Eve's POV
"You saw him?" Rick asked, glancing at me for confirmation and I nodded. Unfortunately it's true, this was Merle's doing.
"Face to face." Glenn answered, struggling to get his arm through the jacket sleeve that Maggie was helping him get on.
"He threw a walker at me. He was gonna execute us."
Daryl looked at me in shock, his eyes just begging me to deny that even though he knows Glenn wouldn't lie. I wish I could tell him what he wants to hear, but my eyes widened and looked at my best friend too. I didn't know that's what was happening when I heard the fighting from my own makeshift cell. I only heard the loudest sounds and none of them were distinguishable except Glenn's.
Daryl stepped closer to Glenn in disbelief. "S-So my brother's this Governor?"
"No he's somebody else. Your brother's like his lieutenant or something." Maggie answered quickly.
Daryl looked at me and I nodded, but then his gaze moved slightly off from mine, to the swelling on my face.
From my eye, to my jaw, to my throat his eyes moved down, scanning me from head to toe. That's the face he makes when he's looking for injuries and trust me, I got plenty of those to find right now. But I also know what he's looking for.
When his eyes met mine again, I shook my head, reassuring him. My injuries aren't gifts from his brother.
Daryl returned his attention to Maggie, somewhat relieved that at least it isn't all his brother's doing. "Does he know I'm still with you?"
"He does now." Glenn groaned, trying to talk fast even though it hurts. "Rick, I'm sorry. We told him where the prison was. We couldn't hold out."
Rick sat on his heels in front of him. "Don't. No need to apologize."
He pat Glenn's knee before he was crouching again and practically ran back to the window next to me. You can almost see him sweating adrenaline but honestly none of us aren't. We're in hostile territory, behind enemy lines, half of us injured, and no easy way out.
"They're gonna be looking for us." Maggie rushed urgently, her voice betraying a desperation to know if and what the plan is here. Did they have a rescue plan or was the only option to launch straight in and hope for the best? Did they have an exit strategy?
One look around the room though and I know that even if they did have an exit planned, it's a bust now. More likely is that they didn't have time or the information for a very detailed plan and I can't say I blame them. If they hadn't acted rashly when they did, we'd be casualties by now.
Rick glanced at me, eyes asking a very familiar question and I nodded. I'm fine, they don't gotta worry about me. My wounds are mostly superficial and the rest I can deal with whilst I've got adrenaline on my side. They'll definitely worsen if I push them now, but I know my limits. I can push and hold out until we're in the clear.
"We have to get back. Can you walk?" Rick whirled around like a bunny on steroids and went back to Glenn. "We've got a car a few miles out."
Glenn sighed in pain, cradling his ribcage but nodded. "I'm good."
"Alright." Rick and Maggie grabbed his arms and helped hoist him to his feet.
Movement and voices outside drew my eyes back to the window and I watched more and more people with guns moving like ants through the street. Moving too carelessly and too openly to be afraid of being attacked by walkers. Do they have this whole street blocked off or something?
They had to have cleared every building on the street to have that kind of confidence in this space. Just how big is this group?
"Ey, if Merle's around I need to see him."
I looked back at the alarming note of desperation in Daryl's voice and my heart clenched at the look on his face.
Rick oozed seriousness. "Not now. We're in hostile territory."
He never liked Merle in the first place but he's not so cold hearted as to not understand why Daryl wants to see his brother, even if the man's a racist sociopath.
My vision blurred for a second and my forearm ground against the wall. If I hadn't been standing here and caught myself on the wall, I would've swayed. My legs are starting to tremble, not good. I've been still for too long, the adrenaline's wearing off.
On cue my empty stomach twisted painfully and I turned towards the window again, trying to keep my grunts of pain to myself. My fast shallow breaths created fog on the glass that dissipated in a few seconds.
I'll live, but it's never fun to go 24+ hours without eating. It almost made me scoff. Reminds me of being a kid again.
"He's my brother. I ain't—" Daryl started.
