Kei tried her hardest to ignore the familiar crackle of her walkie talke, Gareth's filtered voice coming through and wishing everyone a good morning. He announced everyone's positions and the shell-count for the day, encouraging everyone to keep their shots to a minimum so they could conserve ammo.

"Kei, you'll be on spotting duty with me for the first couple of hours, before heading out with Sam and Kaylee to collect shells," He announced, Kei audibly groaning as he babbled on,"Alex will be in the quad with Ryan doing inventory..."

Looking at trees, and picking up old bullet shells off the ground. The work was as tedious as it got. She'd been here for a long while, and she was still stuck doing the same old boring stuff. She wanted to go out past the fences, she wanted to hunt. But most of all, she wanted to go out and find them. Her family.

"You have a family," Gareth would say, smiling that smile of his that made the corner of her mouth quirk, "I mean granted, we aren't as amazing or as functional as your old group sounds, but we're good here. We're close. We care about each other."

"I know," She sighed, setting her binoculars down on her lap, "I just think they're out there somewhere...I know they're out there."

Gareth watched as she ran a hand through her hair, a mess of dark brown waves that stopped just past her bony shoulders. She had a frown on her face as she stared out at the woods, her dark eyes looming over the trees and the ground below. The man could tell she was longing for something. For them.

"Well...if they are, and they saw the signs, then they'll come here," He replied optimistically, placing a hand on her shoulder, "You'll see them soon enough."

The girl looked over at him and nodded, flashing a small smile before looking back out towards the woods.

"I mean...for right now though, do you think you can keep helping out around here?" He asked, quickly looking away before chuckling anxiously, "I-I know we're not as valuable as a group of hunters and sherriffs and nurses, but you really are an asset to this group. Things have gotten a lot better since you came..."

Kei smiled lightly, his words really warming her heart and lifting her spirits just a little more. Gareth looked back at her with a firey sense of determination behind his bright green eyes.

"And I know they'll keep getting better once your old group comes. We'll be 10 times stronger than before," He assured, his smile growing sly as he gently nudged her with his shoulder, "And I'll finally get to meet this Daryl Dixon you keep gushing about."

The girl immediately rolled her eyes and looked away. "Shut up,"

"What, I gotta meet my competition!"

"It's not a contest, he wins by far," She stated. The man gave her an offended and surprised look, his expression quickly falling into a grin as Kei scoffed and nudged him hard in the shoulder. He quickly nudged her back, and before she could retaliate, he slung his arm over her shoulder and pulled her in close, messing with her hair and forcing her to say "Uncle!" before he could do any more damage. He immediately let go and recoiled as the girl leaned over and punched him in the arm. It didn't hurt, but it was anything but gentle. The two of them sat on the rooftop and continued to talk and tease each other the whole morning, not paying any attention the small bit movement that was going on in the woods below.

After 2 and a half hours of just laughing and half-assing a job, Gareth checked his watch and got up to stretch his arms with a sigh.

"I gotta go check on Meg and the others in the Map room," He announced, looking out at the woods, "It looks like not much is happening here. You can head back down to the quad for a quick break, if you like. Just be back up here to finish out the hour."

Kei nodded and set her binoculars aside as she got up. She rose her arms up high above her and stretched, grunting before letting out a sigh of relief as she let them fall to the side. She was finally able to leave the rooftop, and it was a welcome sight to see Mary and the other terminants already outside enjoying the day when she entered the Quad. The grill was in full gear this afternoon, the scent of smoke and burning wood surrounding her as the stepped up beside Gareth's mother. She planted a small kiss on the woman's cheek and watched as she smiled a bright smile. The girl was almost taken with it. She could see where Gareth and Alex got theirs from now.

"And how are you today, darling?" Mary asked, carefully going across the grill and flipping the meat.

"Fine," She said simply, looking down at the grill and the large slabs that cooked on it. There was more there than usual, and she acknowledged it. "Where'd all this come from?"

Mary looked down at the grill and kept her eyes on it as she cooked. "Oh, Albert and a few others came back from a hunt last night."

Kei let out an offended noise and held her arms out, her expression saying all that it needed to.

"I know, dear, I know," The woman sympathized, "But you were so tired last night, Gareth told them you needed a rest. And he was right. You slept in until noon today."

The girl let her hands fall to her sides again and she huffed, the woman assuring her that she could go hunting with the others tomorrow. But the girl wasn't so sure. They all kept blowing her off, telling her things like 'it was too late', or 'they ran on a schedule' or 'they had someone else do it' at a ridiculous hour of the day. Kei was so close to calling 'bullshit' on all of this and just going out herself, but when Mary handed her a plate of meat and smiled, the girl couldn't help but smile back and cave. The woman was just too sweet. No matter how frustrated she was about something, the woman's soft voice and elegant nature always calmed her down.

