Clementine looked at all those weapons on the table between the sofas. There were not many, but enough.
She was standing with her arms crossed, her back propped up against the wall, and looking neutrally at the people around the guns.
There were eight people in total in that apartment. Four rifles and a few pistols... not the heaviest weaponry in the world, even more so considering what they would be doing.
Clementine had a very long list of crazy plans, and would include one more.
- Are you sure about this, Javi?
Kate asked in a concerned tone, the woman was the only one who was willing to just drop everything and walk away. Clementine didn't blame her for that, this wasn't their fight, and she didn't owe those people anything.
But, everyone there had a goal, whether it was futile or not.
Tripp, despite wanting to get Eleanor and Conrad out of the grip of the new frontier, wanted "justice," but Clementine knew that he just wanted to cover up the word "revenge."
Jesus wanted to rescue his friends, or at least learn more about their whereabouts, as well as wanting to stop the new frontier from continuing to kill and plunder other communities, he had seen too many good people's camps suffer because of the actions of those people.
Ava and Javi wanted to help David and, like Jesus, to stop Joan, to stop her from continuing to use the brand of the new frontier to do those atrocities.
And Clementine and Kenny wanted to find the rest of their group, and most importantly, find out where they took AJ.
- Yes. I talked to David, you heard it yourself, you saw what Joan did, what she allowed the others to do. This has to stop.
Javi answered, taking one of the rifles from the table and checking the ammo.
They heard over one of the radios that Ava had taken that Joan would make a public speech to show the evidence she had that David, Javi and Ava herself were traitors.
She would be exposed. Javi would put a bullet in her head, and they would get out of there as soon as possible looking for David while Ava gathered some allies from her group and took care of things.
Once they found him, they would take care of the loose ends, and with luck, they would have a permanent community to stay in.
The plan seemed to be simple, and even easy, however, it was very risky. If Joan proved to the whole community that David was a traitor, they would no longer accept him there and would probably try to kill him.
- But why do we have to do it? We can go after David, let him and his friend work it out. We just need to go after Mariana and get out of here as soon as possible.
Kate insisted once more, and Javi sighed slightly. He understood why the woman hesitated, but they had no choice there. Richmond was too good a community for them to simply ignore her. If they got Joan out of there, they would have a home after so long.
- I don't like it either, Kate. But, even I know that sometimes, we have to do this kind of thing. Joan is too dangerous to be left alive.
Jesus said, and this was the first time Clementine had ever seen him say anything to do with killing someone, despite his friendly appearance and manner.
Kate looked at Jesus for a while, and sighed in defeat, taking a pistol from the table and putting it in her waistband.
Clementine took some ammo and put it in her pocket, checking how many bullets she had in her pistol before putting it in her waistband.
She glanced at Gabe, who had just recently left the room and apologized to Javi. Although the boy still seemed emotional, he was calmer and more rational than before.
Maybe even a little happy that Javi had let him participate in the plan.
Gabe would stay with her and Kenny, covering the surroundings in case the guards headed Javi's way. As long as Gabe stayed put and followed orders, she had no problem with that. The problem was, there was no telling if the boy would follow the plan, or try to prove himself to Javi.
The door to the apartment opened, and they turned suddenly to Ava, who entered the place with her typical neutral expression.
- The meeting will happen soon, grab what you have to grab and let's go.
She said short, turning and leaving the apartment shortly after.
- What about Eleanor and Conrad?
Tripp asked, putting the rifle on his back and looking at Javi.
- Depending on how things go, if you see an opening, go to the medical wing, that's where Eleanor will be... probably. We will meet here when we go looking for David, we won't have much time.
Javi explained, and Tripp sighed slightly, nodding to him before walking out the door.
- Kate and Gabe, that goes for both of you too. I know this is going to be difficult, but try to find Mariana as fast as you can.
Javi said, turning and looking at the two of them. Kate nodded a little uncertainly, and Gabe nodded to Javi, determined.
- This... is going to be a mess.
Clementine heard Kenny's low voice next to her. The man had his arms crossed and was staring at the ground enigmatically, causing the girl to arch a confused eyebrow at him.
- Things have always been a mess. It won't be the first time we do something like this.
She said gently, causing Kenny to stare at her for a few seconds, his face unchanged.
- I know... but in those moments, I always had Duck in my line of sight, or by my side... now, I have no idea where he is and I can't stop myself from worrying.
He said with a sigh, shaking his head and walking out of the apartment.
Clementine stared at him for a few moments, until she walked towards him.
After passing through the hole in the wall, and hearing Tripp complain about his knees for having to jump over the wall, since the hole was too small for him, Clementine looked around, and was even a little surprised that there weren't many guards on the street.
