"So… you still down to see Planet of the Apes this Saturday?"

Taking a few seconds to compose herself as she stuffs a couple of books into her crowded locker, Max smiles wearily as she nods and pulls out her trusty camera; never letting it leave her sight. Truth be told, she had actually almost forgotten about her promise to Warren earlier last week about heading over to the drive-in, mainly due to that incident yesterday with Chloe, but also because Max typically thinks that drive-ins are a little too retro even for her tastes. There's just something about them that makes her think that she's living in the sixties whenever she ventures over.

Still, she'd do it for Warren. The guy's been itching to see the old classic ever since they had announced it for their classic movie night, and the added bonus of going with a friend just made the deal seem all the sweeter. If it wasn't obvious to her that Warren's got a big crush on her by now, then nothing would ever change.

It's a pretty sweet feeling, she's got to admit – to be on the receiving end of a crush for once instead of it being the other way around. Knowing that somebody out there actually cares about you to that point is something that Max has always secretly desired, even if she may have played it off pretty well.

…but how ironic is it now that the feelings aren't actually reciprocated? Warren's an amazing guy and an even better friend, but that's just it. That's as far as Max ever really wants it to go right now. Who knows? Maybe things will change one day, but for the moment, all she wants is to have a great friend by her side – sometimes that's an even better option anyways.

She just hopes that by doing this kind of thing that she's not leading the boy on or anything.

"You bet," she nods with a sweet smile. "Can't wait for you to try and explain every single scene out to me and annoy the hell out of everyone else."

"Oh, ha ha… You're so clever," he jokes around, nudging her lightly in the arm as his face becomes more visible in the light of the hallway. Max can't help but wince as she glances over at his eye – all swollen and bruised from that idiot Nathan Prescott. She still can't believe that he had gotten a shiner out of that whole affair, all because of some entitled, rich jackass who looked as though he had doped up on some heavy-duty drugs before he had come storming out into the parking lot with vengeance on his mind. Nathan had literally pounced towards her with an intent to kill, that much was as clear as day.

But what would that have possibly achieved? It's not as if the intimidation tactics have been working at all, and with the picture taken of the graffiti in her dorm room along with the texts that she's saved on her phone, all the evidence that the police would possibly need would be kept safe in their possession.

Listening to Warren ramble on for a little bit longer on those time travel books that he let her borrow beforehand, Max closes her locker and walks down the hallway with him to the guy's final class of the day – science. She's never been great at the subject, and is dreading the prospect of having to take it next term, but sometimes the experiments that she's seen them do have been pretty cool. Just the other day in fact she had used her time travel ability to help Warren figure out a great chemical reaction by adding some particular ingredients into a beaker.

The amazed look on his face was enough to make Max feel pretty optimistic about an otherwise troublesome problem.

"…and it just makes chaos theory seem that much more legit, you know?" he smirks, clearly swallowed up in yet another science-related topic that Max wouldn't have the foggiest notion about. Just as he's about to get to his classroom, however, he mentions something that slightly intrigues her. "Oh yeah, did you hear? We might be getting another newbie coming pretty soon."

"Really?" she asks, glad for once to not be the newest addition to the otherwise mildly-populated Blackwell Academy. Maybe then she won't be picked on about it as much… "How do you know?"

Looking rather smug with himself, Warren folds his arms together as he leans up against the wall just beside the science door. "Did some elementary detective work, my dear Watson," he boasts, although having to give up the charade when Max rolls her eyes. "I was snooping in on Principle Wells and Ms. Grant this morning… caught some juicy tidbits out of their conversation though!"

"Warren, you shouldn't be eavesdropping…"

"Well then," he plays off, dramatically taking some big steps towards his class at a snail's pace, "I guess you don't want to know what I found out then! That's cool – I was thinking of keeping it all to myself anyways, so I'll just – "

Snatching onto his arm as the teen spins around, Max chuckles as she ushers for him to go on with the story. It's getting pretty close to class time, so the faster he speeds things up, the better off they'll both be.

Wiping the bangs out of his eyes as Brooke Scott walks past the duo with a small smile and a wave, Warren spills the beans. "I couldn't get a name or anything, but I heard that it's this girl who's actually insanely good at drawing stuff. Figured she'd be your type of person, you know?" he goes on, sporting a sombre look as he goes onto a more serious note. "This is where it gets pretty shitty. Turns out that the girl's parents both died, and it doesn't sound like it was a natural way to go… She's come all the way from Georgia on a full-ride scholarship, but still… tough deal."

Damn, that's pretty messed up, Max thinks to herself, frowning as she rubs her arm in discomfort. Without even having met this person, she already feels pretty bad for her. Maybe if she and her family had been over here, then maybe I could've…

"Max?" Warren asks as he waves a hand in front of her face. "Did aliens come and abduct your brain or something? The bell just rang."