"Look at what he did!" Rick cut him off. "Look, we gotta— we gotta get out of here now."
"Maybe I can talk to him, man. Work somethin' out."
"No no no" Rick shook his head, "You're not thinkin' straight." Rick quickly glanced behind him as Glenn & Maggie came up next to me and I accidentally caught Rick's eyes for a second and before I could stop myself, I pushed off the wall like I hadn't been using it to stand.
His tone lowered so nobody except Daryl could hear him, but unfortunately I have sharp ears. "Look, no matter what they say, they are hurt. Glenn can barely walk, Eve's pulling her tough face and you & I both know that means it's more serious than she says." Excuse— "How are we gonna make it out, if we get overrun by walkers and this Governor catches up to us? I need you."
Daryl paused, freezing and son I can see the unwavering agreement you two seem to have with that little statement Rick just made about me! I am not that bad!
"Are you with me?" Rick asked.
Daryl looked hesitant to let it go for a second, torn between loyalties, before he looked at me and a switch flipped in a heartbeat.
My eye throbbed and I couldn't help turning just a little so only my uninjured profile was visible to him from where we're all piled near the doors, completely forgetting about the fat bruise on my jaw on this side, or the marks that are undoubtedly on my neck, although I don't know how serious they look yet.
"Yeah." Daryl conceded and my stomach twisted with guilt. I don't know why I feel guilty for getting hurt, I just do. I'm not weak, I know I'm not. But I feel like it. It's been a long time since I've felt like this. Since I've felt powerless to protect myself.
My sleeve tugged and I glanced up before moving to the other side, next to Daryl. I tried to resist the urge to bite my split lip but I can feel his eyes on my face and for once it's making me feel worse.
I'm used to having bruises and injuries, I've always had things like this — all my life. For as long as I can remember, there's hardly been a time when I went for long without something healing. Be it scratches, bruises, sprains, broken bones, whatever. I never felt guilty about it before — on the contrary I'm quite proud that moderate injuries are nothing to me. But now I want to hide them. I don't want him to see them— to have to see me covered in purple and red like an oil painting.
He makes this face whenever he sees marks on me. This pained look. I don't like it.
A hand slid over my neck and I snapped out of my thoughts and turned, immediately being stopped by a warm spot on my forehead.
Like a magic water drop, my mind immediately settled. If only for right now, but it's all I need to erase the uncertainty of our situation from my mind. We've been through a lot and we've been in much more dire circumstances before. It's gonna be fine.
The corner of my lip pulled up and unconsciously, my eyes closed, leaning towards him until the warmth was gone.
Daryl quickly crouched and dug into a small duffel bag on the floor that I failed to notice before, and grabbed two smoke grenades, yanking the pins out but didn't let go of the handles so they won't deploy yet. Also grabbing a small machine gun out and handing it to me.
"On three. Stay tight." Rick instructed, hand on the door while Daryl handed a handgun to me and I passed it to Maggie.
Not a second after Rick finished his sentence, he counted and yanked the door open.
With a smooth underhand, Daryl tossed the smoke grenades into the street and backed up to let Rick and the others out first.
Gunfire pierced the air like a daunting drum roll and as soon as I was out the door, it was deafening. I couldn't even hear the blood in my own ears as we ran up the street, Rick shouting orders and everyone shooting behind us until we were all piled into some deep set doorway, ducking behind the brick walls, Daryl crouched in front of me while I shot over him.
It wasn't difficult to find the muzzle flashes in the smoke and that's where I aimed.
I squeezed the trigger in short bursts, firing 3-4 bullets at a time and it only took me twice to hear before sharp wails cut through the gunfire and the muzzle flash I was aiming at disappeared.
"How many?" Rick called.
"I didn't see!" Oscar called back over the sound of Daryl and I firing.
"Don't matter there's gonna be more of 'em. We need to move." Daryl called, reloading. As soon as he was finished, my clip ran out and I snatched the magazine someone was handing me, trusting whoever it was to know which clip I needed.
