Mark watched Mari leave, muttering out under his breath. "I'm not avoiding her..." Lowering his eyes to the ground, he exhaled heavily. Quickly moving back to the bench, he snatched up his backpack and headed back out toward the church. Maybe Mari had a point. He hated to do this... but hiding was getting him nowhere. As he walked up to the church, he did notice that a vast majority of the people here were women. Most of the soldiers were men and a few kids were boys... but there was a definite imbalance in gender. The moment he was within earshot, the women around the yard stopped talking to look at him with bright smiles. Some even tried to welcome him over to join them. Giving them nice smiles, he politely turned them down. One woman started to approach him, saying sweetly. "I don't think we have properly met. My name is-" Mark extended a hand to shake her hand, when Amy came rushing from the church. Hopping down the last few steps, Amy snatched his hand to keep him from touching her and cut off the woman to say loud and giddily. "MARK! There you are! How did your meeting go?"

Mark raised an eyebrow, gesturing to the woman. Amy ignored her, taking his arm to lead him away from the church as she told him more casually. "Just go with it. Some of these women are such vultures." Amy led him to a quiet place along the church yard, asking him more calmly. "So? How did it go?" Mark shuffled his feet, avoiding her eyes as he reluctantly replied. "Amy... Is there anywhere more private that we can go to talk?" Amy nodded, touching his cheek as she said sweetly. "Ya. Sure." Mark leaned a bit into her hand. After being touched by Sean for so long, Amy felt... tiny and fragile. Amy lowered her hand, saying simply. "We can go to my room. OH! I forgot something! Wait right here!" Amy dashed off back to the church with excited squeals. Leaving Mark to lean back against the little orange tree. While waiting, he saw Kenny bring an armful of wood to a preacher. The preacher thanked him as Kenny told him happily. "It's no problem. Just save some of the chili for me later." The Preacher nodded, heading back into the church. Mark wasn't going to think anything of it, until a woman shouted out in glee. "Kenny?!"

Kenny's body tensed and even at a distance Mark could hear him utter out with disappointment. "Of fuck..." Kenny tried to jog away when a woman rushed out from behind the church to cut him off. Flashing him a smile, the short woman giggled and asked him playfully. "Where are you running off too, Kenny?" Kenny slowly backed up, nervously chuckling out. "I'm just... running errands. How have you been, Lucy?" Mark raised a hand to try and get Kenny's attention, but it was too late. Another woman snuck up behind him to hug him, causing Kenny to yelp in fear. The woman hugged Kenny close, purring over his shoulder. "Whoa. Careful, Kenny. A girl might get offended. Wasn't it you who said that only Zombies startle you?" Kenny chuckled nervously some more, twisting out of her grip as he said. "I did say that... but that was before people found out that I was single..." Lucy touched Kenny's hips, causing him to jump away and tell them a bit uneasily. "Well... I'd love to stay but... I've got to go." The other woman managed to grab his wrist, pulling him closer as she purred out. "Oh? I don't hear your mother calling you. Why not stay awhile? You're so tense. Tell us about your adventures outside the walls?"

Kenny carefully pried her hands off, nicely retorting. "You know, I'd love to... but we both know that's not what you want to do with me... And I just don't have the time. I'm sorry." Lucy skimmed a hand up his thigh, purring out herself. "Oh? How long does it take?" The girls giggled, causing Kenny to blush and stammer out. "I... I'm... Ladies, Please? It's not you, I just don't want to be that kind of-" Mari skipped across the lawn, withdrawing her katana to whack the church's gutters. The gutter shook and then broke to spill water and leaves all over Kenny and the women. The women screamed, running away in different directions. Kenny spit water, then looked directly at Mari with a wet but grateful look. Mari smirked, sheathing her katana before tripping over the broken gutter and falling across the grass. Kenny laughed, shaking wet leaves from his hair as he called out sweetly. "Mari? You ok?" Quickly Mari sprang up onto her feet, continuing on her way as she stated back. "I'm good." Kenny flicked the last leaf off him, jogging away toward Mark as he warned him in passing. "Watch your back, man."

