I stole from the Lord Of The Rings and from the Walking Dead comic here and I regret absolutely nothing.

setting: episode 1 "Seed"

Damnation

Chapter 6- 32

Five weeks after the farm incident...

The thing was perfect. Really. High windows, thick brick-walls, locked doors, which was exactly the point. The whole building was like a castle in complete lockdown.
No way to enter. The heavy garage doors were shut, most of the windows blocked with thick iron bars.

"Fuck me, that place's perfect" Connor said as they looked at the building, trying to find a way in.

Daryl eyed his friend head to toe, and once again he couldn't hold back an amused snort. Connor looked absolutely ridiculous. The whole hitch-hiking, on the road living and scavenging kind of vibe didn't suit him. No matter how many times the Irishman tried to convince him that they weren't any different, that he had grown up far away from the big cities just like Daryl, no, the hunter still wouldn't buy that. Connor was a city boy. Being from Boston. Who had no clue how to live efficiently on the road. The fact that he was still carrying that heavy stupid rope around told him enough.

"Yeah, perfectly sealed. Ain't no way in" Daryl muttered as he walked around the corner, trying to find a back door.

"'s useless. Come on, let's get back to that gas station, didn't even have a look inside that one yet" he went on and tried to turn his back on the fire station, but Connor wouldn't let go.

"Sh sh sh. Hold te fuck up. There's an open window over there" the Irishman said and pointed at the large open window just underneath the flat roof.

Daryl looked up and frowned.

"Yeah, and how are we supposed t'get up there? That's two stories, dumbass. And even if we did get up there, how are we supposed to get inside? Let's go" the hunter said and tried to leave again, but Connor wouldn't let him.

"Nah, just think about it. Te place is locked up fer good, and maybe there's some supplies in there. They used places like this as temporary evac stations, didn't they?
Besides, it's a fire station. Maybe some cops were in there as well. There could be ammo, guns, batteries, whatever we need, man. Don't look like looters got in there yet."

"Yeah exactly, no one got in there to kill any geeks. God knows how many are in there. 's a waste of time. Let's try the gas station and move on" Daryl said and started walking, hoping his friend would follow him this way, but once again Connor was incredibly stubborn.

"I can fit through there" he heard the Irishman say and turned around with an angry frown.

It was true that his friend had become rather skinny ever since the infection. He had lost a lot of weight shortly after the bite, and the fact that they hardly ever found supplies these days and that it was almost getting too cold for hunting didn't exactly help either. They needed to find food and shelter, and they needed to save their energy even more. Thinking that they could get inside an abandoned fire station without really knowing what was waiting inside was just retarded and plain dangerous.

"Don't be stupid. Yah fat ass ain't gonna fit through there" the hunter tried to reason with his friend, although they both knew that it was a lie.

The window was big enough, and Connor would have no problem getting inside through there. And now his friend was grinning. It was getting worse and worse again.

"I told ye the rope would come in handy" the blonde said and grabbed the thing which had been strapped around his shoulder for days now.

"Ye just gotta believe" the Irishman went on and then went back to search the surrounding area for something useful so he could throw the rope at the window and use it to get up the wall.

"Don't be stupid, yah ain't going in there" Daryl protested when he saw how Connor brought an old plank from one of the old trash cans behind the building.

"I ain't gonna go in there, just gonna climb up there and have a look inside" the older of the two muttered as he wrapped one end of the rope around the plank and made a couple of knots.

"That's retarded, yer shoulder and arm ain't even healed yet you dumbass!" the hunter went on and tried to grab the plank, but Connor kept it out of his reach.

Daryl growled because he knew this behavior too well, knew Connor too well by now. His friend had a plan, and he thought that it would work.
He knew what this meant. There was no stopping the Irishman now, no matter how dangerous or stupid it really was.

"Ain't she adorable when she's worried about me" the other said with a grin and then aimed his construction at the window.

It took him three times until the plank finally got stuck at a weird angle, leaving the rope hanging down the brick wall. Connor pulled a couple of times to make sure that it was tight enough to carry his weight, then he started to climb up the wall, using the rope to pull himself up. Daryl watched his friend with an angry frown and folded his arms. As stupid as the whole thing really was, Connor was pretty agile and smart. He gave him that. The hunter shook his head right after the thought and eyed their surroundings, searching for any possible threats. Smartness aside, the Irishman was freaking nuts.