The girl took the plate and gave her a small kiss on the cheek before leaving. She headed back towards the warehouse and went up the steps, absentmindedly going for the handle when the front door suddenly opened up. She jumped back a little and swore as Kaylee walked right out without so much as a 'sorry'. Kaylee's rude self wasn't the first thing Kei noticed though. It was the distinct colorful pattern on the article of clothing she wore. She'd recognized the texture and feel of the horseblanket poncho as it brushed up against her skin. Seeing it almost made the memories smack against her like a tidal wave― the memories of the prison, of motorcycle rides down empty highways, of a hunter carefully treading across the forest floor with his crossbow.

Her eyes widened, and her mouth went slack for a minute in shock.

The poncho was here. His poncho.

But where was he?

She turned around sharply and shouted Kaylee's name, the blond turning around with a shocked look as the dark haired girl leaped over the railing and stomped over to her.

"What do you wa―" The girl let out a squeak of surprise as Kei reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her in and grabbing a chunk of her poncho.

"Where did you get this?!"

Kaylee's eyes went wide. "Wh-what?!"

"This! This poncho!" She barked, shaking the fistful of fabric in her hand, "Where did you get it?!"

The blonde woman tried jerking away, but Kei's iron grip held her there. Still, she struggled against her like a fish caught in a hook.

"Let go of me!" She bit, "Jesus! What is your proble―"

"Answer the fucking question!" Kei barked, shaking the girl as an audience started forming around her, "Where the fuck did you get this?!"

"Kei!" She heard Mary yell from behind her, "What are you doing?! What's wrong?!"

"You tell me where you got this right now, before I rip your throat out," The girl seethed, Kaylee's face going white as a sheet as she was nose to nose with the girl. She could tell that Kei wasn't playing around, her expression dark and her eyes manic. She looked wild, like a dog hanging on the very edge of it's leash. She was gracing Kaylee with a chance. Give her what she wanted, and she wouldn't rip you to pieces right then and there.

"M-Mike got it off a dead one!" She let out, yelping as Kei attempted to yank it off of the girl. She screamed and writhed around as she got tangled in the poncho, occasionally getting hit in the head a couple times, undoubtedly by Kei's fist. The dark haired girl could feel people closing in on her, some trying to grab at her arms and shoulders, others trying to pry Kaylee away from her. But she wouldn't let go. She would never let go until she got an answer, a real answer as to why she had Daryl's poncho in her possession.

"That's bullshit! Who did you steal this from?!" She screamed, finally ripping the poncho off the girl. Kaylee toppled out of the mess of fabric and into Mary's arms. She latched onto the woman tight, watching as a small group of terminants attempted to pull Kei away.

"Tell me where you got this?!" She screamed, writhing against everyone's hold as they dragged her back, "TELL ME!"

"Kei! Stop this!" She heard Mary yell. But she didn't stop. She just screamed and screamed, swearing her head off at Kaylee, threatening to harm her in every way possible in attempts to get the truth out of her. She was so close to him, thanks to this poncho. This was the first sign she had that he was out there somewhere, waiting, searching, surviving. This was the closest thing she had next to him, the real thing. She wasn't going to let go now, not ever.

And she sure as hell wasn't going to accept that he was dead out there somewhere.

Her man was alive, and she was going to find out where.

She swung her fist around and socked the man gripping her arm in the jaw. He let go with a cry and toppled over onto the pavement. A few survivors screamed and watched as Kei became a reckless force, pure anger personified, spewing out rage like a volcano. She darted forward and charged at Kaylee, Mary screaming for her to stop before stepping away out of sheer terror. Kaylee cried and braced herself as a bony body smacked into her own, both of them hitting the ground with a hard thud. The blonde flailed around, trying her hardest to fight back, but it was proving no use against the girl above her who kept delivering blow after blow.

A second wave of terminants came and finally pried her off, dragging her away from Kaylee and the others who stared in horror at the scene that went down in front of them. Mary and a few others walked over and helped Kaylee up off the ground. The girl was absolutely livid as she smoothed down her wild hair, her skin a bright red as she stared daggers at Kei. Blood dribbled down past her lips and chin, making her look more wild and more animal-like than ever.

"You keep that crazy bitch away from me!" Kaylee demanded, her eyes blurred with hot tears streaming down her cheeks. She sniffled and wiped the blood off her lips and nose, her eyes watching Kei the entire time as she was dragged back into the warehouse, still clutching onto that poncho for dear life.


"You stay here!" One of the older terminants bit, tossing the girl inside, "Gareth's gonna have a word with you!"

Kei turned around sharply and darted towards the exit, the survivors quickly shutting the door before she could reach them. She slammed up against the doors with a hard thud and immediately reached for the knobs, yanking at them as hard as she could before pausing when she heard the sound of rattling chains.

"You fucking assholes!" She screamed out, pounding her fists and boots against the door, "Where is he?! Where's Daryl?!"

