NOTE: Adjusted the Timeline a little
The Walking DeadAtlanta, Georgia, USA – 2010
Ben changed his clothes to his previous white T-shirt, Jeans, and work-boots. He chose this outfit because he thought it was close enough to pull off a 'working class angel' look. There was a literal crate full of the same outfit in his Cube that he could change out in the blink of an eye. It would appear to others that the gore had suddenly vanished when in reality he had swapped for a new set. Unfortunately, the trick didn't work on the goop that managed to get on his flesh or in his hair. He would have to come up with another method for that later.
For now, he strolled into another bank. This one had seen better days. Bullet holes marred the walls, streaks of blood trailed long the tiled floor, and a few bodies that had been thoroughly chomped on littered the area. It was kind of impressive that the zombies could eat someone to the point where it didn't get back up. The chaos continued behind the teller counter and into the vault. Someone had tried to make a withdraw but got caught up in the paperwork.
Casually, he set aside the bloodied bills as he went through the remaining cash. One of the previous visitors had been considerate enough to leave behind a partially filled duffle-bag. He only had to toss out a couple of bloodied stacks. There wasn't as much cash as he was hoping, but it was still a good chunk.
This time he decided to check out the safety deposit boxes as well. Superspeed and strength made the process go fast. At the end of the search, he had amassed a few more stacks of bills, a decent amount of jewelry, and some actual bars of gold. He popped those into his Cube before moving on with his visit.
Ben checked on the Vatos at the Retirement Home. The scene that greeted him wasn't good, but it could have been a lot worse. Some of the previous residents were now stumbling around the place. He saw a couple of the guys among them as well. Staying at the Retirement Home had been a valiant idea. It was also a time-bomb waiting to go off. All it took was one resident kicking the bucket to set it off. It looked like they had packed up and left once things went downhill. Their vehicles were gone, as were a good chunk of the supplies. He didn't find any bodies that had been executed and took that as a good sign. It looked like they didn't have much time to pack. He had no idea how long ago this had happened or where they had gone. The blood wasn't fresh. That didn't tell him much. He had no idea where they could have gone. Hopefully they would have left the city.
It was worth noting that his time travel in the MCU didn't have an impact on this world. He had skipped a couple of years to get to the plot. He had guessed that it wouldn't change things, but he didn't know until he got back. That just meant he had to do the mental math to figure out how much time had passed.
He spent a week in Asgard then the equivalent of a couple of days in the MCU when the shorter visits were counted. It was a good bet to add another two weeks for the time spent in The Circle dimension. All in all, he had been gone for almost a month.
Ben flew high enough to drift along the rooftops. The CDC building was still intact. There didn't seem to be any new damage to the city. He landed at the front door and hit the intercom button.
"You were flying," the scientist said.
"Yes, I was," Ben nodded. "How are your supplies? Do you need more gas?"
"Not yet, thanks," the scientist replied. "I should have a few more months if I ration it."
"Have you had any visitors?" Ben asked.
"No one alive," they replied.
"I had a question for you about this dead coming back thing," Ben waved a hand at the city.
"I'll try to answer," the scientist said.
"What would happen if I took a person from here and put them into a place where no one has been exposed?" He asked casually.
"Everyone is exposed," the scientist replied.
"Hypothetically," Ben motioned for him to continue.
"Whatever is causing this isn't just transmitted via saliva and biting," the scientist explained. "It's everywhere and in everyone. A person comes back regardless of if they were bitten. There is no fighting this. Everyone is carrying this contamination, and they pass it on to anyone they come into contact with. You would be dooming your hypothetical people the moment you arrive."
Ben blinked a few times. That sounded like some magic bullshit that the writers didn't want to come out and admit was magic. The knowledge from his ability told him he couldn't carry an illness or curse to other dimensions. It was one of the first failsafe that had been put into place. Instinctive knowledge about his traveling ability was great. It was just annoying not knowing how much he knew until the situation arose.
"I thought so," Ben muttered. "I'm going to check in on other survivors. Are you sure you don't need anything?"
"No," the scientist sighed. "Go do whatever it is you do." The intercom clicked. "Wait, what are you?"
"It's complicated," Ben chuckled.
He took off, stopping once more he was about rooftop height.
"Retirement Home and CDC," he said to himself. "Next the camp and the farm."
He kept his speed steady without breaking the sound barrier. A sonic boom could accidentally cause a flood of undead. He found the camp empty. All of the tents had been packed away and there weren't any graves. They either left before the attack, or he had cleared the area enough to give them time.
