David groaned slightly in pain as he woke up. His head was throbbing and his body was sore, with the taste of blood still present in his mouth, although milder.

He got up from the cold ground he was lying on and looked around, acquiring a confused expression as he didn't recognize the place he was at first.

Flashes of memory flashed through his mind, and he cursed softly as he realized that he was in the famous "arena," one of the worst places for an unarmed person to be thrown.

His eyes scanned the cell he was in, staring at two men who were lying on a bunk next to him. One of the men was clearly older than the other, with a defeated expression and a grotesque full beard on his face.

David stood up and ignored the men for a few moments, walking towards the bars of the cell.

The corridor ahead was dimly lit, the horrible smell of shit, urine and death permeated the place and gave him a sick feeling.

Apart from these smells, a strong odor rose from the place, irritating David's nose and making his eyes tear up. His gaze stopped immediately afterwards at the cut in half body that was lying just before the end of the corridor.

The feeling of unease worsened and he had to hold back from throwing up right there, that place seemed to be as bad as he had heard.

- Don't look at it, man. Save your stomach for what comes next.

A young male voice came from behind David. He turned and faced the man who had said this, lying on the top of the bunk bed.

- Oh, I won't have to save my stomach to see more of this shit.

David said, looking back down the corridor for someone else, a guard, but found nothing.

That place was home to the worst scum of humanity, he didn't need to worry about taking it easy, everything and everyone in there, apart from the prisoners, maybe, deserved to die.

- Fuck, what are you going to do? I guarantee that you will die in a matter of seconds.

The other man, the one lying on the bed under the bunk, said with a slight mocking tone. David just stared at him for a few moments, he didn't care about anything that guy said, or would say, he wouldn't stay there, even if he ended up dead.

It was better than staying in that situation.

- Better than staying here rotting alive.

He said simply, taking one last look down the hall before walking towards the bed. His eyes scoured the dimly lit cell, looking for something sharp, anything useful to be able to open that gate.

- See, Luke, that's what I've been trying to tell you since the moment we got here. Better to die doing something than to become a scared little bitch.

The boy said, jumping out of bed and looking at David with a certain seriousness in his gaze.

- I'm Kenny Jr, but my friends call me Duck... although that nickname doesn't suit me anymore. The scaredy cat behind me is Luke. He used to be bolder.

The boy said, raising his hand. David looked at him for a moment and shook his hand firmly, only now realizing that the boy was really very young.

He didn't look a day over eighteen, that was for sure.

The other man behind Duck let out a slight ironic laugh, pointing his middle finger at the boy, who simply ignored it.

- I'm David. How long have you been here?

He asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. The floor of the place looked cleaner than that bed.

- I don't know, a few days maybe.

Duck answered, walking to the bars of the cell and leaning on them, watching the corridor with a somewhat bored look.

David looked at him with a certain interest; despite the situation he was in, the boy didn't seem very affected. Which would normally worry David, but the boy didn't seem to be the same as those people, he was just... different.

Like he had been through his share of shit to the point where he wasn't as affected by similar situations anymore.

- And how are things here? When, more or less, does someone come to pick you up? How many are there?

David asked, standing next to the boy and leaning between the bars as well, watching the empty corridor.

- They are the way you imagine. Two men with guns appear, pick people at random to fight, and throw them into an open area filled with zombies and even other armed people. They show up whenever they feel like it.

The boy answered, leaning his head on the big one and looking at the ground, letting out a tired sigh.

- Only two guards?

David asked, and Duck shook his head slightly.

- Yes, but, as I said, they are armed guards, and even if we manage to get their weapons, we would still have to go through a whole community of armed and dangerous men... not that it would be so difficult, since murder is a common thing here.

The boy answered, raising his head and focusing his eyes on some random point in the corridor.

- Do you know where is the exit?

- Yes, you can see an exit from the arena. This place doesn't seem so difficult to start chaos, David. It's a place with no law, no order, all it takes is a few bullets and people will start killing each other.

Duck said, straightening his posture while running a hand over the back of his head. David had to admit that the boy seemed very mature for his age.

Well, the world had changed, it made sense that someone so young had changed too.

- And why haven't you left here yet? Why is this place still standing?

David asked, looking at the cut in half body in the distance, having the slight impression that he had seen that face somewhere before... although it was deformed.

