Tell me Why

Looking at the large pile of stacked corpses in front of him, Leo let out a relieved sigh, wiping some sweat off of forehead with the back of his arm. 

It took him a few days, but he finally managed to move all the dead bodies in the building down to the basement. He would have been done sooner, but he could only move gory and rotting corpses around for so long before getting sick to his stomach. 

Leo had tried to get Victoria to help him, but she had just laughed in his face when he asked. Not that he could blame her, really. The idea wouldn't be too appealing to him either if she was the one to suggest such a thing. 

While he was out on one of his runs for supplies, he found a couple walkie-talkies that he powered with some of the batteries he had. Giving one to Victoria, he and her have been communicating quite a bit. Having conversations with one another is nice, Leo doesn't feel nearly as lonely as he did before. 

During their chats, she often asks about the Grizzlies. Amidst one of the few times that Victoria came over to his apartment, she looked at the courthouse with a smirk as she wrote some notes down in a worn little book. Leo didn't ask her what she was writing, but he assumed she was taking notes on the Grizzlies' routines or something along those lines.

He wants to ask her what the deal is with her and that group, but he doesn't want to overstep his boundaries. He figures that she will tell him when she feels like it, and he is quite patient when he needs to be. 

After making one last sweep of the building for any bodies, Leo heads to his apartment to change out of his bloody clothes. As he still has no way of washing his clothing, he's very tempted to just burn anything that's beyond salvaging.

With the abundance of empty apartments, he won't be running out of clothes any time soon with all the closets and dressers to raid. He made sure to check out the clothing store in town for some underwear and socks, though. Leo wasn't near desperate enough to wear someone's dirty drawers, and considering the amount of underwear he grabbed, he wouldn't be any time soon. 

Finally changed and ready to start relaxing, Leo pulls up a chair up to the window overlooking the courthouse and begins to draw. He hasn't been idle these last few days. During every single run he's made for supplies, he's added more and more to his makeshift map of the town. He hasn't explored all of it yet, and there's still a whole lot more to explore, but he's covered the surrounding area pretty well. 

Luckily when he's drawing his map, he's not only leveling up his cartography skill, but also his drawing skill. Though it may not look like a professional map, yet, it's definitely navigable. Currently, he's sketching the courthouse, trying to capture as much detail as possible. As he's sketching one of the men guarding the gate, Leo frowns a little. 

He doesn't know what, but something must have happened recently that made the Grizzlies a little spooked. There are more men than usual along the walls of their makeshift fort, their routines have changed, and they haven't gone out for supplies in a day and a half at least. Not that Leo's seen, anyway.

They seem tense. It's as if they are expecting an attack or something. 

Throwing the thoughts to the back of his mind, he turns his focus back towards his drawing. Just as Leo's putting the final touches, he gets a notification that he's been waiting for. 

[+1 Level in Drawing] 

"Sweet." He mumbles, his lips curving in a small smile at the level up.

Getting levels for things has been going rather slow as of late, although his cartography and drawing skills have been progressing nicely. Besides those, due to his ventures into town, he's also gained a couple levels in Sneaking, which has proven quite useful. 

Finished with the drawing, Leo throws his sketchbook back into his inventory and folds his hands under his chin. He still hasn't decided on what to do with the Grizzlies moving forward.

At the moment, he doesn't really want to risk getting shot and robbed in a failed attempt at parlay. Considering what he's seen they are capable of, the likelihood of that happening is pretty high. However, they are a decently sized, well organized, well supplied, and well armed group of survivors willing to do what it takes to survive. 

If, and that's a huge if, he can somehow get on their good side, they'd make a great trading partner in the future. The biggest problem with that idea though, is that Victoria would probably cut all ties with him if she decided not to kill him outright. She absolutely hates them. Leo can see it in her eyes when she looks at them, and he can hear it in her voice when she talks about them. 

Thinking about it, a curious thought crosses his mind. 

'I wonder what her plan is regarding them… with that much hate in her, I can't really see her sticking around here forever with the Grizzlies being so close.' 

Figuring that he should probably ask her about it, Leo fetches his walkie from the inventory and tries to reach out to her.

"Dr. Handsome to Bow Girl, I say again, Dr. Handsome to Bow Girl, are you there? Over." Leo speaks into the walkie-talkie, his lips twisting into a small smirk. It wasn't the first time he's used those call signs, and he highly doubted it would be the last. 

A minute goes by as he waits for a reply. Just as he's about to repeat his previous message, he hears Victoria's exasperated voice come through the radio. 

"Why on Earth do you insist on using those ridiculous names?" She remarks, his smirk widening at her reply. Though Leo can't see her, he can practically feel her facepalm through the speaker. 

He chuckles lightly, his free hand scratching his forehead. "Well why not? They are fitting call signs. You use a bow, and I am extraordinarily handsome—it only makes sense." 

A heavy irritated sigh comes in through her end following Leo's reasoning. "Is there a reason you radioed me? Or are you just reaching out to grace me with your pleasant company?" She asks after a moment, her voice dripping with sarcasm. 

