[b][u]Nero[/u][/b]

Nero drove quietly as the wind was coming through windshield and hitting them both, he sighed as he looked over at Shawn who was huddled over to the side staring off into space. Now that he had time to think of his actions perhaps he had been a bit too hard on Shawn back on the road, he was just a kid and he smacked him across the face like and insensitive prick. Even though Shawn had to learn how the real world was now, beating it into him was not the way that Nero wanted to show him, he had let his anger get the better of him and that worried him. It just seemed like the longer he went on the less control he had over himself when it came to emotions and critical situations. Nero was losing it, the solid rock he once had been was cracking more an more the longer this world remained a place of death. Nero did not fear death as much as he feared what might happen if by some chance his mind were to just snap. To become what he had long fought against, his very enemy becoming his closest friend, that was something he just didn't think he could become. Yet the old Nero would have never smacked Shawn like that when he was struggling just to keep himself together, was he becoming a monster now himself? What could you do when all your memories seem to fade away, and in your mind your hope is gone and you have no more good thoughts to keep you sane? Had that man who attacked them been a good man before all this began?

It was easy to believe that the men who stole and killed others were like that even before this happened, but when you force someone to survive in a world like this, kill who they love and drive them to the point of desperation... even a good man can become bad. This is what Nero feared for himself, that his hopelessness and his emotions would drive him to a point where he did not care anymore what he did to others, that like the man on the road would just kill them and not even give it a second thought. Looking over at Shawn Nero reached his free hand over and placed it on the boys shoulder and squeezed, slowly he brought his head up and looked at Nero with red puffy eye's, had he been crying the whole time in silence?

[b]"I'm sorry Shawn about what I did back on the road, I let my anger get the best of me, it does not make it right my apologizing but... even though you think I am strong I am not as strong as you might think. This world has taken its toll on me too, and even I question if there is any point in continuing on when I hold no hope that his can ever end. I am not one to share my emotions or things about myself, but perhaps that is also why I hold so much anger within myself, I was lonely before this began because I was too stubborn to share my life with the people I loved, even my son."[/b]

Nero averted his eye's as they were tearing up slightly, he held the tears back however unable to let himself ever cry in front of someone, Nero then felt a hand on his own, looking over Shawn had put his hand over Nero's on his shoulder. Shakily Shawn spoke as he sniffled a for a couple seconds:

[b][I]"My life was not all that much better, my father and my Uncle I loved them with all my heart, but we did not always get along or see things eye to eye. They loved me but they couldn't accept who I was, they always wanted me to be more like a man like they were. I couldn't tell them a lot of things about myself because of that, I spent most of my time alone I didn't have any friends. When this happened... I don't know everything just... seemed to stop for me, all the things I had hoped to do... gone. I was lost from the very start and now I can't say I have found any footing. However... when you slapped me I began to think that perhaps, its time to start growing up and stop crying, crying did not help me when that man was attacking me. He just kept coming as if it urged him on, I am going to try to do better I promise you."[/I][/b]

Nero looked over at Shawn as he gave his shoulder another squeeze, he had strength in him and that was always a good sign, returning his eye's to the road Nero looked ahead and to his surprise he saw a large group of people, they seemed to be getting into trucks.

[b]"Oh great not more people..."[/b]

Nero had no real intention of stopping even for a second with that many people in one place, not after the last time, instead he quickly switched lanes and went to the farthest lane away from them.

[b]"Hang on Shawn were going to go through quick as possible, don't worry."[/b]

Nero put his foot on the gas, the speedometer went up to 100 as he came up on the side of the group and in an instant he flew by them and left them in the dust, looking in the mirror they didn't seem to be trying to follow him, that was good at least, but Nero kept the speed up just in case. He had no intention of repeating the last incident.