- Because it is not so easy to get a gun with so many guards looking at me, they don't let many people stay together, and sometimes they don't even let them in a cell. Besides, the people here are too scared to do anything, most of them die on the first day. And I can't do it alone, it would be more risky, but that chicken behind me refuses to help me.

Duck said, pointing at Luke, who sighed angrily.

- It's a waste of time, Duck. And you know it. If we get out of here, what will happen? Well, I tell you, nothing! Not a goddamn thing is going to happen! It will be the same shit as always, we will try to survive, avoiding bandits and other people, until we get captured again! It's a fucking cycle!

Luke said angrily, putting his arms behind his head as he sighed again.

David looked at him for a few moments, he could see that both that man and Duck had been through a lot, he understood why he acted this way, even though he didn't agree with anything he said.

- Oh fuck you, Luke. This is bullshit and you know it! All you do these days is complain, you've lost hope, and you want to sink me with you. Well, you can go fuck yourself, if you don't want to do something about it, fine, but don't try to take me down with you, okay?

Duck said, slightly irritated by Luke's attitude, who grumbled loudly and turned around, turning his back to the boy, who rolled his eyes.

- Oh, shut the fuck up!

A male voice echoed from somewhere in the hallway, causing David to look around, only now realizing that there were more people around.

- Fuck you, you little bitch! After watching you abandon your friend in the arena, I am this close to sticking a knife in your throat, so you better keep your fucking mouth shut!

Duck said loudly, and the man shut up.

- He used to be such a nice guy.

Duck said softly, more to himself than to David beside him, who arched an eyebrow at the little argument.

"That's a tough kid."

David thought, impressed by the boy, who had a slight soldierly air about him, despite his young age.

- So, did you have a plan to get out of here?

David asked, crossing his arms and looking at Duck with a slight smile; he had taken a liking to the boy.

- It's very dangerous, risky and stupid, and we might very well end up with a bullet in our head, or a body full of bullet holes. But, as you said, it's better than rotting here.

Duck said with an arched eyebrow, returning the smile to David.

(...)

Lee looked down the empty corridor in which he was forced to walk. David had told him the way to the room, and so he knew that in a few more minutes of walking, he would pass through a corridor, where the guards used to dispose the dead bodies out of the community and burn them in a discreet way.

The good thing about being mutilated, is that people tend to underestimate you, and only one guard was accompanying him at that moment. Of course, there were guards all over that building, but at the moment it was just him and that man holding a rifle to his head.

After a while of walking, he looked down the hallway ahead.

After a few more steps, Lee began to cough heavily, bowing his body as he walked groggily.

The guard at first just forced him to keep walking, but seeing that his coughing was persisting, he lowered his gun and put his hand on his shoulder, forcing Lee to straighten his posture.

In one swift motion, Lee stabs him in the neck with a piece of pipe, and then stabs him in the eye.

The guard tries to scream, but is unable to, and Lee stabs him a few more times, until the man's body lies motionless on the ground.

He tossed the piece of pipe aside, and picked up the knife, along with the pistol, that the man had in his waistband. It was really a shame that he couldn't use, in a practical way, a rifle. He could do quite a bit of damage with that thing.

Lee dragged the man's body down the hallway, throwing it into an empty room soon after. The trail of blood was visible, but he had no time to cover that trail.

He began to walk silently down the corridor, looking around every corner he passed, avoiding the guards making their rounds.

He had been taken for execution at night, the plan was to do this in the afternoon, since it was one of the only times Joan was alone. Now she was probably in her room with Clint.

He had two options, to sneak into Joan's room and murder them both, or to wait in hiding in the woman's office until the next day.

The first option was riskier, but if he succeeded, he would finish Joan that night. The second option was a little safer, but it would waste a lot of time, and David might not have that much time.

- Let me go!

A little girl's voice echoed through the corridors behind Lee. He felt his body freeze and turned almost instinctively.

He walked down the empty corridor and looked over the edge, watching as some guards took a little girl to a prison cell.

She couldn't have been older than eleven, twelve perhaps.

Lee sighed lightly, why always a little girl?

He stepped out from behind the edge of the corridor and approached the guards slowly.

One of them opened the cell door while the other held the girl by the arms.

Before they could throw her inside, Lee kicked behind the knee of the guard holding her, causing him to fall and release the girl. Then he advanced against the man in front of him and stabbed him in the neck. Spinning his body around, he kicks the guard in the face who was trying to get up, causing him to fall backwards.

