Battle for Ericson's
Unable to get through the school's barricaded gates or over the barbed wired walls, Lilly and her raiders were like sitting ducks, being peppered from arrows let loose from beyond the wall. The kids couldn't see them, but they knew what direction to shoot in.
"Agh! Shit!" Abel yelled in agony as a stray arrow got him in the shoulder. He quickly pulled it from his skin, cringing from the pain as he threw it to the ground. "Looks like these brats were ready for us!" he said to Lilly, who was taking cover behind a nearby tree.
"Shit, we don't have anything to break down that gate!" Lilly said, realizing she had underestimated the community of kids.
"We still got our sniper," said Abel. "If she keeps picking them off, they'll get scared. They'll give up. I mean, they're just kids."
Lilly didn't respond. She wasn't too confident about that. Clementine was turning out to be quite the adversary.
Abel was right about one thing, the sniper was a serious problem. Omar had already been injured, and every other time someone tried to shoot back they almost got their heads blown off.
"Shit!" the frustrated Violet cursed to herself.
Neither side could do much. One was stuck outside the gates while arrows rained down on them, and the other was pinned down by a sniper who was pissing Violet off more and more every second. When it came to marksmanship, the best aim they had with a bow and arrow was either Aasim or Violet, and only Violet was aggressive enough to try something as risky as the move she was about to make.
"The bitch is too far away to get a good shot with a bow. I've gotta get closer! You think you can cover me while I move up?" she called out to the others who were closest.
"Violet, that's insane, even for you," Aasim said.
"That is a really risky idea," Clementine said, worried for her new girlfriend's safety.
She had just confessed her feelings to Violet, she didn't want her getting killed over a dumb idea. The odds weren't good she'd even be able to make the shot if she got closer. If Clementine lost her now, she'd never forgive herself.
"Of course it's risky! It's all fucking risky! But we have to do something!" Violet yelled back as another shot rang out.
"Fuck," Clementine said to herself. She couldn't think of any other ideas, and they couldn't keep taking these shots forever. Eventually, someone was gonna get hit. "Fine, go! But don't you dare get killed!"
Violet gave a small smile. "I'll try."
"What, are you fucking serious?" Aasim asked. "This is a bad idea!"
"You got a better one? I'd be glad to hear it!" Clementine asked honestly.
"No. Goddammit, fine!" Aasim looked to the others. "Get ready to fire on three! One, two, three!"
At that moment, every kid with a bow other than Violet rose up from their hiding spot, firing on the sniper all at the same time. The sudden volley caught the raider off guard, distracting her as a few came close to the branch she was perched on. That was all Violet needed.
Before the sniper could gather herself, Violet dashed across the yard, taking cover behind a picnic table closer to the front gate. She just barely made it in time before a bullet hit the ground where her body was just a second before. She hugged the overturned picnic table like a wall, her blood pumping so fast she felt like her heart was about to explode.
"Jesus . . . okay, Violet. You got this," she said to herself, trying to catch her breath. "You've made tougher shots before."
She had been in desperate positions before, but none quite like this. This wasn't like other times when only she and maybe one other person's life was on the line. Everyone's life was on the line here. Her mind was so occupied with focusing on the sniper and waiting for the right time to take a shot, she didn't notice her left foot was sticking out ever so slightly. Clementine did, so did the sniper.
"Violet!" came Clementine's desperate cry.
Violet heard a loud crack as the sniper fired once more, but this time she finally hit flesh. The bullet tore open her boot and went straight through her foot, taking a couple of her toes along with it.
Violet screamed as the pain struck her, toppling over behind the table.
"No!" Clementine watched helplessly as her girlfriend writhed in pain, blood gushing from her foot where her fourth and fifth toes used to be. Aasim pulled her back down below cover.
"I told you it was a bad fucking idea!" Aasim shouted.
"Shut the fuck up Aasim!" Clementine shouted, not wanting to hear it. "Fuck, fuck! What do we do? We can't leave her out there!"
