note: Not much to note, really.

Don't own MSB or The Walking Dead or the title.

Enjoy!

under cover of darkness
by the ultimateSora

chapter twenty-five
killer within

Ralphie, Phoebe, Carlos, Keesha, and Dorothy Ann were outside in an enclosed courtyard early the next morning as they planned how to clear the rest of the area of maulers. Mikey was showing Robbie how to clean a scoped rifle and had him practice loading ammo. Patricia, Maggie, and Tim were inside with Hershel, and Wanda was relaxing in her room-cell.

Ralphie was kneeling on the ground as he looked over the prison maps Keesha and D.A. found in an office on their way back from the infirmary. The maps were held down on the corners by bricks so they wouldn't blow away. Ralphie had marked where they were, the areas they cleared, and where Axel and Oscar were, so now they were trying to decide which section to clear next.

"Maybe the hall leading to cell block B," Keesha said. "That-"

She was cut off but a loud shriek followed by a "WHAT THE FUCK?" coming from behind them. The five turned to see Wanda come outside. Her face was red and tear stained, and there was a piece of paper in her hand. Phoebe's chest tightened, knowing right away what it was.

"What's wrong?" Ralphie asked.

Wanda was huffing. "He left!"

Ralphie shook his head. "Who?"

"Don't be fucking stupid! Who do you think?" She held up the letter. "That asshole gets me knocked up, dumps me for that-" She jabbed a finger towards Phoebe. "-earless shitstain, and decides he has to leave because of he's a spineless piece of shit!"

Ralphie took the note from her and read it, "'Wanda, I'm sorry for everything. You didn't deserve how I treated you. You told me you hated me, and I don't blame you. Nothing I could say or do would make up for the heartbreak and pain. It's best for you and everyone else if I leave. I don't know what else to say except that I'm sorry. You're a wonderful person, Wanda, and I know you'll raise the baby right. Arnold.'"

Phoebe tried not to smile at the fact the letter she got was longer and more personal. It was hard to feel bad for the person who not only broke your nose but also wished you dead and took full advantage of your supposed death to have sex with your boyfriend. It seemed so long ago when she felt any kind of sympathy for Wanda, but now, she didn't care. If Wanda wanted her dead, then Phoebe wasn't going to care about her well being.

Ralphie gave the note back to Wanda. "Pheebs, did you know about this?"

Phoebe raised her brows. "So now you care about Arnold?"

He shot her a look. "Did you or didn't you?"

"If you're asking if I got a letter, too, the answer is yes. And no, I'm not going to tell you what was in it."

D.A. shook her head. "So he just leaves? He has a baby to think about!"

"It's not like any of us were acting like we wanted him around," Phoebe said, her throat getting tight. Oh, crap, don't cry. "He knew that, so he did what he thought was best for all of us."

Carlos shrugged. "Hell, I hadn't even noticed he was gone. Not that I care."

"Which is why he left," Phoebe said. She rounded on Wanda, a surge of adrenaline giving her the courage. "And let's face it, you didn't want him around unless he was fucking you again, and he wasn't going to."

Wanda's face went red, and she looked ready to explode. Just as she did, Carlos and Keesha stopped her, holding her back. "You should have stayed dead!" she screamed over Carlos' shoulder. "I hope the maulers rip out your heart through your asshole!"

"He never loved you," Phoebe said, the words just falling out. She didn't feel any control as her thoughts spilled. "He was never going to make you his girlfriend or wife. Not even your little bastard could make him stay."

Ralphie stepped in front of her, grabbing her upper arms and gently pushing her back. "Stop."

"I'll kill you, Phoebe Terese," Wanda spat. "If the maulers don't rip you apart, then I will."

Phoebe tore herself away from Ralphie and pushed Carlos back so she was face to face with Wanda. She made her "warrior queen" face, her lip curling up some. "There was a day when you and Janet and your little friends could get away with humiliating me, making me feel worthless, and bullying me to the point I'd have a panic attack, but no more. I'm not the same girl you all treated like shit, and I'm not hiding behind Arnold or Ralphie or D.A. because I don't need anyone fighting my battles for me." She grabbed Wanda's face, pressing her her fingers hard into her cheeks. "If you try to lay a hand on me, I will not hesitate to kill you. If the maulers get you first, I won't be upset. You're just one more name on my list of people I'll kill before they kill me."

