Clementine slowly climbed up the small watchtower, where AJ was watching the forest with binoculars.
The boy turned to her and looked at her for a few moments, before observing the forest again.
- The raiders... who is that woman, Sarah? I wanted to ask about her, but never really found the right moment.
AJ said, lowering the binoculars and looking at Clementine, who sighed slightly at the boy.
- She helped take care of you, when you were a baby. We were together for a few years. We weren't exactly friends, but... we got separated, because of an incident.
She explained, bowing her head as she remembered what had happened to Prescott, and how the girl looked at that time. She was quite different from years ago. Bigger, she had become a grown woman, she didn't even look like that little girl who was afraid just to look at a zombie.
- That guy... he will be with them.
AJ said, looking back into the forest, quickly scanning the few zombies that surrounded the place.
- Abel, yes. I'll kill him, you won't have those nightmares about him anymore.
Clementine said, crossing her arms.
- Can I swear now? I think it's about time I can.
The boy asked, and Clementine looked at him with a raised eyebrow, mildly amused by the way he asked.
- Nope. When you can, I'll let you know.
she said, laughing slightly at the boy's frustration.
- That guy is such a... an... idiot.
He said with a frown, and Clementine controlled herself to keep from laughing at the boy.
- Yeah, I know.
She said, staring at a specific spot in the forest.
- It's okay if that guy scares you. You know how to handle it.
Clementine said, looking at the boy, who seemed to count the number of zombies in front of him.
- He doesn't scare me... but when he gets here, I'm the one who's going to kill him.
He said in an angry tone, and Clementine looked at him with a slightly surprised, and serious, reproachful face.
- No way, Alvin. And don't talk like that.
She said in a serious tone, and AJ winced a little at her expression.
- But, you said, we have to overcome our fears, and kill whatever threatens us. I'll be doing both if you let me kill him.
He said, trying to convince her, and Clementine's features hardened.
AJ stared at her for a while, then bowed his head in defeat, understanding the girl's scolding look.
- You won't be able to say no to me forever.
He said in a low tone, but Clementine heard him, and put her hands on his waist, staring at him steadily.
- What did you just say?
she asked, her tone of voice a little more serious. AJ made a silly expression, and looked at her in embarrassment.
- Nothing... I didn't mean that.
He said, and Clementine continued to stare at him for a while, until she turned her eyes back to the forest.
- Clem, I see some people crouching down ahead.
The boy said, handing the binoculars to the girl, who saw some people crouching in front of a horse carrying something like a cage.
- Fucking sons of bitches, motherfucking scumbags...
She cursed softly, causing AJ to look at her a little startled.
- They're here, come on, warn the others.
She said softly, whistling at Willy, who as soon as he saw her, ran towards her.
They came down from the small watchtower, and Clementine looked at Willy.
- You remember how I taught you, right? Only shoot if you have to.
She said, handing her pistol to Willy, who nodded.
- Okay, as soon as I give the signal, or it's safe, I'll throw the Molotov cocktails at them. If things get ugly, I'll climb down the rope beside the watchtower to the outside, and back in through the cemetery wall. If that doesn't work, I'll go in another way; I know this school like the back of my hand.
He said, slipping the gun into his waistband and heading up the stairs shortly after. Not before waving to Clementine with an excited smile.
Louis ran to their side shortly after, looking at Violet further ahead.
- Raiders?
He asked, shifting his gaze to Mitch and Tenn, who were following them.
- Yes.
She replied, taking the rifle from the only table that hadn't been turned over yet, and putting it on her back.
- Shit, well, if things get ugly and I don't see you again during the fight, just know that... I have no idea what that D stands for on your hat.
He said, and Clementine looked at him with an expression of disbelief at his attempt to joke in such a situation.
- Don't tell me, I prefer to keep it a mystery. But I'll pretend it means, "Don't die.
He said, walking a little faster and standing next to the other people in front of him.
- We're ready.
Violet said, looking at the small line that had formed beside her.
- Okay, there are at least nine people out there, all armed. And they have carts, probably to take people away.
She said, and the others rolled their faces in disgust.
- Assholes.
