"What am I? A dog?" Justin said when he got locked up outside cellblock C with Merle.
"Shut up." The man with the beard said, locking him out of the cellblock.
"Like I'm really gonna hurt you."
"You tried to when you attacked us."
"That's because the stupid leader made me!"
"It doesn't matter! You attacked us!"
"Well-"
"Stop arguing! We have other things to worry about right now." Hershel said, hopping on his crutches to sit on the stairs.
Justin looked back at the man and raised his eyebrows.
Your fault.
The man scoffed and walked to the group, making Justin look at Merle.
"Ugh. Don't leave me with this drug addict."
Merle just laughed and pushed harshly him. "You're a good little boy, aren't ya?"
Justin rolled his eyes, looking back through the cage. He can see the young women with the blonde hair put a baby in a box-like crib. They were living in horrible conditions. The baby crib was a box, it didn't look like they had any food, and they didn't have much ammo. They wouldn't stand a chance against his father now.
"We're not leaving." The man with the beard said.
"We can't stay here." Hershel retorted.
"What if there's another sniper? A wood pallet wouldn't stop one of those rounds." Said the women with short brown hair.
"We can't even go outside." The young women with blonde hair said.
"Not in the daylight." A women with short, grey hair corrected the blonde one.
"If Rick says we're not running, we're not running." What looked like an Asian boy said.
You'll regret not running.
"No, better to live like rats." Merle said with his stupid voice.
"Yeah, better to live like dogs in cages, barking to get out." Justin said.
"Y'all got a better idea?" Rick asked with sarcasm.
It was too late. They were already living like wild dogs with no strength and no food. Everyone was hopeless. But...there wasn't really a difference between Woodbury and the prison. Woodbury wasn't letting anyone go like tamed dogs, and the people in the prison couldn't leave like caged dogs. The tamed dogs have everything and the caged dogs are poor.
"Yeah. We should've slid outta here last night and live to fight another day. But we lost that window, didn't we? I'm sure he's got scouts on every road outta this place by now. Right, Justin?" Merle said, slapping his back, causing Justin to glare at him. "Y'all guys know who this bastard is?"
"Shut up!" Justin yelled, making Merle laugh.
Carl crossed his arms and stepped toward Justin. "Yeah, who are you?"
"A fourteen-year-old boy. Duh." He said, crossing his arms.
Carl gave him a glare. "You know what I mean. Who are you?"
"Me."
It was a lie. This wasn't him. He was suppose to be Wilmur, but he's Justin instead. But he couldn't tell them who Wilmur was. He was Justin. He was a boy he suffered through everything. He was the Governor's son, but he couldn't tell them that or it would create a huge, annoying conflict that he really didn't want to deal with.
"God damn it! Just tell me who you are!" Carl yelled with frustration.
"You first." Justin said, squinting his eyes at the young boy and the boy glared back.
"Okay, okay. Stop the fight." Hershel said, but they didn't listen.
They were both clenching their fists and glaring each other down.
"Carl." The man with the beard said.
Carl's eyes softened, but gave one more angry glance to Justin before walking to his father. Justin looked at Carl's father, shaking his head, smirking angrily.
"What?" The angry man said.
"Nothing." Justin responded, scoffing.
Everyone sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, staring at Justin. Everyone was unsure about him. They knew he was just a kid, but he was a kid who attacked them with the Governor. He was a kid who was so cold and angry. They never thought a kid could end up like that. Carl did, but no one noticed except Justin.
"We ain't scared of that prick." Daryl said, breaking the silence.
"Y'all should be." Merle retorted. "That truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to."
"The Governor is a very strong man." Justin said.
Why am I talking to them?
"He won't give up. You've seen what he did to the hostages. That's just the beginning. He's more capable than that. I've seen it." Justin continued.
"Let's put them in another cellblock." The women with the short brown hair said.
"No. They got point." The man with the crossbow said.