Feeling rather flustered at having just totally blanked once again, Max sheepishly rubs the back of her head and chuckles to try and shake it off. Could it even get any more awkward? "Yeah Warren, I'm fine! Just uhh… got a lot on my plate at the moment, that's all. Homework and everything has got me all stressed out."

Feeling concerned for his friend (and possible crush), Warren lightly puts his hand on Max's shoulder as she tenses up a little bit. She's never been one for that kind of touchy-feely kind of stuff, and never being one to really crave that kind of attention despite the flattery she may have felt.

After all, Max has always been the kind of gal preferring to observe life from the sidelines – viewing and observing things from a distance through her own camera lens.

Analog lenses only, though. Definitely not digital.

"Max… you can always talk to me – you know that, right?" he mentions, completely in the dark on what's been transpiring over the past couple of weeks. To say that shit's hit the fan would be a massive understatement, and as much as she'd really like to tell someone besides Chloe about her time powers… it's just not on the radar for right now. If anyone else from Blackwell found out about this weird-ass phenomenon, what would they say about her? Would she be mocked and ridiculed? Counselled for intense amounts of psychotherapy? Would she have to switch schools and return to Seattle while eliminating the one chance she's had at finding a class she's truly felt inspired by?

Or would Warren's conspiracy theories about mind control come true? The government could possibly come and crack open her head for scientific research, for all she knows!

"I know," she responds simply without going into any further detail. "Thanks bud – I appreciate it. Really."

"I see you hovering outside the door, Mr. Graham! You too, Miss Caulfield! Are you going to get to class, or would you like us all to wait?"

Knowing that Ms. Grant would no doubt sit and wait until the boy came in, Warren smirks sheepishly before quickly waving goodbye and darting to his seat. Max, in turn, heads into Mr. Jefferson's room with little more than a peep… despite the entire class seeing her enter. Groaning in defeat, Max accepts the pink slip of paper and scatters the rest of her items around the desk.

Looks like it's going to be her very first round of detention at Blackwell Academy. There's always a first for everything…


"…Clem? You home?" Lee hollers through the house as he steps in through the front door and places his briefcase down on the floor. Hearing no reply, Lee sets his car keys on the cream-coloured counter beside him as he shrugs out of his leather jacket and hangs it up in the closet. Working down at the University of Oregon can sometimes take a lot out of the thirty-seven year old history professor.

It's not that working back in Atlanta at UGA was a shitty job. On the contrary – Lee actually really enjoyed himself there while making lots of lifelong friends along the way. But the incentives to sign on over here in Oregon were just too lucrative to pass up. A full-time position with paid holidays, dental and healthcare benefits, better hours, less traffic to and from work, and getting to be the head of the history department? Oh boy, the opportunity was Lee's golden ticket on the trip to success! He literally couldn't ask for a better position to be in!

Lately, however, those perks have become overshadowed by the devastating news of Ed and Diana's untimely deaths.

The funeral had been kind of bittersweet for Mr. Everett, seeing's how most of the people he didn't actually know himself. But it wasn't about him in any way – it was meant to celebrate the lives of his brother and his sister-in-law, as well as to try and make up for all the things he had missed in their lives. Being on the other side of the country for nearly ten years without visiting had left the man feeling like a complete stranger when he showed up for the ceremony.

But this time was also especially hard on one individual in particular.

Clementine had come to him earlier that day with unwavering tears in her eyes while simultaneously breaking Lee's heart in the process. He adored the girl to no end, and to see her life just torn to pieces like that nearly killed him inside. That coupled with the loss of his own family made the whole day incredibly painful to endure, but as much as he still hates to admit it, the deaths didn't hit him nearly as hard as it should've. Ed and Lee were never that close growing up, and had essentially lost almost all of their contact after moving out in high school. Clementine was literally the only thing that held their thinly-hanging brotherly bond together after she was born, but guilt couldn't even begin to describe the feelings he had upon hearing of the killings.

So, in order to somehow try and make things a little bit better, he had offered to house the eighteen year old under his roof. It was really the least he could do given all that had transpired.

Deciding to make himself a light snack before preparing some dinner, Lee heads to the kitchen of his small townhouse and marches straight to the fridge. There was some cheese in here the last time that he had checked, so a little bit of crackers and cheese would be enough to satisfy his palate for the time being.

Stopping himself as he grasps the fridge door handle, Lee squints his eyes as he notices the note that Clementine has left for him; stuck to the metal part of the refrigerator by an Atlanta Falcons magnet he had bought when he was a kid.

"Went out for a stroll, will be back later – Clementine," Lee reads as he places the note on the kitchen counter and shakes his head with a chuckle. She would be the one to use a sticky note instead of just texting him, if the little doodle of a zombie on the bottom was any indication. He's never really understood the girl's fascination with books and fan fiction and television shows about the apocalypse, but to each their own he supposes. Maybe he'd give it a whirl one of these days.

