Wake up.
Hannah woke up with a start, sitting up straight. She panted a little, then swallowed thickly. She looked around and noticed Mariana had woken up. She was looking around, a confused look on her face. She looked at Hannah when she woke up, raising an eyebrow.
That was when Hannah noticed it; Clementine and Gabriel were gone. Hannah forced herself to breathe calmly.
"Where's Gabe and Clem?" She asked. Mariana shrugged, frowning.
"I woke up and they were gone." She said. Hannah huffed and stood up, walking into the kitchen. Ava, Tripp, Eleanor, and Conrad were all deep in conversation. Javier, Kate, and Kenny were all missing as well.
"Hannah, you're up," Eleanor said. Hannah nodded, her eyes darting around anxiously. Mariana walked into the room, a light frown on her face.
"Where's Javi and the others?" She asked.
"They went to go get a truck." Ava said simply. "Hey, kid, why're you shaking like that?"
Hannah looked at her hands, and then clenched them, looking back up. "I don't know. Also, my name's Hannah," She said politely.
"Y'know, we really don't know much about you, Hannah," Tripp said, turning to Hannah. "You just... showed up one day. What's your story?"
The memory she'd dreamed of came pouring back into Hannah's mind. She crossed her arms, looking down, and she shrugged.
"Been alone for a while." She said stiffly.
"How long is a while?" Conrad asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Uh... I don't know... A year?" Hannah guessed, shrugging. It didn't matter much anymore, anyways. It never did; why did people ask such pointless questions?
"You had to have been with someone when this all started." Ava pointed out. Hannah shrugged and shook her head.
"Won't talk about it." She said. "Sorry."
Tripp shrugged and turned away. Ava stood up and walked past Hannah, peering out of a window. Her eyes widened.
"They're building some kind of... Stage." She said, frowning. Hannah watched Ava for a few moments, blinking, and then flinched when someone knocked on the door.
"Hello in there?" A female voice spoke. Ava cursed quietly.
"It's Joan... Hide!" Ava snapped at them. Hannah grabbed Mariana and led her to the dining room, hiding behind the wall. The other three adults hid with her, fearful looks on their faces. Mariana looked petrified.
The door opened.
"Hello, Ava. No need to run; Lingard told me about Javier taking David's family and leaving the hospital. I assume his friends are here?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Ava tried, an edge to her voice.
"Oh, please. That's not going to work on me. Fan out and search for them. Ah, ah- Ava, don't you try anything."
A few guards walked in, sporting rifles and machine guns. Hannah immediately bristled, her eyes going wide.
"We found em'!" One of them called, cocking his gun. "Uh... What do we do about the girls?"
"Bring them to me. Let me see." Joan called back. One of the guards huffed.
"You heard her. Start walkin'."
"Come on," Hannah whispered, tugging a shivering Mariana along with her. In the living room, Hannah saw that a woman with a white streak was waiting for them, a smug look on her face. When her eyes landed on Mariana and Hannah, her eyes widened a bit.
"That's David's daughter," Joan said, gesturing to Mariana. "I don't know who you are." She said, looking Hannah in the eyes. Hannah stared back at Joan, her eyes wide. Joan looked up and smiled. "Ah, there they are. Javi's friends. Now, i'm going to need all of you to help me with something. Please, no need to be shy... Come along."
"Shh, breathe," Hannah whispered, an arm wrapped around Mariana's shoulder. David stood on a crate, his hands bound, with a noose around his throat. Tripp, Conrad, and Ava sat on their knees, their hands also bound behind their backs. Joan, for whatever reason, had decided to let Eleanor go- probably only because she was a doctor. Hannah and Mariana stood in the shadow of the stage, a guard behind each of them. A few people gave curious and concerned looks at the stage, as well as at Hannah and Mariana. A crowd was beginning to accumulate in front of the stage.
Hannah took a deep breath, her eyes darting around.
"Stay here." The guards ordered. Hannah looked over her shoulder and saw the guards going up some wooden stairs. Mariana looked up too, her lips trembling. She hid her face in her hands again as soon as she saw her father up there. Hannah swallowed thickly and looked down, her eyes darting around. In the distance, she noticed Javier, Kenny, Gabriel and Clementine round the corner of a building. They looked like they were trying to be discreet.
By now, nearly everyone in Richmond had gathered in front of the stage, with a chorus of murmurs being heard. Hannah sniffed, her eyes on Javier and the others. She saw Clementine and Gabriel both scanning the environments, and she saw Clementine's face turn in Hannah's direction. Based on the look on Clementine's face, something bad was happening.
Hannah glanced up and saw a guard standing at the edge of the stage, keeping an eye on her and Mariana. Hannah looked back at them, locking eyes with Clementine.
