Thanks to gaara king of the sand for the help!
Big thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing!
AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thanks reading despite my unpredictable updating schedule. Hopefully with 2021, I can update my fics more regularly.
Clementine winced as Ruby stitched her wound. The girl huffed, feeling frustrated with herself for reopening the gunshot wound. She knew it wasn't entirely her fault, but maybe if she had done things differently, she wouldn't be dealing with this pain.
"I'm sorry, Clem..." Ruby said.
"It's fine…" The girl gritted her teeth at the pain.
Then again, if she had done things differently those kids could have been taken or hurt…
"It- It's fine. It's not the first time I needed stitches..." Clementine said.
"Really? What happened?" Ruby asked the girl, looking surprised.
"A dog. Got bit by a dog." Clementine replied. "His name was Sam... Funny thing is I sort of adopted him after that." The girl said then gritted her teeth and winced again.
"Why didn't you let me numb you?" Ruby sighed.
"I'd rather save the supplies for someone else. Someone who needs them." Clementine said.
"I... think that's nice of you and all- but you needed them." Ruby said.
"I'm fine." Clementine said. "Don't worry about me."
"How can we not? That's the second time you got hurt because of us." Ruby said.
"It wasn't because of anyone." Clementine said.
"But it was. If you hadn't helped us... you would've been okay." Ruby muttered.
"I'm glad I helped you guys... I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I think me getting shot... wasn't such a bad thing in a way." Clementine said.
"Clem, what are you saying? Getting shot is an awful thing." Ruby replied, taken aback by the other girl's words.
"Not so much getting shot... but if it hadn't happened, I probably never would have met you guys." Clementine said.
"And we probably wouldn't have gotten through the attack if you, Molly, and Becca hadn't helped us." Ruby said.
"I'm glad we all met." Clementine replied.
"I'm glad too." Ruby smiled. "Alright. All done. You might be sore for a few days."
"I can handle it." Clementine said.
"Are you sure you don't want pain medicine?" Ruby asked the girl.
"I'm sure." Clementine said. "Thanks Ruby."
"No problem..." Ruby said.
After getting her injury treated Clementine headed to talk to Lilly, who Molly had tied up and escorted to the basement. The two were hoping to get some kind of information from her.
"I'm proud of how she turned out. And I'm sure Lee would be too." Molly's voice was heard.
"Proud? To see that the little girl he protected is now a brat? Yeah…right." Lilly retorted.
Clementine bit her lip upon hearing that, pausing for a moment before proceeding down the stairs.
"Speak of the devil." Lilly said as she spotted her. "There's the brat herself."
"Haha." Clementine said. "You know, you're a hypocrite. You call me out for having a smart mouth. Yet, here you are, tied up and still talking shit."
"The difference is you're a child." Lilly scoffed.
"Far from it." Clementine said.
"So you claim. Not that it matters. If you wanted to kill me, you would've done it by now. I'm sure." Lilly said.
"I don't want to kill anyone. That's the difference between me and you." Clementine said.
"I didn't come here to kill anyone." Lilly responded.
"Right. You only came here to kidnap people." Clementine replied.
"For a good cause." Lilly said.
"Your good cause. Kidnapping people isn't for a good cause." Clementine said.
"You can't protect everyone, Clementine." Lilly replied.
"Well, I damn well can try." Clementine said.
"And that will get you killed in the future." Lilly said.
"Hasn't gotten me killed yet." Clementine scoffed.
"Keyword is "yet"." Lilly replied.
"Look, talk all the shit you want, but you're not going anywhere. So, you might as well get comfortable and answer our questions." Molly said.
"I'm not telling you shit." Lilly replied.
"You say that now." Clementine said
"I was in the air force, kid. Any interrogation methods you wanna try, just know you're gonna fail." Lilly responded to the teen.
"We'll see." Molly said.
Clementine and Molly spent nearly thirty minutes trying to get the woman to talk- to give them some compromising details about her group. But Lilly stayed stubborn and remained silent, throwing out snarky comments every now and then. It was clear they were getting nowhere.
Molly huffed and pulled Clementine aside. "This isn't working, kid."
"I... I know..." Clementine said.
"We need to come up with another plan. This is just a waste of time. We're not gonna get anything out of her unless..." Molly said.
"Unless what...?" Clementine said.
"Unless we use force..." Molly replied.
"I... I can't. I can't do that..." Clementine said.
"Clem... we have to... if we're gonna get her to tell us anything." Molly said.
"I can't torture anyone, Molly. If- If I do that. I'll be just as bad as him..." Clementine said.
"Clem..."
"I don't want to be like Carver. Ever." Clementine said.
"You're not like him. And you'd never be like him." Molly stated.
"I won't torture her... I'll find a way to get her to talk. She'll slip up eventually." Clementine said.
"Alright then, Clem. I'll... leave it to you." Molly said.
Clementine gave a look of relief.
"And I know your new friends don't want to leave, but... it's not safe to stay here. Especially since those people know the exact location of this school." Molly said.
Clementine nodded in agreement. "Yeah...you're right. It's not safe here."
"Go make sure they pack any necessities. The sooner we get moving, the better." Molly said.
Clementine gave a small nod. "Will do."
Molly waited for her to walk away and then walked over to Lilly. "You're right, a kid has no business leading an interrogation. Which is why I'll be taking over." Molly said.
"We can't stay here. That's the bottom line. It's not safe. For anyone." Clementine said to the other kids who exchanged looks.
"But... this is our home." Willy said.
"Look around you, guys... this place... it's destroyed. Even if we fixed it back up, it won't do any good if those raiders are just going to come back and attack again." Clementine said.
"So what do we do now?" Louis asked.
"Where will we go?" Omar questioned.
"We're gonna take you guys to Richmond." Clementine said.
"Your town... are you sure?" Violet asked.
"I am. It'll be safer there." Clementine said.
"…Are you sure your people will be okay with it?" Marlon questioned.
"Of course they will be. Why wouldn't they?" Clementine said.
"We've just… we've all been abandoned… forgotten… None of us want to go through that again." Violet said.
"And I swear to you, that won't happen… I know this place was your home, but Richmond can become that. It's home to a lot of people. And it can be a home to you all too if you let it." Clementine said.
The kids exchanged looks but nodded.
"Lead the way…" Violet said.
"Alright," Clementine said. "Pack whatever essential or treasured items you have. Because we're leaving today."
"What makes you think you'll get anything different than your girl did." Lilly inquired to Molly.
"Because, after what you did years ago, I'm in the right mind to put a few bullets in you." Molly replied.
"I'm not afraid to die." Lilly said.
"I'm sure… But I'm not gonna kill you. I know you and my girl have history… and that's what's holding her back from… taking things too far… But I have nothing stopping me. So, I'd advise you to talk." Molly said.
"Or what? You're going to torture me?" Lilly replied.
"I just might…" Molly said.
"Looking at you, I actually believe you would…" Lilly said.
"Then don't test me, unless you really want to find out what I'll do." Molly replied.
"…I'm not telling you where they are." Lilly grumbled.
"If I wanted to track them down right now, that would be easy. Those carts you guys brought, they left tracks. And I doubt they had time to cover them. It wouldn't be hard to find them. But I won't take the risk, not with a bunch of kids." Molly said.
"Then what do you want to know?" Lilly asked.
"I want to know why you came here, demanding children to be your "recruits". What the hell do you want them for?" Molly replied.
"I'm creating a better world. A world where the strong thrive. I'm saving people." Lilly said.
"Saving? You barged in here and destroyed their school. This is their home." Molly said.
"I was offering them a better home. It would be beneficial for all of us. I teach them how to fight, how to survive. And the Delta becomes ten times stronger than before." Lilly replied.
"You started that war in Richmond…" Molly said.
"Yeah, you're right…" Lilly nodded.
"Why?"
"Because I needed control. And it put me on a good path. I needed to get rid of the leaders of so I could take charge. After the war… I had enough control to do as I please in the Delta. I had to play both sides to gain complete control." Was Lilly's answer.
"You killed so many people. So many lives were lost because of you." Molly said.
"You have to be willing to sacrifice the many to save others. With control… I can save humanity, and I'll do what I can to do that. Even if it makes others think I'm a monster." Lilly said.
"You're cold. Stone cold..."
"That's your opinion. I'm doing what I can to keep people alive. To keep them going." Lilly said.
Molly huffed at that. "And that's your opinion..."
"You know my people are going to come for me." Lilly told her.
"Which is why we're not staying put." Molly said.
"Then they'll search for me." Lilly said.
"And they can search until they can't anymore." Molly said. "They just better hope we don't find them first."
Lilly didn't respond.
"Sit tight. We'll be getting a move on soon." Molly said before turning to walk away, leaving Lilly to grumble to herself.
The kids had finished packing up and gathered at the gate to leave. Everyone was saddened as they looked at the damage done to the school.
They didn't want to leave but they knew they had to.
