- There you are. You sure took your time.

Carver said, looking seriously at Lee, who was approaching his office, now wearing clean clothes.

He took some time to figure out where to hide that hand before going back out into the yard. He also took the time to check around the bathrooms before taking a shower.

Some people would have a nice surprise at dinner that night accompanied with a nice stomach ache, maybe death, who knows.

Carver didn't call him there for a friendly chat, so he had to make a backup plan.

Considering that prisoners only ate twice a day, skipping breakfast, and that prisoners ate later than guards, Clementine would be fine even if he doesn't show up in the yard again.

- Runner's guts don't come out that easy.

He said simply, shrugging at Carver's unfriendly look.

The man seemed even more attentive with him there, to the point of having a guard right in the corner of his office.

Lee arched an eyebrow at that, apparently Carver had recognized what he was capable of, unlike Troy, who liked to play with danger.

- Hm, I'll pretend to believe that, come in.

Carver said, walking backwards without taking his eyes off Lee, who entered the office.

His eyes soon focused on the man who was passed out on a chair in the corner. The same man he had seen arrive with Clementine and the others the night before.

Apparently the past between them was somewhat... troubled.

- Generally, I don't feel the need to give this warning to people who come in here, there are few who don't behave. But, as I said earlier, I know people like you, and after what I have seen you do, I feel I have an obligation to say this. Don't try anything, cooperate, and you won't end up in that chair

Carver said, leaning on the table in front of him, staring wide-eyed at Lee, who shook his head cynically.

- Whatever you say.

Lee said, looking around the office.

- Now, generally speaking, I would have killed you some time ago. Some of my men are stupid, I realize that, so one of them getting killed by a survivor is to be expected.

Carver began, and Lee looked at him, crossing his arms.

- But, having four of my men killed by a guy with an axe is not something that happens all the time... it is not something I anticipated... it made me think that, either my men are even more useless than I thought, or this man with the axe is special.

Carver said, facing Lee with a serious look, and like him, crossing his arms.

- Just for the record, I wasn't planning to kill your people. I would have gone on my way if they hadn't threatened me and tried to force me to go with them.

Lee said, looking at the guard standing just behind Carver.

Maybe it was just him, but that guard looked a little nervous, it was noticeable in his eyes. He was forcing himself to look at the nothing in front of him, as if he was afraid, or reluctant, to look at either of them.

- And that's exactly why I say they are stupid, they can't do a simple job. That's why it's up to people like me to lead them. If they were alone out there, they would be dead by now.

Carver said, walking a few steps from his desk.

- I can say with certainty that most, almost all the people here, would die out there sooner or later. And that's why when I saw a little girl again, I was surprised. She was with a group that couldn't have kept her alive for so long.

He said, and Lee's expression hardened as he heard Carver mention Clementine.

If he wanted his attention, he got it.

- And I was somewhat intrigued by this, that girl is not weak like them... and it all seemed to make more sense when Troy came to talk to me. The guy who almost killed five of my people, is the same guy who took care of her.

Carver said, walking a few steps towards Lee, staring him in the eyes.

- No wonder she is different... so are you. And that's what our community needs, people like that. Strong people, you probably realized your true nature when all this started, and passed it on to the girl. And now she is the most capable person to lead the others, to continue and improve what I have built here.

Carver said, and Lee sighed, trying to calm his anger a little. He already knew what Carver really meant by this, and frankly, he was a little more inclined to kill him.

- So, you basically want to leave all this as your legacy to her. You want her to continue your legacy of fear, is that it?

Lee asked, staring at every move, no matter how small, that Carver made.

- That little girl was born to lead, you have improved that, and I can finish the job, bring all that potential still hidden to the surface of her skin. With you here, besides being very good for her, it will also be good for the future kids, what you have taught her, you will teach to the others.

Carver said, crossing his arms, recognizing that look Lee had on his face.

Although he was still making that proposal, it was rather obvious what the answer would be.

- And what's this? You want my blessing? My permission?