Locked and loaded again, I glanced at all of us, doing a quick sweep for injury. It feels like I'm looking for Health bars. Wouldn't life be so much easier if there was such a thing. A status effect screen would be even more useful.
Everyone except Glenn looks ok, except Maggie's breathing pretty erratically. I nudged her with my elbow and raised my eyebrows slightly as her eyes locked with mine. She nodded and I returned it with a single firm one before turning back and shooting again. Gotta keep those guys from advancing forward as much as possible if we're gonna have any chance of moving from this spot.
"Any grenades left?" Rick called.
"Uh-huh" Daryl grunted back loudly, nodding as he dug through the bag just behind my front foot while I continued to cover us. Maggie leaned around me and shot as I reloaded again.
"You guys go ahead. I'm gonna lay down some cover fire." Daryl passed me a rifle.
"No, we gotta stay together." Maggie protested the second he finished.
"Too hairy. I'll be right behind you." Daryl shook his head.
"Ready?" Daryl warned right before he and I both stepped out and I laid down some cover fire while he tossed the last of the smoke grenades into the street, replenishing our shield of fog.
Daryl nudged me forward as soon as everyone started moving and it startled me but once I was out, there was no turning back so I had to go forward with the others into the street.
Maggie and Glenn and Oscar made a run for a school bus parked up against a high wall of metal shutters while Rick, Daryl and I covered them.
I ground my teeth as a number of my shots missed. My aim is off. Half an eye and a shaky hand isn't a good recipe for precision shots but getting shots in the general area is good enough for now. It has to be.
I took cover behind a metal park bench, not 15 feet from Rick who crouched behind a small solar panel of some kind and made eye contact with Daryl back near the doorway.
We shared a nod before we switched. I laid down fire and gave him the opportunity to move to me and didn't stop until he made it behind the bench.
If this is what being in the military is like, I'm glad I didn't join up. Though it would've been hella useful to have the training and experience right about now. Assuming I even survived the start.
I glanced over when Rick stopped firing for too long, just in time to hear a cry from behind us and see him with his python out, gunning someone down.
My eyes flew around wildly, searching for ours and immediately caught on Maggie on the ground, crouched over Oscar, screaming for Rick.
My eyes landed on him staring at a dead body like he's in a daze.
"Cover me!" I shouted and pushed onto my feet, shooting behind me as I ran for Rick.
I grabbed Rick's arm and he immediately snapped back to reality, not even locking eyes with me before I shoved him towards the bus and covered him from the place Maggie was not long ago — she and Glenn must've made it over the wall already, that's a relief — while Rick climbed onto the hood.
I took my turn firing, giving Daryl a chance to reload and another muzzle flash zone disappeared but the fog is starting to clear, we need to move now.
When my clip ran out, Daryl was back up and I took the chance to take Rick's hand and let him help me up to the top of the bus before crouching down and reloading again.
"Daryl!" Rick shouted back, letting him know it's time to get the Hell out of there.
"Go! Get her out of here!" Daryl shouted back to Rick, firing again.
My heart stopped and I lunged forward, but Rick caught me from behind.
"Let go of me!" I shoved at Rick's arm but I couldn't stop firing until I ran out of bullets and Rick dragged me back with him.
"Daryl!" I screamed as I was pulled over the wall.
My feet hit the ground hard and instinct is all I have to thank for avoiding another injury, but that doesn't mean it didn't still hurt. The shock ricocheted up my legs and rolling managed to somehow hit every single bruise on my back and torso.
All of my senses shut off as I laid eyes on Rick trying to stand up a few feet from me.
My fists curled into the dying grass, dirt scraping up under my fingernails as ice flooded through my veins.
I didn't even notice the burning aches or the new tremble in my fist, eyes locked on Officer Friendly.
In a heartbeat I was on my feet and right as he was barely getting up, my hands slammed into his shoulder.
Rick sprawled into the dirt without knowing what hit him until he looked up.
My hand held my side, my fist shaking at my side, knuckles white as topical ointment and my chest shaking every fast breath moving in and out of my nose like a pissed off bull.