The girl closed her eyes suspiciously, but followed Javi further ahead.
It didn't take long before they reached the park where dozens of people were standing around, looking at Joan in front of the city hall and listening to her speech. Beside the woman, there was a white cloth covering some things, quite large, evidently.
Clementine nodded to Kenny, and the two of them went to the left of the container they were standing in, entering the small gap and looking at the guards ahead, who didn't seem to notice their presence.
Gabe appeared soon after, staying crouched beside Clementine while Kenny stayed crouched just behind the two of them.
Many guards were there, things would surely get very complicated with so many guns and bullets flying around in one place.
- Let's kill Joan, and that's it. I don't want to have the burden of killing someone innocent.
Jesus said as Javi knelt beside the container and aimed his rifle at Joan.
He wasn't the best shot in the world, especially with a rifle at a target at that distance, but then again, he was far from the worst.
Javi aimed at Joan's head, or at least, what looked like the head. Controlling his breathing, he squeezes the trigger.
The gun goes off, Javi was sure Joan would be hit, however, he didn't expect Clint to see him just before he fired, and the man threw himself against Joan, pushing her aside as the bullet pierced his shoulder.
- Oh, shit!
Javi cursed, getting up and continuously shooting toward Joan, who was being carried into City Hall by Clint.
Kenny stood up and shot at the guards who went towards Javi, walking backwards as he fired.
Clementine and Gabe stepped back and threw themselves beside the container, narrowly missing being hit by a few bullets that flew in their direction.
- Oh, shit! She ran inside! Gabe, stay with Kate!
Javi shouted, breaking out of cover and running across the park while shooting at some guards, throwing himself behind a car shortly after.
Gabe got up and ran over to Kate, and soon, the two of them were running toward the building next door.
Clementine and Kenny went around the container, flanking the approaching guards, and shooting them in the back.
Further ahead, Javi was having trouble getting out from behind the car, several guards were approaching him from the sides.
Clementine ran towards Javi while Kenny went further behind, covering her.
One of the guards ran towards the girl, but Kenny was faster and stopped him, punching him in the face followed by a kick to the leg, bringing the man to his knees.
Kenny reloaded the pistol he was holding and shot the guard he had overpowered in the head, running towards Clementine soon after.
Clementine fired at the approaching guards, climbing in front of the city hall and taking cover behind one of the columns.
Her golden eyes had focused on the street ahead, just behind the park, where a few more guards were arriving.
"Shit!" - She thought, reloading her pistol and putting it in her waistband, taking the rifle from one of the dead guards and firing slowly at the arriving ones.
Javi stepped out from behind the car and advanced toward the guards, shooting at them as he made his way to the back door of the city hall.
His rifle was violently knocked from his hand, and he felt a sharp blow on the side of his head. Javi staggers to the side but recovers quickly enough to dodge another punch from the man attacking him.
Javi kicks the man in the leg, bringing him to his knees and tries to punch him in the face, but the man holds his fist and counters with a punch to the stomach. Javi bends his body slightly and groans in pain.
The man then stands up and punches Javi in the face, then grabs him by the neck and throws him to the ground.
Javi gasps and groans in pain again, out of reflex, he throws his head to the side, hearing the sound of the man's fist connecting against the ground.
The guard groans in pain and retracts his hand quickly, Javi takes the opportunity to punch him in the face, followed by a kick to the chest, sending him backwards.
He stands up and kicks the man in the head, picking up his rifle that had fallen to the ground and shooting the guard several times.
Javi looked at him panting, blood dripping from his mouth and his face burning from his wounds.
Quick footsteps approached from his side, and Javi turned, bumping into a woman aiming a pistol in his direction.
He widened his eyes, and a gunshot echoed. The woman's body fell backwards with a hole in her head.
Javi looked confused at this, until his eyes focused on the man coming out of an alley ahead.
- David!
he exclaimed in surprise, walking toward his brother and using another car for cover. Behind David, a boy was following him with a pistol in his hand, causing Javi to look at him curiously.
- Holy shit, Javi. Looks like things got pretty bad while I was gone.
David said, leaning his head on the hood of the car and watching the shooting ahead.
- Uncle Javi.
Mariana's voice caught the attention of the three men, who were surprised to see the door of the car they were covering slightly open, and the little girl stepped out of the vehicle, hugging Javi tightly.
- Mariana? What... how did you get here?
Javi asked, relieved and surprised, despite the circumstances.
Mariana didn't answer him, she turned back and hugged David with tears already in her eyes, burying her face in his chest.
David was as surprised as Javi, but he returned the hug, pressing the girl tightly against his body.