Clementine tapped on Javier's arm and gestured in their direction. When Javier looked, a horrified look came onto his face. Then, they slipped into the crowd.
Hannah gripped Mariana tighter, trying to ignore her own growing fear. She felt small. She felt weak. She could see members of the crowd pointing at them and whispering to each other. Hannah did her best to ignore it, but it felt like she suddenly became aware of everything in that moment. Every shift of someone in the crowd; every whisper; every cough, every sneeze, everything.
"You might be wondering why i've gathered you all here today," Joan spoke.
Yeah, so you could kill us?
"Well, it's quite simple; we've got a traitor among us!" She continued. "He smuggled thieves and murderers into our walls!"
"She's lying!" David snapped. "Someone do something! Stop this crazy bitch!"
Joan looked at him with an amused look on her face. "I had an interesting conversation with Eleanor not too long ago," Joan said. Hannah felt her blood beginning to boil. She was purposely trying to pit them against Eleanor. "I kindly convinced her to tell me about their vile plans. Javi," Joan said, looking into the crowd. "Would you like to join us?"
Mariana looked up, her eyes widening. Javier, Kenny, Gabriel and Clementine pushed their way to the front of the crowd.
"Mari!" Gabriel cried. Hannah and Clementine locked eyes. Hannah could see the fear in her amber irises; the dread. She'd seen this all before, one too many times. Hannah forced a smile onto her face, hoping to reassure them... And herself.
"You're lying! Your people attacked my family and shot an innocent girl!" Javier snapped. "You probably forced Eleanor to confess! Max, Badger and Lonnie confessed to raiding those settlements on your orders!"
"You have no proof of that." Joan replied. The guard standing at the edge of the stage moved away, aiming at gun at someone's head. "They all deserve to die for their crimes, and as added punishment, we'll take something away from you-"
"No!" Someone else spoke up. "Executing people... This isn't how we do things!"
"I can do what I want!" Joan snapped.
"Then don't let her!" Javier begged.
"You take your people and you go. Never come back." A man named Clint said.
Hannah couldn't stand this anymore. She slowly reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pullet out a small silver lighter, holding it behind her back. She lit it, and glanced at the stage. Her eyes looked back and forth between the crowd and the wooden stage, waiting.
Everyone's eyes were trained on the people on the stage... Except for Gabriel and Clementine's. Hannah held her lighter up a little, revealing the small flame. She couldn't help but to grin at the insanity of what she was about to do.
Gabriel put his hands on his head, clearly stressed, while Clementine put both of her hands over her mouth. Hannah looked at the wooden beams of the stage, holding the lighter up to it. One of the beams began to blacken, and then caught fire. Hannah took a few steps away from it, tugging Mariana with her. Mariana had been watching with wide, terrified eyes.
Hannah quickly flipped the lighter shut and stuffed it back into her pocket.
"Fine. Take your people and go," Joan said, her voice sounding smug. Clementine gently elbowed Kenny and nodded at the stage. Kenny peered at it, a confused look on his face. When he noticed the growing flames, his eye went wide.
Hannah began to back away, releasing Mariana. Mariana ran to Javier, hugging him tightly.
"Let her go," Hannah heard Joan say. By now, the flames had spread over the entirety of the side of the stage.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Someone snapped. Hannah's eyes watered as smoke wafted over to her. A few guards dived off of the stage. The crowd began to ripple, backing away. There was a moment of silence...
And then, the first gunshot rang out. Javier raced forward as the crowd finally dispersed, making a beeline for cover. More gunshots began to ring out, and Hannah turned to the stage, kicking one of the pillars.
That was all it took for that side of the stage to collapse. Ava cursed and lept off, attacking a guard and taking his gun. Hannah watched, backing away as the flames began to crawl up the stage. She looked up just in time to see a guard take aim for her. She ducked out of the way, finally taking action. She drew her crowbar and dove for cover, hiding behind a concrete traffic barrier.
Meanwhile, Clementine and Kenny were taking cover in a stairway that went down. Javier had managed to get a gun from someone and was shooting down the guards. He searched frantically for Tripp, Conrad, and Ava, and saw that they were nowhere to be found. Mariana and Gabriel stood on either side of Javier. He looked over, spotting Clementine and Kenny. Kenny's left shoulder had a large red spot on it that rapidly got bigger.
He'd been shot.
"We have to help them!" Javier said, dashing over. Mariana and Gabriel trailed closely behind him.
"Javi!" Clementine exclaimed, a relieved look on her face. Javier took aim, gunning down a guard.