Clementine squirmed as Violet's cries grew louder. She was safe for the moment, for the rest of her body was covered by the table, but Clementine couldn't bear to hear her in that kind of pain. Her girlfriend was in agony with a good chunk of her foot blown off, bleeding on the cold ground. She had to do something.
"I have to help her!" Clementine said, but was tugged back by Aasim.
"Come on Clem, think! If you go out there, you'll just get shot too! Then where would we be?"
Clementine just stared at Aasim, saying nothing.
"Violet's gonna be okay, but we have to think of how we're gonna get through this."
As much as Clementine hated to admit it, Aasim was right. Going out there right now would most likely just get her killed.
"So then what the hell are we gonna do?" Clementine asked.
"I don't know, but we can come up with something. You're smart, I'm smart. We can do this!"
That's when Aasim noticed a friend of theirs, Mitch, sneaking around the perimeter of the courtyard, getting closer to Violet with each step. The sniper hadn't seen him yet.
"Shit, what the fuck is he doing?"
Clementine turned, seeing him as well. In his hands were some of the explosives that were meant for Lilly and the others if they got through the gates. What was he doing with them?
"Mitch! What're you—." Aasim started to shout, but Clementine covered his mouth.
"Don't give away his position. Maybe he's got a plan."
"Mitch? A plan? He'll just get himself killed!"
"Just give him a chance. He might not be the smartest guy, but we both know he's crafty."
"Shit. Okay. Not like he'll listen to us anyway," said Aasim.
Mitch managed to make his way to the picnic table Violet was lying behind, circling around to avoid being spotted.
"Fuck! Goddammit!" Violet continued to curse, her pain not letting up one bit.
"Hey Vi, how you holding up?" Mitch asked as he joined her behind the table.
"How the fuck does it look? Bitch blew off my fucking toes! I can't believe I was so stupid!" Violet yelled, blaming herself for what happened. "What the hell are you doing here Mitch? You don't even have a fucking bow!"
"I got something better. Don't worry, I've got a surprise for this cunt," Mitch assured her, taking out his igniter. "Just you wait."
Violet knew Mitch well enough. She was able to figure out what he was thinking.
"Fuck, I thought my idea was crazy. You think you can make that throw?"
"Positive," Mitch said as he created a spark, igniting the fuse to his bomb. "Plug your ears Vi!"
Violet took her hands away from her bleeding foot to shove her fingers in her ears, as Mitch rose up from behind the table with his make-shift grenade in hand. The sniper had no idea Mitch had found his way behind the table. By the time she noticed him, Mitch had already hurled the explosive and ducked back behind the table. The sniper had no idea what was coming at her, until it blew up in her face.
Lilly and Abel watched in disbelief as the nearby tree exploded into a fiery inferno, the blast all but deafening them. Their sniper, or part of her anyway, landed at their feet. Nothing but the upper remains of a charred female torso.
"Jesus Christ! They've got fucking bombs?" Abel exclaimed, staring disbelievingly at the sniper's corpse.
The fire had engulfed the whole tree and was now spreading to others. Now it was raining flaming bits of tree on them as well as arrows, and their sniper had been taken out of the picture.
Lilly looked around at the carnage before her, and made up her mind. They had marched into battle overconfident, and they had underestimated Clementine and her new friends. This was a battle they couldn't win.
"Fuck it, this isn't worth it! We're falling back!"
"What? Are you serious? We can't let these brats beat us like this!" Abel protested.
"Look at her!" Lilly pointed to what was left of the sniper. "You want that to be you? We've already lost one soldier, and we're not even in their walls! We have no way to breach them! We'll lost more people trying to take this place than those kids are worth! We're leaving!"
"Shit! Bullshit!" Abel cursed, feeling humiliated.
The remaining raiders turned away, making a hasty escape back into the woods. The battle had been won. For now, Lilly and her people were gone, back to where they came with their tails between their legs.
When Violet was sure the explosion was over, she unplugged her ears. She groaned, fighting back the pain from her mutilated foot as she turned herself around, peeking out the side of the table, for sure she was unsure if the sniper was still a threat. Her eyes widened when she saw Mitch had hit his mark. The tree the sniper had been perched in had been torched, the upper half blown completely off. No one could have survived that.