Ben appeared on the moon next to the grave he had dug by hand. He could teleport within a dimension to just about anywhere he could visualize. Flying to the camp allowed him the chance to scope out the area. A trip to the moon would have taken too long for a simple check-in. The grave didn't show any signs of movement. There weren't any new footprints either. He found himself disappointed for some reason.
He then appeared in the sky above Greene's Farm. A familiar set of people went about their daily lives. He smiled when he saw Carl and Sophia were learning something from Beth. They had parked the vehicles around the area in an improvised barrier. Dale sat atop his RV in a camp on watch. He had a beach umbrella set as well to keep him out of the sun.
Just for the hell of it, Ben landed softly next to him.
"Was there any lemonade left?" Dale asked without looking at him.
Ben smiled, "I can check."
Dale jumped out of his chair, knocking it and the umbrella over. Ben caught them easily. He set them back into place as Dale stammered at him.
"You're back," he finally managed to say.
Ben nodded, "I am."
"It's been a while," Dale said once he regained his ability to speak coherent sentences.
Ben nodded again, "there were other people that needed my help." He paused. "How are things?"
"We found the farm," Dale said.
"I can see that," Ben smiled. "Are you in need of anything? Food, water, supplies?"
"It's the angel!" Beth yelled.
Ben waved. He floated down to the ground as the others rushed over to him. Shane and Rick held back, there was a tension between them, but they put the safety of their people first. Merle wasn't among their number. He took that to mean events had been close to the original plot even with his interference. The Governor was dead, as were some other baddies. Hopefully, Merle would have a better life than being some random minion.
"It is good to see you well," Ben bowed a little as they approached. "Are you in need of anything?"
"Where did you go?" Carl asked before any of the others could answer.
"New York City mostly," he replied honestly. "I would not recommend it."
He really should take a couple of days to clear out some more of the dead around the country. The cities were certainly packed. Eventually they would start to filter out into the countryside. Roaming hordes could cause a lot of damage in areas that were previously thought secure.
Ben scanned the area. After a month this place was still too exposed. The vehicle barrier only protected one direction. There were plenty of other angles the dead and nefarious characters could approach.
His thoughts ground to a sudden halt as he saw a few other people among the survivors. They stared back at him in just as much shock and confusion. Ben shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in order.
He slowly dropped to a knee, "hello Clementine."
The little girl squeaked and hid behind her surrogate father.
Ben shifted his attention to the little boy, "hello Junior, or should I say Duck?" He stood. "Lee, Kenny, Katjaa. I had thought I had missed my chance with you."
"How do you know our names?" Lee asked as he put a protective hand in front of Clem.
"He's an angel," Sophia answered for him. "He can fly, and disappear, and he brought supplies. He even killed daddy."
"He killed your father?" Lee's eyes hardened.
Sophia nodded enthusiastically, "he was a bad man."
The made the others relax just a touch.
"Rest easy, Lee Everett," Ben soothed. "You are a good man." He chuckled. "You too, Kenny. For the most part."
"Hey," Kenny snapped. "What's that supposed to mean? How do we know you're actually an angel? Huh?"
Ben shrugged, "you don't." He turned back to the others. "Do you have any pressing needs?"
"We appreciate you pointing us in the direction of the farm," Rick spoke up. "It is a bit crowded, and the supplies are getting stretched thin. The drive to the city is longer than we'd like and we can't agree if the town is worth the risk."
Ben nodded at the information, "where is the armor?"
"We keep that for patrols," Shane answered. "It's too hot otherwise. Dehydration kicks in fast and the next thing you know you're passed out."
"Note," Ben replied. "Herschel, would you be accepting additional housing and defenses?"
"Such as?" The older man asked.
Ben pointed to the car barrier, "a proper defensive wall and some cabins for housing. I can also provide solar panels for power without the noise of a generator. A water tower for each dwelling, yours included, and a full pantry for each."
They stared at him in wonder.
"Can you do that?" Maggie asked barely above a whisper.
He nodded.
"This won't be stolen from people who need it?" Rick asked.
"You will be the first to use them," Ben assured. "I do not take from those in need."
Herschel nodded after a moment, "I'll draw up some plans to get things arranged."
"How long will this take?" Ben asked.
"An hour or so," Hershel guessed. "We'll need to discuss it with everyone."
Ben turned his attention to the others, "I will clear the area of dead and return shortly. Write a list if there is something you want."