"Hey," Kenny said simply, shooting a guard as well. Then, a smoke bomb sailed through the air and landed in the stairwell. As soon as it hit the ground, gray smoke poured out. Javier began coughing, as did the other people, and covered his mouth, turning and making his way out of the stairwell. With the smoke bomb going off- as well as others- it became hard to see or breathe.
The sound of an engine roaring suddenly belted through the air, and when Javier looked up, he saw Kate zooming down the street. She rounded a corner, making her way over. A man with a bandana and sunglasses threw a molotov cocktail at the truck. Much to Javier's dismay, it landed right in the engine. Kate swerved the truck, and Javier froze, realizing he was right in the path of the oncoming truck.
Before Javier could force his limbs to obey him, something pushed him out of the way, causing him to fall flat onto his back. The black truck zoomed past him and crashed into the gate.
The person beside him scrambled to her feet, and Javier saw that it was Hannah. She started towards the truck, only for it to explode.
Javier's heart skipped a beat at that. "KATE!" He screamed.
"Come on," Hannah said, helping Javier to his feet. Walkers began to pour in through the broken walls. "We gotta- gotta go find her."
"That whole stunt, with lighting the stage on fire? That was cool, but please, for the love of god, never do that shit again!" Javier called to Hannah as the two of them dashed over to the wreckage. Hannah shoved a walker away from them, and then stepped up to the hole, jabbing a walker in the mouth with her crowbar. Her face pulled back in a snarl and she shoved the walker back as Javier checked the driver's seat.
She wasn't in there.
"Kate!" Javier called. Hannah pulled away from the hole, backing away. She clubbed a walker in the head before turning and dashing away, calling out for Kate.
Near a lamp post, Javier saw David stomping on the head of a walker. He dashed over to him.
"Have you seen Kate?!" He asked frantically. David spun around, a look of anger on his face.
"You lost her?!" He snapped. Javier reflectively scowled at David. Kate was an adult- she wasn't always Javier's responsibility.
"YEE HAW!" A shrill voice cried. Javier perked up and saw Hannah throw herself at a walker. It had a domino effect on the other two walkers behind it, knocking all three of them down.
"What is she doing!? She's going to get herself killed!" David growled. Behind the walkers, however, Kate stood, an alarmed look on her face. When she saw Javier and David, she raced towards them, embracing Javier tightly. Javier returned the hug, hoping to calm her down. He could feel her quick breathing on his neck, as well as her shivering. Other than being scared, she was okay... Which was all javier had hoped for.
"She does that to distract walkers away from someone!" Javier replied, pulling away from Kate.
"The kids...!" Kate breathed, looking around frantically.
"I'm on it!" Hannah said. She turned, racing away. "CLEMENTINE! GABE! MARI!" She belted at the top of her lungs. She saw Kenny, Clementine, Gabriel and Mariana in front of what looked like a bank, facing off against a group of walkers. Hannah sighed in agitation. She held her head up and barked out another "YEE-HAW!" Which effectively drew some of the walker's attention away from them. Hannah jumped back, her heart slamming in her ears. She kicked one of the walker's legs out from beneath it, locking it in place for at least a few moments. A gunshot rang out and pierced the walker's skull, sending it falling over. Hannah clubbed an advancing walker in the head, then stomped on its soft skull.
"Get the knee... Like this!" Clementine said to Gabriel and Mariana. She drew her knife, advancing on a walker, and kicked its knee. It fell flat, allowing Clementine to bend down and plunge her knife into its forehead. Gabriel and Mariana both copied her while Kenny gunned down more walkers.
"Guys come on!" Hannah called, grabbing their attention. Clementine's face lit up and she was the first to follow Hannah as she led them over to Javier.
"Come on, this way!" David called once they were all together. They followed him into the apartment complex they'd been hiding in earlier. Once they were all inside, David slammed the door behind them, panting.
He didn't even waste a second before spinning around, aiming a glare at Hannah.
"What the fuck were you thinking?! That fire could've gotten us killed!" He snapped. Hannah reeled back, staring at David with a blank look on her face.
"David, man, come on- maybe it was stupid, but it saved our asses." Kenny spoke up, planting himself between David and Hannah.
"Yea, and besides, you're doing a fine enough job of that on your own." Kate snapped, glaring at David.
"I'm protecting everyone!" David argued, rounding on her. Kate didn't back down; she stood firm, her eyes locked with his.
"Whatever. I'm going on a perimeter check." David growled. "Gabe, Mari, you're with me." He said.
Both Gabriel and Mariana looked at Javier for approval, both sporting apprehensive looks on their faces. David noticed, and this seemed to tick him off even more. Javier remained silent, crossing his arms. He wanted to say no; he wanted to push David away from them and shield them from his scrutinizing gaze.