Ralphie, Carlos, Keesha, and D.A. slowly moved back, all nervous about what would happen next. Phoebe let her go and hurried away to one of the doors that went back to the cell block. D.A. felt her heart rate slow back to normal. She couldn't believe what she had just witnessed, and telling by the shock and fear in Wanda's eyes, she couldn't believe it either.

Carlos broke the silence. "How many people does Pheebs have on her death list, exactly? I have a morbid curiosity now."

Wanda started breathing hard. "She doesn't have a list. She's fucking lying." She pounded her fist against her hand. "She is dead."

Ralphie clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry, but have you noticed that's not the same little Phoebe you and Janet put through hell in high school? I guarantee that if you try anything, your head will be on the floor before you manage to pull your gun out. A group of prisoners couldn't even intimidate her." He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "You're my friend, Wanda, and I care about you. I'm only tell you this to save your life: Leave her alone."

Before Wanda could respond, Keesha said, "Speaking of prisoners..."

Ralphie turned and saw Axel and Oscar walking towards them, their hands behind their heads as Phoebe walked behind them with her crossbow at their backs. Ralphie walked to meet them halfway, the others behind him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"I caught them coming over to our cell block," Phoebe said. "I was going to put an arrow through their throats, but I figured I'd let you deal with them."

He nodded. "Good call." He looked at Axel. "What do you want?"

"Let us join y'all," Axel said. "Oscar and I can do what we can to help out, I swear it."

"We could always use the extra hands," Carlos said, shrugging.

Phoebe shook her head. "We had a deal, remember, Ralphie?"

"We did," Ralphie said. He shook his head at the prisoners. "Either stay on your side or leave. Those are your only options."

"Give us a chance," Oscar said. "We're strong and willing to work."

"We don't know you or trust you," Ralphie said.

Axel cleared his throat. "To be fair, man, I think we're in more danger from y'all. The girl's got her crossbow aimed at us."

"Stay on your side or leave," Phoebe said, not lowering her weapon.

Ralphie turned to Carlos and said in a low voice, "Get them a week's worth of supplies and send them on their way."

Carlos seemed hesitant, but he nodded. "All right, man."

Ralphie turned to Phoebe. "At ease. These guys will be on their way."

She was reluctant to lower her crossbow, but she did it. Ralphie kept an eye on Axel and Oscar, who went by the courtyard fence, as D.A. and Keesha looked over the maps again. He turned when he heard the cell block doors open, and he smiled when he saw Hershel come out on crutches. Patricia was beside him, holding her arms out in case he fell. Maggie and Tim were behind them, both looking better from the day before.

Ralphie was so happy Hershel was all right. He seemed weak from the blood loss, but aside from that, he seemed to recover well. Just as he was about to greet Hershel, Mikey started to shout, "Maulers! Maulers in the yard!"

It was hard to tell where they were coming from, but a group of them came flooding in. Gunshots erupted from Ralphie, Mikey, and Keesha. D.A. ran to Wanda and hurried her towards Patricia. Patricia met her half way and got her inside through the nearest door, D.A. going with them as back up. Tim helped Hershel into a fenced entry way, which was closer than the cell block door. Hershel locked the gate as Tim ran back out to join the fight.

More gunshots as everyone joined in the fight, Carlos running back outside when he heard. Maggie saw the busted courtyard gate in the distance and shouted to Ralphie she was going to fix it. Mikey and Robbie hurried after her to help. They pushed Robbie inside the enclosure, knowing he was safe.

Mikey and Maggie hurried to fix the gate, and when it was as repaired as it was going to get, Maggie held the gate open for Mikey to get through. She screamed when she felt the teeth in her shoulder. The mauler's head exploded when Robbie shot it with his revolver, but it already made its mark. Maggie managed to get inside, closing the gate behind her. Mikey pulled her onto his lap so she wouldn't spend what energy she had left.