"You're a complete nutter, yah know that?" he growled and heard Connor chuckle.

"Yeah yeah, Ma" his friend grunted and finally reached the window.

"Ah jesus, hold on a sec" he muttered and stuck his head inside, trying to make out any movement.

"Yah see anything?"

"Pretty comfy in here, actually" he heard the echo of Connor's voice and stepped closer.

He didn't like the angle his friend was hanging in, half inside the building, half outside. The Irishman pulled himself up even more until he was somewhat sitting on the window frame, and whilst using his one hand to keep his balance he used the other one to search his pea coat for a flash light. He shined the device inside and searched the interior until a frown crossed his face and Daryl got nervous.

"What? Come on now, yah had your fun. Let's get outta here."

"Just.."

Connor suddenly swung his legs around until they were both hanging inside the building, which Daryl didn't like at all.

When the blonde then pulled up the rope and threw it over to the other side the hunter got even more nervous.

"Hey. You ain't..."

But Connor had already disappeared inside the building.

"Leprechaun!" Daryl yelled and stepped closer to the wall, trying to climb up and reach the window.

He could hear grunts and footsteps inside the building, and soon more noises of what sounded like fight going on came through.

"Hey! You can't..I told you not to go in there! Leprechaun!" the hunter shouted at the wall and listened, and the noise was actually moving away from him.

Daryl cursed and made his way around the corner, nearly running into a walker while doing so.

"Jesus.. Connor!" he yelled and killed the walker with a stab to his neck.

He started running again until he reached the front of the building, hoping to find another entrance. But of course. Everything was locked up tight.
And he could still hear Connor fighting with someone in there.

"Get your ass outta there!" the hunter yelled and kicked the garage door hard, making more noise than intended.

He could see a whole bunch of walkers down the street now, and he would be a liar if he told anyone that he wasn't freaked out. He didn't know what was going on in there, what was happening to his friend, if there were walkers in there, if he was bit again, if... He turned his head when he heard how a door was opened to his right. A moment later Connor stepped outside, a wide grin on his face. There was some blood on his clothes and in his hair, but other than that he looked just fine.

"Well, what are ye waiting fer? Move yer fat ass in here, then! Home sweet home, Darylena" Connor announced and the grin on his face got even wider, and this made Daryl even more furious. Without really thinking it through he darted forward and slammed his friend against the wall with an angry snarl.

"Do that again and I'll kill you, you bastard."

now...

They could hear them groaning and moaning on the other side of the fence, and that didn't exactly make it any easier for them. The group was well aware of the countless zombified prisoners on the other side of the gate. The fact that they only had knives and machetes to protect themselves made them feel even more nervous. T-Dog, Glenn, Maggie, Daryl and Connor were waiting for Rick to open the gate they had locked just yesterday. They could see a few walkers stumbling in their direction, and the group got their weapons ready. Rick, Glenn and Maggie had the machetes and T-Dog a crowbar. Daryl and Connor were the ones with the knives, which was why they would go in last. The Irishman suddenly smirked and nudged his friend's shoulder. Daryl turned his head to look at him with a frown.

"Wanna bet that I can kill more af those fuckers than you lamebrain?"

The hunter raised an eyebrow.

"This ain't some sorta game, dumbass."

Connor snorted and grabbed his knife tight.

"Yer just saying that cos you know 'm right."

Daryl snorted as well.

"Yah wish."

"Ready?" Herschel asked and they looked at him. Rick nodded and opened the gate.

They tried to stay together, forming a circle with everyone back to back. T-Dog was the first to kill a walker, which had been standing right by the gate. The others followed him inside and Herschel closed the door shut behind them. He gave Connor a nod and the Irishman did the same. Just a second ago he had been joking around, if only just to keep himself and his friend calm. Now that the gate was closed and they were trapped inside with countless walkers he had to realize that everything was real, that everything was dangerous and not a game at all. Maggie and Glenn were the next to kill walkers, and when one of them would come too close to them Rick called out for Daryl. The hunter nodded and stepped forward to stab the former prisoner right in the head. The undead let out a final gasp, then he fell to the ground. Daryl stepped back so the walker wouldn't fall on top of him and ran right into Connor. He turned his head to glare at him, then a smirk broke through.