Mitch said softly and angrily, crossing his arms and looking at the gates.
- If they manage to get in, I'll keep them focused on me until you get into position. This will give Mitch enough time to plant the bomb. We left the area near the gates unlit, so it should be relatively easy for him to sneak through.
She said, looking at the boy beside her.
- I'll plant it under those carts. It will work.
He said, looking at the bomb that was further down the hallway from the dorms.
- Everyone, besides Mitch and me, will stand back and with knives in hand, if they approach, don't hesitate to take them hostage, or kill them if you can. But only if necessary, avoid confrontation as much as you can.
She explained, looking at the people who would not participate in direct combat.
- Once you plant the bomb, look for cover. Once the bomb goes off, the chaos will begin, they will be confused, this is when Louis, Willy and Aasim will provide cover for the rest to retreat and enter the main building, straight into our traps. Mitch will shoot and kill as many as he can, while trying to get into the main building.
She explained, watching Louis take a deep breath and look nervously at the rifle in his hands.
- Mitch, are you sure you're going to be okay? I mean, I'll cover you, but, practice is one thing, shooting a rifle while running is completely different.
Clementine said, looking at Mitch with some concern.
She herself was surprised that she was worrying about someone other than AJ. And she was worried about everyone there.
- Relax, I'll stop by the dorms if I need to, I know this school like the back of my hand, I'll be fine.
He said, reassuring her. Clementine sighed and nodded at him, that part of the plan was his idea anyway.
- Remember, if things go wrong, hide in the basement, or go out through the back of the school.
Clementine said, looking seriously at AJ.
The boy made a sad expression, but nodded in agreement. Clementine sighed, she knew the boy wouldn't listen to her, she knew him too well to know that he wouldn't leave without her.
Good thing Violet was there to push him if she had to.
- Okay, any words of wisdom? You... sort of took on a bunch of them and won... sort of.
Louis said, somewhat awkwardly, looking for some way to calm himself down.
- Don't be afraid to kill them.
She said, checking the ammo in her rifle once more, before looking at their surprised faces.
- You have guns, and knives, use them. Don't hesitate to shoot them, or stab them in the throat, don't be frightened by the blood that stains your faces. They come armed, ready to kill, and ready to die.
She said. Just as she finished saying, a gunshot echoed through the place, startling them.
Clementine turned sharply, aiming her rifle at the reinforced gates. However, she widened her eyes in surprise when she saw that it was Willy who had fired.
The boy was pointing his pistol in the direction of a woman who was sitting on the branch of a tree just ahead of the walls, a sniper rifle in her hand. She was wide-eyed, and her hand was over the bullet wound precisely in her neck.
- Willy, get down!
Clementine shouted, and the boy ducked just in time to dodge a few bullets aimed in his direction.
- Everybody get in position!
She said, jumping over a table further ahead and using it as a cover, leaning her rifle on the wooden structure and pointing at the gates.
- Clementine. There's no use hiding, we've heard your voice. We know you're there.
Lilly's muffled voice echoed through her ears, and Clementine rolled her eyes as she noticed the mockery in the woman's voice.
They began banging violently against the gates, trying to force them open.
- This doesn't have to get any uglier than this.
The woman shouted again, and Clementine saw a Molotov cocktail crash into the structures blocking the gates.
It would be nice if she could steal their weapons.
- Yeah, it doesn't have to get any uglier. As far as I know, it was one of you who died. How about turning around and fuck off, huh?
Clementine shouted as she saw the gates slowly opening.
Lilly walked through the burning gates with a cynical smile on her face, right behind her were Abel and Sarah, followed by the two carts she had seen earlier.
Clementine caught a glimpse of the moment when Mitch stooped down beside the tree in the corner of the courtyard, taking advantage of the cover of the bushes there. The boy waited patiently for them to advance.
- Looks like they took us seriously.
Abel said, somewhat loudly, looking at all the mulch and thorns scattered about the place.
- Spread out.
Lilly said, looking towards the main building.
Clementine took a deep breath, and shook her head to herself.
In one swift movement, she stood up from her cover and pointed her rifle at Lilly, who looked at her slightly surprised.
- Move, and I'll shoot.