"Everybody ready?" Becca asked them.
"As ready as we'll get." Mitch muttered.
"What's happening with that woman...?" Louis asked.
"She's coming with us." Clementine said.
"Wh-What? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Aasim asked, looking concerned.
"I hate to say it, but we need her, if we're going to stop her group." Clementine said.
"She's not gonna help us stop them." Mitch scoffed.
"Not willingly. But she'll help. One way or another." Becca said.
"Are you all ready? We got a good walk ahead of us." Molly's voice reached their ears.
"Yeah... we're ready." Clementine said.
"Alright. Good." Molly said.
"Molly... Did she say anything...?" Clementine wondered.
"Not much of anything." Molly said. "But hopefully you're right. "Hopefully, she will slip up eventually."
Clementine gave a nod.
"Alright. I'm gonna go get her. And then it's time to quit this place." Molly said.
"I can do it." Clementine said.
"Are you sure, Clem?" Molly asked.
"Yeah... I can do it." Clementine replied.
Molly nodded. "Alright kiddo."
Clementine headed to the basement. As she got downstairs, she noticed Lilly still sitting in the chair.
"I was expecting to find that seat empty." Clementine said. "Surprising…"
"You're not the only one who's full of surprises then..." Lilly said.
"Get up." Clementine ordered, aiming her gun at the woman, in order to get her to move.
Lilly remained still. "Please. You're not gonna shoot me."
"Only if I have to. Stand up." Clementine said.
The woman narrowed her eyes.
"Now."
"Or what?" Lilly asked in a mocking tone.
"Or you can stay locked down this basement until you starve to death. I don't think that group of yours will be back anytime soon." Clementine said.
Lilly huffed. "Fine... just lower the damn gun."
Clementine hesitated. "...Don't try anything stupid..."
Lilly said nothing.
The girl slowly lowered the gun and Lilly stood.
Clementine's eyes widened as she realized the woman had broken free from her bindings and was holding a pole in her hand.
"Oh shit!"
The girl had no time to react when she was suddenly hit in the head. Clementine crumbled to the ground and the woman stood over her but huffed and dropped the weapon.
"Damn it! Why is this so hard?" Lilly huffed.
"Clem? Are you okay? What's taking so long?" Becca called as she started down the basement stairs. The young woman's eyes widened when she noticed Clementine on the ground and Lilly grabbing the teen's fallen gun.
"Don't move!" Becca hissed aiming the gun at the woman.
Lilly huffed and returned aim.
"Drop the damn gun. Now. You're outnumbered here." Becca ordered.
Lilly switched her aim to Clementine who was trying to get up. "You drop it first or I'll put a bullet in her head."
Lilly was torn between the two, aiming the weapon back and forth.
Clementine took advantage, kicking the woman in the back of her knee, causing her to fall forward, just as Becca pulled the trigger on her gun. The bullet grazed Lilly's arm causing her to hiss in pain.
"I warned you." Becca said.
Clementine grabbed the gun as before Lilly could stand and aimed it. "I told you not to do anything stupid."
Lilly just huffed not responding.
Becca walked over and helped Clementine to her feet.
"What the hell is going on down there?" Molly called.
"We're handling it!" Becca replied back then asked Clementine, "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah... I'll be fine..." Clementine said.
Becca gave a small nod and then ordered to Lilly, "Get up. Now."
Lilly huffed but hesitantly did so. "Damn it..."
"Up the stairs. Get moving." Becca ushered her forward. And with the gun aimed at her Lilly had no choice but to comply. As they got upstairs and made it to the others Molly sent them a concerned look. "What happened? Are you girls okay?"
"I'm fine... She hit Clem with something..." Becca said.
"I'm okay. Don't worry about me." Clementine said.
"Let me see." Molly said.
"Molly,"
"Let me see." Molly repeated.
Clementine sighed but allowed the woman to take a look. "I'm fine…"
"No blood… That's good at least…" Molly said.
"Told you I'm fine…" Clementine muttered.
"Clem, I know you're tough. But you don't always have to be." Molly simply responded.
"I know…" Clementine said.
"Good." Molly turned to the others. "Everyone ready?"
The kids nodded in response.
"Alright…" Molly said, "Let's get a move on."
The group walked in silence. Every so often the kids would glance to Lilly, who was now being ushered forward by Molly as the blonde woman held a gun to her back.
Clementine took up the rear, looking around for any sign of danger.
"Hey… Clem…" Violet slowed to Clementine's pace.
"Hey, Vi." Clementine said back.
"Are you okay?" Violet asked the girl.
"Yeah… I'm good…" Clementine replied. "Are you okay…?"
"We're holding up…" Violet said. "None of us have been out of the safe zone in so long… Hell, none of us left the school in years. I guess fear of the unknown is just getting to everyone a bit."
"It'll be alright. I swear… My town… It's safe there." Clementine said.
"I'll take your word for it." Violet said.
Clementine nodded.
"I wanted to ask you something…" Violet told her.
"What's up?"
"That woman… How… How do you know her?" Violet asked.
Clementine sighed at the question. "She was part of my old group."
"…And I'm guessing you guys didn't end on good terms…" Violet said.
"No, that's not it… I was a little kid around eight or nine when she left… so Lilly and I personally didn't have any bad blood, but the group didn't end on good terms…." Clementine said.
"Damn..."
"Yeah… I was mad at things she did in the past though…" Clementine said. "A lot of things she did in the past… She… shot someone… A woman, Carley… And… Carley didn't deserve that… Lee forgave her, let her stick around, but she ended up robbing us… Stole our vehicle… and went who knows where." Clementine said.
"Holy shit. That's fucked up." Violet said.
"It is… But there's a lot of fucked up shit in the world… I'm not surprised." Clementine said.
"You… said she shot someone from your old group… Do you think she'll do something to…someone in this group?" Violet asked.
"She won't get the chance. We won't let her…" Clementine said.
"…Yeah… You're right." Violet said.
"Keep moving." Becca spoke to the two, drawing the attention. "We got a long ways to go."
The two girls just nodded in response and continued onward.
Eventually the group came to a stop, as it was getting later into the day. With the sun ready to set they decided to pause their journey for the evening and continue their trek the next morning.
Omar began making some stew as the others chatted. Molly tied Lilly to a tree in case the woman tried to run off.
As Omar finished the stew, Clementine glanced over to Lilly. She knew the woman had done some evil things, but she didn't want to believe Lilly was evil. She hadn't always been this way.
The girl grabbed a bowl of stew and stood, ignoring the others' questions of what she was doing. She made her way over to Lilly and showed her the bowl.
"You hungry?" Clementine asked.
"I don't want anything from you. Don't think being nice to me is going to get me to talk." Lilly scoffed.
"I don't think anything like that." Clementine said.
"You know you're not a good interrogator." Lilly said.
"That's because I'm not interrogator. I'm a regular sixteen-year-old girl…" Clementine said.
"Definitely not that either." Lilly replied.
Clementine shook her head at the response. "Help me understand, what happened to you? How did you become this...?"
"I'll try not to take that as an insult." Lilly huffed.
"You know what I mean. The Lilly I knew wasn't going around kidnapping people." Clementine said.
"I'm not the Lilly you knew anymore. Just like you're not that sweet innocent girl I used to know. Everyone changes in our past actually become." Lilly said.
"Our past does have influence over our present...but we also have a choice… a choice of who we become." Clementine said.
"You don't know half the things I've been through…" Lilly scoffed.
"And you don't know half the things I have been through. That doesn't change the fact that what you're going around doing is wrong." Clementine said.
"We clearly have different perceptions on that. You see it as wrong; I see it as right. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree." Lilly said.
"In what way is what you're doing right?" Clementine inquired.
"I'm saving humanity." Lilly claimed.
"More like destroying lives... do you know how many people died during your attacking spree?" Clementine said.
"Sometimes you have to sacrifice the few to save the many..." Lilly replied coldly.
Clementine felt her skin crawl at those words. They seemed far too similar to the word Carver would preach to her. "You...You're wrong..."
She could feel herself tremble a bit.
She repeated firmly, "You're wrong…"
The girl then turned and walked back towards the group. She was still shaking as she took a set.
"You okay?" Violet asked.
"Yeah...I'm fine..." Clementine said.
"Did she say something to you?" Violet asked.
"I... It's nothing important." Clementine sighed.
"Don't even worry about her. Omar made some of his famous rabbit stew. And you're letting it get cold." Louis said. "Take a seat and enjoy."
Clementine obliged, sitting down.
"Well... since we left the school behind... I did bring a little something." Ruby dug into her bag and pulled out some files. "Okay, these here are our official Ericson's psych evaluations and probationary reports. I know Clem knows why some of us were at the school, but I'd figured I'd tell you why some of the rest of us were."
"And how we got stuck here for as long as we did." Louis said.
"Only if you feel comfortable talking about it." Clementine said.
Ruby and the others nodded.