"This is all y'all! Y'all started this!" The women said.
"What difference whose fault it is. What do we do?" The young women with blonde hair said.
"I said we should leave. Now Axel's dead. We can't just sit here." Hershel said.
The man with the beard simply ignored everyone and attempted to walk out of the cellblock like what they're going through is nothing. The man made Hershel furious, causing him to stand up with his crotches helping.
"Get back here!" Hershel yelled at the man.
The man with the beard stopped his tracks and turned to look at Hershel with a bit of a shocked expression.
"You're slipping, Rick. We've all seen it. We understand why. But now's not the time. You once said this wasn't a democracy. Now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands. So get your head clear and do something."
Justin stared at Rick with his cold eyes. The eyes that show his past. Rick's eyes done the same, except his pain was fresh new. The pain was too unprotected for it to be a long time to suffer. The only thing he knew is that he lost someone and that's why he's slipping. Justin had slipped away from himself after Penny had died, but then he came back. Only with a shield to protect himself from the pain. That shield has completely changed his life. From Wilmur to Justin. From a caring and loving person to a cold-hearted and uncaring boy. From a weak boy to a strong boy. From happiness to pain.
Rick's son was the same.
Carl had created a shield around his heart to block himself from pain. He slipped away when he lost someone but came back with a shield. The shield had changed Carl's life, too. From a caring and scared boy to a numb and fearless boy. From a weak boy to a strong boy. From happiness to pain.
Carl's pain wasn't fresh new. Justin can tell he's been suffering for awhile. He's been suffering since the day everything started. Justin couldn't read Carl's eyes completely. His shield was too strong to see through.
"Come with me." Rick said, causing Justin to snap out of his thoughts.
"Or what?" Justin crossed his arms.
Rick's glare is enough to get Justin moving. He wasn't scared, he just knew it's something serious.
Rick opened up a gate and the man and boy step out into something the use as a guard tower. There was spray paint smothered all over the walls and there was a gate to keep them from falling out, but had a small hole to put a gun through so if anyone comes in or out, they can shoot them.
It reminded Justin of the past when him, his father, and Penny were trying to get to Atlanta.
"Move!" Philip yelled, shoving through the crowd. His hand was holding Wilmur's hand and Wilmur's hand was holding Penny's.
Suddenly, people in tanks open the lid up and start shooting at everybody.
"Daddy! Wilmur!" Penny cries, holding tightly onto her older brother's hand.
Wilmur pulled away and bended in front of Penny to give him one of his warm and reassuring embraces, stroking her long hair.
"We're gonna be okay." He reassured, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
But the thing was, nothing was going to be okay. There we're was those things everywhere, eating people. Atlanta had been bombed and there was army men with tanks shooting at everyone. There was nowhere to hide and nowhere to sleep. All there was to do was fight back. But they couldn't do that with Penny nearby. She was too young and small.
"Dad!" Wilmur yelled, trying to get him focused.
Somehow, his father collapsed to his knees and just sat there, listening to everyone die and scream.
"Dad!" He tried to scream again, but it's hopeless. He can't hear or he's not listening.
Wilmur closed his eyes and let some tears spill from his eyes. There was nothing he could do to get his father to listen. He wouldn't leave him behind, but he had to get Penny somewhere safe or with someone safe before he could help his father. They could get shot or eaten any second now.
After a shake of his head, he grabbed his sister' s hand tightly.
"Let's go." He said, trying to pull her, but she yanked away.
" No! I'm not leaving without Daddy!" She yelled, anger filling her scared eyes.
"Penny-"
"No!"
He stared at his shocked father, then at the army men shooting down innocent people, and then at the walkers coming down the street.
He looked at his sister and nodded. Penny sighed with relief and bent down in front of their father. "Daddy, we have to go. We can't stay." She said, tears filling her eyes.
