The Beginning of the End
"Javi, I know this is hard," David said. "But please, for the love of God, save Mariana!"
The stress was too much for Javier, but he knew he had no other options.
"Mari should live," he said, as he gave Tripp and Ava an apologetic look.
On stage, Ava cursed at the fact she would die, but was thankful Javier made the right choice. Tripp echoed her reaction and looked at Eleanor, for what he expected to be the final time.
"You've made David happy, yet upset, all at once," Joan said. "Regardless, I admire your loyalty to family." She motioned to one of the guards. "Shoot her."
"What?!" Jeff exclaimed.
"What the ****, Joan?" David yelled.
"Wait! I said Mari should live!" Javier said, as the gun was put to his niece's head.
"You did," Joan said. "But there's something else you must understand. Betrayal."
"You can't do this!" Eleanor shouted. "She's just a kid!"
"I can do anything I want!" Joan spat, as she turned back to Javier. "You brought this on yourself! Do it!"
As the order was given, Jeff let out an enraged yell and charged at the stage, leaping up and diving toward Mariana as a gunshot rang out. Javier looked in shock, expecting to see his niece fall dead, but was instead greeted with the sight of Jeff standing up, with a fresh wound in his side, and helping Mariana to her feet. While this was happening, Clint had freed David and came forward with an offer.
"We exile, Joan," he said. "We don't kill. Especially children. Javier, I offer you a chance to take your people and leave. Get as far away from here as possible and then you'll be free to do your own thing."
Javier considered the offer, momentarily, then made up his mind.
"We'll go. We'll take what we brought with us and-" BANG!
The next thing anyone saw was the lifeless body of Clint falling to the floor of the gallows and David standing over him with a smoking handgun.
"David, what the ****!" Javier said.
"I wasn't buying the offer," David replied. "It was a trick."
"The only trick here, David, is yours," Joan said. "Shoot him! Shoot them all!"
Without a second thought, Javier and the rest of the group sprang into action, while Jeff freed Ava and Tripp. Immediately, they grabbed any loose gun they could find and shot every hostile that came their way. As he joined Clementine in guarding Mariana, Jeff couldn't help but wonder just where David had gone to. It wasn't until he saw a familiar face that he realized that the elder Garcia brother had collected Ava and set off to find Joan, who had run off in the chaos.
"That idiot," Jeff said.
"He'll get himself killed!" Tripp added.
"That's the last thing we need!" Javier said, clearly annoyed.
More gunfire forced them to seek shelter behind the concrete supports, as Jeff, Tripp, and Javier returned fire and ended the lives of five New Frontier guards. As they dodged bullets, Jeff noticed that Clementine had been forced to a nearby stairway, where three hostiles had her pinned.
"Clem's in trouble," he said. "We have to help her!"
Moving quickly, Jeff lead the group to her location and within seconds took out the men shooting at her.
"You've gotta stop ending up on your own," Jeff teased.
"Hey, not my fault," Clementine replied, in mock-offense.
More gunfire is exchanged as the situation got worse.
"I know David was going to do something to **** this up," Clementine said. "I told you what he was like. When will you start believing me?"
Javier was about to reply when a bullet got too close to his ear for comfort.
"Get down!" Jeff ordered.
"I hear gunfire," Kate said, over the walkie. "What's going on out there?"
"Kate," Javier replied. "We've gotta get out of here. Things have not gone according to plan! Can you bring the truck over?"
"On my way," Kate replied, and the radio was silent once more.
Just then, a cylindrical object landed on a step near Jeff and immediately began smoking.
"Tear gas!" he called, as he covered his face with his arm.
"Let's get out of this stairwell," Conrad said.
Without another word, everyone moved quickly and carefully to get out of the gas. As they walked, Javier nearly crashed into another hostile and wound up struggling for control of the gun the man was holding. After a few seconds, he finally nroke it from the man's grip and used it to knock its former owner to the ground. As soon as the task was complete, they all heard a vehicle approaching.
"It's Kate," Clementine said. "She's coming for us."
"About time," Jeff said. "Getting sick of these people shooting at us."
Immediately, Javier began to wave at her, to signal their location. Unfortunately for them, someone from New Frontier noticed the truck and hurled a molotov at it, scoring a direct hit on the hood. Immediately, KAte's vision was obscured by fire and smoke and she began weaving along the street, heading right for Conrad.
"Look out!" Jeff called, as he shoved himself and Conrad out of the way.
With no time to even think, they both got up and watched the truck narrowly miss Javier, as well. What happened next had everyone frozen in shock. Her vision impaired, Kate couldn't see and crashed hard into the makeshift wall.
"Kate!" Javier called.
"We've gotta get over there before-"
A large explosion under the truck cut Clementine off and knocked some of them off their feet.
"Nooo!" Mariana called.
"Kate!" Javier said, clearly upset at the turn of events.
As they stared, Jeff caught movement beyond the now destroyed wall.
"Looks like Kate's fate is the least of our concerns," he said, pointing to the breach.
Through the fire, came part of the walker herd that had been outside, as Richmond's citizens ran for their lives.
