"It's gotta be the brain. Not the stomach, not the heart. The brain." Daryl shot a bolt through a walkers skull as it wandered around the corner into the doorway of the little cross-section room thing that we're all piled in.

"I hear you. The brain." Axel repeated. He's a little slow on the uptake but I would be concerned if they weren't.

These guys haven't had to do any killing yet, but they were prisoners. There's the entire possibility that one or more of them have killed someone before and I'm working on narrowing down who. Thomas is at the top of the list. Axel at the bottom.

I stood at the back next to Big Tiny, there's no way I'm letting anyone else watch our backs. Not with these guys who can't even kill walkers yet.

Oscar (the second biggest guy) stepped forward and whacked the next walker with the axe. "Like that?"

"Uh-huh" Daryl nodded as the man backed up, returning to formation.

I feel like a parent teaching kids how to ride bikes or swim. It's kinda refreshing in a way but not enough to negate the danger of them not being able to handle life-threatening situations.

The 4 of us are really putting our necks close to the branding iron to try and teach them here.

Maybe we should've started with the fences. Get them used to how you kill them and then graduate to 'when they're coming at you'.

I sighed. Oh well, too late now.

Rick stepped forward and stabbed a walker through the eyes, then moved back to his position. "Stay in tight formation, no more prison riot crap."

As more walkers came in, I noticed Big Tiny backing up.

Uh oh

I acted fast and grabbed a walker by the back of the jumpsuit and held it in place.

His scared eyes met mine and I nodded to the flailing walker, trying to watch my own back while I help him overcome the skittish behavior that could cost him a life. Either his own, or someone else's.

I looked back just as he whacked it with the hammer in his hand.

I let go as it dropped and gave the big man a thumbs up and an encouraging nod.

I'm weirdly proud of him, especially when he took the next walker that started coming from our left on his own without help.

It's been so long since I've seen anyone kill their first walker, it's easy to forget how difficult it used to be.

I stabbed a walker up through it's chin as it started getting a little too much for Tiny to handle on his own. He's doing well though.

Right as the thought crossed my mind, I spotted a walker behind him with a bloody claw in the air.

There's no time to warn him.

I threw my shoulder in the walker in front of me, pushing it forwards and the second I was far enough to get around him, I threw one of my knives.

The walker's arm whipped back as the blade severed it's fingers off and hit the concrete wall with a loud 'clang' bouncing off and hitting the ground with another.

Tiny whipped around, screaming as soon as he saw the walker right next to him with it's jaws snapping for his arm.

Rick swung around as soon as he heard the scream and rushed to kill the walker and help Tiny while I struggled with the one that's got its arms around me now, trying to take my ear off.

I craned my neck as far away from it as I could as I slammed it into the wall, trying to get my hand with my knife unpinned from its chest without slicing myself.

A gunshot startled me and then a gun came into my field of vision right beside the walker's head, before I could even gasp, pain crackled like lightning had struck my eardrums.

My ears rang like two microphones pressed together and flat-lined every other sound as the walker dropped as I staggered, my eyes squeezing shut as my knife slipped from my hand and I cupped my ear without even thinking.

I forced my eyes open, panting as I desperately searched for the threat while my vision swam, warping the dark hall, and the only prisoner with a gun standing in front of me with blood splattered over his face and I froze.

My hand started to tremble at my side. I stopped breathing.

My eyes wouldn't move even when my washy hearing cleared just enough for me to hear like I'm underwater, even when Rick stepped between us.

They're following me. Everywhere I go, through my whole life.

Those eyes.

3rd Person POV

Daryl pushed past Rick without a second thought, going to Eve's side as she held her ear.

Rick stared Thomas down, glancing at the bodies on the ground that he shot right past Rick and dangerously close to Eve's head.

Daryl tried to talk to Eve but she couldn't hear him and she wouldn't look at him.

She was frozen with her gun in her hand gripped so tightly her knuckles grew whiter than lilies, and Daryl's seen this once before. The only time she ever seems shook up enough to grab her gun when she should know a gun isn't a good idea.

He moved in front of her, the look in his sharp blue eyes nothing short of barely contained fury as he glared down Thomas over Rick's shoulder.

Big Tiny looked between everyone, unsure of what to do or what's even happening.