"Holy shit, Mitch! You nailed that bitch! Nice fucking throw!" she said with an earnest smile.
"Told you it would work," Mitch said proudly with a smug grin.
"Cocky asshole," Violet chuckled, before her pain returned and a cringing frown overtook her face. "Shit that hurts!" she cried, wrapping her hands around her foot again, pressing hard.
"Violet!" yelled Clementine as her and a few others rushed over as soon as the coast was clear.
Aasim looked on in disbelief at the burning tree beyond the wall, still in shock.
"I. . . can't believe it."
"Mitch, that was fucking awesome!" yelled Willy as he rushed to the scene. "You blew that raider right out of the sky!"
"Yeah Mitch, I guess you saved us," Aasim admitted, looking to the hero of the day.
"You say that like you had any doubt," Mitch smirked.
"Alright, don't let it go to your head dude," Aasim frowned. "Those explosives were meant for another part of the plan, and you wasted them on one person."
"Yeah, the plan that wasn't working," Mitch countered.
"Don't listen to him Mitch," Willy argued. "You're the fucking man!"
"It was a really good throw," Clementine added. "Thanks, Mitch."
"Oh god," sighed Aasim, rolling his eyes.
"I'm gonna go sneak up the tower, see if this fight's over or not!" Willy said, breaking away.
"Yeah, good idea," Clementine said, the looking down to Violet, who was still on the ground. She kneeled down beside her, unsure of what to say. "Violet, I'm so sorry."
"Hey Clementine," the panting Violet said to her girlfriend, forcing a smile. "Wasn't sure if I'd get to see you again."
"Shut up," Clementine smiled back, planting a quick kiss on her cheek.
"Whoa," Aasim said, stunned at the display.
"Uhh," gaped Louis, also confused. "I have . . . several questions."
"Later," Clementine ignored them, standing up and turning away. "Ruby! We need your help! It's all clear to come out!"
No sooner did Ruby get the go ahead did she scramble out from her hiding place, rushing over to tend to the injured Violet.
"Jesus. Violet, two of your toes are gone," Ruby said, a little disgusted.
"You don't think I know that?" Violet shouted back, aggravated.
"Hey, it could be worse. You could be dead," shrugged Louis.
"Yeah, thanks. Asshole."
"I'll go get my supplies. Stay here," Ruby said, running off.
"Where exactly would I go?" Violet yelled after her.
"Ruby's just freaked out, give her a break," Clementine said, holding the shaking Violet as steadily as she could.
"Give her a break? I'm the one missing half a foot!"
Louis kneeled down beside Clementine. "It's okay, Vi. You'll live. You'll still be able walk just fine. Well, mostly fine. There are worse things to lose, like a hand , , , or your apparent way with the ladies," he smirked, looking to Clementine.
Clementine blushed a bit, "Come on Louis. Don't be weird."
"No, really it's impressive. Aasim should take a few notes from you, Violet."
"Dude, come on," Aasim protested, his insecurities showing.
Violet found herself laughing at that, a momentary distraction. Louis smiled, looking to Clementine.
"See? I made her laugh. Nothing weird here. Just making things a little lighter."
Clementine smiled back, "Thanks Louis."
"Clem?" came AJ's voice, finally stepping out into the open. "Is it over? Did we win?" he asked, joining the group.
"Not sure yet little guy, but we haven't heard anything from them. That's a pretty good sign."
"I see them!" came Willy's voice from the tower, binoculars in hand.
Clementine looked to him anxiously, waiting for the news.
"They're retreating! We won!"
A large, relieved cheer quickly spread among the kids. They had fought back Lilly and her raiders, no one had been taken, and no one had been killed. Or so they thought, anyway. Violet spotted Ruby exiting the school, some medical supplies in hand.
"Oh thank God," Violet sighed.
Ruby paced down the stairs, when something caught her eye. She looked, and her eyes went wide with horror.
