#dexfitz

DEXTER:

      He was analytical to a fault, blue gaze ever watchful of the shadows which danced against the almost eerily purifying snow that had blanketed the place. Any other time, Dexter would have enjoyed the snow. That was one of the things he had missed while he was on tour overseas, the snow. It had always been his favorite, especially when Stephanie was smaller and was able to go sledding with him while their parents sat inside talking with their colleagues. It was their special moment, the first fresh snow, Dexter missed it. 

      There was a beautiful snow that covered the overgrown and dilapidating building, he was sure it was a pharmacy or two level market and it seemed as if the loading docks hadn't been touched. Which really didn't mean a whole lot where Dexter was concerned. There was always danger and it was everywhere.

      His gaze shifted from the building to the brunette he'd been partnered with; she'd been in the Sanctuary longer than he and she'd been doing these 'runs' longer but he was still wary on her skill. Dexter would have preferred to do this alone but he understood the necessity of partnership. None of her time or experienced mattered really, neither did Dexter's and becoming a Marine certainly was not a picnic in the woods. 

      The tall scruffy man shifted his pack some and returned his gaze to the building, the obstacle they were to master in order to get supplies for the rest. "We should check out the building first, secure the perimeter." He nodded, mostly to himself and as if that were the only option they had for their scavenging mission.

MARLEY:

      The world was quiet around them --too quiet, where the only noises to be heard were their feet crunching in the snow and their own breathing. It left an uneasy feeling in her gut, like getting here had been too simple, too fast, without enough having gone wrong. She felt like they would have to pay for their easy journey before they returned to the Sanctuary, one way or another. 

      There were many happy memories of winters and Christmases spent with her father in their Chicago home, but none of them filled her head then. She had shut them out long ago, locked into a small, dark corner of her brain that was not to be looked into ever again, if she could help it. This was her life, now. This is what winter would be for her, from now on. Remembering would do her no good.

      Marley glanced at Dexter when he spoke, only for a moment long enough to offer him a nod and continue surveying the world around them. Regardless of specific skill or experience, anyone who had made it this far without being in a place like the Sanctuary had to have had something valuable for survival. Between the pair of them, at the very least, no one could say they weren't paying attention. 

      So she made a round of the building, checking in windows and searching for emergency exit routes, should the need arise. She counted at least five of the dead roaming the ground floor, though there certainly could have been more, but there were only two up top. When she rounded the corner back to where they'd began, she nodded to an old dumpster they could use to climb into the second story window. "At least five of 'em below, only saw two slow ones up top. We should stay up there if we can." Another gesture towards the dumpster, and she was off at a steady pace, stepping first on the sides of her feet before rolling onto the balls of her toes so she was silent, even in the snow.

DEXTER:

      As Mars went around the building, despite his wariness to not separate them, Dexter went to check out the loading dock. Per his previous observation, the garage like door had not been tampered with, however, that didn't mean nothing had happened or that it hadn't already been ransacked but there was a chance of supplies. Sniffling thoughtfully Dex nodded as Mars returned and reported on her observation. A wise gaze wandered over the building, his head nodding as she gestured and moved off, there was a twinge in his chest, moving without orders, but this wasn't the Marines. 

      Clearing his throat Dexter shifted his pack one more time, gaze moving over their surroundings before he followed Marley towards the dumpster, eyes scanning the fire escape which was half encompassed by vines covered in fresh snow. The clothing was only slightly limiting but the brisk weather made Dexter wish he had a third layer. Maybe he'd see if he could pick up another layer of some sort. Reaching the dumpster the Marine squatted down some to offer his hands as a boost to Marley, first putting a finger to his lips to signal they needed to be as quiet as possible climbing on the snow covered metal dumpster, hopefully a boost would aid in their silence. "Be careful," he spoke, sincerity in his deep blue gaze, this was more than a mission for supplies and Dex would be fucking damned if he let anything happen to his partner, whether or not she felt the same didn't matter, he was loyal to a fault.

MARLEY:

      Unsurprisingly to anyone who had met Marley, she would not have fared well in the Marines, or anything like it. Though she was physically capable of great exertion, she had never been one to take orders well. In fact, her entire upbringing had circled around the idea that authority ought to be questioned, and her father's proudest moment was the first time (of many) that his daughter turned the line of questioning onto him.  Naturally, now that the world had gone upside down, Mars had only taken her independence even further any chance she found. 

      She glanced back at him, resisting the urge to narrow her eyes at the tone of his voice. It bothered her more that he DIDN'T sound like he was scolding her, or expecting her not to take care, but that he sounded... like he meant it. Instead, she nodded and took his offer of help, bouncing off his hands and using her arms to catch her weight on the edge of the dumpster, moving as slowly as possible to avoid clanging about. Once up there, she adjusted her position so that she could offer Dexter her hand, and refused to consider the possibility that her brain would have normally told her was the most likely outcome ---that he would ignore the hand and make her look foolish, that she would have looked weaker for accepting his help when he hadn't done the same. She knew it didn't matter. It was easier to believe that when they were out here, in the cold, with their lives and those back at Sanctuary on the line.

DEXTER:

      Ever vigilant, Dexter's gaze watched their surroundings as Mars took his offer up on the dumpster, she was agile he would give her that. Even in his younger days, Dex would trust people too easily, be loyal to them as if he and they were the closest of friends when in reality they would simply use him for his kindness and the lengths he would go for those he considered friends. It was a weakness, he learned that eventually, the really fucking hard way, was scorned by love ad well. The only thing that ever really gave him anything promising was the Marines, it was a great part of his life, that and his sister. Now both of those were gone.

      Dexter had every intention of going in first this time, his brain worked in a strict manner; security, survival, and perseverance. Dex had survived thus far on pure instinct, the government spent to much time and money teaching him how to survive for him not to. 

      Glancing back at Mars he nodded up to the window and smirked slightly, "think you can hoist me up a bit?" There was a mild tone of teasing in his voice but he didn't push it too far, it wasn't that he didn't believe she could, she had also survived up to this point, Dex was sure she was strong. "I can pull myself up if you can get me to the edge. I'd like to secure the room."

MARLEY:

      In all and utter fairness, Marley was not exempt from being one of those people. She would do what she could (within reason) to help others --in this case, Dexter-- out of trouble (as long as the trouble wasn't too deep), and she would make sacrifices (small ones) for her partners' wellbeing. It took someone special, or a situation truly out of the ordinary, to get more than brief consideration out of Mars. She was, at her core, a survivor. She had done it on her own long before the infection spread, and she would continue to put herself first now ---maybe even to a more extreme degree. She only hoped their run would be as unevetful as could be expected, and that sort of duty wouldn't be asked of her. 

      She didn't miss his tone, and rolled her eyes good-naturedly in response. As she did so, she gave him the boost he needed to reach the edge, settling into a solid stance and thrusting him upwards in as much of a smooth, controlled motion as she could manage in the snow. A coating of ice had formed atop the old dumpster, and as she put in the effort, her foot slipped. For a moment, her throat tumbled into her guts, but the only noise she let out was a brisk inhale between her teeth. It all happened in the blink of an eye, but her reaction time was swift, and she braced the knee of her solid foot against the wall, re-balancing herself. She had, to her credit, not forgotten Dexter in her surprise, and cast a glance back up to him. She nodded, reassuring him that all was well on her end, and gave him a final shove up to the ledge of the window.