- No, I'm just saying this to make things easier. For you, for her, and for me. It won't do her any good psychologically if I kill you. It would only delay my job.

Carver said, and they were both silent for a while, just staring at each other, while they could both feel the guard behind them being even more nervous than he already was.

- You know the answer to that, don't you? But, since you insist on hearing me say it out loud... fuck you.

Lee said, making an expression in a mixture of anger and disgust at the man's ideas.

- That's a shame. But I was already planning to kill you anyway, at the moment, you are a problem for the girl. You're the only thing keeping her from reaching her full potential.

Carver said, shaking his head slightly.

- If that's all you called me for, then I'm going back to that fucking yard. Unless you want to tell me something else, or... who knows, are you going to try to kill me now?

Lee said.

-... Well, I'm not going to kill you, not now, I have to make your death look like an accident. But I called you here with another purpose. Even though I said I forgave you for killing my people, and for knowing that they are stupid, I still have to punish you for it.

Carver said, and quickly punched Lee in the face, who staggered back a few steps, groaning in a mixture of pain and surprise.

- Maybe this will serve as a warning to the others... and I will be able to vent my anger on you before I kill you.

Carver said, punching Lee again in the face, who staggered a little further to the side.

Walking over to him, Carver grabs him by the shirt and pulls him to his side.

However, on the third punch, Lee quickly recovers and grabs his hand. Straightening his posture, he looks deep into Carver's eyes, ignoring the trickle of blood trickling down the side of his lip.

- Just one thing... you won't be angry if I beat the shit out of you, will you?

Lee asked, not even seeming to mind the blood trickling down his face, or the pain spreading down his cheek.

Carver stared at him with an unchanged face, trying to pull his fist away, but not having much success with his attempts.

And even without showing it, he felt somewhat... uncomfortable... with the situation.

-... I wouldn't recommend it... but I'm not going to get angry, you're not going to-

Carver started to say, and almost immediately, Lee interrupted him with a punch, strong enough to make him stagger to the other side.

- You seem to have something mixed up, Carver. I'm not afraid of you. And I will kill you before you try to kill me. The point is, you choose when, and the form in which you wish to die.

Lee said, groaning slightly in pain when Carver punched him in the stomach. However, not hard enough to stun him for long.

Recovering quickly, Lee dodged a punch aimed at his face, and countered with a hook to the chin, followed by a punch to the nose.

Glancing around, he saw the guard behind him move. Quickly, Lee grabs Carver by the jacket and pushes him toward the guard, pinning them both to the wall.

Punching Carver again, Lee throws him to the side and grabs the guard by the jacket, knocking his head against the wall a few times until he knocks him out.

- I wasn't planning on killing you, or reacting in any way ... not so soon, of course.

Lee said, walking towards Carver and kicking his gun out of his hand.

Before Lee could do anything, however, the door was opened with some violence, and two men entered the office with guns pointed in his direction.

- Bill!

One of the men exclaimed, and Lee even considered using Carver as a shield, but he had already crawled backwards away from him and stood up next to his minions.

- Are you all right?

One of the men asked, while the other approached Lee and struck him in the stomach with the stock of his rifle, causing Lee to bend over and stifle a groan of pain.

- Son of a bitch...I should...I should kill you right now!

Carver said, gritting his teeth in anger, and in pain, wiping the blood dripping down his shoulder.

- Hey, I asked you if you'd be mad if I beat the shit out of you... you said you wouldn't.

Lee said cynically, ignoring the punch the guard gave him, he made a point of acting normal, as if that blow was so weak that it didn't even make him feel anything.

- Do you think this is funny? Do you even have any idea of the situation you are in?! Your life is in the palm of my hands! And you refuse to realize it!

Carver said, almost shouting.

Usually, even when angry, he was a well-behaved man, so it was a bit surprising for the guards to see him so angry that he almost let his feelings overwhelm him.

- Are you sure about this? Look, Carver, just as you said " I know it when you see it," I realized what kind of man you are.

Lee said, standing up, ignoring the guard's threat to him.