She was scared, but she wouldn't leave her father behind. She wouldn't do it to her brother, so she won't do it to her father. And Penny understood why Wilmur wanted to get her away. There was monsters everywhere and they weren't safe at all. They could get shot or eaten any second and it does scare her. But she can't leave her father to die in the hands of either walkers or zombies.
"Dad, we have to-" Penny cut herself off, looking right over Wilmur's shoulders.
"What is it?" Wilmur asked with a soft voice before turning around to see the person he hated more than anyone in the world.
It was the person with red hair, freckled face, and evil eyes.
Kevin.
Wilmur stared but not angrily and not with fear. There was lot's of more things to be scared of right now.
"Well, look at you're poor, poor baby sister." He laughsed
Now Wilmur was angry.
Kevin was laughing at a time when people are either dying, or getting their flesh teared open with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. People are watching their families die before their eyes. People were screaming and crying. Children were snuggled up to their parents lifeless body, crying. Parents were holding their children's dead body , screaming and crying.
And he was laughing?
"Your laughing at a time like this?!"
Kevin only laughed harder, making Wilmur's fists clench and causing him to hold back his growls of anger and rage. He couldn't lash out right now. It wasn't the time, but he couldn't help it. With his rage, he smashed Kevin to the ground.
"Slut." Wilmur blurted, but he didn't care. It was true.
Kevin shot him a death glare before getting back up and dusting himself off. "Me?! I'm the slut?! I think you got that backwards."
"You were the one who used me so you could ruin someone's life! You were the one took a picture of us sleeping together and told the whole school district!"
They already forgot about everything around them. The army men, the walkers...Penny.
"Did you even take a look at yourself?! Did you see how much you hanged around me and begged for it?! Did you actually think I loved you?!"
"Yes, I looked at myself afterwards and felt bad about it! Yes, I saw how much I hanged around you because I loved you! And yes, I thought you loved me! You were the one who asked me out and leaned on me for the first kiss! You always told me how much you loved me! If that's not love, then what is?!"
"Guys-" Penny tried to say, but they ignore her.
Wilmur had stopped looking after her like he promised. He was too caught up in the argument with Kevin.
"You actually thought I loved you." Kevin laughed. "I didn't like you at all! I just wanted to see if you'd fall for me and you did! You were so stupid, Wilmur! You were so full of yourself!"
"I wasn't full of myself! I was full of you! You put stuff in my head that made me think you loved me! It was your fault I ended up like that!"
By now, everyone who wasn't dying was looking; including the army men. They had stopped shooting and everything was silent besides them arguing and the walker moans.
"You were too stupid to realize I didn't love you! It took a picture of us sleeping together posted around the school to make you realize, dumbass!" Kevin yelled angrily.
"Anyone would think someone would love them until a picture like that is posted!" Wilmur screamed his eyes filling up with rage. He had to bite his lip to keep himself from yelling a thousand cuss words pass his lips.
Kevin laughed, but he was still angry. "You're never gonna find someone who loves you, Wilmur. You're gonna live without love and you're gonna die unhappy. Even if you think someone loves you, you're wrong. No one will ever love you."
Kevin is smirking now that Wilmur's face is boiling red from the anger. He can no longer hold back his strength of strangling Kevin to death.
Wilmur screamed as he jumped on him, attacking. He's able to knock him to the ground and punch him several times, but Kevin managed to kick him off and punch him several times. When Kevin's fist flew toward his nose, Wilmur smacked it away and then spit in Kevin's face.
A death glare showing more rage then any glare he's ever seen before can be visible in Kevin's eyes. His face was red and some of his hair fell off due to the madness.
"That is it." Kevin said coldly, shoving himself off Wilmur and grabbing his little sister by the hair.
"No! No! leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this!"
"I'm gonna make you suffer." Kevin said, pulling out a gun and shooting Wilmur in the leg.
Wilmur yelped in pain and reached toward the wound. "Dad!" Wilmur screams, trying to get him to save his little sister, but he doesn't listen. He just stared into the wild blue yonder, letting Kevin hurt his sister. There was nothing Wilmur could do no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't save his little sister.