Soon after, she was out of control. She had reached the very point of breaking, her rage overcoming her to the point where she felt like she was going to explode. She tossed over tables and threw around whatever useless junk she could find. She screamed and screamed and screamed, tears stinging her eyes and fear burning her insides. They were alive. They were alive and she needed to find them. She needed to find Daryl, and Sen, and the wolves. She needed her group, her real group, and the impostors outside this warehouse were keeping them from her.

Well, the girl wasn't going to have it.

She was going to tear down everything in this room, and then, everyone who stood in her way. She was going to destroy everything and break free and make everyone pay for their lies and any harm they may have caused to Daryl and her group.

Especially Daryl.

If they had hurt him, in any way, whatsoever...

The very thought made her mind shut down and blistering rage becoming all-encompassing.

She picked up a rusty old pipe and tossed with a loud cry, watching as it flew and smashed right into a window. The glass shattered with a loud noise, and she could hear the survivors outside yell in shock. She continued spewing her rage at the group, tossing and smashing and breaking everything she could find. She had lost all control of her feelings, of common sense. She was wild and manic, and dangerous. One thing the group outside was certain of – if a living throat crossed her path right now, she would rip it out with her teeth.


Gareth picked up his little black book and whistled as he tallied off the number of stock that had been bled out today. 3 from A, 2 from C, and one from D. After looking at the numbers, he noticed that they were dwindling, but it was nothing to be worried about just yet. Another group would come along, he thought, and then things would even out.

He looked down at the trough and watched as all the red spilled out from their necks.

So much blood.

Who knew they carried so much in them.

It all just kept spilling out, the lifeless bodies like stone statues as the red leaked out of their throats like water to a faucet.

"They really don't look like much on the outside," He remarked thoughtfully, a strange sense of curiosity still peaking his interest to this day.

"They ain't much on the outside," Greg remarked, slowly dragging the bodies away one by one. A couple other men helped him out, everyone working like a well-oiled machine as they carried out their regular routines in prepping. Gareth watched as they were dragged to the back of the slaughterhouse. Lawyers, businessmen, volunteers for the red cross―he knew who all of them were. All of them were something in their lives before the turn. And now, they amounted to nothing.

Nothing but the charred slabs on everyone's plates.

"Gareth!" He heard his brother Alex cry. The boy came in out of breath and looking like he'd just seen the devil. His eyes were wide and the panic was clear on his face as he pointed in the Quad's direction.

"We...We got a problem out front," He said between pants, "It's Kei, she's...She's lost it, man!"

The other men looked to their leader, surprised to find him oddly neutral about it. He merely looked away for a second at the blood-splattered floors before closing his book.

"I'll go talk to her," He said simply, walking towards the exit, "Be sure to clean all this up before we go Public Face."

The butchers nodded, watching with a chill running down each of their spines as their leader left the slaughterhouse.

When he walked up to the quad, he found a small group of terminants surrounding a distraught Kaylee. They patted her shoulders and cooed words of comfort as she cried her bruised little eyes out. Even from a distance, the brunette could tell that Kei did a number on her. Messy hair, tear stained cheeks, scratches all over the skin.

He wondered if Kaylee even managed to land a scratch on her in return.

Mary was the first to notice her son and immediately rushed up to him.

"Oh, thank God you're here," She gushed out. She looked over to the warehouse with her expression full of disgust, like as if the whole building was tainted, "That girl is a monster."

Gareth sighed lightly. "Now mom―"

"She hurt Kaylee!" The mother bit, her son immediately shutting his mouth as she continued to yell, "She attacked that poor girl for no reason!"

Gareth's lips twisted to the side a little, the disbelief clear on his face. If there's one thing Kei always had, it was a reason to fight back. Especially when someone pissed her off, and boy, did Kaylee piss her off. The two never really saw eye to eye on anything.

"You get rid of her, Gareth," The woman demanded, his faint smile falling as his mother looked him firmly in the eye, "No one wants her here...She's a threat."

Those three words caused his expression to change. It was a serious accusation that just left his mother's lips, one that would normally condemn the one being accused to becoming their next meal.

But Kei wasn't going to be their next meal. Gareth wouldn't let that happen.

"I want her here," He retorted, the look in his eyes just as serious as hers. His mother glared daggers at him, the icy blues in her eyes that normally sent a chill down his spine did nothing to him now. Instead of giving in to his mother's wishes with his tail between his legs, he patted her shoulders and looked over to the warehouse,

"I'll go talk to her."

When he unlocked the chains and entered the warehouse, he wasn't all that surprised to see everything torn up and broken on the floor. Glass shattered, chairs smashed, tables overturned. It looked like a hurricane hit the place. In some way or another, it did.

And the source of that hurricane sat in the middle of the floor, knees brought up to her chest.

She looked straight ahead, right through him, not saying a word. Gareth stepped up to her and knelt down on the floor, his expression calm, and his smile light as he looked around the room.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be," He remarked, chuckling softly. Kei didn't respond. She just kept looking straight ahead. The man looked at her and his lips twisted to the side.