Mark chuckled out a reply as Kenny jogged past. "I can see why you stay out so much." Kenny laughed, when another woman sprang down from a nearby porch, yelling out to him with glee. "Kenny! You're back!" Kenny slipped on the grass, falling on his ass as he tried to change direction too quickly. Mark laughed, listening to Kenny curse and scramble to his feet to take off running before she reached him. Even as Kenny ran down the street like a Hunter was on his ass... The woman ran after him laughing like it was game. Mark's laughter died a bit. That was a really frightening idea. Were the women here so desperate for affection in these dark times that they were practically hunting men? Mark shivered but chuckled to himself. Kenny was in trouble if he didn't change those wet clothes. His white tank top was clinging to his six-pack abs and it certainly wasn't helping to deter their attention to him. When a hand touched his arm, Mark yelped and jumped aside. Amy blinked at him, then held a plastic container better in her hands as she muttered out. "Oh god... Not you too. I swear, it's becoming contagious."

Mark inhaled to calm himself, before asking her curiously. "So? You've noticed the manhunt going on?" Amy rolled her eyes, mumbling out. "Yes... Can you blame them? The selections are kind of low and who knows how many men are left on this planet." Mark blinked, mumbling out a little confused. "I don't think I understand... Why do they think that?" Amy beckoned him to follow her, answering coolly. "Well, think about it. Men are basically programed to protect their families. They are fighters. Half the men that came with these women died saving them from some attack or another. And being here has caused a lot of primal urges to kick in..." Mark raised an eyebrow, asking softly. "Primal urges?" Amy chuckled, telling him casually. "Sorry. Working as an intern for scientists has made me weird. What I mean is that, this is a safe area. So, naturally nature tells an animal that is endangered that when the environment is favorable... It's time to breed." Mark swallowed anxiously. Amy gestured around them, continuing on. "The people have been here a long time. They feel safe. They have moved on from their losses. Now they are thinking about... families. They're trying to snatch up the desirable men before we lose them to some other disaster."

Amy stopped in front of a Bed & Breakfast, beckoning him up the steps with a smile. Mark took one last look at the road. He could see Mari arguing in the distance with two men that appeared to be more of her brothers. Turning slightly, he began to wonder if she was trying to convince them to go save Zero and Sean. Amy's hand turned his chin back to her, asking him with soft eyes. "Mark? Come on. Didn't you have something you wanted to tell me?" Mark nodded, following her up into the house. Amy led him up some stairs to a set of bedrooms and opened the door for him. The room was a decent size and had plenty of natural light. Amy closed the door, locking it before moving up behind him to kiss his shoulder. Mark stiffened, feeling uneasy. Amy moved to the bed, patting the corner as she asked him sweetly. "Sit. Talk to me." Mark glanced at the door discreetly, then moved to sit beside her. Setting the backpack down, he leaned forward on his legs and took a deep breath. When he was collected enough, he regaled to her gently. "Amy, I need to tell you something that I've... That I've done. And that I've been sent here to do."

Amy shifted, setting the container down on the bedside table as she interjected sweetly. "Ok, but first..." Mark glanced at her and she cupped his face to kiss him. Mark jerked, his hands rising to grab her wrists. He didn't want to hurt her, but she had startled him. She pushed him back across the bed, swinging her leg over his lap to pin him down. Mark's hands moved to her slender hips to hold her. Holding her hips kept her from laying over him, causing her to eventually stop kissing him. Looking down at him with worried eyes, she asked him curiously. "Aren't you happy to see me?" Mark nodded, but reluctantly uttered out in a gentle tone. "I am... but Amy. I need to tell you something." Amy rolled her eyes, trying to kiss him again as she chuckled out. "You can tell me about the gnome after. I've missed you so much." Putting a hand to her collarbone to keep her back, he blurted out grimly. "Not that. It's about Sean." Amy let out a small groan, unbuckling Mark's pants as she told him firmly. "I don't want to think about him right now, Mark." Mark grabbed her wrists to stop her with a grim look.