- As smart as you are, you are nothing. A coward who uses this tough guy pose to hide the fear you have inside. A fear so great that it forces you to tie people to a chair and beat them up, because you know you can't fight them head-on.

Lee said, pointing at Alvin, who was still passed out on the chair in the corner.

- What the fuck are you-

- I saw the marks on his wrists, rope marks. Let's face it, even if this guy is not good in a fight, he probably has a pretty heavy fist. Not to mention that when you see someone who gives you the slightest threat, you don't stand alone, you use dirty means to take them down, you attack from behind, not because you are smart, but because you are a coward.

Lee practically spat the words in Carver's face, who looked more and more irritated.

- You claim to be strong because you are weak, but you were smart enough to mask your weakness. A beautiful illusion. People say you're cruel? Ha, what a joke, I just see a boy trying to look like a man, fooling other people by using fear.

Carver yelled in anger and aimed his revolver at Lee, shooting, narrowly missing him in the neck, who didn't move, just smiled cynically in his direction.

Even the guards stepped back slightly, looking fearfully at Carver.

- What? I guess I hit the nail on the head... you wouldn't be so angry if it was a lie, would you?

Lee asked, a clear attempt to provoke Carver, one which, from the man's slightly weakened emotional state, seemed to have some impact.

Not enough for Lee to consider himself victorious, because Carver realized exactly what he was doing.

- The people in this community are weak, Carver, and you know it... no wonder that includes you. You only had to meet a real threat to realize how stupid you were, huh?

Lee said, looking out the office window, watching all those people walking in random directions to do their duties, and others somewhat frightened by the previous shot.

Even some guards walked towards the office with worried faces. All lies, nobody there cared about each other, or about Carver. They were just puppets who followed their orders to get a taste of being alive, to feel superior to those who died.

To feel like something, because they knew they were nothing.

They knew they didn't deserve it, but they masked that feeling.

People are like that these days, and Lee realized this.

That's why he also realized who Carver really was.

Not because he had some technique he learned during his life, or some psychological trick that allowed him to read people. He was just smart.

And he was just like those people... except that he had a little girl who gave color to his life.

- You have no idea what you're talking about! Don't you fucking test me!

Carver shouted, and Lee jumped to the side quickly as he saw the man put his finger on the trigger again, and another shot echoed through the place, grazing Lee's arm, which cracked with a smile.

Carver's hand was shaking. Human feelings were curious things.

Their greatest weapons, and their greatest weaknesses, since ancient times.

- If I were lying, I'd be dead already, wouldn't I?

Lee said, smiling cynically, provoking Carver once more, who bowed his head and stared angrily at the ground, clutching the gun in his hand tightly.

- Take him to the yard!

he said, and the guards looked at him hesitantly.

- But, sir-

- Do as I say!

Carver shouted, slamming into the next locker, and startling the guards there.

Lee arched an eyebrow, and walked toward the door, not shying away from the risk of being shot in the back.

He risked his life every day, he was used to taking this kind of risk.

- So, what's the excuse for keeping me alive? Come on, a convincing one. One good enough to cover up your inability to kill me.

Lee said, stopping right next to Carver, who just stared at the ground.

-... I will make your little girl watch you die, slowly. And when you are gone, I will mold her to my will...I will make her see the truth, through force if necessary...I will erase who you have made her into, and make her someone of my image.

Carver said, and Lee arched an eyebrow. A futile attempt to provoke him.

- Cute... but, just know that if you fail, I'll leave you half dead. How does breaking half the bones in your body in front of all your toy soldiers sound to you? Painful enough? Well, we'll see.

Lee said, looking at Carver one last time, before leaving the office and walking towards the courtyard.

Carver stands still for a few moments, his words hovering in his mind. Breathing heavily, he looks at the body of the fallen guard in the corner, and shoots him in the head.

Running his hand through his hair nervously, he turns to Alvin, and kills him as well.

That was the first time he felt so angry since the apocalypse began.

And as someone said.

Angry people do stupid things.