"One" he counted and the Irishman snorted.

"And yer calling that an achievement, Legolas?"

"Daryl, Connor! Stay with the group, don't break ranks!" Rick yelled and they both hurried after the group.

They all resumed their former position, with Glenn being back to back with Maggie, T-Dog being back to back with Rick and Connor and Daryl having each other's back. They made their way around the concrete prison yard, taking out walkers and staying together. They could hear the remaining members of the group, Beth, Lori, Carol, Carl and Herschel, yelling at the walkers from the other side of the fence, taking them out with their own sticks and pipes whenever they got too close. Especially Connor and Daryl wouldn't slow down, now that the hunter had given in to the competition. More and more walkers dropped to the ground, and the stench of rotting flesh and blood and smashed brains was getting unbearable. The small group got used to it, the killing, the smell, and took out one walker after another. Connor and Daryl ran into each other once more and the Irishman chuckled when their backs connected.

"Count?"

"Eight."

Connor killed another walker with a stab to his throat.

"Bullshit" he grunted as he kicked it so it wouldn't fall on top of him. Daryl chuckled and kept moving.

"Told yah."

"Don't break rank!" they heard Rick yell once more and turned their head to see what was going on.

They could see that T-Dog had left the group to get a riot shield which was lying on the ground.

"We might need that!" he yelled and tried to get it. One of the walkers came dangerously close to him.

"T!" Rick yelled, but it was Connor who reacted.

He darted forward and stabbed the undead in the back of his head. T-Dog turned around in surprise, holding the shield in his hand.

"Ye gotta watch yer back, buddy" Connor murmured and got back to the rest of the group.

They had almost reached the other side of the yard, and no walker was to be seen anymore.

"Almost there!" Rick shouted as they headed for the door to the first cell block. Everyone kept moving slowly and carefully.

"Nine" Connor murmured when he could feel that Daryl was right behind him. The hunter snorted.

"Liar."

"Stay together" Rick demanded when they reached the wall with the door.

He placed a hand on it and pushed. The door opened with a loud creak, but no walker would come out.
When their leader started walking again to have a look around the corner he gasped and backed off all of the sudden.
He pushed T-Dog back and pressed them against the wall.

"Shit" he gasped and looked at the group.

Daryl grabbed his crossbow to watch their back. Connor moved forward to get a better view. He could see another three dozen walkers staggering around the small fenced-in area between cell blocks C and D. A few turned their heads and glared at him with a growl, but none of them would stagger in his direction and attack.

"Fuck,'s gotta be another twenty, thirty walkers" he whispered and looked at the group.

"Stay back" Rick hissed and Connor did as he was told.

They could see how a few walkers in riot suits came staggering towards them from behind the dumpsters. The group looked at them in surprise.

"Ye gotta be fucking kidding me, what's that? Did they level up?" Connor said and Daryl took aim.

They startled when another two walkers with riot suits came around the corner right next to them.

"I got it" Daryl murmured and aimed for one of their heads. The arrow bounced off the helmet with a loud tschonk. The walker kept coming. For a moment the group stared at the walker, completely dumbfounded. They had never come across a walker that had been geared up like this before. As soon as the surprise had faded Connor suddenly couldn't hold back a loud snort. He turned his head to look at his friend and shook his head with a chuckle.

"Yer so fucking stupid" he murmured and stabbed another prisoner when he came around the corner.

Daryl growled and threw his crossbow over his shoulder to get his knife instead.

"Shut up" he murmured, feeling slightly embarrassed because his crossbow didn't work for the first time. T-Dog, Maggie and Rick started attacking the riot suit walkers with their machetes and the shield whereas Glenn, Daryl and Connor killed the other remaining walkers. Daryl hit a female walker with his crossbow and knocked her off her feet. When she tried to get back up again the hunter grabbed her by her hair and stabbed her in the eye. Connor had just put another walker down himself when he saw her lying on the ground. He pointed at her.

"That's a fucking civilian, only counts half."

