[i]Collab with Joshua15555.[/i]

Chris did not lower the rifle at the stranger's request, but at Tony's. She kept it aimed on the stranger for as long as it took him to explain himself and for her to check him over for visible undead-related injuries. When Tony quietly urged her to think carefully, she slowly lowered the gun. She knew how Tony would be looking at this situation; another person to watch their backs, help them achieve their goals, regroup with humanity, and all that crap. But this wasn't a damn video game.

He picked the baton up from the leaves and offered it to her. “Who are you?” she asked the stranger, taking the baton from from Tony's hand and wrapping her fingers tight around the handle. 

"Joshua." He stated, letting out a breath as he stepped forward, putting away his knife and Glock. However he didn't strap the pistol in, he simply set it on safe and let it sit in the holster, his hand resting on it, ready to be drawn if he needed to. He watched her carefully as he took a few more short steps forward.

"Now that I said who I was I'd like for you to tell me who you two are. Seems only reasonable." Joshua said cautiously.

She kept the rifle in her hand, its strap dangling in the undergrowth of the woods. "Chris. This is Tony." She gestured to her friend, who waved at Joshua. 

"There's a town on the other side of these woods," Tony blurted. She tapped his thigh with the end of the baton and shot him a glare. Excellent, she thought, now he knows where we're going. Tony shut up then, biting his bottom lip as if the rest of their plans were going to fly out of his mouth if he didn't stop them.

She faced Joshua again and pulled the rifle onto her shoulder. A sign of good will, but nothing stupid. If he attacked them, she knew exactly where to hit to disable him, at least long enough to get the hell out of the woods. "Give me a reason to trust you. A good one."

"I can't really, and it's pretty foolish to try. Just because you trust me, what stops you from stabbing me in the back? Not a lot." Joshua said, stopping his slow advance. He really couldn't find a reason, he was going to the town and ransack it and keep moving towards the inner United States, to get away from the highly populated coast.

He had a point, but Chris would rather keep someone she trusted and might have a use for alive, with their back intact. She chose not to tell the stranger this. If he wouldn't cooperate, she wouldn't mind leaving him behind. For now, with Tony's stupid puppy dog eyes threatening to work on her any minute, she would let this guy off. She waved her hand, letting Tony pick up the conversation.

"Hello," he said, smiling sweetly. Like an idiot. "Are you heading to the town too? Would you like to come with us?"

"I wouldn't mind a group until we get there. When we arrive we can reconsider if we want to keep moving together. Can I head over and grab my gear, it's not far from here." Joshua said, watching the previously silent Tony.

Tony nodded, like an excited child, and turned to grin at his best friend. She fought the impulse to roll her eyes and nodded too. "We'll come with you, then to the town," Tony said, already walking towards where Joshua had come from. Chris followed him closely, eyeing Joshua all the while.

"You guys can wait there, not I don't... trust you, its a personal thing." Joshua said, waving his hand away from them, still walking to his gear. The guy seemed too friendly, too quick to trust. He'd have been just like the female, Chris, with someone like himself. After a little longer he arrived at his gear, he threw off the leaves and picked up the assault pack, throwing it on his back and moving back to return to Chris and Tony, provided they had listened to him in the first place.

More than happy to leave this guy to his business, Chris put out an arm and stopped Tony. He halted immediately, of course. She kept one hand on his arm and one on the baton, eyeing the trees. By the time Joshua came back, she gave him a quick once-over and nodded in approval. Whatever he had in that pack, she'd figure out if it posed a threat to her and Tony later. 

She started towards the town at a quick pace and Tony followed.