"I'll go with," Kenny said, noticing the tense atmosphere setting in.
"Okay..." Javier said. "You stay close to Kenny, okay?" Javier said as they began to walk away. David mumbled something under his breath angrily.
Kate walked up to Javier, a guilty look on her face. "I'm worried." She whispered.
"Kenny's with them, they'll be fine." Javier said.
"But did you see the look on his face when he spoke to us? He acted like we're... Soldiers or something. I hate it. I... I don't want the kids around him." She whispered. "And that's not all," She said, continuing forward. Now that they had time to stop and examine the environments, Javier noticed that they were in a fire escape. There was a stairway to the left of the hallway and a metal door to the right, with an 'EXIT' sign above with red, glowing letters illuminating it. Kate pushed the door open, entering the apartment. Hannah and Clementine shared a look and followed them.
"This place worked. It was functional. They had walls." Kate continued. "And then I fucked that up. I... I wanna fix this." She said. Javier took a deep breath and nodded.
"Alright," He said. "I'm with you, Kate."
Kate flashed Javier a grateful smile.
"Javi!"
Javier perked up and looked over his shoulder, spotting Conrad and Tripp. He felt relief wash over him and he stopped, turning around. He shook their hands, smiling.
"It's good you see you make it back in one piece, man," Tripp said. "Come on, Eleanor's tending to people. Ava's with her." He said. Javier and Kate exchanged glances before looking back at Tripp.
"Lead the way," Javier said. Tripp nodded and turned, leading Javier into a room. It was very similar in structure to the other one, with a few variations; the living room had a window on the wall opposite to him, as well as a dark brown hardwood floor. The kitchen was connected to the living room, this time with no walls separating the two. An injured man laid on the couch with a grieving woman at his side. Eleanor looked up, a solemn look on her face.
"What's up?" Javier said, looking at the man.
"He's been bit... We're trying to make him as comfortable as possible." Eleanor said. Clementine huffed and walked into the room, heading straight toward the window. Hannah followed her, parting the light brown blinds and looking through them. She sighed in disappointment and turned away, leaning against the wall. She crossed her arms and looked down.
"Where'd you get the idea to light the stage on fire?" Clementine asked. Hannah shrugged.
"I did it on an impulse, but... I won't do it again." Hannah said softly. Clementine frowned.
"Ignore what David or other people might say. That was smart." Clementine said with an encouraging smile on her face.
"Don't encourage her, Clem," Eleanor said. Hannah looked up at Eleanor, and then looked away. Clementine glared at Eleanor, and not-so-subtly flipped her the bird.
At that, Hannah snickered, smiling a bit. Javier rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. The woman who was crying beside the man stood up, holding an axe out to Javier.
"We have to cut it off!" She said. "Please!"
Silence fell over the room, and slowly, Javier reached up, taking the axe from her. He bent down, examining the man's arm.
"Are you sure about this?" Eleanor asked softly. Javier took a deep breath and nodded, holding the axe up. Eleanor inhaled and reached into her pocket, wrapping a tourniquet around his arm. Then, she nodded at Javier.
Hannah covered her eyes when Javier brought the axe down. The man screamed in pain when it made contact with his skin. The arm was partially severed, but not entirely. Javier suddenly felt nauseous and he cringed at the sight before him.
"Oh, god..." He said, shaking his head. He repeated the process, the arm coming off this time. Blood poured out of the wound and onto the ground. Javier stood up quickly, gagging at the sight. Eleanor got to work attempting to stop the blood. However, it appeared as thought her efforts were futile; the blood kept on coming, creating a dark red puddle on the ground. The smell of metal filled the air, making Javier feel even more nauseous than he already was.
Eleanor cursed under her breath while the other woman wailed loudly. Javier's jaw clenched, and just then, David, Kenny, Gabriel and Mariana walked into the room.
"The fuck's goin' on?" David asked.
"He was bit, so they tried to cut the arm of. It... Didn't work." Clementine answered. David rose an eyebrow at that.
Then, the sound of a gun being cocked cause Javier to froze. He looked up, seeing the crying woman pointing a black pistol at him.
"This is all your fucking fault!" She snapped. "My daughter- my husband- gone! I should kill you for this!" She snapped.
"Fern, please... Lower the gun." David said.
"Why should I? I could kill this asshole and be done with it," She said.
Then, Kate stepped in front of Javier, a sad look on her face.
"Fern, please," Kate said. "I'm the reason why the walkers got in. If you shoot anyone, shoot me, because it's my fault. I'm the one who destroyed the gate."