"Bullshit!" Daryl yelled as he stabbed another walker.

"Eleven!"

"Thirteen!" the Irishman countered. They bumped into each other again and killed another two walkers at the same time.

"Yer a lying bastard!" the hunter went on and Connor wanted to answer, but when they heard Maggie yell they both turned their head in surprise. They could see how Herschel's daughter was still fighting a riot suit walker. The two men were on their way to help her when she suddenly grabbed the walker by his helmet, pushed his chin up and stabbed his neck. The walker let out a gurgling growl and fell down to the ground with a last twitch. Maggie turned around and looked at them in surprise. She was completely out of breath.

" See that?!" she exclaimed and the two men just stared at her.

Had a woman really just killed an armored walker with just a knife whereas they had been taking out normal walkers together?

"Riot suits count twice" Connor stated and looked at Daryl for a moment.

The hunter turned around and grabbed one of the remaining armored walkers by his helmet. He stabbed the back of his neck.

"Fourteen" he growled and glared at Connor. The Irishman grinned mischievously.

"Connor! Daryl!" Rick, who had made his way to the small inner fence, yelled as he tried to kill another prison suit walker.

"We've gotta close that gate!" he shouted and pointed at the open gate.

They could see the entire mob of walkers heading for the entrance by now. For a moment Connor just watched them. He counted about thirty prisoners and civilians by that fence, and he could make out an open door that led inside the prison behind them. He was pretty sure that if they didn't close that door instead of the gate more and more walkers would just keep coming out of the building. Another walker passed him and Connor startled when the undead bumped right into him. For a moment they were staring right at each other, the Irishman's blue eyes widened in surprise, the walkers dead grey eyes cloudy and unfocused. The walker breathed out tiredly and wouldn't stop staring at Connor. The Irishman groaned because the undead's foul bad breath hit him like a punch in the face. He buried his mouth and nose in the crook of his arm and gasped. The walker looked at him for a little while longer, then he turned his head and kept walking. The undead was heading for Glenn now, who stabbed him with his machete a second later. Rick was still yelling and shouting as he and Daryl tried to shut the gate. Connor looked at the walker Glenn had just killed, then he grabbed his knife.

"I've got a better idea" he murmured and started walking. He went straight for the gate. Daryl turned around and glared at him.

"It's about time yah move your ass!" he yelled and kicked another walker away.

Connor snorted and stopped walking for a moment. He took a deep breath and watched the walkers that were coming closer and closer.
Daryl and Rick were still trying to get the gate shut. The hunter turned his head to look at his friend again.

"What the hell are yah waiting for! Help us with this fucking gate!" he grunted, but Connor ignored him.

"Yer gotta lock it tight so they can't get out. I got an idea" he said and looked at Rick instead.

Their leader seemed confused for a moment, but when Connor gave him a slight nod he seemed to get it. Rick nodded and concentrated on the gate again.

"What the hell are yah talkin 'bout?! Move!"

Daryl reached out for Connor to grab him by his shoulder and pull him towards the gate, but the Irishman moved out of his way. A second later he started running.

"What the hell?!What the fuck are yah doing?!" Daryl yelled and watched his friend run inside the fenced-in area they were trying to shut down.

The hunter let go off the gate and wanted to run after him, but Rick grabbed him by his shirt.

"No! I said don't break rank! You're gonna get us all killed!"

Daryl fought him off and tried to run after Connor once more. The walkers were dangerously close by now. The Irishman had disappeared somewhere behind them.

"Let me go! Leprechaun! Get your fucking ass back here!" he spat and searched the yard in horror.

Rick suddenly pulled him back and slammed the gate shut right in front of him. He put the iron chain they had brought with them on it and stepped back.
In a matter of seconds walkers upon walkers were piling up on the fence. The hunter watched them in horror, trying to make his friend out behind or between them.

"Connor?!" he yelled and waited for an answer. All he could hear was the loud growling of the walkers.

"Connor!" he yelled once more and tried to get closer.

The fence started shaking even more. Rick placed a hand on his shoulder to pull him back again. Daryl turned around and shoved him with a growl.

"Did yah really just lock him in there?!" he spat and let go off their leader.