"Let's keep going." T-Dog finally broke the silence. The sooner they get to that cell block, the better.

He motioned at Oscar and the other guys and brushed past Rick and Daryl, taking a quick glance at Eve before leading down the hallway with his flashlight up and Oscar taking point with him.

As the rest started moving out, Rick kept his eyes firmly on Thomas and made sure that he was in his line of sight at all times.

Big Tiny let everyone pass him except for Daryl and the woman whose name he's yet to learn.

He debated for a second before he leaned down and picked up her knife, the one she'd saved him.

"Thank you." He said, truly grateful as he held it out; having the distinct impression that he should let either of them take it.

He was a little surprised when Daryl took it, nodding in acknowledgement, and put it straight into Eve's hand.

As if that triggered something, Eve snapped out of whatever daze she had been in and gripped the knife.

She flashed a somewhat forced smile at Big Tiny before he followed after the others and finally noticed the gun in her hand.

Daryl stepped to the side, careful not to leave her line of sight as he picked up her other knife and handed it to her.

She smiled gratefully as she stowed her gun, almost forgetting to make sure the safety is on. It wasn't.

She stared down at her hands like foreign entities, watching the tremors.

Daryl stopped himself from retracting his hand as he touched her arm and she flinched, immediately looking at him. She didn't need to say a thing, this time he knows what spooked her.

"I know. I saw it too."

Daryl glanced around and hung his crossbow from his shoulder by the weathering strap.

He wouldn't risk it right now if it wasn't important.

Eve tried not to flinch as Daryl took her hands, but she couldn't help it.

It didn't make her comfortable but she retracted her hand one by one long enough to put her knives away, looking around first to make sure it's ok to do so.

More importantly, to make sure he is long gone.

The rest were halfway down the hallway, dealing with the next small group of walkers so they have a little bit of time before they need to catch up.

It doesn't sit well with him leaving Rick & T with them but they can handle themselves for just one minute.

"Ey, look at me." Daryl spoke gently. Eve tried but couldn't keep her eyes from moving around, and he knew she was using her ears when she finally did stop looking around wildly. Her hearing is still a little washed out but she can make out words at least now.

"Breathe, Evelyn."

Eve wasn't having a panic attack but the sound of her full name completely derailed everything going through her head and she finally gave him her full attention.

Daryl could have laughed at the look on her face. Almost offended at her own name, and that she actually had to take a second to realize it's hers.

Daryl have her hand a squeeze, tracking her breaths to see if they've returned to normal.

"You good?"

Eve opened her mouth, only to say nothing and tongue her molars instead.

'Wearily enough, yeah. I'm fine.' She nodded, still not entirely sure what just happened.

'What the Balrog — how did you do that?' Eve stared at him in genuine bewilderment.

'I don't know what I just did but I gotta remember that for next time.' Daryl let go of her hands and let them slide out of his. Not even bothered by the amount of grime and sweat on both of them.

As much as he wouldn't mind just standing here for a bit longer, they gotta catch up.

Eve took her knives out again as soon as the warmth from his hands disappeared while Daryl shrugged down his crossbow back into his grip.

The two of them lightly jogged to catch up just as everyone finished the last of the walkers and started to move down the hall again.

Quiet grimy steps bounced off the narrow dark halls as they caught up to Rick at the back and slowed to a walk just behind him. The others walking slightly ahead of the 3 as Rick kept his eyes on Thomas.

"You see the look on his face?" Daryl muttered lowly to Rick. He didn't warn him about Shane even after he talked to Eve, he's not gonna make the same mistake. She's never wrong about a person. He doesn't know when he figured that out, but he's known it for some time now.

"He makes one move," Rick started, knowing he doesn't need to finish.

"Just give me a signal." Daryl nodded, with no intention of letting Eve get involved this time. Even though he knew she looked at him and that she would probably be there when Rick does give a signal.

They crept into the laundry room, lined with washers and dryers. The last major room before the next cell block. Walker moans and gurgles could be heard through the double doors on the side. The place they need to go through.

Daryl took the guard keys from his belt and tossed them at Thomas's feet.

"I ain't openin' that." he sneered.

"Yes you are." Rick countered matter of factly. "If you want this cell block, you're gonna open that door. Just the one. Not both of them. Cause we need to control this."