"Okay then." Clementine replied.
"This I wanna hear." Becca smirked.
"Alright. I'll read some of what the adults thought about us...and you have to guess which one of us fits the bill. I'll make sure it's someone you've actually met. This'll be the first one." Ruby opened the file and began reading, "While otherwise a remarkable student, 'Blank' continues to be plagued by fits of anger, uncontrollable cursing, and repeated physical altercations with the senior faculty..."
"Sounds almost like Marlon…" The words left Clementine's lips before she ever realized it.
Marlon sent her a look of hurt. "R-Really? You think that?"
"I mean… No disrespect… but yeah." Clementine awkwardly said, rubbing the back of her neck.
"It's not mine… They said I had a personality disorder. It's in my file." Marlon said.
"A personality disorder…?" Becca asked.
"Yeah…" Marlon was vague, didn't say anything else.
Clementine didn't push him, but she could see that being true with how he acted sometimes.
"That's Ruby's file." Willy laughed.
"Holy shit, really?" Clementine asked.
"Guilty as charged." Ruby said.
Ruby and Willy both laughed.
"Our sweet Ruby here was kind of a nightmare when she first showed up." Louis said.
"She once chased the home ec teacher around the yard with a barbecue fork this big." Tenn held out his hands to show the size of the fork.
"Yeah, you shoulda seen Ruby back in the early days. She was like a...you ever seen those Tasmanian Devil cartoons when you were a kid?" Violet chuckled. "That was our Ruby. Used to have a mean streak a mile long."
"Geez… Remind me not to ever get on your bad side." Clementine said to Ruby.
Ruby chuckled at that. "Don't worry. That was a long time ago."
"I… You can probably tell, but I had bad anxiety. Ever since I was a little kid. I'd have these freak outs over the little things… My folks… I guess they didn't know how to deal with it…" Brody said.
"Geez… I'm really sorry Brody…" Clementine frowned.
"Don't be… I had some nice memories at that school… Made a lot of friends…" Brody then frowned. "Well… I had a lot of friends before…"
"You still have friends." Clementine said.
The others mumbled amongst themselves, but Clementine sent them a look, stopping them.
"How about this one…" Ruby opened another file. "This student is "extremely quiet and withdrawn but has a clear obsession with sharp objects", any idea who that is?"
"Makes you think of a serial killer, huh?" Louis said.
"Excuse you." Omar huffed.
"Man, Omar, you gave it away…" Ruby groaned.
"I never used a knife to harm anyone… I just liked how they looked." Omar said.
"Haven't harmed anyone yet." Aasim muttered.
"Keyword is "yet"." Becca said.
"Okay, okay. Don't pick on Omar, he did make us a nice meal." Louis said.
"The cooking teacher took his obsession and turned it into something positive. And that's how Omar became Chef Omar." Ruby explained.
"You guys want to know why I got sent here?" Willy asked.
The Ericson kids sent him look.
Louis quickly shaking his head. "Dude, no."
That didn't deter Willy, who spoke with a smile, "Chronic masturbation."
Everyone sighed, Molly, Becca, and Clementine who shocked by the young boy's words.
"Willy, I speak for all of us when I say nobody has ever, EVER wanted to know that." Louis said.
Willy's smile fell. "…Oh…"
"Let's just move on…" Ruby searches through the files. "Alright… Can't do Mitch because you already know his story."
"What's his story?" Becca asked.
"I… made bombs… Blew up the garage." Mitch said.
"Really? Holy shit." Becca said.
"Yeah." Mitch chuckled.
"That's pretty cool." Becca said.
"Please… Don't encourage him." Violet said.
"Alright, here one. Guess who it is," Ruby said. "This student "constantly set fires and displays traits of a pyromaniac"."
"Geez… Are you sure that's not Mitch again?" Clementine asked.
"Hey… I like bombs. And I may haven't blown up the garage, but I have set anything on fire." Mitch said. "Though it would be cool."
Clementine rolled her eyes.
"It's Aasim's file." Violet said.
"Aasim's? Wow, I never would've guessed." Clementine said.
"I don't think you've guessed any of them right." Louis chuckled.
"Come on, I'm trying." Clementine said. "I just… It's hard to guess… Aasim lighting fires…"
"He's recovered now… Mostly…" Ruby said.
"Fully." Aasim said.
"I'm sure you have thoughts of burning down the school every so often." Louis joked.
"How come you get more annoying everyday?" Aasim groaned.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Louis said.
"Let's keep playing…" Ruby searches through the files again but paused. "Oh…"
"Whose is it?" Violet asked.
"…I… It's Minnie's…" Ruby muttered.
Expressions fell at that.
"I, uh, I could tell you guys my story instead. What got me sent here, I mean. Only if you want. It's...not great." Louis said.
"No one's pushing you, Louis… Only if you want to…" Clementine said.
"Everyone else did it… I might as well…" Louis sighed. "So, my family was stupid rich. Parents gave me everything I wanted, when I wanted it. Except for one thing: singing lessons. God, I BEGGED my dad. Told him I wanted to be a real musician. But all he said was, "You get to be happy, or you get to be rich, can't be both." I know now that he was just trying to teach me a dumb "dad" lesson...but I hated him for that. So, I decided I'd teach HIM a lesson. I thought, I'll break up my parents' marriage. That'd hurt real bad, right? So I broke into my dad's credit card accounts and made all these purchases in his name. Did this for over a year. This is how rich we were: he never noticed he was spending a fortune on a mistress that I'd made up for him. But I made sure my mom did. Sent her all the receipts for the hotel rooms, the jewelry...all of it. They had a fight all night long. He denied it. She wouldn't have it. I sat in the corner and cried to help it feel more real. When their divorce was final...I told them the truth. I said, "You get to be happy or you get to be rich. You don't get to be both." You know...those two would've been happily married forever. But then I had to go be a vindictive fuckhead. I came here the week after."
"Yeah. Okay. So that's pretty fucked up." Becca said.
"I'm in complete and total agreement." Louis sighed. "They said we were bad people. They weren't wrong. Still, none of us deserved to be ditched out here in the middle of the forest by the people that were supposed to make us better."
"Sorry. This was supposed to be fun. I guess I'm not really a "game" person..." Ruby frowned.
"Don't beat yourself up. You said it yourself, they need to know who they're bringing to their town…" Louis said.
"Hey, I...um, I've got an idea. Do you guys remember when Minnie would sing us "Don't Be Afraid" when all of us used to get scared?" Tenn spoke.
"Yeah… Too bad I can't play it." Louis said. "God… I miss that piano…"
"Well… Maybe Vi could just sing it to us like she used to. Your voice is really pretty, Violet…"
"Okay, okay. Yeah... Alright. I, uh, I can do that." Violet stood up in front of the others and began to sing:
"Never mind the darkness. Never mind the storm. Never mind the blood-red moon.
The night will be over soon. The night will be over soon.
Brush away the sorrow. Brush away the tears. Sing away your heavy heart.
The night will be over soon. The night will be over soon.
For every night goes quiet. And every moon grows blue. Beyond the dark, comes something new.
The sun will be rising soon. The sun will be rising soon. The sun will be rising soon."
When the sun had risen the group continued their trek and eventually made it to Richmond.
Upon arriving the gates opened and Clementine's eyes lit up as she spotted her boyfriend on patrol. "Gill!"
Hearing her call, Gill smiled and went over to her. The two embraced, sharing a kiss.
"Oh damn... you really do have a boyfriend..." Louis sighed.
"I kept telling you that I do." Clementine said.
"I guess I have no choice but to truly back off now. I wouldn't want anyone to see me as a threat." Louis said.
Clementine rolled her eyes at this.
"Who are they?" Gill asked.
"They're friends of mine." Clementine said.
"Allow me to make myself your acquaintance." Louis offered a handshake. "I'm her would be boyfriend if she didn't already have one."
Gill rose a brow at his joke.
"My Gosh. Knock it off." Clementine said. "Gill, that's Louis."
"I'm gonna check on Shel, Vince, and Shiloh." Becca said.
"Alright... I'll fill the others in on our situation..." Molly turned to one of the guards and motioned to Lilly, "Take her to lockdown..."
"What's the plan now?" Violet asked.
"That's for us to figure out and you not to worry about." Molly replied.
"Hold on... You can't just expect us to sit back and do nothing. We want to help." Mitch said.
"It's too dangerous. And the last thing I want to do is drag a bunch of kids into this." Molly said.
"We're already involved… We had to leave our school." Aasim pointed out.
"But you'll be safe here." Molly said. "We'll deal with the raiders."
"You don't want to involve kids, but what about Clem?" Willy said. "She's a kid.
"She's capable." Molly simply said.
"And so are the rest of us." Violet huffed.
"I made up my mind. I'm not bringing any one of you along." Molly said.
"But that's not fair." Mitch said.
"Life's not fair." Molly simply responded.
The kids continued protesting but Clementine spoke.