Kevin pushed Penny on a walker and it bit her right in the shoulder, ripping the flesh from her body and chewing on it like a pig.
"No!" Wilmur screamed, bursting into tears as he watchesd the walker eat other parts of Penny's body.
"No! Penny!"
All that's heard in Wilmur's ears is his little sister's screams of pain. Tears slip down her cheeks like a flash flood and her screams sounds like a screeching bird crying for help.
When the walker tore the flesh from Penny's neck, she died.
He watched slowly as she collasped to the ground with the walker still eating her.
The older brother of Penny screamed and grabbed a rock, brutally smashing it into the walker's skull, screaming and crying. He can hear the skull cracking, but he's not gonna stop until the walker's skull is demolished.
By the time it is, there's nothing but blood covering Wilmur's face. All over his cheeks, chin, and forehead.
Kevin's laugh can be heard ringing in his ears, making him clench the rock.
"See! I told you!" Kevin laughed.
Wilmur screamed again and jumped on Kevin, smashing the rock in his forehead and everywhere on his face.
Finally, he stood back up and smashed his foot in Kevin's face three times and breaking his nose.
The only thing that can be heard is the sounds of Kevin's bones cracking.
Justin sighed and closed his eyes. If only he didn't argue with Kevin and look after Penny. If only his father had paid attention to what's going on and grabbed Penny. He wouldn't be so cold today. None of them would.
Justin limped on his injured, shot ankle. The pain was seering and hurt like hell to walk on, but there was much more pain to the world. His ankle was nothing.
"What'd are you doin'?" Rick asked, glaring at him.
"Surviving." Justin answered simply, shrugging.
"All right, quit actin' like a smartass. What'd are you doin'?"
Justin shrugged again. "Trying to live."
Rick slammed his fist on the wall in frustration. Does this boy really think he's smart? "Look, if you're gonna stay here, then we gotta know a little bit about you." Rick said with frustration. The boy really got on his nerves.
"Then why won't you tell me anything about yourself?" Justin stated.
"Because you're part of the Governor's group. I have every right not to tell you anything."
"And I have every right not to tell you anything."
Rick growled and looked out the gate with angry eyes. The boy has only been here ten minutes and Rick already hated his guts. He didn't want Justin near anyone. He wasn't telling about himself at all and that can only mean danger. He had noticed how Justin and Carl were arguing.
"We don't even know you're name." Rick said.
Justin scoffed and shook his head. "Justin. Happy?"
"My name is Rick."
"I don't care."
Rick scoffed and opened his mouth to yell at him, but is stopped when Carl walked quietly in their space, taking off his hat. "You shouldn't be out here." Rick said to Carl, making Justin roll his eyes.
"I'm a good shot." Carl said.
And he was a good shot. Why couldn't anyone realize that he was a part of them and he was suffering? No one can even see except Justin. But Carl didn't know that yet.
"Yes, you are." Rick responded.
Then why can't you see his pain?
Justin decided to stay out of their conversation. He's tired of the arguments today and really doesn't feel like getting into another one.
"Hey, Dad?" Carl said, breaking the small silence.
"Yeah?"
You sound so miserable.
"If I say something, will you promise not to get mad?"
"I won't get mad." Rick promised.
Promises always get broken nowadays, Carl.
"You should stop."
"Stop what?"
"Being the leader."
Justin stared at Carl with no expression. He wasn't surprised. Justin could tell the way Rick acted and talked that he shouldn't be a leader, but he was and he knew Rick won't give up his job. He thought he knew what he's doing, but he doesn't. He's not fit to lead his people if he kept walking out on his group and if he acted so miserable. He saw Rick in the grass. He wasn't near the group. He was outside the prison! And the way he acted, he cannot lead his people.
"Let Hershel and Daryl handle things. You deserve a rest."
