That night after the group made it back safely to the building, they introduced the jones familly to the two sisters who welcomed them.
They all sat around a big table for dinner that Jenny cooked with the help of Katniss.
For the first time since long, morgan sat again in such a light mood alongside his family and other people, talking and speaking with some smiles.
The fear and exhaution were still there, hanging over them suffocatingly.
But at least now there is hope.
A hope for small safe moments like those to expand, who knows...
Maybe one day they won't be living in this fear anymore, just...maybe.
"I'm telling ya, that boy was reckless and he only listens to you, princess, so go and give him a scolding later" Billy smirked as he talked to Ciri who laughed getting comfortable with the new people around her.
Sasuke shot unamused glare at Billy and just kept drinking his cup of water smiling at Ciri who was laughing to Billy's jokes.
"I hate to be the one to put this wonderful mood down but can i have your attention please? Everyone" Sasuke spoke softly.
And everyone here comes to know that he was a man whose words and opinion hold weight, even katniss who came to know about the crazy things he can do from Billy.
From his amazing skills with blades and fighting, his accuracy when throwing things, to his immensely strong body, intelligence and instincts.
She never thought he was that strong, and even wondered if they were overestimating him.
But no one here seems to do that, not even Jenny as she explained how impressed she was with how many walkers he killed along the road back here.
Thus everyone nodded stopping their talks and Billy told him to speak, already sensing another issue in the way.
The boy seems to be hellbent on showing how deepshit the world they are living in is.
"There are 7 people here, i figured that everyone here has an experience regarding this new world and i wanted to exchange what we know so far, maybe we can benefit others with things they didn't know. I will go first"
They all nodded, this short safe period only means that tomorrow will be another day of struggling to survive in this world.
"So first, walkers...we know that a bite would turn you into one of them, right?" They nodded again and Katniss talked about what she got to know with some sadness.
"It starts with fever, burning fever, that's what Grandfather felt before...he locked himself" jenny held her hand showing her support.
"The time to turn after that varies, it can be few minutes, can be hours" that was Butcher and Morgan said he witnessed one turn within half an hour outside his house.
Sasuke nodded as his tortured victim turned after 10 minutes.
"Yeah, their weakness is the head, the brain to be more exact, otherwise no matter how much damage you inflict, they just keep going on to have a piece of you. So always aim for that"
Sasuke spoke, and emphasized that to the youngest of them more.
It was painful to talk to kids about killing but necessary in this world.
They all need to know those things.
"Next, they are attracted to sound the most, they can see, and smell. So never risk any of that, and of course a physical contact would alert them whether it is an item or your body"
"They are more active at night, don't know if it's just that or due to the cold but yeah, night isn't good time to wander" Morgan said his piece, something many here didn't know.
"So, be sure not to be bitten, scratched or have any blood or saliva of theirs into your system, we don't know how the infection can work so it's better to be cautious with all the possibilities.
For kids, don't...never ever face one. Always run to someplace safe and hide. We will be there to keep you safe but just in case something happens, run and hide in safe place and don't make noise or open it until you hear one of us talking. okay?"
Duan and Ciri both nodded, they took every word seriously being that both saw those things and were scared of them.
"What i am about to add may be disturbing, but it's of utmost importance" Sasuke said making Billy think about the turning without the bite issue but again, Sasuke surprised him with a new piece of info.
"Some walkers, in rare cases. 1 witnessed by me so far, can still make some intellectuel actions" this surprised all of them, they all know that walkers while aggressive, are dumb.
They just stand there or run to catch you, they don't ride vehicles, use weapons, or climb things like ladders.
"What d'ya mean exactly by intellect Sasuke?"
"One of them turned a knob earlier, it was clumsy but the action was human, exactly of someone who knows what the knob's function is.
I think it was something like an instinct that remained there in him. Tho it was only the knob, it didn't show any similar action to weapons or the window. And it just gave up after some time" He still didn't know how to feel about this.