"It's going to be okay," Mikey said as he and Robbie went inside.

"You...and...Robbie...safe," Maggie panted.

"We'll get you help," Mikey said. "Ralphie will cut the infected skin off."

Deep down, Mikey knew there was no way to save her, but he didn't want her last moments to be of dispair.

The maulers were dead, so Ralphie, Carlos, Keesha, Tim, and Phoebe went to inspect the gate they came through. Keesha kneeled to inspect the damage. "Someone cut this."

Axel and Oscar walked up just then, and Ralphie grabbed them both by the throat. "Is this some kind of sick revenge?" Before either could answer, an alarm sounded. Ralphie let the men go. "Shit! Every mauler in the area will come this way!"

"It's the back-up generators," Oscar said. "Someone's turned them on. Someone inside is doing this."

Ralphie headed for the gate. "Show us the way to the generators."

As the seven went inside, Patricia was helping Wanda walk back towards the cell block as Dorothy Ann kept watch from behind. They were in a hall that hadn't been cleared, so she had her revolver out in case anything popped out and surprised them.

"We're almost there," Patricia said.

Wanda stopped, clutching her stomach. "Oh, shiiit, no!" Her jeans became soaked with water. "No, no, no!"

"She's going into labor," Patricia said to D.A.

D.A. looked around and saw a boiler room. "In there. It's safer than out here in the open."

She helped Patricia with helping Wanda walk into the room. D.A. shut and locked the door behind them. The room was clear, thankfully. Patricia began to help Wanda with her breathing as D.A. took Wanda's boots, socks, jeans, and panties off. She changed places with Patricia, resting Wanda's head on her lap and holding her hands as they did the breathing exercises together.

"Have you...ooh, shiit!" Wanda shut her eyes as the contraction hit her. She took a deep breath and tried again, "Have you delivered babies before?"

Patricia shook her head. "Not human babies. Plenty of calves, foals, and other animals. Don't worry, though. Dorothy Ann and I have been studying in the last few months. Not to mention I've given birth."

Wanda grasped D.A.'s hands as another contraction came. "Oh, this is great. This sucks a bag of dicks!"

"I can see the baby beginning to crown," Patricia said.

"Just get it out of me, for chrissakes!" Wanda screamed.

As she began giving birth, Mikey and Robbie were trying to hurry to get Maggie back to the cell block. They reached a laundry room, but they stopped when two maulers stepped in their way. Robbie tried firing, but he was out of ammo.

"I don't have any more bullets!" Robbie said.

Maggie pulled herself up and stood. "When I tell you, you two hurry to the cell block, okay?"

"We're not leaving you!" Mikey said.

She shook her head. "I'm doomed. You two have a chance. Ready? Go."

She used the last bit of her strength to rush the maulers. She pinned them against the wall as the boys rushed past. Mikey knew her small body wasn't going to hold the maulers for long, and as he and Robbie reached safety, they heard her screams. Mikey gently pushed Robbie forward, and they continued on. They couldn't afford to stop and mourn, but Mikey's heart was still heavy.

Carlos and Phoebe took Axel with them as they split from the group to find the others. Ralphie, Keesha, Tim, and Oscar continued on to the generator room. They reached the room, Oscar leading the way in. Ralphie reached for his gun when he saw Andrew, still alive and well. Andrew spotted him, too, and he rushed him. Ralphie dropped his gun so he could grab Andrew, and he threw him to the ground.

"Never try to rush a former athlete," Ralphie said. "Now, what the fuck are you doing?"

"Trying to kill you!" Andrew spat. He got up. "I sent those maulers on you so you'd get a taste of what you did to me!"

He threw a punch at Ralphie, but Ralphie grabbed his wrist. Keesha was hesitant to shoot, fearing she'd hit Ralphie. Tim didn't have a gun, just his hatchet. All they could do was watch. Oscar, on the other hand, decided not to watch. He picked up a small, wooden box from the ground and hit Andrew in the back of the head. He picked up Ralphie's dropped gun and aimed it at Ralphie.