"Why can't it be both?" He asks playfully, trying to loosen her up a little bit before bringing up the Grizzlies.

"You're stalling." She states confidently, seeing straight through his poor attempt at buttering her up. 

"What? Pfft, no…" He replies not at all convincingly. "I just wanted to chat with my buddy, andmaybeasksomequestionsaboutthegrizzlies."

An awkward silence soon settles between the two. After a few tense moments where Leo was beginning to second guess his approach, Victoria's soft voice comes in through the radio. 

"Leo," she begins tiredly, already feeling the effects of this conversation they're about to have. "What is it you want to know?"

"May I know what your plan is with the Grizzlies?" He asks, seeing her reply as an 'ok' to move forward. "I know you hold an intense dislike for them, if not outright hatred. Hell, even when we first met, you would have killed me had I been with them." 

Hearing his question, she can't help but frown at the radio that's held loosely between her fingers. Victoria wants to tell him her plan, but she isn't sure how Leo would take it knowing that she plans to kill every last one of the Grizzlies. 

His arrival was an unseen variable. She wasn't expecting to find any semblance of friendship since her sister's death. To be honest, Victoria had no long term plans for anything after she's finished with the Grizzlies. The reason being, is that she feels as though its a suicide mission. She doesn't expect to be able to kill them all on her own, that was never once a possibility in her head. 

Since her sister has been dead and buried, Victoria has lost a majority of her will to live. The only thing keeping her going nowadays is the chance for vengeance. But with Leo here, maybe he could be convinced to help her?

"Can you come over? If I'm going to talk to you about this, it should be in person." She eventually responds.

"I'm on my way." 

Grabbing his backpack and shoving the radio inside, Leo fetches his trusty crowbar and heads out the window. He's made the trip to Victoria's flower shop a handful of times, and though the way is usually clear of any undead, it never hurts to be cautious as he creeps between back alleys.

Most undead wandering around town have been dealt with by himself and the Grizzlies. The majority of the zombies left in town are trapped within buildings hiding in the dark waiting to ambush unsuspecting scavengers.

Over the past few days, Leo's been seeing less and less undead walking the streets; at least downtown, anyway. 

He thinks that the Grizzlies may start expanding their compound to the surrounding buildings around the courthouse soon. Before that happens, Leo needs to decide what to do about them. Depending on how his talk with Victoria goes, he'll begin to formulate a plan of some sort. 

Not seeing any walkers, Leo moves quickly between alleyways, not wanting to be spotted from the road. Arriving at his friend's flower shop, he makes his way inside without issue and rings the counter bell before making his way to the second floor. 

Before opening the door and heading inside Victoria's apartment, he stops and cheekily announces his arrival.

"I know you probably heard the bell, but I'm coming in. Please don't shoot me." Waiting a few seconds after he finishes his announcement, he opens the door and walks inside, quickly spotting Victoria sitting on a stool facing the door with her bow in hand. 

She's wearing the same dark outfit that she was when he first encountered her. Only this time, her hood was down, allowing her silky golden hair to flow freely down her back. 

"Aaand that is why I call you Bow Girl." He chuckles, shutting the door behind him and pointedly ignoring her narrowed eyes.

"At least one of your silly names suits us." Shaking her head, she hops off the stool and goes to the living room.

"What, you aren't going to offer me any refreshments?" He calls after her, going into the kitchen.

"You know where the water bottles are, help yourself." 

"Well, don't mind if I do." Grabbing a water bottle from one of the cabinets, he follows after her into the living room, joining her on the couch. 

She's sitting with her back against one of the arm rests and her legs curled beneath her. Taking a quick swig of the room temperature water, he places the bottle on the coffee table next to her bow.

Neither of them say anything for a little while. Basking in the awkward silence that befalls them, Leo takes this time to look around the room as he pats his thighs.

At first glance, nothing seems immediately out of place, but he spots a bolt action rifle leaning against one of the walls. His eyebrows raise slightly at that. She didn't seem to have a gun the last few times he's visited. She could have also just been keeping it in her room though, he hasn't seen inside of it yet.

"New gun?" He asks curiously, tilting his head in the direction of the rifle.

Hearing his question, her eyes quickly shift to the gun before darting away again. "You could say that…" She eventually responds, looking down as she tucks a stray golden strand of hair behind her ear.

"I see." Leo says awkwardly, not entirely sure how to respond to her abashed demeanor.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Victoria seems to steel herself and looks him in the eyes. "Look, Leo, you came here for a reason right? Ask what you want to ask and get it over with. This awkwardness is killing me."

Chuckling at her brazenness, he nods his head in agreement. "Right, okay. As I said over the radio, I'm curious to know what your plan is with the Grizzlies. You obviously have some sort of grudge against them, and considering how close you live to their group, sooner or later a confrontation is inevitable." 

As Leo finishes what he has to, she swallows hard and glares angrily at the dead rose in the corner of the room.

