chapter 2 The skeptic and the wheelman

The motorcycle is driven by a tall, leather-clad figure with a red bandana tied around their face. They swerve to avoid Ben's car, but not before locking eyes with him.

"Friend or foe?" the ZAS muses. "Only one way to find out."

Without hesitating, Ben slams on the brakes, skidding to a halt just inches from the motorcycle. The driver spins around, revving the engine and glaring at him through the dust.

"You could've killed me, asshole!" they shout, voice muffled by the bandana.

"Sorry, I didn't see you there," Ben calls back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I was too busy trying to evade a horde of flesh-eating zombies, you know, no big deal."

The stranger's eyes widen at this, and they slowly lower their bandana, revealing a young woman's face, smudged with dirt and grime but with a pair of piercing green eyes.

"You're joking, right?" she asks, her hand hovering near the holster on her hip. "You're not seriously telling me that there's an actual zombie apocalypse happening right now?""Oh, no, not at all," Ben deadpans, rolling his eyes. "I'm just out here joyriding in an abandoned car, wearing a zombie-proof hazmat suit for fun. The apocalypse thing is just a really well-executed prank."

The woman stares at him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, without warning, she bursts out laughing.

"Well, shit, if it's a prank, you sure went all out for it," she chuckles, holstering her gun and dismounting from the motorcycle.The woman introduces herself as Roxy, and wastes no time in letting Ben know what she thinks of his outlandish claims.

"Look, Wheelman," she says, her eyes gleaming with amusement, "I'll play along with this little role-play of yours for now, but if this is some sort of twisted game, I'm gonna put you out of your misery myself. Fair warning."With a huff of laughter, Ben shakes his head. "Whatever you say, Roxy. Just try not to shoot me before I can prove I'm not messing with you."

Roxy rolls her eyes and hops back on her motorcycle, motioning for Ben to follow. "Alright, fine. But I'm not letting you out of my sight. You look like the type to lead me into a trap and then double-cross me for the loot."

With that, she revs the engine and zooms off, leaving Ben no choice but to chase after her.

As they speed through the city streets, weaving between abandoned cars and piles of rubble, Roxy and Ben begin to develop a tenuous rhythm. She leads, scouting ahead for danger, and he follows, using the car as a battering ram to clear their path.

Roxy can't help but begrudgingly admit that Ben's driving skills are pretty impressive, even as she swears that she'll be the first to eat her words if he turns out to be lying.As the pair navigates the city's treacherous landscape, Ben's ZAS continues to offer its input, sometimes helpful, sometimes snarky.

"Detected: A potential ally has been recruited. The odds of survival have increased by 0.3%," the ZAS reports in its monotone voice.

Ben smirks, glancing at Roxy. "Hey, look at that, ZAS thinks you're a potential ally."

Roxy scoffs, but there's a hint of amusement in her voice. "Pfft, a whole 0.3%, huh?The duo approaches a particularly dangerous stretch of road, where a barricade has been set up by a rival group of survivors. Roxy slows the motorcycle to a crawl, squinting through the dust.

"Looks like someone's not keen on visitors," she mutters.

Ben, ever the opportunist, spies a potential way through the barricade. "Think you can handle this, Roxy?" he asks, pointing to a narrow gap between two of the cars. "I'll clear the way, you make a break for it."Roxy nods, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "You better not mess this up, Wheelman. My bike ain't made for off-roading."

Ben grins, relishing the challenge. "Don't worry, Roxy. I'll get you through."

With that, he floors the gas pedal, ramming the car into the side of the barricade with a deafening crunch of metal. The gap widens just enough for Roxy to squeeze her motorcycle through, and she accelerates, barely making it past the horde of zombies that have been drawn to the noise.As Roxy zooms away from the barricade, Ben follows in the car, a cloud of dust trailing behind him. The ZAS speaks up again, clearly impressed by their escape.

"Initiating: Level Up. New perk unlocked: 'Teamwork.' Your survival odds have increased by 2.1%," the ZAS announces.

Ben snorts. "Teamwork, huh? Looks like you're finally warming up to Roxy, ZAS."

But the system doesn't respond, its voice retreating back into the shadows.Roxy leads the way through the maze of streets, her motorcycle zigzagging around obstacles and roadblocks. The city is crumbling around them, but she seems to know exactly where she's going.

Eventually, they reach a large, fortified building with a massive steel gate blocking the entrance. Roxy hops off her motorcycle and approaches the gate, yelling for the guards inside.

"Open up, ya morons! It's Roxy!"A bearded guard with a shotgun peeks out from a small window in the gate, eyeing Ben and Roxy with suspicion. "Roxy? You're back already? And who's this clown with you?"

"Just open the damn gate, Fletch!" Roxy shouts, crossing her arms over her chest. "You know I ain't gonna let this city get the best of me."

Fletch rolls his eyes, but reluctantly slides open the gate, ushering them both inside.

Roxy turns to Ben with a smirk.

"Welcome to Sanctuary," Roxy says, gesturing to the sprawl of buildings around them. "It's not much, but it's the safest spot in the city—unless you've got a secret zombie-proof bunker stashed somewhere that you haven't told me about?"

Ben raises an eyebrow, impressed by the setup. "I'll keep my cards close to my chest for now, Roxy. But I gotta say, you know how to pick 'em."

Roxy shrugs nonchalantly. "Eh, I just know how to survive.

Ben follows Roxy as she makes her way through the maze of hallways and rooms, trying to take in as much of Sanctuary as he can. It's not the coziest place he's ever been, but it's certainly better than being out on the streets with the undead.

"So what's the deal here, Roxy? Is this place run by some sort of mad dictator or benevolent overlord?" Ben asks, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Roxy scoffs. "It's more like a 'might makes right' kinda deal."See, Sanctuary's run by a guy named Marv," Roxy continues. "He's a former biker gang leader, so you can imagine the kind of authority he commands around here. He's not exactly a dictator, but he's not exactly a teddy bear either. You cross him, and you're zombie food."

Ben raises an eyebrow. "So, how does someone like you fit into that equation? You seem more like the 'screw authority' type."

Roxy grins. "Oh, I am. But Marv and I have an understanding."See, I'm what you'd call a 'runner' around here," Roxy explains, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I go out into the city, scavenge for supplies, and bring them back to Sanctuary. And in exchange, Marv lets me keep a little bit of whatever I find."

Ben smirks. "Sounds like a pretty sweet gig. How'd you land that deal?"

Roxy shrugs. "It's simple, really. Marv's a tough guy, but he's not an idiot.