"Guys, it's okay… Can you just… sit tight, get settled in… It's safer for you guys to stay here…" Clementine said.
"What about you, Clem?" Violet asked.
"I'll be okay… Trust me…" Clementine said.
"Alright… fine…" Violet sighed.
"Thank you…"
"I'll have someone show you kids where you can stay." Molly said.
They nodded and Molly informed one of the guards to take them to an area where they'd be housed.
"Alright, what now?" Clementine asked the woman.
"We should probably talk to Lilly." Molly said. "And let the others know what's going on."
"I…I'll do it… I'll go talk to Lilly." Clementine said.
"You want me to come with you." Molly asked.
"I think I can handle it." Clementine said. "You go talk to the others."
"Okay…Don't let your guard down." Molly said.
"I won't…" She had learned her lesson last time.
"What do you want from me?" Lilly asked a Clementine stopped in front of her cell.
"I want to talk." Clementine said.
"Let me out of this damn cell, then maybe I'll consider talking." Lilly said.
"It's too much of a risk to let you go." Clementine said.
"Then why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?" Lilly asked.
"I told you before. I'm not like you." Clementine replied.
"Well... I'm not telling where my people are. I told you before, you won't be getting any information out of me." Lilly said.
"That's fine..." Clementine said. "We already know where your camp is."
"Bullshit."
"You sure about that?" Clementine asked. "Did you really think Richmond was responsible for the attack on your base years ago."
Lilly's eyes widened at that. "You little brat…"
"We only did what we had to." Clementine said.
"You got a bunch of my people killed!" Lilly snapped.
"And you killed a bunch of ours! You murdered Kenny!" Clementine shot back.
"He deserved it!" Lilly hissed.
"No. He didn't. He didn't kill your father in cold blood. He did what he had to, to protect us." Clementine said.
"To protect himself. He didn't give a damn what happened to the rest of us." Lilly claimed.
"Yes, he did. You don't know him like I do- did… He was always protecting people. Always doing his best to keep people safe. He didn't deserve to die. Especially not because of you." Clementine said.
"I regret nothing." Lilly said. "Now I'll ask you again, what the hell do you want from me?"
"Answers, but I clearly won't get them." Clementine huffed.
"No, you won't…" Lilly said.
"That's fine. We have a plan…" Clementine said.
"Then what the hell do you need me for?" Lilly questioned.
"You're going to be our bait." Was the teen's response.
Lilly shot her a glare, but Clementine turned to walk off before she could protest. Clementine knew the woman would never go for it willing, but with Lilly's given situation, she had no choice but to comply. Clementine just hoped things would work out in their favor.
Days passed and the group had come up with a decent plan.
"If we offer her in return for the twins, then they'll hand them over." Clementine said.
"They probably have other prisoners on the boat, unfortunately. We should help them too." Javier said.
"We'll if we trade Lilly, maybe they'll release the other prisoners."
"Unlikely… But even if it does work we'll still have a major problem." Vince said.
"What?" Molly asked.
"If we let Lilly go, she knows where we are. What's stopping them from attacking us?" Christa pointed out.
"Exactly. She attacked this place before..." Vince said.
"Right... We can't risk it." Shel agreed. "We have kids to protect. Families here."
"So, what do we do?" Clementine asked.
"What has to be done... we have to make sure they won't be able to attack us again. We do what needs to be done..." Molly said.
"You mean kill them? How does that make us any better than they are?"
"It's not about being better. It's about protecting ourselves. Protecting our people… It has to be done…" Molly said.
Clementine felt sick to her stomach. This was the last thing she wanted to happen. She didn't want anyone to die. But she knew Molly was right… If they didn't put an end to this for good, things wouldn't change. It had to be done.
After another stressful meeting Clementine decided to head home. The girl hadn't expected to see Marlon standing outside the door of her and Molly's place.
"Uh, Marlon? Is everything okay?" Clementine asked.
Marlon jumped and turned to face her. "U-Uh everything's fine."
The girl rose a brow, "What are you doing here?"
"I was coming to see you… I... wanted to talk to you." Marlon replied.
"Okay... what's up…?"
"Can… we talk inside?" Marlon asked.
"Inside? I uh… I guess…" Clementine said. The girl hesitantly opened the door wondering what Marlon wanted to talk about. She assumed it had something to do with Lilly or the raiders, maybe he was feeling anxious. The girl was not at all expecting the words that fell from his mouth.
"…What do you see in him?" Marlon suddenly questioned.
"What?"
"That boy... what do you see in him?" Marlon repeated.
"That boy?" Clementine took a moment to process what he meant. "That boy… You mean Gill, my boyfriend?"
"Yes. I just don't understand... What does he do for you that... that I can't?" Marlon said.
"Marlon, what are you doing?" Clementine huffed. "Why are you asking me this?"
"I don't get it. Louis was flirting with you right in front of him and he did nothing. If you were mine, I would've—"
Clementine cut him off. "Louis wasn't flirting with me… He was joking."
"He damn well was flirting. And your "so-called" boyfriend let it happen." Marlon said. "If you were mine—"
"Stop saying that. I would never be yours! First off, I don't belong to anyone, Marlon. I'm my own person." Clementine said. "And Gill... Gill and I are in love."
"Love... I always thought it was stupid... before I met you..." Marlon muttered. "...You introduced us as friends... but I... don't think I want to be friends..."
"Marlon...?"
The girl was shocked when the boy grabbed her and pressed his lips to hers. She froze for a moment, heart pounding and unable to react.
Marlon soon broke the kiss and the girl jerked away. "Clem—"
"No! Stop! D-Don't touch me!" She pushed him away, taking a step back. "I- I don't want you to- to touch me!"
"Clem, I'm sorry..." Marlon said.
"G-Go away... Leave me alone." Clementine trembled a bit.
Marlon frowned hesitating a bit. "Clem."
"Get out! GET OUT!" The girl snapped.
The boy didn't protest as he made his way to the door and walked outside. Clementine shut the door behind him and then sunk to the floor, her back against the door. The teen buried her head in her hands and began sobbing.
For two days she stayed silent, riddled in guilt. Feeling as if she had done something wrong.
As the days passed it became too much to bear. Guilt was eating at her. She hadn't wanted to kiss Marlon, but it didn't change the fact that another had kissed her. Someone who wasn't her boyfriend.
The thought made her sick. She felt dirty. Like a whore. She needed to talk to someone. She couldn't keep it to herself. And who better to talk to then Molly? The girl didn't know how to bring the subject up to Molly, though fortunately she didn't have to. The woman clearly could tell something was off with how detached the teen had been over the last two days.
Concern swept over her and after giving her space for a day but seeing no change, Molly finally asked, "What's going on, Clem?"
"What?"
"Something's bothering you. Tell me what's wrong?" Molly said.
Clementine bit her lip. Hesitant to speak, and unsure of how Molly would react. "M-Marlon… Marlon kissed me…"
"He… what?" Molly asked.
"He kissed me…I- I didn't want him to, but he did… And now… I… I feel awful… Gill's gonna hate me…" Clementine sniffled a bit.
"Hey… Gill would never ever hate you… You didn't do anything wrong…" Molly quickly comforted the girl.
"I didn't say anything… I should have… I should have told Gill right away… That- That makes me a whore." Clementine said.
Molly shook her head. "No, Clem no… You're not a whore."
"T-Then wh-why did it happen?" Clementine said. "He kn-knew I had a boyfriend… He knew h-how I felt… I told him we would never happen and he still… It's because he th-thought I was a w-whore. He KNEW I was a whore."
"You're not a whore. You're not. Look at me… Don't say that about yourself…" Molly said.
"But Marlon—"
"Marlon's a narcissist. He was wrong, not you." Molly said. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"What-What's a narcissist?" Clementine asked.
"A person who's in love with themselves." Molly said.
"I thought we should all love ourselves… That's what Shel always tells me…" Clementine mumbled.
"And she's right, but… it's different. Marlon is a narcissist and if he thinks he's not, he's delusional. He wants what he wants, and he's doesn't seem to noticed when his actions cause other people pain." Molly said.
"He does notice… He wanted to kill himself because of what happened with the twins…" Clementine said.
"Are you sure he didn't want to kill himself because he's friends don't believe him anymore? He fucked up… And now he's fucking up again and trying to manipulate you. He's wrong. Not you." Molly said.
"…I have to tell Gill what happened." Clementine said.
"If you feel that's the best decision, I won't stop you." Molly replied.
Clementine nodded. "T-Thanks… For listening…"
"Of course, Clem. Always."
"Gill... I have to talk to you." Unable to bear the idea of keeping something from Gill, she went to speak with him.
"Of course. What's up?" Gill asked.
The girl fought for her voice to speak, and when she finally did, her words came out so quiet. So scared… "I… I kissed Marlon…"
Gill's eyes widened at that. He froze, wondering if he had heard wrong, but he forced himself to stay calm. "Y-You what?"