"He doesn't deserve one. He needs one." Justin corrected
Carl looked at Justin and glared.
Justin glared back, making Rick stumble from the hard glare, but Carl doesn't budge. It was the first time someone didn't stumble under his glare; except his father but he doesn't count.
"Carl, go back inside. And Justin, I'm gonna figure you out about you whether you tell me or not."
Justin just glared. He knew Rick will eventually figure out who he is and he's not sure if he cared or not. Justin scoffed and walked back in the prison sitting down on a chair.
"Hey there, little jugga!" Merle said in a drunk way. He always sounded drunk.
Merle placed his hand on Justin's shoulder, but he smacked away. He couldn't stand the way Merle acted. The stupid man always came in and either insulted him or got on his nerves. They had gotten into a lot of arguments, but it wasn't terrible ones. Merle laughed a lot during them. Justin would just get more angry every laugh that slipped through Merle's cut up lips.
"Go away." Justin growled, turning away from Merle.
"I see my little jugga is in a bad mood." He laughs, placing a hand on Justin's shoulder again but it just gets smacked away again.
"Jugger is not even a word, dumbass." Justin said, glaring at him.
"It is for me." Merle laughs.
"Why were you born so stupid?" Justin questions.
"Why were you born so stupid?" Merle said.
"Wow. You're sure great at back talk." Justin responded sarcastically. Merle laughed as if it was a joke, but it wasn't. It was true.
Stupid words start slipping through Merle's mouth but he doesn't listen to them. Merle always said the most dumbest things Justin's ever heard. He's surprised Daryl actually liked him even though he was his brother. All he did was say stupid things to people and laugh about it. He really got on Justin's nerves. He annoyed him more than anyone else does. His father made him more angry than anyone else does; besides Kevin. Kevin made him so angry every time he thought about him.
Hershel walked in their space. It doesn't annoy him. He's just glad someone finally interrupted him and Merle. He hated talking to him.
"You're the farmer Hershel." Merle said.
"And you're the black sheep Merle. And you're the unknown boy." Hershel said to Merle and Justin.
"His name is Justin." Merle said.
Justin threw his fist against the wall angrily, tired of Merle trying to give away who he was. "Merle!"
Merle just laughed. Laughing like a little stupid monkey.
"Well, Justin, we're gonna talk later, but I'm gonna talk to Merle first." Hershel said so nicely that it angered Justin. Why was he being so nice to him while he was being mean to others?
"How'd you lose it?" Merle asked Hershel, making Justin look at his gone leg.
"I was bit." Hershel responded simply.
And?
"Bit? You hack it off yourself?" Merle asked.
He was motioning about his lost hand he had to cut off himself. Apparently, someone left him handcuffed on a building and he was forced to cut himself to survive. Him and his dad found him in a horrible condition and took him in. Not that Justin cared, he just did what he was told.
"No." Hershel sets his crotches down and sits with Merle and Justin. "Rick did."
"Awful kind of him." Merle responded.
"I bet he only saved your life cause' you're a doctor." Justin said coldly.
"That could be true, but maybe not." Hershel pointed, making Justin angry. He expected an argument.
"But that's not important. What's important, is that he saved my life."
Justin rolled his eyes. Getting saved is such a big deal to the people, isn't it? Their lives were nothing but pain now, so why live if you're going to see it again and again in the future. That's why Justin cut off his feelings and sealed them away. He didn't want to get hurt over and over again. He was done with the pain.
"Gave me more time with my girls. Gave me more time with you're brother. Can't put a price on that." Hershel said.
"Can't put a price on anything anymore." Merle said and it was true.
You can put a price on something, but the truth is, it'll just end up getting taken from you.
Hershel smiled slightly and pulled out a bible, making Justin sigh. He had stopped believing in God ever since it all started. Before his sister died.
"I found this in one of the cells. Lost more than the Good Book there for awhile. Lost my way."