"I heard about what happened between you and Kaylee," He spoke, the girl still saying nothing in response. He scooted closer to her and leaned over, resting his chin on her knees. He continued to look at her, his smile light and warm against her icy glare. When her eyes finally met his, the man smiled wider, so much so it made the girl roll her eyes and he laughed lightly.

"Sour puss,"

"Fuck off," She mumbled, the ghost of a smirk flashing across her face before disappearing, "...Where did Kaylee get that poncho?"

"Ah, yes, the cause of all this," He replied with a small nod, his grin growing crooked as he playfully spoke, "Why, do you want it for yourself?"

"It belongs to someone I know," She answered plainly, her stare firm and intent when she sensed that he didn't believe her, "It's his, he made it himself."

Gareth paused for a second before nodding lightly in understanding, his eyes falling to the floor before looking back at her,

"Who did it belong to?"

Her lips twisted to the side for a second before her eyes fell.

"...Daryl," She answered quietly. "Kaylee, she said Mike got it off a dead―" She choked a little as she quickly wiped her eyes, clearing her throat before shaking her head, "He's not. He's...He's not dead. I know he's not."

Gareth sat there and watched her in silence for a second, his heart slightly aching at the sight of the pained look on her face. He scooted up closer and gently pressed his forehead against hers.

"Why won't anyone let me go out to find him?" She breathed, the tears stinging her eyes as she shut them tight. Gareth watched through his lashes as little droplets started rolling down her cheeks. He brought a hand up and carefully wiped them away.

"Because it's dangerous out there," He muttered softly, "You could get hurt, or lost, or overrun..."

He gently rested his hands against the back of her head and held her close, the man shutting his eyes as they kept their foreheads pressed against one another's.

"...I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," He admitted, listening as the girl huffed through her nose, "I'm serious. I care about you...I care about what happens to you..."

He looked up at her with a faint smile, his eyes scanning her own for a response. She didn't say anything. She just looked at him, a whole range of emotions flashing across her face. Confusion, wariness, curiosity. He chuckled softly and started to lean in, the girl frowning as he shut his eyes and started getting close to her lips. She quickly turned her head and leaned away before looking back at him,

"What are you doing?" She asked, her tone sounding more curious rather than angry.

The man receded and sat up straight again, the faintest hint of embarrassment on his face as he chuckled softly and dipped his head before looking back at her.

"Look, I-I mean, you're nice and all, but I'm with someone," She mentioned, quickly wiping her eyes as spare tears came creeping out.

"Right, right, Daryl," He remarked with a nod, his eyes falling to the floor, "I know. I know...I'm sorry, I just...care. About you."

The girl sniffled as her head tilted slightly, a quizzical look on her face as his eyes met hers once more. He gave her a crooked smile.

"In all honesty, I just hate seeing you so heartbroken," He admitted thoughtfully, "And I hate being here on the sidelines unable to really help...I just...if I could pick up all the pieces right now and mend them, I would. You know?"

She chuckled lightly and wiped her eyes again, Gareth slinging an arm over her shoulders and hugging her close.

"I want to see you smile more, and laugh, and be happy," He admitted, "I want you to be happy. More than anything."

The girl looked down at the holes in the knees of her jeans. She was happy once. She smiled, and laughed, and enjoyed things. She was happy. She was happy with her group, her family...

"And it's okay, I know the boundaries. We can just be friends," She heard him add, the playful boyish charm clear on his face, "We can start slow. The basic stuff. Like favorite colors, favorite foods..."

He looked over at Kei and she kept quiet, sniffling and wiping her eyes, not saying anything in response. The man sighed lightly and still kept his smile, leaning in and pressing his forehead against hers once more.

"You'll open up to me eventually," He muttered, his voice sounding more optimistic than it did disappointed. They sat together like that for a little while―eyes shut, breathing calm, not really saying anything to each other. They were both lost in their own thoughts, Gareth's mind wandering out towards the woods, thinking about where in the world the owner of that poncho could be. He wondered whether or not he really wanted Daryl and Kei reunited. The way she talked about him though, like he was amazing and talented and so...human. It left an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. A feeling he didn't really favor at all.

"...Blueberry pancakes," She spoke out suddenly, her quiet voice pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked up at her, his bright eyes meeting her dark ones as she sniffled and cleared her throat, "I like blueberry pancakes and maple syrup."

He nodded lightly, giving her a faint smile and shutting his eyes as he muttered a small confession in return.

"My favorite color is green,"


After a few more minutes of talking, Gareth instructed Kei to head to the roof to keep watch. He assured her that he would talk to the others about keeping her in the group, and let them know that she's not a threat. In return though, she had to give the poncho back to Kaylee. Just for the time being, though. Apparently, she had to show good faith.

"Good faith," The girl scoffed bitterly as she stared at the woods through the sights of her rifle, "I'll show her ass good faith."