Lee stabs his knife into the man's temple, and stands up, slightly out of breath as he feels the adrenaline leave his body.

He looked at the bodies of the two men for a few moments, he didn't know them, and as far as he knew, he could have killed two innocent men who were just following orders, although it was kind of fucked up to lock little girls in a cell.

He felt slightly bad about it, but he couldn't tell who was guilty or not. He might have shed innocent blood, but his feelings remained unchanged. Sometimes the wrong people were in the wrong place at the wrong time, although that didn't justify what he had done.

Lee looked at the little girl, who was staring at him wide-eyed, clearly scared...maybe even more scared than she was before.

"Am I really that scary?"

He stowed the knife in his waistband and ducked slightly, giving the girl his best smile in an attempt to calm her down.

- Don't worry, I won't hurt you. They brought me here against my will too.

He lied, he asked David to hold him there, but the girl seemed to calm down a little more when she saw that they were in the same situation, so the lie worked.

- What happened? Why did they take you?

He asked, looking around before starting to pull the body of the guards towards the cell, taking the opportunity to stab the man in the head whom he had punctured in the throat.

-We... we were after our group... we found someone, but the guards caught me... the others escaped.

She said vaguely, afraid to say too much to a complete stranger... especially someone who looked like that.

- Any idea where they might be going? I can take you to them.

He asked, closing the cell door and locking it, throwing the key over the body of one of the men through the doorframe.

-We were going north of the compound... to the prison, my group might be there.

She answered, looking at Lee uncertainly. He didn't blame her for being afraid of him, he was used to that by now.

Lee arched an eyebrow, and looked more analytically at the girl, intensely. Mariana sighed slightly, annoyed by the somewhat intense gaze in her direction.

A snap echoed through Lee's mind, and he smiled softly.

- Mariana?

He asked, and the girl took on a confused face upon hearing her name.

-How do you know my name?

Lee stood up and looked at the empty corridors once more.

- David has told me a lot about you, and your brother, Gabe, right? You look a little like him...I don't know, something about you reminds me of him.

He said, watching the girl's incredulous expression with curiosity, it was then that he remembered when Javi said he thought David was dead.

"Oh shit, I just ruined the surprise..." - He thought, scratching the back of his head.

- ... My father... my father is dead...

She said, almost in a whisper, still looking at Lee as if he was crazy, but with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

-Anyway, I know Javi, Tripp, Jesus. We met earlier.

He said, hearing footsteps approaching from his right, far enough away for them to have time to get out of there.

- Look, I know I don't seem like the most trustworthy person in the world, but I promise I won't hurt you. I'll help you find Javi and the others, okay?

He said, crouching down to the girl's height and saying gently.

Mariana was still hesitant about him, but nodded to Lee, who smiled slightly.

Lee stood up and walked back down the hallway he came from.

...

Javi looked around the dark corridor of the abandoned building, searching for the apartment number David had told him.

When he reached the door, he opened it slowly, widening his eyes slightly when he saw Gabe pointing a pistol in his direction.

- Whoa, easy there, kid. It's me.

He said, putting one arm in front of his body and entering the apartment. It was a relatively large place, with a few things scattered around the corners, probably David's things.

Kate stood up from the sofa in front of him and ran to hug him, sighing with relief as she hid her face in the hollow of Javi's neck, who returned the hug more comfortably than before.

- Clementine...

Gabe called out in surprise, putting the gun to his waist and looking at the girl in a slightly odd way. Clementine looked up at him and nodded, beginning to check the apartment shortly after.

- You took your time.

A female voice, somewhat unknown to Javi, caught his attention. He turned to the side and looked curiously at the woman standing just behind the counter ahead.

- This is Ava, David told her to stay here too in case things went wrong.

Kate said, taking a few steps away from Javi and looking at Ava, who was leaning on the counter.

- And things went very wrong. David was thrown into the arena, the whole town is after you, and now Joan is after me too. She made up a lie for the people and now we are the traitors.

The woman said, turning around the counter and sitting down in one of the armchairs. Her expression was as if to say "we're fucked.

- Dad was what?

Gabe asked startled, looking at Ava and Javi with wide eyes in disbelief.