He put his hands on his hips and started walking in circles. Daryl wouldn't stop glaring at Rick, who hadn't said anything so far and was busy stabbing another walker on the ground. When he finally looked at him the hunter pointed at the fence.

"We gotta open this gate. Right now!" he yelled and Rick just looked at him.

"No we won't."

Daryl glared at him.

"What?"

The former policeman turned around started walking again.

"He's gonna be fine."

Daryl went after him.

"Yah mean fine like Merle when yah cuffed him t'this roof back in Atlanta?! What is it with yah always locking people away?!"

Rick stopped walking and turned around to point at the walkers.

"No, I mean he's gonna be fine."

The hunter frowned and turned his head to see what the other man was pointing at. For a while he couldn't hear or see anything, then he heard the loud creaking of a steel door. A moment later they could hear other strange noises coming from the other side of the wall, noises that didn't quite fit the moans of the walkers and the shaking of the fence. T-Dog, Glenn and Maggie came to join them. "What the hell?" T-Dog murmured when they could see and hear how more and more walkers dropped to the ground. It went on like this for several minutes until they could finally make out the missing member of their group.

Connor was right in the middle of the crowd, stabbing one walker after another without missing a heartbeat. It was strangely grotesque to see how he took them all out without them attacking him. They would either ignore the Irishman completely or watch him with weary eyes, most of them wouldn't even see him coming. Quite an amount of walkers was still interested in the rest of the group, shaking the fence and trying to reach out for them. It was so surreal that the group didn't move at all for a while, they just stood there and watched. Connor had cleared about three quarters of the small yard when he needed a break. He was completely out of breath and turned around to look at the group.

"Little fucking help here?!" he panted and they finally moved.

T-Dog, Glenn and Maggie approached the gate and started stabbing the walkers through the holes in the fence. Daryl was the last to join them. He just watched Connor take another couple of walkers out. He had been relieved at first when he had seen him, that he was still alive and fighting. Of course he had been relieved, that guy was practically his brother. But now he was just furious. Incredibly furious. With Rick. With Connor. For just a second he had been so freaked out that even now he couldn't really calm down. Because he had thought that he had lost his best friend. Again. Because he had thought that he had lost him just like Merle. Trapped with walkers. Because of some stupid chains. And he was dead furious because Connor had promised he would never do that again after what had happened at the fire station half a year ago. But here that bastard was, risking his life and running right at walkers again.

Daryl growled and approached the fence to stab the walkers as well. He just needed to get rid of his anger and hatred, which was why he stabbed the walkers in a lot more brutal way than usual. After several minutes of just moving and stabbing the last walker fell to the ground. They saw that Connor had managed to close the massive door on the opposite wall. The group could hear more walkers knocking on the other side, but there were no more walking dead outside. They had done it. The prison yard was clear. Connor moved towards the gate and leaned against it for a moment to catch breath. He was panting heavily because of the exhaustion from the fight, but he was also chuckling quietly. It took him a while to calm down, and he used the time to get rid of his jacket and put it around his waist. The Irishman wiped the blood off his face and took a deep breath, then he place both his hands on the gate and grinned at Rick, who was standing opposite him.

"Well, that was a nice plan, wasn't it? Very Jason Bourne that was. Yer right, that came in pretty handy."

Rick opened the gate for him and Connor stepped out.

"Nice work" he said and put a hand on the Irishman's shoulder to give it a squeeze.

"Aye, yer welcome."

Connor approached Daryl with a grin on his face.

"32" he announced triumphantly and his friend just glared at him. The Irishman chuckled and nudged his shoulder.

"What do ye say ta that, Mr twenty-something?"

Daryl glared at him for a little while longer, then he punched him right in the face. Connor groaned and staggered backwards, holding his left cheek in surprise and pain.

"Ow! Are ye fucking crazy? You fucking asshole!"

His friend wouldn't stop staring at him through narrowed eyes.

"Knock it off you two, we need to move" Rick said and started walking. Maggie, T-Dog and Glenn followed him reluctantly. Connor groaned and massaged his aching jaw.

"Jesus" he murmured and eyed Daryl angrily. His friend wouldn't say or do anything, he just turned around and followed the group with an angry snort.