The other prisoners moved into their positions in the formation we taught them, they pick things up quick, but Eve stayed right next to Daryl.

Her hearing is almost back to normal but it feels like sounds are becoming more sensitive. Her head is throbbing.

Thomas sighed, swinging his arm down to swipe the keys off the ground.

He glanced at the shorter more volatile prisoner who seems to be his most devoted lacky before going up to the doors and unlocking it.

"You bitches ready?" He grabbed the handle and yanked.

It didn't give.

He yanked again and gave everyone a false start.

"I got this." He said, just oozing toxic masculinity.

He grabbed the handles with both hands and yanked again, opening both doors at once.

"I said one door!" Rick yelled as the group scrambled to shuffle around to a new formation that worked like a net and let the herd of walkers crowded in the hallway spill through the doors and get hit by whoever was closest.

"Shit happens!" Thomas yelled back.

T covered Daryl while he shot his crossbow from behind him, and Eve covered his other side, right next to Axel.

Out of the corner of her eye, Eve saw Rick go down but before she could call it out, Daryl was moving behind her.

"Teve mind the gap!"

Eve kicked a walker that was coming at her in the chest and grabbed the one that was about to sneak through that gap, stabbing straight up through the back of it's skull, feeling the tip of the knife scrap against the top of the inside, but she was a little too aggressive.

She yanked and it didn't give way, so she was forced to simply let it go and take her knife down with it.

Axel got a walker that was headed her way and again she kicked that same one from before, only this time to avoid losing her balance, she kicked it against another walker headed for T and pinned them both against the wall by the throat with her boot.

T got the back one while she stabbed the front one and then retracted her leg quickly, regaining her balance and ready for the next one — which Axel piked through the eye with his pipe, giving her time to recover.

That was the last of them though, and Eve relaxed her stance retrieving her knife and noticed how Rick is standing in front of Thomas with his jaw clenched.

Eve glanced at T and Axel and they didn't even notice as she stepped around the laundry units and moved around the back, maneuvering towards Daryl behind Rick.

Eve's POV

"It was coming at me, bro." Thomas said.

"Yeah I get it. I get it." Rick stared him down. "Shit happens."

I subtly pulled my gun, stowing my knife, seeing the way the muscles in Rick's arm tightened half a second before he swung the machete in his hand.

"No!—" The smallest volatile prisoner screamed as the machete planted in the top of Thomas's skull and he sank to the ground.

I raised my gun in a heartbeat as he kicked him in the chest and let the body fall before the other prisoner tried to take a swing at him with a baseball bat and Rick kicked him in the side, making him fall before he even got close.

"Easy now." Daryl aimed the guy but he doesn't have a clear shot around Rick, neither of us do.

So I aimed at Oscar and Big Tiny instead, making sure they don't make a move as the guy ran out.

"I got him." Rick went after him and the rest of us stayed put, aiming our guns at the 3 remaining prisoners. The only 3 I thought weren't as much of a threat before.

"Man, get down on your knees." Daryl ordered, aiming at Oscar.

"Whoa whoa, ok, ok." Big Tiny raised his hands and all 3 of them knelt, setting their weapons down and put their hands up.

"We don't have no affiliation to what just happened." Axel tried. "Tell 'em, Oscar."

"Stop talkin' man." Oscar shook his head, accepting the new situation calmly. In the way you do when you knock something off the counter and don't even try to catch it cause you already know there's just no way. So you wait for the shoe to drop and worry about it after you know what you need to clean up the mess.

I kicked the axe and hammer away from Oscar and Big Tiny, hearing T-Dog do the same with Axel but honestly… I don't think these guys will fight back.

I still don't trust them but looking at their faces… I actually believe Axel. I don't think they had any idea what Thomas was doing.

They didn't try to defend him, they didn't try to fight back against us, they've been cooperative and mostly confused, they haven't been very aggressive towards us at all. Even now, they don't look like they have any intention to give us reason to shoot them.

And Oscar's face in particular is interesting. He looks like that person with an asshole boss who has to just bare with the backlash while they behave like an idiot and apologize to people when they're gone.

I continued to observe them as we waited for Rick to come back and a few minutes later he did, but just from the way I heard his boots coming down the hall long before I saw him, I can tell he's seething.

I drew in a deep breath. Bracing myself.

Rick stormed in and immediately pointed his gun at Oscar's head.