- Apparently someone from David's team told some very compromising things...as well as some lies to Joan. She knew all about it. She was going to throw Javi and David into the arena, but it seems that one of the brothers managed to escape... good.

The woman said, seemingly calm, but if you looked closely into her eyes you would see the huge conflict going on inside her. David was more important to her than she let on.

- Mariana was caught too... when we were running away from the guards.

Clementine said, looking at Kate's worried and disbelieving expression, along with Gabe's reaction.

- Oh God...

The boy sighed and put his hands behind his head, starting to pace nervously, as a mixture of anger and worry appeared on his face.

- Argh... I told you I should go too! If I had gone, he wouldn't have been captured! And now Mariana too!

he said angrily, looking down at the ground.

- Whoa, easy there Gabe. If you had gone with us, you just would have been captured too, or worse. We barely survived the shooting.

Javi said, stepping closer to the boy as he looked down at his frustrated back, which rose and fell as he sighed breathlessly.

- And how would you know, Javi? I can take care of myself! It wasn't even difficult, all you had to do was help my father when the situation gets tough, and you couldn't even do that!

The boy exclaimed angrily, surprising Javi for a moment, but soon he too was annoyed by the way Gabe was acting.

- It wasn't my fucking fault! David knew what he was getting into! Stop acting like a fucking spoiled child! Does this shit look like a joke to you, Gabe?! Did you even listen to what i or Ava said?! The whole fucking town is after us, we barely survived a fucking shootout, they want to kill us, and I'm sure if you don't stop acting like this, you're going to end up killing someone!

Javi said harshly, looking at Gabe in reproach and anger. The boy looked surprised at Javi, mainly because he had never really yelled at him.

Clementine watched everything unfold from the corner of the apartment, arms crossed and an eyebrow arched. She wondered if every family fight was like that?

She had never fought with Lee...not like that, even though he had done things that, at the time, she hadn't liked.

Kenny and Duck, although they fought from time to time, never really yelled at each other like that, and always settled down a short time later.

Kenny was a few steps away from her, also looking at the argument with a certain curiosity...

- I wouldn't act like this if you stopped treating me like a child! I'm old enough to make my own decisions!

He answered, not looking intimidated, or even affected by Javi's scolding, who honestly didn't know where the boy's reaction had come from. David was stubborn as a child, but not like this.

- Oh yeah, Gabe? Tell me, on what basis do you think this? What have you done to make you think that? What have you proven, to me or to yourself, that makes you sure that you have the maturity and the mindset to be treated as a complete adult? Because at this point, you are nothing more than a child.

Javi scolded, putting his hands on his waist and staring with superiority at the defiant look on Gabe's face, who nodded in surprise, and for a few moments, didn't know how to respond.

- Look at Clementine. I'm older than she is, but look at the things she does! What she is capable of! I know I am capable of doing the same things!

The girl arched an eyebrow at being used as an example. There was no way he could compare himself to her, he hadn't been through what she had been through, or seen the things she had seen.

- Don't involve Clem in this, Gabe! She has been through too much to be that way. The subject now is you, and I want you to know why you are treated "like a child". Take a look in the mirror first.

Javi said, shaking his head in frustration and turning away, sighing wearily at the boy.

Gabe rolled his eyes and turned to Clementine.

- Clem, a little help now would be nice, don't you think?

He asked, and Clementine looked at him in surprise, and slightly disbelief, while a confused smile broke out on her lips.

- I think you should have more respect for Javi.

She said, taking one last look at the zombie-filled street before turning away from the window, ignoring Gabe's annoyed look.

- I respect him, but he doesn't seem to respect me! I thought you would help me with this one.

He said with his arms crossed, and Clementine rolls her eyes as she sits in a chair in the opposite corner of the apartment, crossing her arms and legs.

- You thought wrong. Take this as a "friendly advice", you'd better treat Javi well and appreciate the protection he'll give you while there's still time. He won't be on your side forever. And when he's gone, you'll regret it.

She said, looking at him with a certain sadness in her eyes and regret in her voice.

Gabe stared at her for a while, then shook his head, turned, and walked to one of the rooms in the apartment.

The place was silent for a while, with that unpleasant atmosphere hanging in the air.

- What a beautiful family, David. Close-knit, just the way you said.

Ava's low voice echoed through the silent apartment. Javi sighed and shook his head, as he looked out the window, wondering what he would do from then on.