"I- Well… I didn't kiss him… He kissed me… I d-didn't want him to but… but he did and… I- I don't want you to hate me…" Clementine explained.
Gill took a moment to process the girl's words, realizing what must have happened.
"Pl-Please don't hate me…" Clementine said.
"I would never hate you, Clem." Gill said.
"But you should… You should! It was my fault! M-My fault for being a whore." Clementine whimpered a bit.
Gill silently pulled the girl into a hug, shushing her. Anger rushed through him at the person responsible for putting his girlfriend in such a state. But he focused on comforting her. She needed him now.
But he wasn't going to let what Marlon did slide…
The girl had expected for Gill to get angry. She had never seen him angry before, but she figured he would be when she told him what had happened. And he did get upset, however his anger wasn't directed to her. It was directed at Marlon.
His anger was boiling over like a volcano, and the next time he saw Marlon, he erupted.
Before Marlon had time to react, Gill had sent a punch in his direction, the blow landing directly on his cheek.
Clementine was shocked, Gill wasn't violent, he didn't like to fight. But protective, he definitely was. Especially of his family members and her.
Before long Marlon and Gill were in a full-blown fist fight.
Clementine had lost her voice through her surprised but forced herself to shake the shock away. She exclaimed with concern, "Stop! Don't fight! Please don't fight..."
His pleading caught their attention and the two boys backed off. They had drawn quite a crowd of concerned citizens.
"Stay away from my girlfriend." Gill ordered to Marlon before taking Clementine's hand and leading her away.
The girl allowed him to do so, still shaken by what had happened.
"I'm so sorry..." Clementine said, looking guilt ridden.
"For what?" Gill asked.
"For what happened… You're hurt and… and it's my fault." Clementine said, tears threatening to spill.
Gill shook his head. "This isn't your fault… And he barely hit me…"
"It is my fault… I made you angry... b-because of the kiss... I'm sorry… f-for everything." Clementine said.
Gill gently wiped her tears a way. "You didn't do anything wrong. You have nothing to be sorry for."
"But—"
"Clem, he was wrong. You didn't want it. You rejected him... and he..." Gill paused feeling anger again. "He should've backed off."
"I... I was scared. I wanted to make him stop but—"
"It's not your fault." Gill hugged the girl. "It's not your fault, Clem."
Clementine returned the hug, fighting back more tears that stinged her eyes.
Gill held her close until the girl calmed down. He was a bit surprised when she suddenly kissed him.
After the kiss broke, he spoke, "Clem?"
"I- I want you t-to... t-to do more than kissing with me..." Clementine said.
"Wh-What?" Gill stammered, meeting her gaze.
"I… I want you to touch me…" Clementine said to the boy.
"T-Touch?"
"I want you to touch me all over…" Clementine nodded.
"Are- Are you…sure?" Gill hesitated.
Clementine nodded pressing her lips to his again. "Touch me…" She breathed out.
Gill hesitantly complied. He didn't want to scare her. "T-Tell me… if you want me to stop…"
"I don't… I want this… I really do…" Clementine said.
"…Okay…"
And just like that kissing became touching. Just innocent touching and petting, but things began to escalate.
"M-Make love to me," She whispered.
"Are you sure?" Gill said.
Clementine nodded. "Please…"
"I love you, Clem…" Gill said looking directly into her eyes, "And I… I don't want to hurt you…"
"You would never hurt me… I want this…" Clementine said.
Gill was still hesitant, but the girl kissed him again.
"I want this."
Their kiss quickly went from tender and loving to high-pressure kissing, urgent, wanting…
As the kiss deepened, she began massaging his cock through his pants feeling it leap to life under her hand.
They broke the kiss to regain their breath. Their eyes fixed on each other and their faces had the look of desire.
"C-Clem…?"
"Touch me… Please…"
Slowly Gill began to feel Clementine's more sensitive areas with his fingers, and the girl's moans were like music to his ears, encouraging him to keep at it.
She was enjoying being with him. She wanted this… She was ready for this.
"Clementine," Gill whispered pausing for a moment. "Do you really want this… For real…?"
"I do… Please. I want this… I love you, Gill." Clementine said.
"I love you too…"
More kissing occurred and clothes were removed. And soon enough, touching and kissing became more.
Their moans filled the air as their bodies connected. Clementine's passion built as Gill's pace picked up and she was rapidly climbing towards to her peak.
They kissed again as their mutual pleasure surged through them in waves, their intimacy leaving them breathless.
"I love you..." Clementine mumbled as she caught her breath. She moved to cuddle beside her boyfriend.
"I- I love you too, Clem." Gill said, wrapping a protective arm around her.
Her heart warmed at those words. And with a small smile the girl allowed her eyes to close, body and mind satisfied.
Molly didn't think she had ever seen Clementine and Gill act so affectionate before, the two had been standing by the gate, locked in an embrace which both teen refused to break.
"Be careful..." Gill said.
"I will." Clementine said.
"And hurry back home." Gill said.
"I will."
"Promise me..." Gill said to the girl.
"I swear. Promises get broken. But I swear I'll do my best to make it back safe and sound." Clementine said.
"Okay... Good." Gill smiled.
"I love you." Clementine said.
"I love you." Gill replied.
The two met in a kiss. Clementine gave a smile as she broke it.
"Alright lovebirds. Settle down. Come on, Clem. Let's get a move on." Molly said.
Clementine nodded. "See ya, Gill."
"Stay safe." Gill released her from his embrace.
"I will." Clementine said once more.
With that Clementine walked towards the vehicle she and Molly were to ride in and got inside.
The ride had been silent. And Molly could quickly tell that something was on her girl's mind. "What are you thinking about, kiddo?"
"Huh?"
"Your being real quiet. There's something on your mind. I can tell." Molly said.
"There's always something on my mind." Clementine shrugged.
"Well, what is it now?" Molly asked.
"It's nothing important..." Clementine said.
"If you say so." Molly said.
Clementine just gave a nod. Silence fell once more as they continued to drive. Clementine glanced to one of the mirrors, seeing another car, which a few Richmond guards rode in, behind them. She let out a sigh, hoping this trip wouldn't take too long.
She wanted to get back home. Back to her boyfriend...
"...I did sex with Gill..." The girl suddenly blurted out.
Molly was so shocked she nearly swerved off the road. "Wh-What did you say?"
"I-I did sex with Gill..." Clementine repeated.
"You… had sex with Gill?" Molly asked.
"Yes..."
"Wh-When did this happen?" Molly questioned.
"Last night." Clementine answered.
Molly was stunned. "Wow... I... wasn't expecting that..."
"We didn't plan it... it just sort of...happened." Clementine admitted.
"How do you feel about it? Do you regret it...?" Molly asked.
"No... I... You said it would happen when I was ready and... I think I was ready." Clementine said. "I have no regrets."
"...Did he pull out?" Molly reluctantly questioned.
"What?" Clementine asked, eyes wide at the question.
"When he finished... Did he pull out?" Molly asked.
Clementine's face flushed completely red. "M-Molly, wh-why are you asking me that?"
"Because it's important. You know... how pregnancy occurs." Molly said.
"I... I... He didn't... we were both lost in the moment." Clementine said.
"God, Clem..." Molly groaned.
"I... I c-can't be after one time, r-right?" Clementine asked.
"It's possible, kid..." Molly said.
"Oh shit... I don't know if I can deal with that right now..." Clementine said. "I... I wanted a kid the first time...but I... I don't know if I could handle losing one again..."
"You know why I... stopped it back then. You were too young... you're still so young..." Molly frowned.
Clementine didn't respond.
"Look... You're probably not pregnant. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about." Molly said.
"...If I am... then I'll decide..." Clementine mumbled.
"Decide?"
"What I want to do... If I want to have my baby." Clementine said.
"...Okay..." Molly said.
"Okay?"
"Okay… It's your decision… I won't overstep…" Molly said.
"Good… Thank you."
"Don't think me, kid. I just hope whatever happens you make the right choice." Molly replied.
Clementine sighed but nodded in response.
The drive continued in silence. They eventually came to the area that they knew the Delta had once been residing at.
They and the guards got out of the vehicles and moved forward to see the base.
They noticed things were quiet and still. It was as if no one was there. After scanning the area for several moments, they knew it was clear abandoned.
"Looks like nobody's home." One of the guards spoke.
"Damn... we came all this way." Molly sighed.
"What now?" Clementine asked.
"We'll figure something out. But let's take a look around for anything useful." Molly said.
They nodded and started to look around.
After several minutes they found nothing useful. The area was clearly vacated. The group had no choice but to turn back.
They decided to get back into their vehicles.
"What do we do now?" Clementine asked.
"We need to talk to Lilly." Molly replied.
Clementine just hoped they would be able to get information out of the woman.
When they returned to Richmond from their trip Clementine immediately went to speak with Lilly.
"What do you want from me this time?" Lilly asked
"You know what. Don't play dumb." Clementine said. "You knew that base was abandoned!"