She threatened, pointing the gun precisely at the woman's head, who didn't seem very intimidated by this.
- Shoot, and you die.
Abel said, pointing a sawed-off shotgun at Clementine, who didn't move.
- Do you want to pay to see who dies first?
She asked, pressing the trigger of the rifle lightly, staring with murderous intensity at Lilly's unchanged face.
- Clementine, that's not...
- Shut the fuck up, Sarah! This shit became necessary the moment you shot AJ.
Clementine said, glancing at Mitch, who was moving slowly through the darkness.
- Where are our new recruits, Clem?
Lilly asked, walking a few steps forward, and looking around.
- How about coming closer to look? Or you can walk away with your lives, choose carefully
She said, and Lilly stared at her puzzled. A smile broke out on the woman's lips, and Clementine saw a strange glint in her eyes... was she looking at her with pride?
- Look around the yard.
Lilly said, looking at the people just behind her, who began to split up around the courtyard.
- We'll find them, Clementine. And then we'll get you, and your boy.
Lilly said, looking almost mockingly at the girl.
- You weren't that great before, but now, I'm impressed with what you've become. Now you kidnap children, and I don't know what's worse, kidnapping them, or trying to throw them to the zombies because you think they're bit... oh wait, who did that again?
Clementine said, returning the mockery to Lilly, and a smile of disdain broke out on her lips.
- Oh, that's right, your father. And look what happened, a short time later, he was killed like an insect, by the father of the boy he wanted to throw out. Karma's a bitch, isn't it?
Clementine asked, raising a curious eyebrow when she saw the small smile on Lilly's lips, as if she was enjoying it.
- You've changed.
Lilly said, putting a hand on her waist.
- I grew up.
Clementine replied.
- No, Clem, not quite. A person who "grew up" wouldn't do what you did. There's something... different. I noticed it the moment I laid my eyes on you when we met again. You beat Abel to a pulp, killed a bunch of our people and took their weapons, led a group of children to defeat us.
Lilly said, looking around as she said it.
- You know, it's funny. When I met with Lee, he had changed too. I didn't know what it was before, but now, I realize, you two are identical. I look at you, and I can perfectly see his shadow right behind only difference is that Lee would have already killed me by now.
She said with a smile, walking a few steps closer to Clementine, who squeezed the trigger, not hard enough to fire the gun, but hard enough to make someone tense up.
- Don't you dare speak his name.
Clementine said in an irritated tone, and Lilly arched her eyebrows briefly.
- Why? Although it was in different ways, we loved the same man. Why don't we talk about this as grown women?
Lilly said, a cynical smile on her lips, and energetic eyes.
Clementine arched an eyebrow in surprise.
- And, although it was for different reasons, we also suffered for him. We also believed his lies.
She said, looking suspiciously around once more.
- If you won't help me find them, Clementine. I'll find someone who will. Minnie wanted to come along tonight. To show that she has adjusted to our life. How happy she is.
Lilly said loudly, turning slowly as she spoke.
- She said she had a girlfriend here. Friends she misses. One guy, he always made her laugh, no matter what.
She said in a fake gentle tone, walking a few steps across the courtyard.
- And her little brother. She misses him more than anything.
Lilly said, and Clementine caught a glimpse of the moment when Tenn slowly stood up and looked at the woman.
- Tenn, don't believe her!
Clementine shouted as she saw the boy begin to walk slowly toward Lilly.
Tenn paused for a moment, looking hesitantly at Clementine.
- Come on, Tennessee. Your sister wants to see you again.
- Tenn, don't listen to her! Go back to the cover!
Clementine shouted again, watching Mitch wave to her just after planting the bomb.
Mitch ran, and threw himself to the side.
The bomb exploded, the cart was destroyed into thousands of pieces, and the impact knocked most of the people there to the ground.
Clementine took cover, protecting herself from the debris.
Soon after, she stood up and started shooting toward them, along with Mitch who was starting to run back.
Lilly quickly got up and threw herself to the side, taking cover behind one of the horses, which was hit by the bullets.
Willy got up from where he was standing and threw the Molotov cocktail, hitting a woman in a cap, who began to scream in pain and despair as the fire spread over her body.