She was half tempted to start shooting at the trees. Anything to vent her frustration. Hell, she wished a walker would just come up to the fence just so she could take it out. Anything to replace Kaylee's lying ass, she thought. Daryl was out there somewhere. He was out there in the woods with the others, probably on his way to Terminus. Hopefully on their way. She couldn't wait until he did show up. They could eat, sleep for a couple days, and then hopefully get the hell out of here before she went crazy. She felt like she was going crazy-the way everyone was acting, how they treated her.

Hell, during the day, while she was on watch on the roof, she could've sworn she heard voices.

Not the usual chit-chat and laughter she would hear from the residents down in the Quad, she was too far away to hear any of that. These voices were nearby. They were faint, and they were muffled, but they were near, and they were calling out for something.

Now at night she wouldn't hear anything, and some days would go completely quiet, but the days that weren't so quiet were the ones that worried her the most.

And today was one of those days.

The muffled noises were too much for the girl to just simply ignore anymore. Something was wrong, and she had to find out what it was. She knew she couldn't bother asking the others in her group again, knowing full well now that they were liars and weirdos to boot. Something was wrong, and she was going to find out by herself.

She set her rifle down next to her lawn chair and got up, stretching her arms and legs before walking over to the stairwell and heading back down into the warehouse. Instead of going out the front like usual, this time she went through the back, listening carefully as she tried to follow the odd sound through the railyard.

The smell in the yard was unreal– like walkers, feces, and urine all rolled into one. The girl coughed and covered her nose as she walked through, maneuvering around empty train cars and old wooden crates. She could hear the sound getting louder, and the stench getting stronger. The cars were all labeled by the letters B, D, and F. All were hand written in paint.

"Kei, can you put these in the warehouse for me?" Gareth walked up to her with a big crate full of hand-picked fruit in his arms. The girl quickly set down her book and rushed up to him, wiping her hands on her jeans before taking the crate from him.

"Sure," She said simply, taking the crate into her hands, "You don't want me to put these out back?"

The brunette shook his head and simply shrugged, "Nah, i's all good. You probably wouldn't wanna go back there, anyway. It's where Greg butchers all the meals."

She let out an audible 'egh,' in disgust. Very much not in the mood to see gored up deer carcasses this early in the morning.

"Mike'll put them in the back for ya," He informed, "He knows where everything goes."

Kei slowly treaded across the pavement, looking down at all the dried blood splatters and streaks. Something was dragged out here, injured, and bleeding out. The girl could feel her heart racing behind her ribcage, her stomach twisting in knots as she continued further into the yard. Her eyes went over to an area surrounded by fence not too far from a car labeled 'C'. It looked like a cage, the area very vaguely curtained by ripped up pieces of tarp and cloth. She noticed that ground had been covered in tarp as well, and she stepped up to the caged area in curiosity.

"So what about you?" She asked him, her curious tone melding into a dramatic one, "What dark secrets are being harbored behind Terminus' holy fences?"

She walked up to the rusted chain-link fence, gripping her necklace tight in her hand, her heart feeling like a heavy weight in her chest. It panged hard against her ribcage, rattling her bones and already shaking muscles. She could see something red splayed across on the tarp.

Gareth let out an airy chuckle, briefly scratching the back of his head before looking down at the holes in the knees of his jeans. His eyes flicked up to look at her own, a crooked, devilish smirk on his pretty face.

"Why don't I show you?"

She stared through the tattered curtain and immediately leaped back with her hand to her mouth, her eyes widening as she tried to keep from screaming at the sight of what was littered across the floor.


The image kept flashing across her mind as she stumbled back through the warehouse, her knees felt weak, as did her stomach, and her brain, and everything else. She couldn't focus. She couldn't breathe. She felt sick. Sick. These people were sick. Beyond sick. These people were monsters. They weren't human. They were-

The image of mashed up guts flashed across her mind again and she gagged, her hand coming to her mouth before quickly pulling away as she threw up. She kept throwing up and groaning as she tried to get the image out of her head, the image of ribcages and spines and guts piled up on that tarp. Thinking about it again made her heave up even more.

Tears stung her eyes as she shut them and begged God to help her forget what she had just seen. She couldn't have seen that. It had to have been a nightmare. If it was a nightmare, she thought, she wanted to wake up now and forget it ever happened.

But it wasn't a nightmare.

That much was clear as she finally finished vomiting, and the sound of bullets suddenly cracked through the air.

The girl nearly tripped over her own feet coming out of the building, almost dropping her handgun as she stumbled out onto the pavement and watched as everyone started taking cover. She took cover behind an overturned table and listened as sentries on the roofs started firing. She drew back her weapon and looked over to her right. Kaylee ducking behind another table, still wearing Daryl's poncho. The girl shook her head and tried to look past that for the moment, trying to process just what on earth was happening right now.