"I already told you, I'm not telling you shit." Lilly huffed.
"You can tell us or when we find your people, we'll kill ever last one of them." Clementine threatened.
"Isn't that what you plan to do anyway?" Lilly scoffed.
"Not unless we have to." Clementine said.
"I have nothing to say to you. I won't turn on my people." Lilly replied.
"Lilly," Clementine stopped herself knowing there was no use in talking to her.
The girl left the area and headed to Molly.
"Any luck?" Molly asked.
Clementine shook her head. "No... She's refusing to talk."
"Damn... Time for plan B." Molly said.
"Plan B? What's plan B?" Clementine asked.
"We go back to the school and follow the tracks they left. It might not lead us directly to their base, but it'll lead us somewhere." Molly said.
"That's good a plan as any." Clementine said.
"Alright. We should go home and rest up. Come morning we leave." Molly said.
Clementine nodded in agreement.
At the first sign of light, Molly, Clementine, and Becca headed off, allowing Louis and Violet to tag along kids to tag along at their pleading.
The drive to the school was much shorter than the walk fortunately and they got there much quicker.
It didn't appear as if anyone had returned to the school yet and fortunately the tracks that had been left were still there.
They followed Molly's lead, following the tracks that the carts had created on the ground.
Their walk led them through the woods, but they noticed another set of tracks. Footprints.
Molly examined the footprints then hummed.
"Look... there's some kind of building." Violet said.
"Looks like a barn or something." Becca said.
"Think they're in there?" Louis asked.
"Or maybe stopped there for a night. Let's check it out. Keep your guard up." Molly said.
The others nodded.
They approached the barn and looked around the area.
Molly approached the barn but was surprised to hear snarls from within the doors. "What the fuck?"
There was clearly something not right about this place.
"Molly, what's going on?" Clementine asked.
"There's something in there." Molly said.
"Should we open it?" Louis asked.
"No... it sounds like a shit load of geeks in there. My guess is they didn't spend the night here." Molly said.
"If they did, they're probably walker food by now." Violet said.
"Exactly." Becca agreed.
Molly nodded.
"What now?" Becca asked.
"No point in staying here. Time to move on." Molly said.
The other agreed.
They headed back to the trail and continued to follow the tracks that had been left by the cart.
The tracks eventually lead them to an area, where they could see a large boat in the distance. That clearly appeared to be a base.
The group sneaks toward a boat in the distance.
"Alright, everyone stay quiet and keep your heads low." Molly said. "And keep your eyes peered for anything suspicious."
The others nodded.
Clementine reached into her backpack pulling out a set of binoculars. The girl looked through the binoculars, catching sight of some raiders. "There are a few people on deck. A couple others on the pier. Could be more inside."
"Probably, what else do you see?" Molly asked.
Clementine paused for a moment then spoke, "I can see an entrance..."
"Yeah, I think there's one at the other end of the boat, too." Louis noted.
"There's a small opening at the top of those closed doorways. Probably too small to fit in…" Clementine continued her inspection. "I don't see any obvious place to keep prisoners."
"Don't boats have brigs? Boat jails." Louis asked.
"Maybe. But where?" Clementine asked.
"Now, that, I- I don't know." Louis replied.
"No help." Violet mumbled.
"If things don't go as planned with Lilly we need a plan B. We'll have to find a way to get on that ship." Molly said. "See a way to sneak inside?"
Clementine examined the pier. "The pier has plenty of cover on it. If we're careful, we can sneak in undetected, but there's no good cover leading up to the boat. We're gonna need one hell of a distraction…"
"Walkers!" One of the Delta members exclaimed. The Delta began shooting at the walkers approaching the ship.
"There's a distraction." Becca said.
"Right… Now we just need, what, a dozen walkers? How hard could that be?" Louis said with sarcasm.
"They've got guards posted on the pier and the boat. There's no way we can take them all at once. Our only hope is to distract them while we sneak on board."
"We could burn that hay that they keep for the horses." Molly said.
That'd work. Yeah, we can steal their supplies, and burn the hay as our distraction. The fire will lure the raiders away from the boat, and we can sneak across the pier.
Molly nodded in agreement. "But now's not the time… We're just scouting…"
"Then when is the time…?" Violet asked.
"Not now…" Molly said.
"Why though? We have a chance to—"
Molly cut the teen off, ordering to the others, "Hide, now…"
"What?" Violet rose a brow.
"Hide." Molly repeated firmly.
The group sees someone chopping wood nearby. Everyone hides.
"Fuck… Must be one of the raiders…" Becca said.
"Has to be." Clementine frowned. "I can go see if they know anything that could help us."
"No… I got this. You all stay back." Molly said.
"Are you sure?" Clementine asked.
"Positive." Molly said.
With that Molly began to sneak over to the raider and before the person could react Molly puts a knife to her throat. "The axe, drop it."
The teen, who seems around the age of the other kids, drops her axe.
"I'm gonna ask you a few questions, and I want you to be honest with me." Molly said.
"I don't—"
"Uh-uh… You're gonna be honest. Got it?" Molly spoke.
The girl gulped but gave a single nod.
"Good." Molly said. "I know your group has prisoners…if you can call them that… More like hostages… Where does your group keep the people they kidnap?"
"I don't know what you're—"
"I'm not fucking around. Answer the question." Molly ordered.
"The boiler deck. Second deck. They're all there." The teen replied.
"Molly, stop!" Violet spoke up, stepping from her hiding spot, despite Clementine trying to stop her. "That's Minnie."
Molly is surprised but releases the girl from her girl.
"Hey, Minnie." Louis reveals himself as well.
Minerva's eyes widened and she quickly hugs the two. As she breaks the hug she speaks, "After the attack, I wasn't sure... I mean, I heard they burned half your school down. Who survived? Ruby, Mitch? Brody? Tenn?"
"Thanks to Molly, Clem, and Becca we all got out of there alive." Louis said.
"Thank God… I was worried…" Minerva sighed in relief. "How's Tenn? Are his boots holding up okay?"
"His boot?" Clementine asked as she walked over, furrowing her brows at the question.
"They're so old, they're more holes than rubber. I duct-taped them up last time I saw him, but that was a while ago." Minerva said.
"His boots are fine." Clementine said.
"Clementine, Becca, and Molly… It's weird, I thought everyone would want to lean on their own. Not on a couple of randoms…" Minerva huffed.
"Do you have a problem with that? Clementine asked.
"Yes, I have a problem with it. Your "leadership" is going to get my little brother killed." Minerva said.
"Excuse me?" Molly huffed.
"Abel figured he could talk Marlon into handing everyone over, like he and Lilly did...like they did before. You ruined the whole plan." Minerva hissed.
"What are you talking about? Marlon traded you and Sophie like it was nothing!" Clementine said.
"Yeah, and we all survived it! Marlon would've never made them fight the way you did." Minerva said.
"That is some grade-A horseshit. They saved us." Louis said.
"Yeah? And they'll end up getting you killed." Minerva said back.
"Minnie, you're wrong. They've protected us. Gave us a safer place to live… Why don't you come with us…? You don't have to stay here." Violet said.
"I… I can't… This is my home now…" Minerva replied.
Violet shook her head "It's not, Minnie… Your home will always be with us…"
"You don't understand…" Minerva said. "This is my family now… I can't leave…"
"We're your family… We want you and Sophie to come back with us… You two have to come back with us…" Violet said.
"We can't…" Minerva said.
"Why not?" Violet asked.
"I can't… and neither can Sophie… Ever…" Minerva said.
"Minnie, what are you talking about?" Violet asked.
"Minerva... Where's Sophie?" Louis suddenly asked, getting a bad feeling.
"She...she died protecting the Delta. A hero." Minerva answered.
"A hero? God, you—" Clementine was cut off but a raider.
"Minerva!"
"Shit!" Molly huffed.
The group quickly ducked behind cover as the raider approached.
"Rockingham!" Minerva called back.
The raider spoke to her, "Are you done yet?"
"Nearly…" Minerva replied.
"Then hurry up and head back. I want to be in before dark." The raider said.
Minerva gave a nod, and the raider left. The others waited before stepping out of cover once more as Minerva picked up her axe.
"Our boat leaves three days from now. Then it'll be a couple of weeks before we can come back for the rest of you. When we do, don't fight. The only way you're gonna save your people is to let us take them. I'm serious. Don't fight this." Minerva said.
"The last time your people attacked us, you lost two men. You'd only lose more if you tried." Clementine replied.
Minerva shot Clementine a look then ran off.
"…That… That wasn't the same Minnie we knew…" Louis muttered.
"What happened to her… I…She's so… different…"
"Are you two okay?" Clementine asked.
"It doesn't change anything. We still have to get onto that boat." Louis sighed.
"Yeah…. Nothing's changed. Our plan is to get onto the boat, and free whatever prisoners they have… so that's what we're gonna do." Violet said.