Fern hesitated for a moment, and then sniffed. She began to lower the gun.
Just then, David stepped past Javier and Kate, grabbing Fern's forearm and breaking her elbow with the other one. She screamed in pain while the others protested. David turned, shooting the man in the head, and then turned back to Fern, aiming his gun at her.
"Dad!" Gabriel exclaimed, racing forward and grabbing David's arm. David elbowed backwards, elbowing Gabriel hard enough to knock him down. Instantly, David's face became full of regret and he turned, looking at Gabriel with wide eyes. Mariana crouched beside her brother, giving her father a fearful look.
"Gabe, I- I didn't mean to!" He said, taking a step forward while Gabriel backed away. For a moment, he looked like a terrified little boy, before closing his eyes tightly. When he reopened them, his face twisted into a scowl and his eyes were filled with a fire that Javier had never seen before.
"Was breaking her arm necessary?! She can't even move!" Gabriel snapped. David closed his eyes, frowning.
"I'm trying to protect you!" He said, waving his arms around. He still gripped the pistol firmly, with his finger looking awfully close to the trigger.
"Then why are you pointing a gun at us?!" Kate exclaimed. David froze, looking at his hands, and then dropped the gun, shaking his head. He pushed past them and out into the hallway, grumbling under his breath.
Clementine gently tapped Hannah's shoulder, prompting her to uncover her eyes. Her hands trembled and her lips quivered at the sight of the severed arm on the floor. She swallowed thickly when she saw Fern as well, feeling a pit form in her stomach.
"I've seen him get this way before," Kate said softly. "Javi, could you please talk him out of it?" She asked, turning to look at Javier. Javier personally didn't want to, but regardless, he would.
"Alright, i'll... See what I can do." He said, following David outside. He went up to the top of the building, taking the stairs, and out onto the roof, where David stood out on the ledge, studying the environment. Javier walked up, examining the environment as well.
"I wanna show you something," David spoke up. "Come up here with me."
Javier obeyed, carefully stepping onto the ledge. He glanced down, and suddenly felt woozy at how high up they were. The sea of walkers would surely devour him in an instant if he made one wrong move.
"That place over there is the perfect spot for a trench," David said softly, pointing at a patch of land in the distance. "That building? A sniper's dream. I'm a solider, Javi... Nothing more, nothing less. A soldier can't be a father. Or a husband. A soldier is a soldier. That's that."
"Come on, man," Javier said. "You're my brother. You're Gabe and Mari's father. They need you."
"Be real, Javi. You raised em'. Both of em'. Back in the fire exit, they looked to you for reassurance, and it hurt more than I ever thought it might. To see might kids looking up to someone else."
Javier went silent at that and looked out at the landscape. "Regardless," David went on, "I'll do my best to protect you. I'm going to get you out of here, all of you, alive." He said firmly, clenching his fists. "Even if it kills me."
Just then, the door to the stairs opened. "Oh my god, I found them!" Kate called. Javier looked back and stepped down, turning to Kate. Following her was Clementine, Hannah, Mariana, Gabriel, and Ava. Kate peered over the ledge, her eyes on the truck. A look of realization crossed over her face.
"The hole, that's where they're coming from. We can fill the whole with the truck!" Kate exclaimed. David's face scrunched up at that, but he didn't say anything about it.
"Okay," Ava said. "But how do we do that?"
"We can use our bulldozer," David replied, putting his hands on his hips.
"Whatever we do, we better make it fast, because Kenny got shot and I don't wanna spend too much time away from him." Clementine said, crossing her arms.
"Of course," David said, stepping down. "I know the way. Follow me." He said, going to the other side of the building. There was a set of metal stairs on the building adjacent to them, meant to be used as a fire escape. David climbed onto the ledge, and then pushed off. He landed on the rusty metal stairs. They shook a bit under his weight, but thankfully, they didn't fall. Javier glanced at the others. Ava was the second one to go, landing in a similar fashion to David. Kate took a deep breath, and then went third. Javier could've sworn he saw the stairs jolt a bit dangerously when Kate landed.
"I'll go first," Gabriel declared, looking at the other kids. He set his face straight, and then looked forward. He climbed onto the ledge, and then, he pushed off, landing on the stairs.
Javier could've sworn that his heart stopped at that moment.
"See? Easy!" Gabriel said, turning to look at the other kids with a cheerful smile. He quickly went up the stairs.
Mariana was quick to follow her brother, and then Hannah stepped forward. She eyed the stairs for a moment before leaping. She crashed into the opposite wall and fell onto the stairs. Clementine and Javier both chuckled at her, watching as her face became bright red.
"What're you lookin' at?!" She quipped before hurrying up the stairs.