"What's going on?!" She yelled over to the blonde. The girl looked up from covering her head and gave Kei the weirdest facial expression. Almost like she was the dumbest girl on the planet for not knowing.

"It's a round up, genius!" She barked, immediately going back to covering her head and keeping her body low.

The dark haired girl frowned and shook her head. "What?!" She then let out a yelp and ducked as a bullet ricocheted off the edge of her barricade. She carefully reached over and started firing, not exactly sure just where or what her target was. Too much was happening right now. She couldn't focus. From finding ribcages hidden in the back to falling into an absolute shitstorm of a firefight, this was an insane day for the girl, far too insane for her to comprehend.

As the sound of the shooting left the quad and started traveling further and further into the camp, Kei finally got up and went to look for Gareth. He would know what was going on. And he would give her an explanation, one way or another. She would beat it out of him if she had to. This was not right. Nothing was right. The image of the ribcages had plagued her mind now. She needed an answer, she needed to know what the hell was going on, and just who these people were.

Although, she figured she knew already, the minute she looked through the tarp.

She audibly swore at herself for not knowing the camp so well. Even though she'd been here for weeks, she still found herself getting lost and turned around every now and then. She was starting to get frustrated. The gunfire had long since ceased, and no one was bothering to tell her what was going on. As far as they were concerned, she wasn't one of them anymore, especially after attacking Kaylee like she did. The girl didn't regret it. And she made a mental note to get back that poncho from her after she got answers from Gareth.

She wasn't going to leave this camp without it.

Just as she stomped past another one of the warehouse buildings, she heard the loud screeching of a buzz saw. The sound made her wince and rub her ear a little, the buzz saw occasionally stopping and starting again at a steady pace. She walked over to the front and went inside holding her ears, hoping whoever was working would know where the hell Gareth went and what was going on.


"How are the signs coming on, guys?"

Alex turned around and watched as his brother strode into the Map Room with his usual, cheery self. Everyone greeted him with small smiles and hellos as he walked in, the man going straight towards Old Sherrie as she continued to chant in the radio microphone about Terminus. He planted a quick kiss on her cheek before heading over to where Alex and the others were working. Paper and markers and maps were littered everywhere on the giant table, everyone working in tandem. They created fresh Terminus signs and repaired older ones that were worn from the weather. Alex could tell his older brother was pleased with something as he looked over all their handiwork.

"What's got you grinnin' so big?" He asked, genuinely interested in what could possibly have his older brother so taken. Gareth looked over at him and shook his head, the smile still clear on his face. He looked down at the maps that were marked with walker activity when his walkie went off.

"We got a group of live ones coming in through the woods," Greg's filtered voice crackled over the radio. Everyone looked over at Gareth as he took the walkie off his belt and put it to his lips.

"How many?" He asked, releasing the 'talk' button and listening carefully.

"...Five," Greg answered after some time, "Three men...One woman...-nd a kid. They got a big bag with 'em too."

Five people. Not as many as the last group that came in, but it wasn't so bad. The leader went over the figures in his head, and determined that it should help even things out. He nodded lightly and pressed the 'talk' button again.

"Alright, get the others and pull back for Public Face,"

"...You got it, over."

Gareth sighed as he put his walkie back on his belt. He ran a hand through is hair and shut his eyes in thought.

Hopefully things would go smoother with this group than it did with the last one that came in.

After a few minutes or so, Gareth went back to helping out with the maps and creating new signs. As Alex explained the routes to some of the newcomers on duty, the older brother continued painting, his mind wandering back to the warehouse. Back to where the girl who liked blueberry pancakes resided. He wondered if it were possible to make her some, someday. There had to be a few blueberry orchards around here somewhere, and it shouldn't be too hard to find flour or instant pancake mix. The thought of making her favorite meal made the smile on his face grow wider, his heart beating just a little faster at the thought of her face when she'd see them.

"Hello!" A voice called, it sounding fairly unfamiliar to him. The leader turned around and saw five new faces standing in a row.

Three men, one woman, and a kid.

Gareth rolled his eyes, knowing full-well how this group managed to get in here undetected.

"Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch," He griped, tossing his paintbrush on the table before stepping forwards towards the group.

He looked them over individually. A kid, looking about 14 or 15, fairly skinny, didn't look like he'd put up much of a fight. A woman, with dark skin and dreads and intense eyes, she carried herself and her sword in a position like she was ready to strike. She reminded him of Kei, in a way. As did the man next to her. He was tall and lanky, with a striking face and dark eyes that emanated a cold vibe similar to Kei's. They could be twins, he thought.

The man next to him was wearing a beaten up leather vest over his jacket, and sporting a black eye on his strict face. He had a look on him that reminded the leader of a cautious animal, his body at a slight tilt as his eyes narrowed and lips pursed. He looked strong, and he looked like he would put up one hell of a fight, if needed be. The last man on the right was quite clearly the leader, by the way he carried himself. He was the firs to speak up, to take control, to do all the talking, much like Gareth did. They were strong, the leader could tell. Not just by their marks and bruises, all clear indication that they overcame a great obstacle just recently. They were smart enough to sneak in through the back, and leave behind the bag that Greg had informed him they were carrying.