"Yeah…" Clementine muttered.
"What now?" Becca asked Molly.
"We should get back to town… We'll be back… and we'll carry out our plan… before their boat leaves." Molly said.
The others nodded.
The group began the walk back but as it was getting darker, Louis spoke, "Maybe we can stop for the night."
"And sleep where?" Clementine asked.
"We could go back to the school." Louis said.
"That's not a smart idea. We don't know what might happen. Someone could show up and attack in the middle of the night." Molly said.
"Maybe we could camp by that walker barn? We could stay there for the night." Louis joked.
"Are you crazy or stupid?" Violet scoffed.
"It seemed secure. They were trapped in the barn." Louis shrugged.
"And if they get out it won't be secure anymore." Becca pointed out.
"We'll set up camp by the school not exactly there. We want to stay within some kind of cover." Molly said.
"Alright then." Louis said.
The group searched for an area to set up camp, Molly started up a fire and they put together a quick meal for dinner, warming up some canned soup.
As they gathered to eat, Clementine felt a sudden wave of unease wash over her. It felt like someone was watching them.
"You okay, Clem?" Violet asked.
"Huh? Oh- I... yeah." Clementine said.
"Maybe she's not a fan of the soup. I don't think anyone here is as skilled in that field as Omar." Louis said.
"No. That's not it. I just... I feel like someone's watching us." Clementine said.
"I think you're being paranoid." Becca said.
"Is it wrong to be?" Clementine asked.
"Not at all." Molly said.
"Maybe I am… I just… I don't know…" Clementine said.
"We're fine. We didn't see anyone around, haven't heard anything. We'll be okay…" Molly said.
"Okay… I believe you…" Clementine just hoped she was right.
After finishing their meal, Molly took watch as the others got some rest.
Clementine however couldn't sleep. She couldn't shake that feeling of unease.
Clementine stood up, unnoticed and hesitantly went to use the bathroom.
Now a bit away from the group she felt a feeling of unease growing stronger. She quickly looked around and flinched when she heard a rustle in the trees. Thinking it was a geek, she drew her knife and slowly approached the trees to kill the creature but found herself grabbed by someone wearing a mask of walker skin.
"No."
Clementine yelped in surprise, and the person covered her mouth.
"Stop! Too loud." He said.
The girl flinched, her breathing picking up and panic hitting her.
"It's okay…" He said before releasing Clementine. "I'm not gonna hurt you."
"Wh-Who are you?" Clementine asked, her heart pounding fast.
"I saw your group earlier." The young man said.
"You were watching us?" Clementine said.
"I thought you were part of another group… A dangerous group…" The young man replied.
"A dangerous group…? The Delta?" Clementine asked.
The young man nodded. "That's right… What do you know about them?"
"I know they steal kids. They took two last year." Clementine replied.
"A common practice for them. Train them, use them for fights, turn them into soldiers." He explained.
"That's horrible." Clementine frowned.
"Yes. Very… I saw your group at my camp earlier and… worried you might be with them." He said.
"Your camp?" Clementine asked.
"The barn."
"The barn with all the geeks in it? You stay there?" Clementine gasped.
He nodded. "That's right…"
"Are you…alone?" Clementine asked.
"Was part of a group. Call themselves Whisperers. They've learned to live in herds, among walkers. Move among them. Sometimes, guide them." He said.
"Guide them? Holy shit." Clementine said. "Why are you alone? If you were part of a group?"
"They attacked a community. I saw the carnage. Didn't want to be part of it." He explained.
"Do you have a name?" Clementine asked.
"Been a while." The young man said.
"Since?"
"I've said it." He took off his mask and spoke. "James."
A walker growled nearby. Clementine clutched her knife, ready to kill the walker. James grabbed her hand and takes out a rock.
"Wait. Throw it. Distract him. Works just as well, and nobody gets hurt. Not us. Not him." James said.
Clementine furrowed her brows but threw the rock, drawing the walker away.
"Thank you. Where are you from? Here? Or somewhere far away?" James asked.
"Georgia, originally. So, where are you from?" Clementine asked.
"Washington." James replied.
"The city or the state?" Clementine asked.
"The city. Dad ran a food truck. I helped." James said.
"I see…"
"You should get back to your group, or else they'll worry about you." James told her.
"Wait, why don't you come back with me…?" Clementine suggested. "You can help us stop the Delta.
"…Not a good idea." James said.
"…Okay… Just… be safe." Clementine said.
"I will…" James replied.
Clementine hesitantly headed back to her group and immediately went over to Molly. "I told you someone was watching us."
"What are you talking about?" Molly asked.
"I met someone… His name was James… He lives at that barn." Clementine said.
"How do you know that?" Molly wondered.
"He told me."
"You can't just believe him." Molly said.
"I do… He seemed… honest… He talked about the raiders… the things they do… he thought we were with them." Clementine said.
"How do you know he's not with them…" Molly asked.
"Because he seemed too… different… Not like a part of their group…" Clementine said. "He was… a strange guy… for lack of better words."
"Did you tell him anything…?" Molly asked.
Clementine shook her head. "Nothing important."
"Every piece of information is important…" Molly said.
"He doesn't even know my name, don't worry…" Clementine told her.
"Alright then… Try to get some rest… I'll wake you up if we need to get a move on." Molly said.
"Okay…" With that the teen went to lay down. However, as she tried to sleep, she found herself unable to do so. It wasn't long before a voice called her name.
"Clem, are you up?" Violet spoke.
"Yeah…" Clementine said, "Sorry, did I wake you?"
"No… I was up…" Violet said. "Can't sleep…"
"…Are you okay?" Clementine asked.
"I… Yeah… I just… Can we talk about what happened today? With Minnie?" Violet asked.
"Yeah, sure. What's wrong?"
"The thing is, seeing Minnie... I feel like it should've scared me. But it didn't. The person we ran into in the woods, that wasn't Minnie, not really. The way she sounded, and acted...the way she talked about Sophie, and those raiders... I'm...confused, I guess." Violet said.
"It's not Minnie's fault. The raiders just got in her head..." Clementine said.
"I never said it was. But it doesn't change anything. Minnie-the real Minnie-she's gone. She's been gone this whole time, and I... have to stop mourning her." Violet sighed.
"We might be able to convince her to come back with us… Maybe…" Clementine said.
"Maybe…"
"Regardless we still have to stop the Delta… Or they'll keep attack other towns and… kidnapping people." Clementine said. "And we have to save any other prisoners they have…"
"Yeah… You're right." Violet said. "…Remember when Ruby was reading the files… I keep thinking about the reasons we got sent to that school... The reason the twins got sent there… And eventually Tenn…"
"Oh…?"
"Yeah…" Violet said. "It's… not a great story…"
"You don't have to talk about it…" Clementine said.
But Violet did. "When they were younger, maybe ten…Minnie caused an accident in which Tenn got hurt, burned. Sophie tried to take the fall, but they both ended up being sent away. Tenn was really young but, it traumatized him… He wouldn't talk, and eventually once he was old enough to come to the school he was sent here too. It was supposed to be therapeutic, but the outbreak started shortly after…"
"Oh my God… That's all so…"
"Awful…" Violet finished. "I just keep thinking about it."
"Try not to…" Clementine said.
"That's easier said than done." Violet sighed.
"I know…" Clementine frowned. "We should… get some rest… We got quite a walk tomorrow."
"Yeah… You're right. Night Clem."
"Goodnight, Vi."
Upon returning to town Clementine went to speak to Lilly.
"Back so soon?" Lilly asked, voice full of annoyance.
"I met Minerva." Clementine said.
"Is that right?" Lilly asked.
"Yeah… Your people really did brainwash that girl." Clementine said.
"We gave her what she needed. Kept her alive…" Lilly replied.
"You destroyed her life." Clementine stated.
"Her old life. But in the end, we gave her a better one." Lilly said. "You know, my father, Larry, was a military man, and when I was a kid, he had all kinds of rules. The thing that bugged him most was waste. If I ever left a light on after leaving a room, he'd flip. No matter how many times he ranted about the cost of electricity, I could never remember to hit that switch.
"So?"
"So, one day he let our power get cut. He liked "illustrations". To show that actions have consequences. No more TV. No more hair dryer. No more ice cream sandwiches. Just a miserable family sitting in the dark. Lilly: My father had his faults, but he showed me the effectiveness of teaching by example.
"Oh, is that what this is? A lesson?"
"I want to tell you a story. Let's call it "The Parable of the Twins"." Lilly said. "Two girls were taken from their home and brought to a new place to live. They had to leave their friends and family behind, and that was hard at first. They shed a lot of tears. But the new place was a good place. The people there grew corn and raised pigs, and the twins ate well for the first time in years. They had hot showers. Clean clothes. Beds. They were given guns and trained to use them. The people there were kind to these girls. All that was asked in return was that they help defend the group. You see, this place had a lot of enemies, killers and thieves, who wanted what they had. They needed help fighting, or they'd lose everything they built. Their crops, their power, even their lives."