"Shoot him!" Andrew ordered. "Shoot him!"

Oscar turned the gun on him instead and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Andrew in the head, clean shot. Oscar handed the gun back to Ralphie, and Ralphie shut down the generator. Without a word, the four left the generator room.

"Push!" Patricia said. "One more! Just one more big one!"

Dorothy Ann helped Wanda sit up as she did one final push. She screamed as she pushed with what little energy she had left. A baby's cries filled the room, and Wanda collapsed back onto D.A.

"It's a girl," Patricia said, smiling.

Dorothy Ann unzipped her jacket, her favorite Penn zip-up hoodie, and she handed it to Patricia to wrap the baby with. She also handed her knife to her so she could cut the umbilical cord.

"A girl," Wanda said, her breathing slowing as she rested back against D.A. "No wonder my ass got so big."

Patricia wrapped the baby tight in the jacket, which got her to stop crying. "Do you want to hold her?"

Wanda shook her head. "No. Not yet. Not for a while."

D.A. gestured for Patricia to hand her the baby. "I want to."

Patricia was careful as she handed the baby to her. D.A. smiled at the baby. She had a tuft of thick, curly black hair, and her eyes were a dark gray. Arnold should have been here. The thought he wasn't made her angry again, despite knowing that Wanda hadn't made him feel welcome either. She probably would have told him not to be with her when she gave birth.

D.A. handed the baby back to Patricia and got up. "You two wait for a moment. I'm going to check the hallway for maulers."

She went down the hall, towards the cell block to check for maulers. She ended up finding a small group of them.

Shit.

Ralphie led Tim, Keesha, and Oscar back towards the cell block. He took them down the hall he knew Maggie, Mikey, and Robbie went, but so far no sign of them. They approached a laundry room, and Keesha gasped when she recognized the mutilated body on the floor. Ralphie saw her, too, and he stopped. Maggie's face was only scratched, but her torso had been eaten through.

Tim shoved past Ralphie, hatchet in hand. The two maulers responsible were in the laundry room, their faces both covered in fresh blood. With a scream, Tim swung his hatchet around, slamming both rotting skulls. The maulers fell, and Tim began stomping their skulls.

Keesha grabbed him by the arms, pulling him away, and he broke down crying. They let him get out his anger and sadness, his mourning period having to be short. He wiped his eyes and nodded after a moment, and they continued on after Ralphie shot Maggie's head to keep her from coming back. Ralphie suddenly felt sick over the thought of coming across any more mutilated bodies they recognized.

Maggie was the only body they knew on their way back to the courtyard, and there were no signs of Mikey and Robbie. In a way, Ralphie was relieved. Maybe that meant they made it out.

Ralphie saw Hershel, Phoebe, Carlos, and Axel sitting at one of the tables outside when he walked out to the courtyard. Carlos got up when he saw Keesha, and they ran to each other, grabbing the other in a tight hug. Tim walked fast to Hershel, breaking the news about Maggie. Phoebe got up, giving them some privacy as she walked over to Ralphie.

"Where's Robbie?"

"I didn't see any sign of him or Mikey, which is good," Ralphie said. He pulled her in a tight hug. "We'll find him."

Everyone turned when they heard a baby's cries. Wanda and Patricia came out of another door on the opposite side of the courtyard. The baby in Patricia's arms was wrapped in a familiar blue hoodie jacket, and Ralphie hurried towards them after he and Phoebe let go of one another.

"Where's Dorothy Ann?"

Patricia sighed. "She ran out to clear the hall. When she didn't come back right away, I took that as a cue for us to make a run for it."

Ralphie wanted to throw up. "No...no no no!"

His little brother and his girlfriend were missing, along with his best friend's brother. He reloaded his hand gun, checked for his knife and hatchet on his belt, and made his way towards the door he came out of.

"I have a few people I need to look for," he said. "No one follow me."

His tone was forcefull but a bit strained. They all knew not to follow.

note: Chapter title comes from the TWD episode of the same name. A lot of the chapter is also based on the episode.

"This sucks a bag of dicks!" - Taken from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Dee says this while in labor.