Justin sighed again when he started to read Matthew. When he believed in God and read the bible, his favorite part of it was Psalms. Every Sunday, he would go to church with his mother and support their Lord, but he stopped after his mother died. He still believed in Him, but he stopped when the walkers took over the earth.
"And if your right hand offends you, cut it off, cast it from you. For it is profitable that one of you're members should perish..." Merle and Justin continue Matthew. "And not that thy whole body should be cast in the Hell...Matthew 5:29 and 30."
Justin wasn't religious at all. He wasn't sure if he believed in a better place because they were already in Hell. But he wanted to believe his mother and sister was happy somewhere. He'd have to die to find out.
"Woodbury had a damn library. One of the only things I miss about it." Merle said.
For once, Merle wasn't talking like he was stupid. This time, he was speaking the truth of what he really thought. At first, he wouldn't admit that he missed anything about Woodbury. Justin sure didn't miss anything about it. It may have lots of food, weapons, and normal things to do, but it was a prison camp.
"When the Governor returns, he's gonna kill me first. Michonne, my brother, then you're girls. Glenn, Carl, the baby, whoever else is left. He'll save Rick for last so he can watch his family and friends die ugly. That's who you're dealing with."
"What about Justin?" Hershel asked.
"If he's that of a beast and he's on our side, then he will kill him. He'll kill anyone who isn't on their side or who doesn't help him."
Justin glared at Merle, knowing what he's gonna tell him.
"Did he not tell you?" Merle asked Hershel.
"Tell me what?" Hershel said, fear creeping into his eyes.
"He's the-"
"Merle!" Justin interrupted.
"Justin, whatever it is, I'm sure it's not that bad." Hershel said.
"It's none of your business! Get your head out of my past! You don't need to know, geez!" Justin stormed around with his injured ankle.
He was sick of people trying to figure out his past. He was suppose to forget it. Not explain it. He was Justin, not Wilmur. Not the past self that hurts so much. He was Justin. The one who focused on the future and threw away the past. There's a huge difference between them.
"You hungry?" Hershel asked, forgetting the conversation they just had.
"Leave me alone." Justin snapped.
He was hungry. He didn't eat much due to him losing his appetite. He'll skip two or three days without a meal and then eat. Ever since Penny died, he didn't eat much. His Justin experience has made him numb to everything.
After hours of storming around angrily, he finally sat down with anger and buried his face in his arms. All he wanted to do is magically make the pain disappear. But what hurts is there was nothing he could do to make the pain go away. He's gonna be Justin forever.
Hershel came in to work on ankle while Carl came in held his pistol in his hand, clicking the safety off. Justin just squinted at Carl the whole time, trying to figure out if he suffered just as much as him. Carl for sure had a dark past just as dark as Justin's. He probably was even a different person like Justin and now he's cold and numb. Justin was trying to figure it out what had made Carl so dark, but he couldn't because the shield around his heart was blocking him from reading his dark emotions.
But Carl was pretty interesting even though they've already argued two times and more are to come. His darkness made him interesting and although Justin hated people getting involved in his past life, he wanted to figure out what was behind the shield in Carl's light blue eyes.
"What?" Carl said annoyed when he realized Justin was staring at him.
Justin glared and scoffed before looking away. He wanted to figure out why darkness was in Carl, but it'll be hard since a strong shield blocked his true emotions and acted like he knew what he was doing.
At night, Hershel brings in a blanket, pillow, some water, and the food they have left for Justin and left him be. But Carl stared him down through the cellblock all night. Justin just glared at him all night and barely got any sleep.
In the morning, he's really dizzy from the lack of sleep and food, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be alone but Rick or Carl wouldn't leave him be. Carl was stalking him with questions and Rick was threatening him. However, while Carl was asking questions about Justin, he asked questions about him to which Carl didn't answer to.
Finally, Carl left and took watch with Maggie for awhile before they come running back in, telling him and Rick that Andrea was coming.