He remembered hearing a noise from the door while rummaging through a store inside the mall.
And when he went to see the source he saw from the glass door how the walker kept twisting the knob like it knew how to open the door.
Thankfully he always locked them for good measure.
But the walker stopped after some time and kept banging its head on the glass.
"So, always make sure your doors are locked the correct way, i will teach those who don't know how to secure the door if the lock isn't working or is destroyed. With different situations tomorrow. This is mainly the reason i used this time to tell you about this"
"And you did good, dammit! Such a thing would've resulted in a disaster...so now we need to always live with the idea that some of them can open doors and such?"
Billy held his head as the idea itself sounded unbelievable, but it was sasuke speaking. He trusted his words.
"Yeah, so from this moment. Everyone here won't do anything solo, be it while on runs or staying home. What's more...while scavenging a home, a store, a place...anything.
secure all doors and windows before doing anything. And by secure i mean more than just close them. Use what i will teach tomorrow" with that Sasuke sat filling another cup of water for himself.
" So windows, doors and locks should always be barricaded or locked with something more complex, not something that can be opened with a twist" Billy tapped the table getting their attention. It became clear that walkers were more dangerous than they thought.
"Anything we didn't mention?. You can speak about anything you noticed, even the ones you think are small. It can save our lives"
It was Katniss who raised her hand next to show she had something to add.
"Yeah Katniss"
"I used to watch the outside through the windows when bored, and i figured something out. Walkers somehow are attracted to each other. For example, one is in a garage, standing still doing whatever it was. For a long time.
If no noise or human attracts it, they stay like that. But i saw them do an action, all of them" seeing everyone listening closely she continued.
"Those walkers tend to follow other walkers like them.
I saw one pass by the garage, and the walker inside who was there for two days straight turned, and joined him in walking away mindlessly. What's more...many of them do that action. They see a nearby walker then join them in whatever they are doing" she explained in a clear tone detailing what she saw and knew about them.
"So That's how they forms their big groups? Like a pack of jackals"
"And herds are dangerous, you don't fight them. Just find a way to run as far from them"
"Herd? That's how you call it?" Morgan asked. Getting a nod from Sasuke.
It was actually a term from zombie movies and games but in this world no one knows what a zombie is nor have they heard anything about it before this.
It was also why many of them didn't know how to deal with them in the start, Billy always said that they had figured their weak points very late.
"Accurate, herd...i like it" Billy liked the term, but hated the subject of it to the bone...herds , as sasuke called them equal destruction.
They destroy whatever is alive in front of them.
"So i think that's all for now, have some rest and we will see each other tomorrow"
With that they bid farewell and sasuke ruturned with Ciri and Katniss to his apartment.
Billy? Billy moved to another apartment with the same annoying smirk he tossed at Sasuke as if saying.
' you can't use me as an excuse anymore now can you? So make a move '
----
The next morning the group gathered on the lowest floor with wood planks and nails.
They all thought that even tho the building is safe from the walkers, barricading the windows on the first few floors would be better.
Just in case someone tried to break in using a ladder or something.
Thus, for hours they worked together making the place more clean and safe.
Morgan joined as he'd decided to head back to his house in the afternoon with Billy while Sasuke would go to the fast food store and retrieve the remaining supplies there.
At noon they grouped for lunch, Sasuke instructed the ones who will remain here what to do and gave them a CB for emergencies.
Katniss told him she will go with him while Jenny, Duan and Ciri stay in his apartment.
The store wasn't that far and he can be back in 3 minutes if he runs at full speed. Thus he wasn't that worried.
His traps can keep others for more than 3 minutes as everyone saw this morning how they work and how to trigger them.
So he agreed to her request and soon they checked their gear as the two groups separated once outside.
Katniss and Sasuke turned right while Billy followed Morgan south toward the house armed with the rifle Sasuke gave him alongside the shotgun and smoke bombs.
"Let's keep contact with each other on the CB."
With a farewell bidding each other luck they headed to their next point.