Amy's shoulders fell as she told him a bit sternly. "Mark. I haven't seen you in months. Can you relax for five minutes? I promise, I'll listen to you after. But right now... In case you haven't heard... Men are going extinct. And I'd like to spend a little time with my-" Mark couldn't hold it back anymore. The pressure had built up within him until he just blurted out to her. "I'm in love with Sean." Amy stopped moving, her eyes wide in disbelief. Shaking her head, she told him in a serious voice. "No. No, you're not. We've fucked and you liked it!" Mark stayed laying down, telling her in a wispy reply to be as gentle as he could. "I... I did. But... Amy, I realized something about myself that I was afraid to-" Mark was cut off as Amy smacked him across the face. Mark winced; the whole side of his face was stinging from the blow. He felt like he had deserved that. Amy hit his chest, snapping out loudly. "Are you fucking kidding me?! You can't do this to me!" Mark grabbed her hands to stop her from hitting him, asking her curiously. "What did I do to you?"

Amy smacked him across the face again, snapping out. "I just told you! Men are going extinct and you tell me that BULLSHIT! You can't just decide that! What about what I want?!" Mark rose up onto his elbows, defensively shooting back. "What?!" Amy backed off his legs, storming to her bedside table to rummage through her drawer and the container she had brought in. All the while, she began to cry and said aloud. "I thought I was going to die alone... I was so scared..." Mark sat up more, telling Amy gently. "Amy, you're not going to die alone. Whatever these women have told you, it isn't true. I just came from a cult that had plenty of-" Mark was cut off by Amy whirling around and pressing something to his face. Jerking back, he got a glimpse of the wet cloth and Amy dropping a bottle of some clear liquid. Amy jumped onto the bed like an animal, forcing the wet cloth over his mouth and nose as she pinned him down against the bed. Snatching her wrists away from his face, he rolled her over to pin her against the bed and snapped out over her in horror. "What the fuck?! Did you just try to use chloroform on me?!"

Amy balled the cloth up in her hand, whispering to him lovingly. "Mark, please? We can have a life here. We can be happy together. You're just scared... Let me help you." Mark scoffed loudly, snapping out. "By drugging me?! What was your plan, Amy?! To keep me locked up in here like some breeding stud? Jesus Christ!" Amy stopped struggling, staring up with a strange look as she told him seriously. "She said you wouldn't understand... No man can except that things have changed. You no longer hold power... Mankind has fallen. Womankind will survive." Mark's breath caught in his throat as he uttered out in shock. "Oh shit." Amy's knee jerked up to nail him in the balls. With a loud groan, Mark rolled off her and to the floor, cupping his balls as he struggled to breathe. Amy bolted off the bed, snatching something from behind her bedside table. Mark staggered to his feet, trying to rush for the door when Amy ran up to him and jabbed something into his ribs. Electricity shot up Mark's side, prying a scream from him as his muscles tensed and he dropped to his knees. Mark looked up as his muscles shook uncontrollably, telling her through his teeth. "Amy? Don't do this..." Amy emotionless shoved the taser against his neck, causing Mark to fall across the ground with another pained yell. His muscles were locking up on him. Amy quickly dropped to cuff his hands around the leg of the bed. Mark rolled to his side, trying to fight his tense and aching muscles. The second he was cuffed, Amy dropped over him to press the cloth to his face again. Mark thrashed his legs and tried to roll her off of him, but she just shushed him.

Mark held his breath for as long as he could, but the fumes from the chloroform were doing the work anyway. After little over five minutes, Amy removed the cloth and Mark felt his muscles relax all at once. Laying his head down on his raised arm, Mark's eyes closed as Amy purred over his ear. "It's going to be ok. I love you." Unable to stay awake, he felt himself fall into a sedated state. When he awoke, his head hurt, and his mouth felt dry. Groggily trying to sit up, he found himself cuffed to the metal frame of the bed with fuzzy handcuffs on his wrists and ankles. Tugging on them, he muffled out a yell and got zapped by the shock collar around his neck. Amy was nowhere in the room, but his backpack had been moved to sit on the dresser across from the bed. He really hoped the damn gnome was still in there. All he could really be thankful for was that his clothes were still on. Dropping his head back against the pillow, he muffled out a curse around the cloth sash she had gagged him with. Rolling his eyes, he only hoped that Sean was fairing better then himself.