- What... how...?
He tried to ask, looking confusedly at Javi, who looked just as confused as he was.
- Kate and Gabe are looking for her right now! In that building just past the park. We heard that she had been captured by the guards!
Javi said, looking at Duck, who was shooting over the hood of the car.
David looked at him wide-eyed, pushing Mariana lightly by the shoulders, looking at the girl's crying face.
- I thought you were dead.
She said in a choked voice, wiping the tears from her face. David held her gently by the shoulders and looked steadily into her eyes.
- I know, honey, but we're going to have enough time to talk later, okay? How did you get here?
David asked, and Mariana looked at him with red eyes.
- A guy brought me here... he killed the guards who caught me, and he said he was going to take me to the prison where Uncle Javi and the others were. But, he ran off in the direction of the building.
She explained quickly, letting herself be lifted into the air by David and put back in the car.
Javi and David looked at each other for a moment.
- What guy?
- A man without an arm, and without an eye. I don't know his name.
She replied, and David bowed his head, sighing slightly in appreciation.
- Look, sweetheart. Stay here and stay down, okay? I'll come back for you.
David said, not expecting an answer from the girl and closing the door quickly, walking to Duck's side, who was looking at some specific point ahead.
- I have to say, David. When you said that the situation here might be worse than back at the arena, I thought you were bullshitting.
Duck said, controlling the urge that surged in his chest to get out from behind that car and run toward Kenny, who was standing behind a pillar up ahead, right next to Clementine.
- Javi, you go after Kate and Gabe, we'll go after...
David started to explain, but was interrupted when the window of the second floor of the town hall broke and a body was thrown out of it.
They watched as Clint's wounded and bleeding body crashed to the ground with a loud thud, and lay motionless soon after.
The guards who had been shooting earlier stopped for a few moments to observe Clint on the ground.
A small pool of blood had formed below his body.
David got out from behind the car and ran towards Clint, shooting in the direction of the guards while avoiding being hit by a stray bullet.
Duck ran right after him, however, ignoring him completely and heading towards Kenny, who was already staring at him with wide eyes.
He hugged Kenny, who stood still for a few moments before hugging him back, sighing with relief and looking warmly at Duck as he placed his trembling hands on the boy's back.
- Duck... ah God... are you okay?
Kenny asked, momentarily forgetting that they were in the middle of a gunfight.
- I'm fine.
He answered, looking away from Clementine, and even thought about hugging her, if it hadn't been for the gunfire that pierced the columns and the wall next to them.
- It's good to see you, Clem... despite the somewhat fucked-up situation.
He said, crouching down behind the beam and reaching for the pistol at his waist, glaring at Clementine.
- Good to see you too, Duck... where's Luke?
She asked, looking around, focusing her eyes for a moment on Javi and David, who were approaching them.
-He's dead.
He said with some regret, staring into Clementine's golden eyes.
The girl sighed heavily and shook her head, looking at the ground.
David and Javi approached them, crouching down as soon as they reached the cover.
- What do we do now, David?
Duck asked, turning to the man immediately after observing the current situation.
Javi focused his eyes on something behind the boy. He arched an eyebrow as he saw Max speaking into a radio, grab a bag from one of the guards, and run to the right, toward the truck that was plugging the hole in the wall.
- We have to finish off Joan, so the guards...
He started to explain, but another window was broken, and another body fell from the second floor, just in front of the columns.
His eyes focused on Joan, with blood pouring out of several wounds all over her body, mainly from her abdomen. She was still alive, apparently, her chest was rising and falling in a vague manner.
- Joan?!
David let out a surprised cry, looking at the woman's body with an arched eyebrow.
The shooting ceased, and most of the guards were looking at Joan in her final states.
It was then that Javi's eyes focused once again on Max, now, much closer to the truck.
A van was heard approaching from the street ahead, the group watched with their eyes as the vehicle sped toward the truck.
Javi's eyes widened as he saw Max open the bag he had picked up, and the man began throwing grenades in the direction of the two vehicles, just after the woman driving the van stepped out of it.
- Joan is dead! Break down the walls!
he shouted, throwing a few more grenades towards the truck as he walked away.
It was then that Javi understood, the van was probably filled with gasoline, or diesel... something that was going to explode.
- We have to get out of here!
he said, and soon, a huge explosion occurred.
The impact was strong enough to make the ground shake, and people threw themselves to the ground, feeling the hot debris being thrown around.
Clementine gasped slightly and stood up with some difficulty, stunned by the loud noise and the impact of the explosion.
Her eyes widened as she saw the moment when the herd began to pass through the now destroyed wall.