"Ladies first," Javier said, gesturing to the stairs. Clementine scoffed, rolling her eyes, and jumped off the ledge with a small grunt. Javier took a deep breath, waiting for Clementine to move out of the way. Once she did, he took a running start and then pushed off of the ledge, landing on the stairs. They jolted a bit under his weight, causing both he and Clementine to freeze for a moment. Clementine peered over the railing at him.
"Be careful." She warned. Javier only nodded in response, following her up the stairs. Ahead of them lay a pile of rubble with a few pieces of shiny metal sticking out. The rubble consisted of dirt and rocks, and they connected the building to a highway. Parts of the highway had caved in, and in order to cross, they would need to form a single file line. There was a cliff below the highway, causing Javier's heart to race. If anyone fell, they would be done for.
"Are there no other ways we could possibly take?" Javier asked.
"This is the only way." David said, nodding his head. "Be careful. Take your time when crossing." He instructed, climbing the rubble.
"Wait, that car," Mariana said, pointed at a red car without windows. "If we pushed it, it would be safer to walk across."
David paused, looking at the car his daughter pointed at. Then, he grinned.
"Good observation, mija," He said warmly. Mariana beamed happily, smiling.
"Javi, Gabe, come help me with this." David ordered, climbing the rest of the rubble. Javier and Gabriel hurried forward, climbing the rubble as well. David took the lead, walking over to the red car. "Watch your step here," David instructed, carefully climbing his way to the car. He positioned his hand on the trunk, where Gabriel and Javier both joined him. Together, they pushed, and then, the car lurched forward, rolling off the cliff. David huffed and stood up straight, looking over at the girls.
"Alright, it should be safe to cross," He said, climbing over the rubble to another section of the highway. Ahead of them lay a wreckage of a helicopter; it was way past its prime, with no hopes of ever starting again. Gabriel and Javier carefully followed David, where Gabriel walked to the edge of the wreckage. David grabbed his arm and tried to pull him away from the edge, only for Gabriel to glare at him and jerk his arm away.
"I know he doesn't see it, but David really is just trying to protect him," Clementine said from behind Javier. Javier looked over his shoulder at her. "Even if he's not the best at it..." She added. Hannah walked up beside them, staring at the helicopter. She looked at David and Gabriel, and for a moment, Javier could've sworn he saw a flash of sadness on her face. She walked past them, examining the helicopter.
"How do we get across?" Kate asked. Javier walked to the edge, standing to Hannah's left. He reached up, catching the propellor of the helicopter in his hands. He tested it, pushing down on it a little. He looked up at the other side of the intersection.
"You want us to swing?" Hannah asked, eyeing the propellor.
"If it means getting across," Javier replied.
"You're crazy." Ava said, coming up and frowning at the propellor.
"Crazy is our best shot." David said. "Lightest goes first." He said.
"I'll go first," Hannah said. Clementine gave Hannah a concerned look, frowning a bit.
"Are you sure?" She asked. Hannah looked back at Clementine and nodded once.
"'Course i'm sure! Watch me!" Hannah replied cheerfully. Javier stepped back, allowing Hannah to take the propellers. She eyes the other side of the interstate, and then paled a bit. Then, she looked forward, taking a deep breath. She backed up, and then too a few leaping steps. Then, she pushed off of the ledge, sailing through the air gracefully.
For a moment, Javier's heart felt like it stopped. Then, Hannah got to the other side, skidding her feet against the ground. She let out a rather loud breath of relief. She hoisted the propellor with as much strength as she could, sending it back to the group. Gabriel rushed forward, catching it.
"Now, when you go, don't push up too much..." David said, kneeling down beside Gabriel.
"I know what i'm doing." Gabriel said softly. He looked forward, his brows furrowed. He copied Hannah, taking a few large steps, and then pushed off the edge.
The process repeated until it got down to just Javier and David. Javier looked at David with a grin.
"After you," Javier said. "You're the older sibling."
David rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "That's never stopped for before..." He grumbled. He swang across, and when David was halfway across, the propellor lurched dangerously. However, he managed to get across to the other side. He swung the propellor back to Javier.
Javier took a deep breath, and then copied David. However, when he was halfway across, the propellor broke, sending Javier swinging downwards. He screamed in surprise and clung to the propellor tightly, his heart pounding.
"JAVI!" Someone called. Javier didn't know who screamed, but based on the pitch of the voice, it was definitely one of the girls. Above him, a walker with its lower half gon reached out for him. The smell wafted down to him, making him feel nauseous. He grabbed one of its rotting guts and swung it over, impaling it on a metal beam.