The imagination of that girl has never ceased to amaze him.


It's beautiful in Arcadia Bay this time of year. The trees have fully changed colour to vibrant shades of red, yellow and orange, the air is chilly yet not overbearing, the birds are getting set for their long journeys down south, and everyone that's passed by have been in uplifted spirits at just the opportunity to walk around in such a peaceful, quiet part of town. The few clouds in the late afternoon sky have done nothing to kill the mood for most of the inhabitants walking around and along the coastline.

All in all, a pretty spectacular day in the small county of Arcadia Bay.

Yet to Clementine, all of this is absolutely sickening. How could the nicer parts of town be so cheerful and happy when she is so god damn miserable? She hasn't made it easier on herself since she's gotten here, what with constantly leaving Lee's house and usually not coming home until late after dinner.

But the point is that, despite the change in her surroundings, Clementine still doesn't feel as though she truly belongs here. She's an outsider; an outcast with no place over in this pristine dot on the map. What could she possibly have to contribute to the community? It's not as if her drawings have really won her any favours other than getting into some prestigious academy!

Clem's been debating internally on whether she should even be showing up in a few days' time, and considering just heading over to that Two Whales Diner in town to work as a waitress or something along those lines instead. She'd be making some dough, and she'd at least be able to help with the payments on the townhouse that she's staying at… which Lee would likely never accept.

Her acceptance message is still buried deep inside of her phone, however, and it's not as if Lee would really accept no for an answer at this point. The look on his face upon hearing the news was almost like watching a six year old get a new toy for his birthday – pure, unadulterated happiness.

She would never want to take that away from him; his pride at having a niece who's also artistically talented. For once, things didn't actually look that gloomy in the Everett house that day.

Kicking a pebble down the dirt road as she places her hands in her jean pockets, Clementine wanders ahead as she comes face to face with a grimy, old sign – ARCADIA BAY JUNKYARD. She's still not sure how her legs had carried her all the way over to this dump, or why she'd even venture this far out in the first place, but sometimes a little exploration could be good for the soul. She's needed some space to just chill out and set her head on straight for a while now, so what better place than the local scrapyard?

Spotting an old truck with the engine still whirring beneath the front hood, Clementine tilts her head around in search of whoever might be driving the vehicle. Nobody would just leave their truck like this unless they were coming back for it in a hurry, and yet she can't find any sign of where the driver may have taken off to.

Upon investigating further, Detective Clementine places a hand up against the glass as she peers inside. The keys are still in the ignition, there's a half-empty bottle of whiskey sitting in the front seat, and there's also a hula-dancer figurine gently swaying back and forth on the front dashboard as it dances to the beat of the engine. The various amounts of hair on the passenger seat suggests that the owner must also have some kind of dog, but the pet isn't in here either. Where could this person have gone?

With nothing more to do, and for the fear of looking as though she's about to rob this person, Clementine steps back and shrugs; figuring that she might as well just go and check out this junkyard while she's still got some daylight left. Curfews are a bitch, but not quite as much when you're able to set them yourself. Good, old Uncle Lee…

Whistling softly to herself as she glances around at the interesting stuff that people have just thrown away, Clementine makes it about twenty steps in when she suddenly hears some kind of argument going on up ahead.

"It's cute that you're playing with guns – just like me at your age."

"We're not anything alike, man…"

Curious, and feeling extra nosy today, Clementine tiptoes over towards a broken-down motorboat as she tries to get a better view. Getting spotted is definitely not something that she wants to experience, especially with a group of three strangers.

Speaking of which…

"We both need money. In fact, you need it so bad that you owe me a shitload," a shaggy-looking man remarks, looking as though he's some type of drug dealer of sorts. Clem can only assume that he's the owner of that truck, as the dog she had guessed about earlier is sitting loyally beside him. "Don't you, Chloe?"

She can already tell that this girl is a punk simply from appearances. With a black jacket, beanie and boots, along with a punk rock t-shirt and wicked blue hair, "Chloe" frowns crossly at the man before sharply adding that he'll get his money.

"Don't they all say that? Y'know, even when they're broke and acting tough…" he scoffs, getting suspicious as he looks upon the other person standing near them. Pointing a finger demandingly, the grizzled man walks towards the second girl as Chloe tries to stand between them. "What are you hiding there, girlie? Lemme see!"

From the angle that Clementine's at from her spot behind the boat, she can see the object as clear as day. What would a timid little thing like her be doing wielding a gun of all things behind her back? If her shaking hands are any indicator, she could guess that the girl's probably never been properly trained on how to use one of those firearms, and the whole scene is pretty startling to behold. If she draws that thing without knowing how to use it properly, somebody could get seriously hurt.

"Where did you get that bracelet?" Chloe intervenes as the man gets distracted for a brief moment.