"We didn't have nothin' to do with that." Oscar carefully shook his head.

"You didn't know? You knew." Rick answered his own question.

"Daryl, let's end this now." Rick flipped around aiming at Axel.

"Sir please. Please listen to me!" Axel pleaded on the verge of crying, and I don't blame him. "It was them that was bad. It wasn't us."

I glanced at Daryl who's got his hunting knife against Oscar's throat, one hand on his head to make sure it's a clean kill.

"Oh, that's convenient." Rick didn't buy a second of it.

"You saw what he was like. What he almost did to Tiny and the lady."

I stiffened, the hair on the back of my neck bristling up, until I glanced down at Thomas's body and his dead eyes staring at the floor.

"Please, we ain't like that." Axel shook his head, sniffling. "I like my pharmaceuticals, but I'm no killer. Oscar here's a B and E and he ain't very good at it neither. Tiny fixed up boosted cars and took the rap for his uncle. We ain't the violent kind, they were! Please, I swear to god!" He cried. "I wanna live!"

I glanced over just as Rick swung around and pointed his gun back at Oscar's forehead.

Oscar's quite calm for someone in this situation.

He just stared back at Rick in tense silence until Rick finally asked, "What about you?" in a much calmer tone than before, but he's still angry.

"I ain't never pleaded for my life. And I ain't about to start now. So you do what you gotta do."

I glanced at Rick, waiting for him to make a decision. I can see the distrust in his eyes but they're emptier than before. More indifferent. More like when we were first found out these guys didn't even know what the state of things were because they've been locked up here all this time.

He looked at me and all I did was look at Big Tiny. A guy 3 times the size of me, who could probably throw most of us like a rag-doll and he's the one trembling, eyes on the floor.

I sighed and lowered my gun, looking back at Rick. That's my answer to his unvoiced request for my thoughts.

There's no way these guys knew what Thomas was doing.

They would've behaved much differently when it happened if they had.

I'm a little surprised at myself for having so much faith in people I just met — inside here of all places — but… the bottom line is, these guys are still citizens.

They behave like people did before the outbreak, with lines they're not willing to or unable to cross.

They barely have the stomach to kill walkers, and can't do it without blinking, yet. They're practically innocent compared to everyone roaming outside these concrete walls …Compared to us.

Rick himself killed 2 people just now without hesitation. We're more of a threat than they are. And now they know it. Would you risk crossing us if you were them?

Rick basically shoved the prisoners into the cell block. Which was unnecessary.

"Oh, man." Axel looks like he's gonna be sick, looking down the line of open cells and dead prisoners with their hands zipped tied behind their backs, all with gunshots to the head. "I knew these guys."

Looks like they were the lucky ones.

"They were good men." He looked at Daryl, who looked at me.

"So you just gonna leave us in here? Man this is sick." Oscar looked at Rick incredulously.

"We're locking down this cellblock. From now on this part of the prison is yours. Take it or leave it, that was the deal." Rick spoke coldly, almost robotic and walked out.

Daryl paused. "You think this is sick? You don't wanna know what's outside."

"Consider yourselves the lucky ones." Rick disappeared.

"Sorry about your friends, man." Daryl sympathized with them, which surprised me.

He's not one to give that usually. And not for just any reason either.

"Word of advice."

The three of them looked at T-Dog on the other side of the open barred door.

"Take those bodies outside and burn 'em." he nodded to the corpses before he too disappeared.

I stood there for a minute longer, aware that Daryl's standing in the hall waiting for me, I can feel his eyes on the back of my head.

I hesitated but opened my mouth, "You didn't have to put them down yourselves, and you still have each other. That's more than a lot of people got."

It's not much of a consolation for them now, but someday they'll understand that it really, really is.

I thought about giving Tiny's arm a sympathy pat but decided against it. Instead I just gave them a sad smile and turned to leave, but Oscar's voice stopped me.

Despite everything that's happened. He said, "Thank you."

I gave a heavy nod and left, meeting Daryl in the hall.

We met up with T and Rick at the end, to start making our way back.

Halfway back, T-Dog looked over his shoulder.

"Did you call us Teve earlier?" T-Dog looked at Daryl. I snorted before Daryl could even look open his mouth.

So I didn't hear wrong.

I am never gonna let him live this down.

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