Mitch ran towards Tenn and tried to catch the boy, however, he had to throw himself behind the wall as he saw Abel pointing a sawn-off shotgun in his direction. He is grazed in the arm, but manages to recover quickly.
Clementine crouches down to reload the gun. Her eyes fall on Louis for a few moments, watching the boy shoot in the direction of one of the men who was advancing with a shotgun in hand.
The boy stared at the wounded man for a few moments, he had hit him in the throat, and watched the man struggle to breathe as he tried to crawl for cover.
- Louis, move your fucking ass!
Clementine shouted, getting up and shooting at the people who were still standing.
Abel took cover behind one of the wooden structures that were scattered around. Lilly and Sarah were crouched behind the table in the corner.
Clementine moved toward where the two women were standing, but she turned around when she heard a cry of pain echo behind her.
Her eyes widened as she saw Omar with his hands on his bloodied thigh, crawling on the floor.
She watched as a woman ran toward the boy. Quickly, she pointed her gun in her direction and tried to pull the trigger.
However, Clementine was surprised to see Abel grab her rifle and throw it aside. Her body is thrown to the side due to the punch that the man gave her.
- Did you miss me, bitch?
He asked in a mocking tone, and Clementine responded by turning and landing a kick to his stomach.
She recovered quickly and reached for her machete. However, the same woman who was running towards Omar pointed a pistol in her direction.
Clementine turns around and jumps over one of the tables, dodging a gunshot.
Before she could get up, Abel appeared and kicked her in the face. Clementine groans in pain and spins her body to the side, ignoring the taste of blood in her mouth.
She kicks Abel in the knee, and tries to get up, but Abel grabs her by the bar of her jacket and pulls her backwards, knocking her down again.
Abel tries to punch Clementine in the face, who shifts her head to the side, and almost smiles in satisfaction as she hears Abel's fist crash into the hard floor.
She takes advantage of the man's moment of pain and sticks her finger in his eye, which screams in agony.
Clementine ignores the blood dripping on her face, and punches him in the jaw, getting up soon after.
As soon as she stood up, however, she caught a glimpse of Lilly pointing a rifle in her direction.
Aasim and Louis were covering Mitch, who was being shot at by two men further ahead.
Clementine throws her body to the side, and she feels the bullet graze her cheek.
Distracted, she can' t dodge the punch that Abel has landed in her face, and the taste of blood in her mouth has become more intense.
She tries to get up, but Abel kneels on her chest, preventing her from moving.
- I said that you...
He was interrupted by a gunshot that grazed his ear.
Clementine looked away, her eyes widening briefly when she saw AJ standing in the doorway with a serious expression, pointing his revolver at Abel.
The girl forced her body to the side, getting out from under the man. She quickly takes out her machete and stabs Abel in the thigh.
A sharp scream of pain escapes his throat, he tries to attack Clementine, but the girl punches him in the nose and pulls her machete violently out of his leg.
Clementine stabs her blade into Abel's neck, looking deep into his desperate eyes as he struggles to get away from her.
She withdraws her machete from the man's neck and throws his body to the side with some derision.
Clementine sees the exact moment when Louis hits a shot in the head of the woman who had shot her earlier.
Four people left.
Clementine jumps up on the table again and runs towards one of the rifles lying on the floor.
At a glance, she sees Lilly aiming the rifle in her direction again, but Willy has appeared at the corner facing the cemetery and throws a Molotov cocktail in the woman's direction.
Lilly threw her body to the side and shot a few times at Willy, who hid behind the wall.
Clementine fired a few shots at Lilly, who threw herself to the side again, taking cover.
The girl saw Sarah get up from behind a table and point a rifle in her direction.
The two stared at each other for a few moments, Clementine's cold eyes penetrating deep into Sarah's guilty ones, and in the end, she couldn't shoot.
Clementine turned around again, looking at the exact moment when Aasim killed one of the remaining men with a knife, and Louis shot the other in the head.
She looked around, there were none left.
Fire was spreading across the courtyard, forcing those remaining to retreat.
Clementine looked breathlessly at Louis, who looked back at her, shocked, relieved, frightened. A mixture of feelings that made his body shake from head to toe.