"We don't have enough paper," Beth said before he could take off.
He flashed a smile then vanished.
A twenty-minute trip to the Wal-Mart equivalent of Dawson's Creek later he returned with notebooks, pens, pencils, and backpacks later. It was fun to mess with some dimensions. Committing a heist like no other then showing up at a department store for school supplies. Ben appeared in the yard once more only to realize there was nowhere to put them. He vanished then returned with a folding table that was big enough for everything.
"There we go," Ben said. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Wait," Hershel called.
Ben paused.
"How big are these houses going to be?" He asked.
"For simplicity's sake I was going to attain some singe-wide prefabricated homes," Ben replied. "This way there is no need for construction beyond the solar panels and any need for utilities. I would suggest avoiding Air Conditioner units. They would simply be too loud."
Hershel nodded. Ben flew away once it was clear there were no more questions. He used the same tactic as he did last time flying around in a circle that grew with each pass. The area grew wide enough to cover the nearby town as well. He landed and cleared each building. From there it was easy to find the encampment of other survivors.
They called themselves the oh-so-original name The Living. The group had set their base in a warehouse that they had blocked off using freight trailers that had been flipped upside down. A collection of forklifts nearby revealed the method. It wasn't a bad setup, but it didn't look to had much going for it. From above he could count ten people watching the area. It looked like one of their vehicles was missing. There was more inside from the sounds of it.
These were not the type to be reasoned with from what he remembered of the show. One guy patrolled the roof with a rifle slung loosely in his arms. No one bothered to look up. Zombies couldn't fly and most helicopters were too high to flag down without a flare.
Ben swooped down, ripped the rifle from the guards' grip, and then flew into the air. It happened faster than the guy could scream. Ben held the guy as they hovered in the air above the warehouse. They were a good five hundred feet in the air.
The guy started screaming, praying, and begging.
"Are you done?" Ben asked.
The guy nodded.
"How many people are in your group?" Ben asked.
The guy looked down, then shut his eyes tight, "thirty-seven."
"Is everyone at the warehouse right now?" Ben asked.
The guy shook his head, "no. Trent, Bobby, and Derrick went out looking for supplies. They said there should be farms nearby that we haven't hit yet."
"Just them?" Ben asked.
The guy nodded.
"Thank you," Ben said.
"You're going to let me go now, right?" The guy asked.
"Exactly," Ben nodded as he let the guy go.
The guard screamed all the way down. Ben winced at the sound of the body hitting the ground. At least the guy died from the fall. It was a lot more than the others were going to get. Now they looked up. Gun shots echoed through the area as they tried to hit him. A couple actually hit him. He waited a minute for everyone to come outside.
Ben dropped out of the sky. He landed hard, creating an impact crater. These guys didn't deserve a superhero landing. Instead, he bent his knees a little as he landed out of habit. The gunfire increased, as did the shots that actually landed. His clothes were being torn to shreds. They felt like raindrops. He stalked forward as they continued to waste their ammo.
He reached the first, pulped the guy's head with a slap, then wrenched the gun from his hands, and used it to shoot three of the others in the head. It clicked dry when he aimed at the fourth. Ben walked over to one of the dead bodies, took their weapon, and fired until it was empty as well. He repeated the process until a couple of them tried to run.
Ben sped after them and tossed each one into the air once he got his hands on them. He didn't bother waiting to see how high they would go or if they survived when they landed. It would be clear in a couple of minutes.
He finished off the remaining 'Living' by the time they started to land. The first one survived, though he didn't look like he would last much longer. The second guy didn't. He left the survivor there to suffer. The things these guys had done earned them this fate.
The smell hit him the closer he got to the door. Stale body odor, cheap cigarettes, booze, and things he didn't want to identify. They had haphazard stacks of loot spread around the warehouse. It was clear that they had hit quite a few places already. The only almost-clean room had once been an office. Someone had taken the time to convert it to a bedroom. They had some supplies, but he wasn't going to give them to the others. The stuff was in rough shape.
Ben took a deep breath once he got outside. It was the closest he could get to fresh air in this dimension. He floated back up to the roof to retrieve the rifle. It was a modified hunting rifle that would have appeared on the news mislabeled as an assault rifle. There were ten rounds left.
He took a seat on the roof and waited for the others to come back.
The dead started to arrive thanks to all of the noise. They couldn't get in. Gaps in the barrier had been covered by sheet metal welded into place. He was detached as the crowd began to grow. The guy that survived falling was making too much noise. He didn't seem to be able to stop screaming.