Carefully, he climbed the propellor, his heart racing and his palms beginning to grow sweaty. He gulped as he ascended. Kate appeared over the ledge, holding her hand out to him. Javier climbed higher, and then reached up, straining. His jaw clenched and his heart stopped when their fingers brushed.
And yet, it wasn't enough; he couldn't reach without letting go of the propellor.
Hannah crept over to the ledge, as far as she could. She examined the propellor, and then narrowed her eyes, drawing her crowbar. "He's too far away. If I could hook my crowbar around the propellor, I could pull him closer."
"You might detach it from the helicopter!" David said. "No!"
"It's our only chance!" Hannah retorted, spinning around to glare at David.
"You are NOT doing that." David hissed, scowling at Hannah. "You were already out of line with that fire; i'm not gonna let you fuck this up even more!"
"David, please," Clementine pleaded. David gave her an incredulous look.
"Do you really trust that lunatic?" He asked. "Look at her!"
Clementine glared at David, and then at Gabriel and Mariana. Ava mumbled something under her breath, shaking her head and cursing.
"Come on, David, it's our only shot." Ava said. David clenched his fists, scowling.
"And besides, I don't see YOU trying to help!" Clementine said. She looked at Hannah, her face softening. "What do you need me to do?"
Hannah frowned. "I don't know if you're strong enough for this..." She mumbled.
"I cut down an entire tree on my own, it'll be fine," Clementine said, brushing Hannah's concerns off. Hannah raised an eyebrow at Clementine, and then looked at the propellor.
"Javi, climb a bit higher!" Hannah said.
"I'm trying!" Javier retorted, hoisting himself up further.
"Okay, Clem, I need you to dangle me over the edge." Hannah said. "Don't mind my shivering." She added, the last part softly. She held a hand out, and Clementine took it with both hands. Carefully, Hannah dangled over the edge, hooking the crowbar around the propellor. She carefully pulled forward, straining. Gabriel joined Clementine in helping to keep Hannah steady, seeing as Clementine was beginning to strain as well.
The propellor didn't make a sound; it moved willingly, and then, Javier was able to grip Kate's hand firmly. They gripped each other's forearms. Hannah unhooked the crowbar.
"Pull me up," She commanded. Gabriel and Clementine did so. Then, Kate pulled Javier up, groaning while she did so.
Kate, Mariana, and Gabriel each rushed to hug Javier. Hannah put her crowbar away and looked down, twiddling with her thumbs. Clementine watched with a hint of sadness on her face, while Ava had a happy, relieved look on her face. David scoffed, rolling his eyes ,and turned away.
"C'mon. Let's go." He ordered.
The group made their way to a water tower, where a truck, a motorcycle, and a bulldozer lay, undisturbed beneath them. Surprisingly, there were only a few walkers in the area. David glanced at the truck. At the bulldozer. Then back at the truck. Meanwhile, Javier, Kate, and the kids all inspected the bull
"We need to leave." He said suddenly, turning to the group.
"David, what the fuck?" Kate snapped, rounding on him.
"This place is a lost cause. We should go back home. Be together as a family. Clem, Ava, you're coming too." David said.
Ava reeled back in surprise while Hannah only crossed her arms and looked at the motorcycle. Javier's fists clenched. What about Kenny? What about Hannah? He glanced at Hannah again, and the forlorn look on her face only fueled his rage more.
"David, no! We need to help Richmond!" Kate snapped. Gabriel and Mariana exchanged fearful glances and backed away from their parents while Javier turned, his shoulders squared.
"You're just gonna abandon this place?" Javier asked. David crossed his arms, glaring back at both of them.
"I know when to abandon a fight, and-"
To everyone's surprise, Kate stepped forward, slapping David across the face. "No! We are not your soldiers, David!" She spat. David stood with a dumbfounded look on his face, and then glared. Kate removed the ring from her finger and threw it at him. "I can't believe I married you..." She said, stepping back to join Javier. David looked between the two of them, and then, pure rage overtook him.
"Have you two been coinciding against me this whole time?!" David growled. At this, the kids of the group began to share nervous looks, while Ava looked extremely uncomfortable.
"What?! No, I-"
However, Javier's protests fell on deaf ears as David ran to a garage in front of them, pulling the door open. Then, he ran inside, grabbing a wrench, and then ran at Javier, letting out a loud cry.
"DAVID!" Ava and Kate both exclaimed simultaneously as David tackled Javier to the ground. Javier grunted and instinctively shielded his face.
"Dad!" Gabriel cried, running forward. He grabbed David, attempting to pull him away from Javier, only to get clocked in the forehead by a the wrench. Mariana screamed in fear, running forward and grabbing Gabriel. Kate cried out as well and rushed forward, pulling Gabriel away from the scene. Ava tried to stop David as well, only to be met by the same fate.