She nodded at him.
Aasim picked up one of the guns from the floor and walked over to Louis' side.
Mitch stood up, groaning in pain slightly as he felt his arm throbbing from the bullet. He looked at Clementine, and smiled slightly when he saw that the shooting was over.
The girl walked over to where Lilly was hiding, and pointed her rifle toward the wooden structure.
- It's over Lilly... they're all dead.
Clementine said, still panting, spitting some blood on the ground.
- Are you all right?
Violet asked, pointing her bow at Sarah's head, who was standing with her hands up.
- I'm fine.
Clementine said, looking intensely at Lilly, who was also slowly getting to her feet, with her hands up.
- You're bleeding.
Louis mentioned, trying to control all the emotions inside his body.
- My life in a nutshell.
She said, walking towards Lilly and kicking the rifle that was on the floor to the side. She also grabbed the pistol and the knife that the woman had on her body, without taking her eyes away from hers.
- No fucking way... no fucking way we did it...
Ruby said, a small relieved smile born on her lips as she put her hand on her head, still not believing it.
- There are still two more to go.
Aasim said, looking at Lilly with a certain scorn.
- Holy shit, that was awesome!
Willy said, approaching them with an excited smile, almost jumping up beside Mitch, who was tying a piece of his own shirt to the wound on his arm.
- I guess I underestimated you... sorry about that, Clementine.
Lilly said, with a rather strange expression, making the girl look at her a bit suspiciously.
- Hmpf, well-done for me. I said myself that you look like Lee, and I'm stupid enough to underestimate you. Well, whatever.
Lilly said, and Clementine became even more suspicious.
- What do you mean?
she asked, and Lilly just smiled at her slightly.
- I'm sorry, Clem. But you should have come with us the easy way.
Sarah said, and Lilly whistled.
It took only a few heartbeats, only a few seconds for the place to fill up with people, all of whom were approaching them with guns pointed at their heads.
- What? How the fuck did they get in?! We blocked off those passages!
Mitch asked, surprised to see so many people approaching them, surrounding them.
- Oh, shit! They must have turned around and destroyed the barricade. We couldn't hear them, because of the gunfire.
Violet said, dropping her bow and raising her arms, sighing in irritation.
- You weren't the only one who did your homework, Clementine. Like I said, I could tell you had changed, plus our dear friend Sarah told me stories of how you were in the past.
Lilly said, lowering her arms and walking over to the rifle at her side, picking it up off the ground as Clementine lowered the gun feeling a cold metal being pressed against her head.
"Shit, ten people came as reinforcements... this is my fault, I worried so much about the conflict in the front, I completely forgot to set traps in the back" Clementine thought, tossing the rifle to the side.
- Clem!
AJ's voice caught her attention, and Clementine clenched her fists hard as she watched him and Tenn being pushed violently with guns pointed at their heads.
- We lost another one, the boy stabbed Frank.
A woman said, throwing AJ to the ground, stepping on the boy's chest, who was struggling violently.
- And Alex was killed, his head smashed in a trap in the main building.
One of the men said, and Clementine saw Aasim smile slightly.
- I have to say I'm impressed, Clementine. I know I shouldn't be, but I am. When Sarah told me to bring reinforcements, I didn't want to believe her, but here we are. You look like Lee, and the boy looks like you.
Lilly said, and Clementine just stared at her, annoyed.
For a moment she had forgotten how quickly a situation can change.
- Hey, get your hands off him, you son of a bitch!
Mitch shouted as he saw Willy being grabbed by the neck and thrown to the ground.
- I'm fine, Mitch. This asshole beats like a little girl.
Willy said, dragging himself to the side and dodging a kick that the man tried to throw at him.
- Donnie, stop that shit.
Sarah said, stopping the man from hitting Willy with the stock of his rifle.
- Take their weapons and tie them up, let's get going.
Lilly said, looking intensely at Clementine, fixed in her eyes, and moving a few steps closer towards her.
- See? Lee would have killed me by now.
She said, low in his ear, putting her hand on his shoulder for a while, before starting to walk through the burning gates.
