fast enough to evade chasing zombies, and smart enough to effectively kill anything that’s in pursuit of them. Every township has runners, but not every township has runners like Tyler Joseph, runner number 3 for Kent township in Ohio.
*
Tyler walked up to Kent township’s main hospital doors. Once inside, Tyler roamed the hallways in search of Mark so he can get the envelope he has been assigned to deliver to Portage Lakes township. The dim lit and peeling paint on the walls in the hallways of Kent Hospital would likely freak out Tyler out if this was before the apocalypse, but since the outbreak, nothing seems to scare Tyler easily. He, along with most of the other survivors, have seen enough to know that walls that need to be repainted and burnt out bulbs aren’t what needs to be feared.
Tyler finds Mark leaning about the counter where family members and friends once talked to nurses about their relatives that were in the ICU. Mark is one of the dispatchers for the runners. He sits in a room and watches the runners on their missions to other townships through cameras that have been placed in trees and remaining light and telephone poles from life before zombies. He also tells runners when zombies are nearby and different routes the runners could take to lose the zombies.
Mark turns to meet Tyler’s gaze and smiles at him. Tyler notices the large yellow envelope in Mark’s hand. Once he’s within reach, Tyler holds his hand out to receive the package so he can get on his. Mark smirks and pulls his hand back, holding the envelope by the side of his head near his ear.
“Not so fast, 3.” Mark straightens his stance and brings the envelope down so both of his hands are grasping it. “We need to talk about something before you go.”
“What do we have to talk about?” Tyler growls, annoyed that he can’t just take the envelope and get on his way. “The only thing I am interested in talking about is my next assignment after I get back from Portage Lakes.”
“I guess that you could say it’s about that.” Mark smirks and turns towards the counter he once leaned upon. He reaches over the counter and grabs a beige folder that laid on a desk. “You’re getting a partner on your next run. And maybe on all missions after that.”
“What!?” Tyler exclaims, taking a few steps back from Mark. Tyler begins to shake his head from side to side quickly. “No, no way. That’s not happening.”
Mark’s smile fades a little bit as he watches Tyler slip into a fit of not getting his way. “Listen, after your last run when we almost lost you to a hoard, we can’t take any risks. You’re our best runner and we cannot afford to lose you.”
“Exactly, I’m the best runner. So you should know that that was a freak incident and won’t ever happen again.”
“We can’t take risks. Doctor’s orders.” Mark smiled at Tyler again and held out the envelope for Tyler to grab. Tyler was more focused on the news of getting a partner.
“I’ve told you and all the doctors that I do not need a partner.” Tyler hisses, folding his arms across his chest. “I work better alone. I don’t need anyone holding me back.”
“Listen, 3. You were surrounded by seven zombs without any bullets. If you hadn’t tripped over that stick that you used to bash their heads in with, you might not be here.”
Tyler rolls his eyes and rips the envelope out of Mark’s hands. “Really, I don’t need help. The only thing a partner will do is slow me down.”
“No, they will help you when you get into a situation like that again.” Mark retorted.
“Well, it won’t happen again because it was a one time thing.” SIlence hung in the air between Mark and Tyler as Tyler studied the outside of the envelope. “I don’t want to get close again.” Tyler mumbles after a minute in the silence.
“Then don’t.” Mark states simply. “Keep your relationship strictly as partners on missions. There is no rule saying that you and your partner have to be friends or anything like that. You just need to be able to trust one another while you’re on runs together.”
Tyler gives Mark the side eye, hoping that he understands how uncomfortable and against the idea of having a partner again is to him. But the look goes unnoticed, or at least unmentioned, as Mark smiles at Tyler and claps him on the back. “Good luck out there.”
*
Tyler waits by the gate the following afternoon for Mark to arrive with Tyler’s new partner. Flipping through the pages of the small, tattered notebook he keeps in his messenger bag, Tyler’s mind begins drifting back to the memories that are sloppily scrawled across the white pages. Memories of happier times in a period where happiness is a fleeting commodity flood Tyler’s mind as he reads excerpts of journal entries and notes that were written for Tyler to read later on. Who knew that these notes would only make Tyler feel worse now?
As he is flicks through the pages, a photograph slips out between the pages and lands in Tyler’s lap. Tyler gently picks up the photo and instantly wishes that it had stayed hidden in the notebook. A black and white inked copy of Jenna, runner 9, stares up at Tyler from the photograph. Even through the black and white filter in the photo, Tyler can feel the piercing blue of her eyes. In the photo, some of her long blonde hair is draped over Tyler’s face so only one of his eyes is visible.