Javier didn't fight back; he only shielded himself from David's onslaught. David didn't seem to notice; he only continued his string of assaults.
That is, until a gun pressed itself against David's head. David froze, his arm raised, and looked at the owner of the gun. It was Clementine, giving him her famous death glare. David's jaw clenched and he let out a breath through his nose, getting off of Javier.
"We're helping Richmond." She said lowly. "With or without you."
It was strange to Javier- just a few days ago, this girl was pointing a gun at him, and now, she was defending him. She even knew David better than Javier, didn't she?
"Fine." David growled. "But you're doing it on your own." He said. He stood up, turning his back on everyone, and trudged away.
Javier scrambled to his feet, turning to David. He reached for him, opening his mouth to say something.
And yet, nothing came out.
Slowly, Javier closed his mouth and watched him go. So many emotions coursed through Javier as he spun around, facing everyone. The crestfallen looks on Gabriel and Mariana's faces both broke his heart and filled him with an ungodly rage; a mournful look on Kate's face filled him with sorrow; one disappointed look on Hannah's face filled him with a strange contempt towards David.
He looked at Clementine, and she returned his gaze. A few silent words seemed to be exchanged with just one look.
I can't believe he would do that, From Javier.
I'm sorry, from Clementine.
"Come on." Kate said weakly, turning and climbing into the bulldozer. Gabriel climbed onto the ridge above the right wheel while Javier climbed onto the left wheel. Mariana climbed into the cab with Kate, sniffling. That's when Javier saw the eyes on his niece and nephew glistening, as well as streaks of tears going down their faces. His head and heart hurt, and he suddenly had the urge to go find David and strangle him.
"I'm taking the motorcycle." Clementine declared. She looked at Hannah. "Would you keep me company?" She asked weakly. Javier glanced over at Clementine, and he saw the conflicted look in her eyes. She obviously cared about what was happening; she just didn't seem to know what to say or do about it.
"Sure, but um... Do you know how to drive?" Hannah asked, raising an eyebrow at Clementine.
"I'll take the truck," Ava said. "Go after David, I guess." She grumbled, going over to the black, shiny truck. Javier watched her, and then looked at Kate, nodding.
"Alright," He said. "Let's gather some weapons and clear out."
By the time they'd gotten back to Richmond, it was dark, with a slight drizzle coming from the sky above. The gates to Richmond were shut, with a few walkers wandering around up front. Javier instantly felt repulsed at the sight, raising his gun and taking aim. He heard gunshots ringing out on the other side of the bulldozer, as well as the revving of a motorcycle behind him. Adrenaline began to course through Javier's veins as he gunned down the walkers.
"Javi! Get in the busket!" Kate barked out.
"The what?!" Javier barked back, confused.
"THE BUSKET! THE- THING IN THE FRONT!" Kate yelled back, nodding towards the basket attached to the bulldozer. For a moment, Javier wondered who decided to name it that before obeying and climbing to the basket in the front. Kate lifted it up to the controls of the gates, where Javier quickly climbed out of the busket. He quickly hurried over to the controls, and panic overtook him. He didn't know how to work them.
He faltered for a moment before his hand flew to a green button, pressing it down frantically. To both his relief and surprise, the gates opened, allowing them inside. Clementine and Hannah zoomed ahead on the motorcycle, with Hannah noticeably pale. Kate revved the bulldozer, steering inside. Mariana looked terrified, while Gabriel gunned down walkers mercilessly, his face twisted with a look of rage on his face. Kate had an intense look of concentration on her face, and Javier saw that she was going for the black truck now. The fire on the stage had long since gone out, with only a pile of ashes in its place.
Javier closed the gate and quickly rushed down to the ground, gunning down walkers that got too close to the bulldozer or the two girls on the motorcycle. More gunshots rang out, and ahead, a few walkers collapsed, revealing Tripp, Conrad and Eleanor.
"Are we glad to see you!" Javier called.
"Help us clear these fuckers out!" Tripp barked.
"On it!" Javier replied, taking aim again. To his dismay, however, his gun was out of bullets. He scowled, putting it away and instead drawing out his metal bat. He swung at any walker who got close. He kicked, smashed, pushed, shoved, fought his way through the herd, ignoring everything else around him. He was one being in an ocean, fighting tooth and nail to get out; and he would, even if it was the last thing he ever did.
He was vaguely aware of the revving of the bulldozer. He didn't even hear Kate cry out in victory when the hole was patched up. All he could focus on was killing the damn walkers.
They broke Richmond, and by god, they were going to fix it.