Everything inside me screamed at me to tackle him and not stop punching until his face looks like someone threw a water balloon of red paint at it.
My knee hit the ground hard and it felt like my kneecap split in half.
"WHY DID YOU LEAVE HIM!?" I grabbed him by the collar and my fist slammed into his cheek. His head snapped to the side and my hands hit the dirt. Blinding white pain searing across my mind like my side had torn open and poured my organs onto the ground.
Someone shouted at me but I didn't even hear it. It didn't compute as a voice much less that of someone I know. If anything it sounded like the wind in a graveyard.
An entire half of my face stung as I blinked and something dripped off my eyelashes.
My arm shook against the ground before who I now recognize as Maggie.
3rd Person POV
The gunfire faded, leaving only haunting hollow ambience in its wake.
Tension thicker than tar glued Glenn and Maggie to their spots. Even their thoughts frozen with their eyes fixed on Eve's dark figure.
Cold sweat cooling their already chilled skin. The normally hot Georgia atmosphere dropped and dropped until it felt like it was free-falling into subzero temperatures.
That person, standing in front of them doesn't feel like Eve.
It doesn't even feel like someone they know.
She barely looks human.
She stood up, holding her side and despite the obvious signs of pain, no one got the impression she needed help. Quite the opposite. It feels like they'll be the ones who get hurt if they dare touch her right now.
Glenn's hand began to tremble, not recognizing the person in front of him even though he's known her for so long, and there's nothing he can do about it. No matter how much he reasoned with himself that it's Eve, the only evidence that backed it up was the simple fact that he knew it was. Not her face, not her clothes, nothing about the woman in front of them is familiar.
As soon as she rose to her feet, her eyes seared into Rick. Simultaneously blank and threatening.
Rick held his jaw but didn't move. His teeth clenched in resignation.
He let it go, and silently accepted whatever she's gotta do. Especially seeing as it hurt her more than him.
If it makes her feel better, she can shove and punch him all she wants but she only shoved him once and now she's doubled over, holding her stomach, with one hand on the wall for support.
Heavy furious breaths left her until Eve finally started to calm herself down. Although no matter how calm she is on the surface, nothing will stop the contempt she's desperately trying to shake off of Rick.
She knows it's not fair to blame him but right now she doesn't care. Worse, she doesn't have a problem with not caring, and the only thing running through her mind is, 'I risked my life to protect his family before I considered them my own. Never once did I think twice about risking my own neck for them. So why didn't he?'
Eve closed her eyes and tried to erase it from her mind. This isn't Rick's fault, but every time she tried to dismiss it, it just came back with a vengeance. Sour venomous words whispering in the back of her mind It's not fair.
After a long silence, Eve finally straightened and turned back to Rick, still sitting on the ground.
'At least he knows better than to try his bullshit police officer "reasoning" to subdue my anger. Because if he did, I'd shoot him right now.'
"We're going back." Her voice was hollow towards him but dripping with terrifying authority that unconsciously made all of them shrink; making it more than clear that it's not a request.
Rick wisely didn't argue. He simply nodded and stretched his aching jaw. The throb spread all the way through his skull and even down his spine.
He doesn't even wanna know how hard she hits when her body is just fine.
"We left Randall and a few others out here for backup. Let's get back to them and make a plan."
Eve held out her hand to him and Rick looked between it and her eyes for a second before hesitantly accepting the offer and she grit her teeth as she helped him to his feet.
Eve is a strange person but she's also the most reasonable person he's ever met. She never does anything without a reason. But he'd be lying if he said he wasn't more than a little startled by this.
This is the first time he's ever seen her outright attack someone.
Suddenly she gripped his hand so hard his fingers popped and he flinched.
Her face dark like a wraith and voice deeper than the sea, so dangerously calm with a sharp edge, it felt like a sociopath holding a hot needle right in front of his eye. "Let's get one thing straight, Rick Grimes. If he doesn't make it out of there by sunrise,…You and I are going to have a problem."
30 chps to 200.
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