"Oh no . . . no!" Ruby cried as she rushed towards what she had seen.
"What? What's wrong?" Clementine yelled, confused.
"Omar!" came Ruby's distraught, now sobbing voice.
In that moment, everyone's heart sank at the same time. Omar. In all the confusion, he had been forgotten. Clementine, AJ, Mitch, and Aasim rushed over, while Louis stayed with Violet. As they neared, Clementine could clearly see Ruby's somber, tear-ridden face. Tennessee was there too, looking drained and deflated. They were already too late. When they arrived, all they could do was look down at stare helplessly at Omar's still, pale corpse.
"No. . .," Aasim shook his head, disbelievingly. "Fuck!"
"But how? He only got shot in the leg!" AJ pointed out.
"The sniper must have hit an artery," Clementine said solemnly, kneeling down beside Ruby and Tennessee.
"You were the one who dragged him here, you didn't realize how serious it was? How much blood he was losing?" Mitch demanded from Clementine.
"If I did I never would have left him! He . . . he told me to go," Clementine said, fighting back tears. As much as she wanted to defend herself, she felt totally responsible for this.
"If you had told someone he was that bad, maybe we could have saved him!" said Mitch.
"I forgot all about him. I'm so sorry," Clementine admitted, a few tears falling from her face. "We were so close."
She thought they were in the clear. She thought everyone had made it. Their victory was resounding and decisive, but it had come at a price, as all things do.
"Fuck! God Dammit!" Clementine yelled, futilely slamming her fist down on the ground.
"Clem, you tried your best," AJ said to her. "It's not your fault. You didn't know. You can't save everyone."
Clementine looked to AJ, for he was echoing her own lessons back to him.
"I know AJ," Clem nodded, wiping her tears away with her sleeve. "But I thought for once I had. I thought for the first time, everyone was okay."
Aasim turned to Mitch. "It's not her fault Mitch, you were just as caught up in the fight as everyone else. Same thing would have happened to you. Clementine did fucking great, and you know it. If it weren't for her, everyone one of us would be dead or kidnapped, not just Omar."
Mitch seethed with anger, looking for someone or something to blame, but even Mitch knew Aasim was right. Clementine had done so much to protect them. She had proven herself to him as trustworthy in the greenhouse, and the plan and the fortifications were all her. If it wasn't for Clementine, they'd all be done for. Mitch huffed, but eventually conceded.
"I'm sorry, I just, I need a minute," Mitch said, breaking away.
Aasim turned to Ruby, "There's nothing you can do for him. Go help Violet, she needs you."
Ruby nodded and departed without a word. Clementine watched her run over to Violet and Louis, mouthing words she couldn't hear, but she could guess. They had already assumed the worst from everyone's reaction, but now their worst fears were confirmed. Violet hung her head in dismay, slumping on her side, feeling like a broken, useless tool. Ruby began treating her injury while Louis kneeled down by her, no doubt trying to console her again, but no amount of jokes would make this okay. Truth be told, only losing one person was a pretty good result, all things considered, but it didn't make the death of a friend any easier to deal with.
Still, it was a victory. A bittersweet one, but a victory nonetheless. Violet met Clementine's gaze, and for a long, silent moment they just stared at each other from across the courtyard. They had both made it. They still had a future to look forward, together. They still had a chance. Everyone alive did. Violet managed a smile, mouthing two small words. Small enough for Clementine to read her lips.
"Thank you."
AN: Hello people. This is my first time trying a Walking Dead fic, and more importantly, the first fic I've written with any kind of romance in it. Normally I avoid that, but I loved Clementine and Violet's story so much, I really couldn't resist. I hope you all enjoyed, I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I would really like to continue this, maybe not immediately, because I have other projects to juggle, but I had a very strong urge to write this after the whole Telltale fiasco and just how damn good Episode 2 was. After all the shit Clementine's been through, I think she deserves a chance at happiness and love without the constant threat of losing everyone she cares about. That's what this fic is. An AU where things won't be quite so heavy. However, it can't all be happiness and sunshine, can it?