Tyler remembers this moment vividly. He remembers groaning when Jenna pulled out the camera from underneath her pillow while they laid on her mattress in the room she shared with three other runners from Kent township.
“Please, no pictures. I look like I just ran a marathon.” Tyler whined as he tried, but unsuccessfully rolled away from Jenna.
Jenna giggles and pulls Tyler closer to her. “You kind of did just run a marathon.” She wraps her arm around Tyler’s neck and covers most of Tyler’s face with her hair. “Better?” She asks.
“Much.” Tyler joked as Jenna held the camera up above their heads and clicked the button. The flash went off and the picture began to develop in the camera. Shortly, the photo began printing out of the small slit. Jenna untangled herself from Tyler and quickly sat up, removing the photo from the camera. Following close behind, Tyler sat up on the mattress and looked over her shoulder at the photograph. To his surprise, it was actually a great photo. Mainly because only Jenna was visible, but he didn’t look bad with her hair strewn across his face.
Jenna twisted herself to face Tyler and held the photo out to him. “You keep it,” She insisted, pushing the small picture into his hands and closing his fingers around it.. “To remember this moment.”
Tyler was pulled from his thoughts when he felt the photograph pulled out of his grip. “Hey!” He shouted, standing up to his feet and stealing the photo back from Mark’s hands. Mark threw his hands up defensively.
“Sorry, man. I tried calling for you like ten times and you didn’t answer.” Mark argued, watching as Tyler struggled to put the photo back into the notebook.
“Yeah, well, sorry.” Tyler runs a hand through his hair and tries to repress the memory he was just revisiting. Tyler shifts his gaze over to the man standing a couple steps behind Mark. Tyler wasn’t too sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t him. The man was about his height, but a bigger build than Tyler. One arm is covered in an earth toned tattoo that wraps around his whole bicep and forearm. Tyler’s eyes drift up to where red hair probably once was, but now only faded pink tips with dark brown roots sit atop this man’s head. Tyler then noticed the man staring him down back, so Tyler looked back over to Mark. “Care to introduce us?’ Tyler quips.
“This is your new partner,” Mark extends an arm towards the man behind him. “Runner 0.”
Runner 0’s lips turn upward into a smile and he then also extends a hand out towards Tyler. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jo-”
Tyler holds a hand up before Runner 0 can even finish his sentence. “I’m not here to be your friend. We’re here to do jobs for the township. No first names. We’ll just call each other by our runner numbers, yeah?’
Runner 0’s lips fall a bit and he drops his arm down by his side. “If that’s what will help you best preform.”
Tyler nods and extends his hand towards Runner 0. “Runner 3.” Runner 0 takes Tyler’s hand in his and they shake. “Did Mark tell you what happened to the previous Runner 0?” Tyler asks as he pulls back from Runner 0’s grasp.
“No he didn’t,” Runner 0 states a bit muddled.
“3,” Mark warns like he is Tyler’s father. Tyler ignores the warning.
“He was on a mission out in the woods near Lewisville when he he got bit. After that, he was mauled by a bear. He was already dead before we were even able to pinpoint his location.” Tyler states, his eyes darting over to Mark, whose face is turned into a disapproving frown. Looking back over at Runner 0, Tyler smiles to see the horror on his face.
“Well,” mark quickly chirps, his frown turning into a forced smile. “That won’t happen to you, new Runner 0, because you will be sticking with Runner 3. He’s the best runner in the township. But he can sometimes get a bit overwhelmed when dealing with a swarm-”
“That was a one time thing,” Tyler interjects, glaring at Mark. “You’re safe with me, 0.”
“Good, that’s all that matters then.” Runner 0 smiles.
Tyler smirks and steps closer to Runner 0 so they’re chest to chest. Tyler can feel his breath on his face as he stares Runner 0 right in the eyes. “But don’t start thinking that I need you,” Tyler grumbles. “Because I don’t. I don’t need you slowing me down, I don’t need Mark assigning me new partners every couple months, and I especially don’t need you causing me problems during missions. Is that clear?”
Runner 0 nods slowly, and takes a step away from Tyler before exhaling sharply. Tyler smiles and turns towards Mark and holds his hands out for the package of meds that are to be delivered to Akron. “We should get going. Medicine won’t deliver itself.” Tyler states, turning his head to look at Runner 0. “That’s what they have us for.”