The thought made the smile on Gareth's face grow. They would do well here.

Now all he had to decide was whether it was in their group, or on their plate.

"You here to rob us?" He asked out, his eyes immediately going to the opposing leader.

"No," The man answered firmly before stepping forward, "We wanted to see you before you saw us."

Gareth's eyes flicked down to the man's hand, watching as he put his gun back into his holster. The terminant raised his brows in surprise, nodding in understanding.

"Makes sense," He chirped simply, looking at the small group as a whole and smiling, "Well, we usually do this where the tracks meet..."

He cleared his throat as he stepped forward and held his arms out, announcing with friendly gusto, "Welcome to Terminus."

He let his arms fall and looked to each of them with a smile, "I'm Gareth." His eyes looked over to the kid's battered clothes and the nasty friction burn on the side of his cheek, "Looks like you've been on the road for a good bit."

"...We have," The opposing leader answered for him, "I'm Rick. That's Carl, Daryl, Sen, and Michonne."

Gareth's eyes traveled over their wary faces and he smiled, giving them a small wave. No one smiled or waved back in response. They just looked at him liked all outsiders looked at him: with caution. Like he was a threat. Still, the leader gave them a smile and stepped forward, holding out his arms.

"You're nervous, I get it!" He chirped, immediately noticing them take a step back out of instinct. Still he kept moving forward, stopping just a few feet and turning to casually gesture back at his own group,

"We were all the same way," He turned back and looked over at Rick, "We came here for sanctuary...That what you here for?"

The opposing leader answered with a soft, "Yes." and Gareth nodded at him,

"Good. You found it." His eyes flicked over to Carl and he smiled, the young boy's face only matching Rick's in response. The Terminant then turned and called over to Alex, the younger brother perking up and giving a crooked grin as shuffled up to them. Gareth turned and looked back at their newest members, his voice growing friendlier as his brother stepped up to his side.

"This isn't as pretty as the front," He assured, "We got nothin' to hide, but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer. Alex here will take ya, ask ya a few questions, but first we need to see everyone's weapons."

Daryl and Sen both shifted in place, his last few words clearly not sitting right with them.

"If you could just lay them down in front of you," He instructed, watching as they all looked over to Rick for confirmation. Their leader looked back at them without saying a word, taking only a few seconds before relenting with a small "Alright."

As soon as he took his pistol out of his holster, the others soon followed, taking out their weapons and laying them down on the concrete floor. Gareth smiled lightly and nodded to Rick as he knelt down, the leader carefully setting his weapons down in front of him,

"Thank you. I'm sure you understand."

Rick looked back up at him, an air of mistrust still lingering behind his neutral expression.

"Yes I do," He said simply, standing back up as Gareth and Alex stepped forward. He held his arms out and Gareth started patting him down on his sides and his arms. Alex walked over to Daryl and started patting him down, his eyes immediately going to the shiner that was forming on his right eye.

"I'd hate to see the other guy," He mused in a lighthearted tone.

"You would," Rick assured, watching as the young guy smiled sheepishly before continuing his inspection. He walked over to Carl and smiled lightly, patting down his sides.

"They deserve it?" He asked.

"Yes," The boy answered, his tone similar to his father's. The two brothers went on down the line of survivors, patting each of them up and down for any hidden weapons. Once that was finished, Gareth gave Rick a friendly pat on the back before stepping away.

"Just so you know, we aren't those kind of people, but we aren't stupid," He made known, "And you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid."

He stepped back and looked at each of them, a sincere expression on his face.

"As long as everyone's clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems..." He assured, looking over at Daryl. "Just solutions."

The hunter's eyes scanned the leader up and down, sizing him up before looking back over to Rick. Rick was looking at Gareth the whole time, watching his friendly charm radiate off of him. The leader of terminus smiled and put his hands together, gently nudging his head in the exit's direction.

"Alright, well, Alex will take ya out, introduce you to everyone, and then we'll get you situated," He chirped, "I'll see you out on the quad."

He gave them all a small wave before leaving, Alex stepping forward and handing everyone back their weapons one by one. Daryl went ahead and picked up his crossbow before the guy could even reach down for it. He eyed the young terminant viciously, the mistrust clear on his face as the guy lead them out of the building and further into the camp.

As the others asked questions, and Alex explained a little about the camp's history and how it came to be, Rick and Sen hung back a little. The lanky man looked over to his leader, an expression hard to read on his face.

"You okay?"

Rick looked ahead, staring into the back of Alex's skull, as if there was something on it.

"Something's not right," He said lowly, turning to look over at his partner, "You feel it?"