Back with the Horsemen, Sean paced around his circle trying to block Anti out. Famine sat just outside the cell, taking notes on a clipboard. Misa sat in her corner eating the food that Famine had brought her. She was pretending everything was fine... but it wasn't. Famine looked up from writing, asking him curiously. "So, this... 'Alter Ego' that you've been seeing? What does he tell you? What do you feel around him?" Sean continued pacing, growling out sternly. "Why does it matter?! Just tell me what this is?!" Anti crossed his arms against the far wall, chuckling out sarcastically. "That's right. Yell at him. Threats expressed through bars are so scary." Sean glared at Anti, who sent him a teasing air kiss in return just to mock him. Famine wrapped his arms around his clipboard, leaning back in his chair to say casually. "It's a cure... I've proven that much biologically. As for why you seem to be turning... I'm trying to figure that out. Which I need your help to do. Or I'll simply just have to wait until you die to dissect you. Which would you prefer?"

Sean stopped pacing to plead with him. "Just tell me what you think is happening to me! Please?!" Famine inhaled deeply, then answered openly. "Ok. In my professional opinion... I think this cure like its virus counterpart is adapting. Upgrading itself. To fight a mutant virus... a mutant cure was needed. I've studied behavioral changes in infected animals and people... They all get more aggressive before completely changing in less than an hour or two. Resorting to primitive needs such as defending territory, spreading the virus, and feeding to continue doing both. Naturally, I think the cure is doing the same to you." Sean shrugged, still unhappy with Famine's answer. Famine hung his head for a few seconds before telling him bluntly. "In caveman speak, that means that I think the cure is changing you into a new form of mutant zombie. One that doesn't restrict your thoughts and actions... but enhances them in ways that will allow you to combat the different viruses out there. Similar to us... but on a whole other level."

Sean gestured to the far wall, asking nervously. "And Anti?" Famine blinked, clearly seeing nothing there. Anti waved though just to piss off Sean. Famine looked down at his clipboard, answering honestly. "It's too early to say... but I think that this person you are seeing... I think it's a sign to how your brain is choosing to deal with this unknown pathogen. Most people that get really sick start hallucinating things. In some cases... you could say that this thing you are hallucinating is just you struggling mentally against the changes that this cure wants to do to your body. Whatever this virus is. It changes the host into something else. Whatever this cure is. It is trying to do the same by adapting to you and your needs." Sean shook his head, starting to pace again as he snapped out. "I barely feel like me... I feel like a stranger in my own body!" Anti rolled his eyes, grumbling out mockingly. "It's like puberty all over again." Sean kicked dirt in Anti's direction, snapping out. "SHUT UP!" Anti's black eyes turned a glowing green as they locked with his. Letting out an aggressive hiss, Anti lunged for Sean, startling Sean out of his pacing. Falling back on his ass, Sean stayed seated and tried to calm himself down.

Anti slowly relaxed back against the wall, his eyes dimming down to a solid black again. Famine observed him and wrote more on his clipboard. After a minute, Famine told Sean in a soothing tone. "I think the stress is speeding up the process. I know it's hard... but I think you need to calm yourself down. If you'll let me. I'd like to start drawing blood from you every hour. Just to monitor your levels." Sean pulled his legs up to bury his face between his knees as he muffled out defeatedly. "Do what you want... Just make it stop..." Famine rose to his feet, telling Misa sweetly. "Keep an eye on him. I'll be back." To Sean, Famine told him seriously. "I'm going to figure this out. Just relax." Famine started to move away from the bars when the sound of thundering footsteps came down the steps. Famine straightened up and Sean lifted his head. He couldn't see anyone, but he heard Conquest rush out to Famine. "Famine... We have a problem." Famine snorted, shrugging out. "Tell me something that I don't know..."

Without missing a beat, Conquest shot back bluntly. "I think I know why our infiltrators have been going missing at the Colony. They are kidnapping our men because we're going extinct." Famine blinked, grabbing the bars of Sean's cell to steady himself as he stated out utterly dumbfounded. "What the fuck? That's got to be the most insane thing I've ever heard..." Sean was too stunned to make a sound. Wasn't Mark there? Was he ok? Meanwhile, against the wall Anti was practically dying of laughter. To Be Continued...