"Putting guns in their hands and forcing them to fight? How generous." Clementine scoffed.
"They were just doing what they needed to survive." Lilly said. "To help others survive. One of the girls saw that this was a place worth fighting for, and her tears dried. But the other twin...she could never forget her old home. She rejected every gift, every opportunity. Stirred up trouble every chance she got. She convinced her sister to help her steal a raft and leave on the river. Of course, they didn't get far. I think you can guess what happened then."
"She died… Minerva said so…" Clementine frowned.
"But how do you think she died?" Lilly asked.
"Your evil group killed her." Clementine said.
"Evil, huh? I guess it was pretty evil for her own sister to take her life." Lilly said.
"Wh-What?"
"Minerva killed her." Lilly said.
Clementine felt her heart skip a beat. Minerva had killed her own sister? "Y-You're lying."
"Why would I… It happened… And we didn't even have to tell her to do it." Lilly said.
"You're sick." Clementine breathed out, her body shaking a bit. She quickly turned to walk away.
Still shaken by her conversation with Lilly, Clementine kept it to herself… She wondered if bringing Minnie back would be a bad idea… If the girl was dangerous…
As the group continued brainstorming different plans. Clementine couldn't help but worry about how this mission would go.
It had been so long since they felt threatened by another group, many of the town's members were on edge.
Now that they knew where the Delta was stationed, they just needed to deal with them accordingly.
They continued planning and for days, though the day before they were to set out, they were shocked when Gill announced, "I'm going too."
Patricia shook her head, "Gill—"
"It's fine, mom. I can handle it. I want to help." Gill said.
"You're always a big help, son." Patricia said.
"Well, I wanna help more and if Clem is going, I want to go to. I want to watch her back." Gill said.
"Gill, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine." Clementine said.
"I always worry about you. I love you." Gill said.
Clementine smiled at that, blushing a bit. "I love you."
"I know... And you should know, you're not in this alone. I'm going with you." Gill said.
"Gill…" Patricia spoke, "Please… Don't do this…"
"I'm going, mom…" Gill said.
"I don't want you getting hurt…" Patricia said.
"I won't. I'll be okay…" Gill said.
Knowing there was no point in arguing, Randy sighed. "Alright, son."
"Randy?" Patricia looked to her husband. Feeling dejavu, as she recalled what happened years ago and how it resulted in her son getting shot.
"He'll be fine, Patricia… Molly will keep him safe. I know she will." Christa said.
"Of course." Molly said.
Patricia didn't budge. "I- I don't feel comfortable with this... It's dangerous."
"He'll be alright, hon. We'll be alright." Randy said.
"What are you saying?" Patricia asked him.
"There's no way I would let me boy go alone. I'm going with him." Randy said.
"Randy..." Patricia frowned.
"It's okay, mom. We'll be okay... I promise." Gill said.
"Molly and Randy will protect them. I'm sure..." Christa said.
"I will too... no way I'm letting her do this alone with a group of kids." Vince said.
"You're coming, Vince?" Becca was surprised.
"Yeah. I am." Vince said.
"What about Shiloh?" Becca asked.
"She'll be fine. Shel will look after her." Vince said.
"You know she's a daddy's girl. She's gonna have a fit." Becca said.
"She'll be okay..." Vince said.
"Are you sure?" Molly asked him.
"Yeah. No way I'm letting you do this alone. Especially not with only a group of kids to back you up." Vince said.
"Yeah. I second that. Which is why, I'm also tagging along." Javier spoke up.
"Javi, you don't have to. You have your family..." Molly said.
"They'll be fine. Hopefully we won't be gone for too long." Javier replied.
Molly sighed but nodded. "Okay..."
"Well that's settled then. When do we leave?" Vince asked.
"We leave in two days... So, everyone rest up. It's going to be a long trip..." Molly said.
Clementine decided to check in on the boarding school kids. Making sure their tag alongs were ready for tomorrow's journey.
She did her best to avoid Marlon. She offered Violet and Louis reassurance about the trip as they planned to tag along again. Then to ease the tension the group began to play a game of cards.
As it got later Clementine readied to retreat home for bed but was stopped by Mitch and Willy.
"Clem, we wanted to talk to you." Mitch said.
"…Okay. What about?" Clementine asked.
"We had a plan!" Willy said.
"What is it?" Clementine urged them to continue.
"We think we should blow up the boat." Willy said.
"Hold on, what?" Clementine asked.
"We've been working on a bomb and… I think I should set it on the boat." Mitch said.
"With us on it? That sounds really dangerous…" Clementine said.
"We'll have time to get away… Trust me, this could all work. I can finish the bomb by tonight. You know I'm good for it. Willy, here can help me out… I'll come with you, plant it on the boat and, Ka-BOOM! Those raiders won't know what hit them." Mitch said.
"I'm coming too." Willy said.
Mitch quickly shook his head. "No… You'll stay here."
"But Mitch!" Willy whined.
"I'm not putting you in danger. Stay here, where it's safe…" Mitch said.
Willy frowned at that but didn't protest. "Okay…"
"Good." Mitch said. "So what do you think, Clem…"
"It… could work… If we have time to escape before the bomb goes off." Clementine said. "I'll tell Molly about your plan. It might be useful."
"Sweet. So, should we finish making the bomb?" Willy asked.
"Go right ahead… Just don't blow anything up in the process." Clementine said.
"You have my word." Mitch replied.
"Mine too." Willy said.
"Good." Clementine chuckled.
"Mitch is working on creating a bomb. I'm not sure if this will work, but it could definitely prevent those raiders from messing with anyone again…" Clementine told Molly.
Molly hummed. "It could work… I take it he wants to tag along."
"Yeah, and he knows more about bombs than I do…" Clementine said.
"Alright then…" Molly said.
"Do you really think it'll work?" Clementine asked.
"I don't know, fingers cross…" Molly said.
"But it's dangerous… putting a bomb on the boat while we're on it…" Clementine pointed out.
"It might actually work in our favor. Don't get cold feet now, kid." Molly said.
"So… we trade Lilly in return for the prisoners… but what about Minerva, how do we know she'll even want to leave?" Clementine asked.
"She has Stockholm syndrome, which is why she needs to get away from that place." Molly said.
"And once we get her away… what's stopping her from attempting to kill us?" Clementine asked.
"What?"
"Lilly said she killed Sophie…" Clementine said.
"Fuck… Well… she won't be able to kill anyone here… If she wants to come with us, fine… if not… then… we have to let her go. We can't let those raiders keep destroying lives. This needs to end." Molly said.
"Okay… I'm ready…" Clementine said.
"I know you are…" Molly said.
"We're going to be fine right?" Clementine asked.
"When haven't we been…? We always end up alright." Molly said.
"Right…I just… I wish it didn't come to this." Clementine sighed.
"It has to be done, kid." Molly said.
"...I know..."
Clementine hated the thought. Killing some to save many...
It made the girl shudder. But she knew it was necessary if she wanted to get this over and done with. To make sure the Delta would leave them alone for good.
"It's time, let's go." Clementine spoke.
"You know, despite all the trouble you cause, I'm genuinely impressed. Not only did you hold your own years ago as a little kid, but you organize a group of idiot kids into a fighting force and killed some of my most experienced soldiers. Someone like you, so young, with so much potential... You're far too valuable to kill. That's probably why I couldn't do it…" Lilly said.
"Maybe you should have. You won't get another chance to aim a gun at me." Clementine said.
"You're a cocky little brat, you know." Lilly said.
"Keep talking. I'm the one with the gun." Clementine said.
"Why not pull the trigger?" Lilly asked.
"It'd be a waste of a bullet if I have to. Get up." Clementine replied.
Lilly huffed but obliged.
"Let's go..."
"You really think your little plan is going to work?" Lilly asked.
"Guess we'll find out."
"Guess so..." Lilly scoffed.
"Let's move. Now." Clementine said.
Clementine led her from her cell. She felt more at ease than she had in the boarding school basement, knowing here she had guards to watch her back.
They made it to the gate where the others were gathered, ready to head out.
"Hold on. I'm coming too..." Gabe rushed over.
"You too Gabe?" Clementine was surprised.
"Yeah... I know I might not always be the greatest friend to you, but I care about you, Clem. There's no way I would let you do this alone." Gabe said.
"I- I appreciate it, Gabe. Thank you." Clementine smiled.
"You sure about this, bud?" Javier asked.
Gabe gave a nod. "Yeah. I can handle it."
"Okay. Just stick close to me." Javier said.
Gabe groaned. "Javi, I'm not a little kid anymore."
"I know. I know... I'm just saying." Javier said.
Gabe held back a sigh. "I will..."
"Good." Javier was relieved that he didn't protest.
"Alright... everyone ready...?" Molly asked them.
They nodded.
"Let's do this..." Molly said.