The nurse pursed his lips before nodding lightly, the familiar uneasy ache slowly creeping up in his stomach. Something was wrong. He couldn't pinpoint what exactly, but there was something wrong. And Rick could feel it too. That meant there was definitely something wrong.

"Look after Carl," He heard Rick mutter, carefully giving his hand a quick squeeze before letting go. He nodded ligthtly in response and walked a little faster to catch up to Carl as they approached the grill. A woman with golden brown hair was stationed behind it, flipping large slabs of meat that covered the pit. She had a sweet face and a timid smile, the nervousness clear in her voice as she peeped a small "Hi."

"Heard you came in through the back door. Smart." She chirped, her eyes falling back down to her cooking, "You'll fit right in here."

"Ma, will ya fix each of these new folks a plate for me?" Alex asked, watching as the woman nodded without a word. She started piling the chunks of meat on each plate, Alex handing them out one by one. He handed a plate over to Sen, and the man almost passed out at the sight of it. He wasn't that big of a meat eater to begin with, but once he smelled it cooking, he found his mouth watering. He couldn't take his eyes off of it.

That was, until, he turned to smile a Rick, and noticed that Rick's eyes were elsewhere.

He slowly scanned over the camspite, his expression even colder than radiated mistrust as much as Alex radiated friendliness, and that's when the nurse knew that something was officially wrong. Rick had spotted something, several things wrong with the place, and Sen immediately started looking around to find out what. Everything seemed normal. No one pointed a gun at them, or was acting suspicious. Everyone was just minding their own business, chatting to each other, living out their lives. He looked over to Rick and was about to ask him what was wrong, but the leader suddenly marched forward. His stride was firm and his expression was dark as he walked up to Alex, immediately smacking the plate out of his hands and suddenly reaching into the pocket of the man's cargo pants. His movements were swift as he yanked something out before slinging an arm around Alex's neck, pulling him close and practically choking him. He pointed his handgun right into the guy's temple, his other hand holding the object up for Alex to see.

"Where the hell did you get this watch?" He hissed. Sen immediately fumbled for his handgun and pulled it out of his holster, pointing it over at the woman behind the grill who was just reaching for her weapon. Daryl, Michonne, and Carl all held up their weapons, pointing it at the terminants who were now staring at them with their hands on their weapons.

"Where the hell did you get this watch?!" Rick repeated.

The young guy struggled against the Sherriff's grip. "You...You want answers? You want anything else? You get em when you put down the gun," He grunted.

Rick turned them over to the building across from them, forcing Alex to look up at the man on the roof.

"I see your man with the sniper rifle. How good is his aim?"

Alex swallowed heavily, his entire body shaking as Rick's harsh voice rumbled in his ear.

"Where'd you get the watch?" He growled. Alex kept his eyes on the man on the roof. "WHERE'D YOU GET THE WATCH?!"

"Don't do anything!" The terminant yelled towards the man on the roof, "I have this! You just put it down!" The man on the roof didn't budge. "You put it down!"

He finally relented, slowly setting down his rifle as Alex continued to try and negotiate.

"You wanna listen to me," He said to the man with the gun, "There's a lot of us."

"Where did you get the watch?" The leader grit slowly.

"I-I got off of a dead one!" He asserted, "I didn't think he'd need it!"

Rick turned them around once more, forcing him to look over at his fellow terminant survivors.

"What about the riot gear?" He asked, pointing over to the man sporting black SWAT gear, "And the poncho?"

He pointed over to Kaylee and Alex immediately felt his insides twist. He opened his mouth to speak,

"Got the riot gear off a dead cop!" A familiar voice suddenly spoke out. Rick yanked the both of them around to face the speaker. It was Gareth. The man had his hands out, his voice eerily calm in such a tense moment.

"Found the poncho on a clothes line," He added simply.

Hot tears were starting to burn the younger brother's eyes. "Gareth—"

"Shut up Alex," He said plainly.

"You talk to me," Rick demanded, his voice quieter, yet still strict. He watched as the Terminant sighed and brought his hands together.

"What's there left to say?" He asked simply, "You don't trust us anymore..."

"Gareth," Alex whimpered.

"Shut. Up." The older brother bit, slowly raising his hand up as if to tell him to be quiet. The younger brother didn't relent though. He just kept begging the man to wait, feeling more and more squeamish as the barrel of the gun went from his temple to his neck, digging into the flesh. His brother just kept assuring him that things were going to be fine. He hoped to God he was right.

"It's okay. It's okay," He soothed, looking back over at Rick. "Rick, what do you want?"

The sheriff looked him firmly in the eye, his grip on Alex's neck growing tighter. "Where are our people?"

Gareth looked him firmly in the eye as well, his facial expression going blank.

"...You didn't answer the question,"

Right as he closed his hand into a fist, Rick swiveled Alex around and pulled the trigger, firing a bullet right into his head.

Not too long after, bullets started going off every which way.

And the five of them made a run for it through the camp.