"I plan to kill them all or die trying. My plan is that simple." She says quietly, venom saturating her voice. If the rose wasn't already dead, Leo is sure that her glare would have been enough to do it. Looking at the side of her face, he nods sagely.

"Well, I can't really say that I didn't already kind of expect an answer like that," he starts off, thinking hard about what he wants to say next. "I want to help." 

Hearing his reply, she looks at him sharply, confusion lacing her steely features. 

"And why would you want to do that? They haven't done anything to you and you don't even know why I want them dead." 

"You make valid points, so how about you fill me in?" 

At that, her confused look shifts back to one of hatred and he nearly flinches in response. Leo doesn't worry too much though. He knows that her hatred isn't directed at him specifically, but at bringing up what made her hate the Grizzlies so.

"It was just after the outbreak happened. I was away at university in the nearby city at the time of everything going to shit. It was absolute chaos, and the world fell apart so quickly—I knew I had to get home to my sister as fast as I could," Victoria's eyes soften, turning a little glossy at the memory. "Only I returned home too late."

Tearing her eyes from his, she looks out the window with a somber expression. Following her gaze, he witnesses the most beautiful sunset he's seen since coming to this world. The sky's the most brilliant combination of purples, marmalade, and gold imaginable. If it wasn't for the melancholic atmosphere, he would comment on it.

Leo knows that Victoria isn't finished with her story though, and so he waits patiently for her to continue. 

After a few long moments of silence where she seems lost in memory, she eventually does continue, her voice soft, quiet, and sad.

"When I returned home, the shop was as cold and quiet as it is now. I could feel that something was wrong, but I didn't know what. I called out my sister's name, but I didn't get a reply just as I'd feared I wouldn't. The door to our apartment was open, and my heart began to beat wildly in my chest as I climbed the stairs fearing for the worst. 

"The apartment was a mess when I arrived, furniture thrown around haphazardly. My heart sank painfully as I took in the scene. It looked as if there was a struggle, and I was terrified of what I would potentially find behind my sister's closed bedroom door. 'Aly,' I called out weakly, hoping—praying—wishing—I would get a reply…but I never did."

Closing her eyes and releasing a shuddering exhale, Leo can tell that she's readying herself to finish her story. This memory is a painful one for her, there's no doubt about it. However, he can tell that it's also a memory that she needs to get out, a memory that she needs to finally deal with. 

With her eyes still closed, she begins to finish her story. "When I opened my sister's door, it was as if my worst nightmares came to life. My sister was there inside, her naked form battered, bloody, and alone. She was bound to her bed helpless with her throat slit." 

Victoria can't help herself, the emotions are too much to bottle away this time, and so she begins to cry. Opening her eyes, she knows that Leo probably thinks her weak, but she can't bring herself to care.

Unaware of Victoria's feelings about crying in front of him, Leo can't help but feel sorry for her. Coming across someone you love more than anything in the world in such a situation… he can't imagine how he'd feel. He doubts that he'd be taking it much differently than she is now, if he is to be honest with himself.

Not wanting her to fend completely for herself, he throws caution to the wind and reaches out to grasp her hand in his in a comforting manner. Last time he tried something like this, she had pulled a knife on him, but he didn't care if that happened again. He doesn't want her to feel like she has to deal with this alone.

When their hands touch, Leo expects her to at the very least pull away, but she doesn't. Whether it's because she's too mentally exhausted to threaten him or his hand is exactly what she needs at the moment, he doesn't know and doesn't care. He wraps her small hand in his and gently squeezes it in a comforting manner, and she allows him to do so.

At Leo's touch, she begins to cry even harder, the pent up tears finally breaking free. "My sister's once beautiful blue eyes were an awful milky white when I found her. She couldn't even growl at me because her throat was slit, instead there were only terribly harsh gurgling noises." 

Turning her head to face Leo, her eyes brimming with emotion connected with his once more. Her dark blue eyes reminded him of a raging ocean during a storm, the tears streaming down her flushed cheeks only cementing that image further.

"The raped, tortured, and murdered my sister, Leo. And if that wasn't enough, those sick monsters left Alison to turn. That is why I hate them so much. That is why I plan to kill every last one of those savage fucks. So I ask you, will you help me?" She finishes strongly, her normally soft voice thick with frosty rage and sorrow.

[Quest: Revenge, a Dish Best Served Cold]

Fueled by rage and motivated by vengeance, Victoria requests your assistance on her quest for revenge!

The Grizzlies have proven themselves to be monsters of the worst kind that takes advantage of the weak and helpless. This is your chance to avenge all of their victims and help a friend in need.

Objective: Eliminate the Grizzlies.

Reward: +1000 Exp, +5 stat points, a Title.

Do you accept?

[Y/N]

He didn't even read the quest description before making up his mind. Victoria was his friend, and his friend is in need of him. Looking deeply into her eyes, he gives her an answer that will tie their paths together there onward.

"I will help you."