Ben didn't blame him. The guy probably had mode broken bones than not. It was impressive that he was still conscious. He had seen the dead continue on even after being turned into part of a torso. Broken bones wouldn't stop the guy from getting back up once he died.
He sighed, aimed, and put the screamer down. The gunshot called in even more zombies. It was tempting to practice his headshots to pass the time. He wanted to wait until the looters came back since he only had ten rounds. Pulping a head just got so messy.
Ben closed his eyes and let out a little sigh. There had to be more ammo in the warehouse. Superspeed allowed him to search the area in a few seconds. He returned to the roof with four fully loaded magazines that held fifteen rounds and the partially filled that was already in the rifle. He removed the current one then put in a fresh one.
This would help pass the time.
~
Sixty rounds didn't last nearly as long as he had hoped. He had been a good shot in his previous life. The new body made it easier. His eye-hand coordination was top notch. He had a better understanding of the wind after spending so much time flying.
After a couple of minutes just sitting there he decided to use the last ten bullets for the rifle. His clothes were in horrible condition anyway. Some more blood wouldn't be an issue. Tried to hit more than one in a single shot. The angle made it tricky. Being on the roof was more appealing than using the overturned trailers. They couldn't hurt him, but that didn't mean he wanted to get close. His musing was cut short when he heard the sound of a truck engine approaching. It came into view a few seconds later. The dead were being loud making it hard to hear things close by.
He watched as the truck slowed to a stop. Telescopic vision verified that these weren't part of the survivors at the farm. He didn't think it was likely, but there was a chance that they would discover the place.
Ben didn't let them come up with a plan. He flew fast enough to blur, grabbed the side of the vehicle, and lifted it above his head. The frame groaned in protest but held. He flipped the truck over and slammed it onto the street. It crunched loud enough to rattle the loose rubble. The guys inside the truck stopped screaming. He floated higher then hit gas tank with some laser vision. He returned to the warehouse to use the remaining water they had to clean himself off.
He swapped over to some fresh clothes once he was no longer covered in gore and flew back to the farm.
~
Ben flew back to the farm once he had washed up and fresh clothes. It had taken longer to deal with the dead that had swarmed warehouse. The gunfire and screams had attracted a considerable crowd. They were too dangerous to leave alive, undead, or whatever term fit. It was easily double the amount that he would find in an hour of circling. He would have to repeat the process close enough to pull them away from the farm but far enough not to be a danger
The kids were the first to greet him. They rushed over as he floated down to land.
"Hello," Ben smiled at them. "Did you bring me your lists?"
"Yes," Clem was the first to answer. "Maggie told us not to put everything on the list, but Lee said it was fine."
Ben nodded, "that's good. I will do my best to get everything on the list."
He took a moment to read through their lists. His smile changed to one that warmed his very soul. They were essentially Christmas lists with some practical stuff mixed in that the adults probably needed to tell them to add. Coloring books, comic books, candy, toys, boardgames, and a few stuffed animals were the main bulk of the lists.
"I might not be able to get Science Dog comics," Ben told Duck. "Would others be ok? I know a few that you might like."
Duck pouted.
"I'll see what I can find," Ben patted him on the shoulder.
The adults had reached them by now. They offered him their lists.
"Thank you for this," Rick said. "You don't have to help us."
Ben nodded, "I do what I can."
"We thought that was gunfire earlier," Shane added.
Ben sighed, "gunfire drew a lot of attention. It made it easier to take care of the dead."
"We'll have to keep that in mind," Shane said after a moment.
Ben turned his gaze to Hershel, "did you get a final layout in order?"
"Here you are," Hershel handed him a sketch.
Ben chuckled, "I will be back to help you build Greene Village."
He vanished.
CUBE
Ben swapped over to some normal clothes. The Working-Class Angel costume got old fast. Alas, it was the character he had decided to play, and he was going to stick with it. Being an Angel was a lot easier to accept than the truth. Plus, they would no doubt ask to be taken to a better world and then spread whatever caused this undead thing with them. He was protected from accidentally exposing a dimension to diseases and curses, but they weren't so lucky.
This was going to take a lot of cash. The prefabricated homes, solar panels, batteries, the water towers, various plumbing supplies, and a dozen or so books covering the maintenance and installation too.
Once the pop-up village was complete he could take some time to search for a better world for them. It was time for a movie marathon. After he got the village walls in place.