"The Junkers," she said, "they're coming."

Elizabeth and Ryan stared off into the distance. All that could be seen was a cloud of orange dust, but they both knew what it meant.

"Elizabeth, we have to go," Ryan said. He tugged on her arm, but it was no use. She wouldn't move. "Elizabeth!" he shouted. "Let's go!" He was tugging vehemently, yet she refused to leave.

She shook her head and yanked her arm from his grip. "No, Ryan. I'm not going anywhere." She was stern, and Ryan had never seen such a serious look on her face.

To think, just six months ago, Elizabeth could have never ever given a care. Life was nothing more to her than a party. But as soon as The Junkers took over and the world went to shit, it was like a rubber band snapped in her head. In hindsight, Ryan didn't remember seeing a smile on her face ever since The Junkers' Revolution. Then again, there was good reason. When a pack of addicts kill your only child — the only family you have — you're sure to lose yourself.

Ryan sighed. He stopped trying and decided to stand with Elizabeth. He knew two Los Angeles-based stick figures who barely had 250 pounds between each other would be no match for a large group of post-apocalyptic gangsters, but he'd be damned if he let Elizabeth die alone.

They watched silently as the cloud of orange dust and sand engulfed them and the motorcyclists circled around them, coming to a stop in a matter of minutes. If their intention was to intimidate, they were doing a damn good job. Ryan was a few grunts and growls from pissing himself. His eyes alternated between Elizabeth and The Junkers, hoping maybe she would change her mind, but there was no sign of a swaying. She stood right where she was, eyes fixed on the leader as she got off her bicycle.

She was a skeleton. The thin red lines on her arms revealed her faction, and her sunken face tried all it could to project anger. "You're standing in our territory," she said. Her voice was just barely loud enough to hear. Ryan could feel himself shaking. "Do you have a death wish?"

Ryan was speechless. His eyes continued to flicker between his friend and the skeleton woman, and his breathing began to hitch.

Elizabeth didn't respond either. She just stared at the woman angrily.

Before half a year ago, Ryan would never call himself afraid of some heroin-addict. However, seeing the mass destruction The Junkers had caused across the country, he definitely was a bit on edge. So much so that it gave him a start when he heard Elizabeth's raspy voice yell loudly.

"My name is Elizabeth Berg," she said, "and you killed my family."