Like Mal, Howard also likes to explore the city and mark places out. Unlike Mal, he likes to mark the actual buildings themselves with a fat black sharpie. Upon hearing footsteps, he tucks the marker into his pocket and peeks around the doorway of the abandoned building he's broken into. His backpack is already loaded with 'loot', mostly pieces of scrap metal and a few miscellaneous items like lightbulbs and laundry detergent he managed to find in the house.

He uses his palm to cover up the sharpie marks, mostly just a few coded remarks on what useful stuff is in the house, wiring and piping and the like.

"If you're looking for people, you're heading the wrong way. This whole section of the city's pretty abandoned. Real estate bubble or something."