"A friend, and it's none of your god damn business! You're my business now, and I –"

"That's Rachel's bracelet. Why the fuck are you wearing her bracelet?!"

"Calm yourself, alright? It was a gift," he tries to defend himself, but the spunky teenager is having absolutely none of it. Geez… maybe Arcadia Bay isn't quite as peaceful as she had once believed.

Trying to grapple and pry it off of his wrist, Chloe gets shoved to the side as the man glares and warns her not to try something like that again.

However, things truly start getting fucked up when the other girl shakily raises the gun and points it straight towards him.

"Whoa…" Clementine whispers quietly to herself, thinking that she wouldn't actually have the balls to try something like this. Sometimes the heroes really are the ones that you'd least expect.

Clem only wishes that she'd have brought some popcorn for this live show that they're putting on right now.

"Please…" she says coolly, though with a little hesitation edged into her voice as well. "Please step back. Right now."

"You're kidding – put that down," he orders as a pocketknife glimmers in the sunlight. Clem hadn't even noticed it until now. "Don't get stupid now, girl – gimme the gun, and I'll let you two kiddies run home."

"Frank, just leave us the fucking hell alone! Max and I don't need this shit!" Chloe insists, getting a hard smack in the face as he flails his arm around.

Who would've thought that that would be his final action left in this world?

BAM!

Gasping for air as the scarlet red liquid quickly spills out from his chest, Frank glances with widened eyes at the smoking pistol as he falls to his knees and lands face-down in the dirt; shot through the heart by a teenaged girl.

The air is deathly silent as Max and Chloe both stare down at the body with flabbergasted expressions, with their faces revealing nothing but total shock as Max quickly drops the gun. The sound had ricocheted out around the junkyard, but nobody is really around to hear it.

Nobody except…

"Oh my god… oh my god… oh my god…" Max repeats as she covers her mouth and resists the urge to vomit all over the dirt. Frank's dog whines in sadness as it sniffs at his corpse and pokes the man in the side in an attempt to wake him up. But no amount of begging is going to bring this man back to life. "I-I didn't mean… Oh my god, I… OH MY GOD!"

"Jesus Christ… I didn't think that you'd actually…" Chloe cuts herself off, shaking her head as she grasps onto her friend's shoulders. "It's… it's alright though, Max! We can fix this, remember? Your… your time power! You can – "

With the both of them turning their heads to the sound of somebody accidentally knocking into the stranded motor-boat, neither of them can stomach the thought that a girl had just witnessed them both caught in the act of murder. Slowly backing away, Clementine tries to keep her full identity a secret in case this really comes back to bite her in the ass, but unfortunately she's pretty convinced that both teens have most definitely seen her face.

Strangely enough, Max can't seem to function properly upon seeing the girl's face. The pigtails, the sweater, the hat, the eyes… it's the exact same girl from her vision a couple of days ago!

But what the hell is she doing in a place like this?!

"M-Max… You've got to reverse time right now! Max! Snap out of it! We can't let this happen!" Chloe practically begs her, shaking the girl's arm in a desperate attempt to get her out of her daze. Unfortunately, Ms. Caulfield has become so transfixed with Clementine and the vision with all the disastrous results that she can't even function properly, let alone get her powers to work.

Turning on a dime and sprinting away as fast as she can, Clementine blows by the truck without a second thought as she tries to get out of this place once and for all. She can't help but worry that at least one of the two girls will eventually come after her to silence a potential snitch, and that concern for her life is what's driving her past her physical limitations.

Her parents were already murdered, and Clementine definitely doesn't want to join them.


AN: So... you're probably wondering where I'm going to take this story now that Max and Chloe have finally seen Clementine. The truth is... I'm still kind of working out the details of where I want this to go XD I'm a big fan of both fandoms (The Walking Dead even more so) and so I really want to try something that'll kind of satisfy elements from both of these genres.

Just note though, that there more than likely will NOT be walkers in this, although like in this chapter, I may make references to them from time to time :)

Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys know that updates will be a little bit more frequent for this than usual, as I plan on dishing out the next chapter either sometime tomorrow or Monday, depending on how things go. But exams are done, and all that's left for me is to try and find some summer employment, so I might have some more time to try and update these fanfics! That's my goal for this summer: not to finish all of them, because that's just not gonna happen, but at least to try and make an effort of updating more regularly. That's fair, isn't it?

Also, I wanted to give a big shoutout to those who have reviewed thus far! I honestly didn't think this would get any at all considering it's the only one in this crossover section, but thanks to you guys - Meg, Emily, Thoughtless Thoughts, SonicGX98 and Spiderclone! You guys are awesome and have some amazing stories in your repertoire, so if you're just tuning in now then you should definitely check them out!

Alright, that's all I wanted to say :) Later, homies!

Leafs Nation