Justin scoffed. He was sure she was coming to get him back. She would just end up getting on his nerves. He'd rather stay in the wild dog cage than go back to the tamed dogs.
"You're coming with us." Rick snapped at him, handing him a gun.
"You sure you can trust me with this?" Justin tested him.
"Just take it and listen!" Rick snapped again and Justin followed him out of the building.
Carl and Carol was behind them to cover them while the rest ran up ahead with guns that really have no ammo with Merle slipping ahead to make sure no one was behind Andrea.
"Clear!" He yelled and they ran up ahead again together.
"Are you alone?!" Rick yelled.
Andrea shrugged off the question. "Open the gate!" She yelled, struggling with the walker that she's using to mask her scent.
"Are you alone?!" Rick yelled again, opening the gate.
"Rick!" Andrea yelled.
Rick opened the gate and slammed Andrea against the fence, checking for any weapons before a walker forced Rick to kneel her on the floor, throwing the bag that she had around her shoulder off her.
"I asked if you were alone." Rick said angrily.
"I am." Andrea panted. She was exhausted from walking for hours and trying to get the walker she used to block her scent under control.
Andrea turned her head to stare at Justin, relief filling her eyes that he's alive. He was cold and rude, but Andrea was trying to help him cope with his past and bring back who he once really was. But that can never happen.
"Welcome back." Rick said, lifting her up by the arm.
Justin looked at Carl who had a machine gun with barely any ammo in it. His annoying sheriff hat was on. Justin wondered why he wore it so much. Did he inherit it from someone in his family to remember them? Justin didn't have anything to inherit from Penny or his mother. He used to have some from his mother but had to leave it behind when the apocalypse started.
Justin walked back in the prison along with everyone else, glaring at Carl and Andrea. Rick took the gun away from him, but when he turned to walk away, he snuck it back but not before Andrea hugged him.
"Justin." She said with relief in her tone, hugging him tightly.
Instead of hugging back, he pulled away and glared, making her stumble like always.
When she gets done hugging him, she hugged Carol, the weak who used to be weak but now was stronger.
"After you saved me, we thought you were dead." Carol said quietly, but loud enough for everyone to hear.
Andrea weakly smiled and pulled away from the hug, looking at Hershel who was a veterinarian but was a doctor to the group. "Hershel, my god." She said when she saw part of his leg was gone.
Everyone just stared while Justin and Carl glared as their firsts clenched tightly.
"I can't believe this." Andrea said in disbelief as she realized everyone was living in terrible conditions. "Where's Shane?"
Everyone just stared with a sense of sadness in the silence as they remembered the man who was crazy but still friendly and tried to do what was best for the group.
"And Lori?"
The depressed silence was the same answer given before. Only the sadness throughout their stares strengthened as they thought of the strong and protective woman.
"She had a girl." Hershel mentioned about the baby the blonde teen was taking of. "Lori didn't survive."
"Neither did T-Dog." The women with short brown hair said who he learned was Maggie.
"I'm so sorry." Andrea whispered under her breath, still looking at Justin with her worry while sadness filled her eyes of the deaths of her friends.
Justin rolled his eyes. He hated how concerned and how much Andrea cared for him when he treated her rudely. She never got in an argument with him like everyone else did in Woodbury.
"Carl." Andrea said, looking at him, causing Justin to look at him, too.
He was glaring just like Justin was. They both have the same glare on their faces, only Justin's was a stronger glare. Which surprised Justin because he knew Carl had suffered so much but he was strong enough to face some of his feelings no matter how terrible things were.
"Rick I-" She cut herself off again and glanced at Justin again, this time not stumbling under his death glare. "You all live here?"
They all lived in a terrible dog cage they didn't want to talk about, but the man he learned he was Korean and his name was Glenn answers. "Here in the cellblock." Glenn responded.
"In there?" Andrea pointed and Glenn nodded before she stepped toward it. "Well, can I go in?"
Rick stepped in front of her with a strong look on his face. He wasn't going to let someone from the Governor's side in. He didn't do that with Justin or Merle. It wasn't going to change for their ex-group member.
"I won't allow that."
"I'm not an enemy, Rick."
"We had that field and courtyard until your boyfriend tore down the fence with a truck and shot us up."
"He said you fired first."
"Well, he's lying."
"Andrea, he lies all the time. He's putting stuff in your head that's not true. To be honest, these people aren't bad. They're not the enemy like he said they were. Get his thoughts out of your head."
Carl's glare shuts him up. No one wanted him to talk due to him being from Woodbury where the Governor lived. None of them trusted him because he could be a trap for the Governor to use or a liar so he could lie to bend them to his will.
"Yeah, they're the enemy. Including Justin." Daryl said.
"Hey! I didn't care to attack you all! He made me! It's not my fault!"
"Justin, you did what the Governor told you do. How can expect us believe it's not your fault?" Carl glared, making Justin take a menacing step toward him.
"Hey!" Rick yelled, pulling Justin away from his son.
"Guys, we don't have to fight." Andrea said. "There's room in Woodbury for all of you."
Hershel sighed. "What makes you think this man wants to negotiate? Did he say that?" He asked.
"No."
"Then why did you come here?" Rick asked.
"Because he's gearing up for war." Andrea responded, trying to make a point.
"Why?" Justin questioned. "Isn't he the one that attacked this group? He's the one who kidnapped two of these people and started this war. It's not their fault. It's his. If he didn't kidnap Maggie and Glenn, then this would've never happened. I wouldn't be here sitting like a dog right now."
"We may hate him, but Justin is right." Rick agreed. "You wanna make this right, get us inside."
"No." Andrea responded.
"Then we got nothin' to talk about." Rick said, walking back in the cellblock.
"There are innocent people." Andrea said, but Rick ignored her.
She scoffed and walked toward Justin, grabbing his arm. "I'm taking you home." She said, but Justin yanked away.
"That's not my home."
"Neither is this."
"I know, I don't belong here or there."
"You do belong there."
"No I don't! I'm not on your side or the other! I'm just on mine! You can't make me do anything! I'm not your son!"
Andrea sighed, burying her sweaty face in her hands. "Look, you're dad is really worried about you." She mentioned
"No, he isn't! All he cares about is attacking this place! He only wants me back to help him! He doesn't care!"
"Justin-"
"I said no! I'm not going back!"
"These people don't even want you here!" Andrea yelled.
"Yeah, they can throw me out! But I don't care! I'm not coming going back there!"
"Justin!" Andrea tried to grab his arm again, but he ripped the gun out of his pocket and pointed it at her, clicking the safety off.
"I said go." He threatened, glaring.
Andrea stared in shock with everyone else doing the same as their eyes watched Justin's finger grow closer to the trigger.
Carl pulled his gun out of hi holster, pointing at him. "Justin!"
"Don't say a word!" He threatened Carl before turning back to Andrea. "Just go."
Andrea shook her head in frustration and grabbed her ex-friend, Michonne, dragging her outside the building.
Andrea and Justin don't say goodbye to each other. When she tried to, Justin either pointed a gun he kept stealing at her, or he walked away and ignored her. She tried to apologize and begged him to come back, but he didn't listen.
By the time it was dark, Justin managed to unlock the door that led outside the prison with a sharp knife he stole from Rick.
Silently, he shuts the gate and headed for the other with the field full of walkers. He didn't care there was too many to fight off, he could just run. He can survive on his own now without anyone investigating him or locking him in a cage.
However, he doesn't make it out.
Carl found him.
Apparently, he was taking watch and caught him sneaking out in the dark. He didn't know how Carl found him since he was wearing a black jacket, black pants, black shoes, and he had black hair. Carl's eyesight was very good at seeing since he was able to see his pale skin in the moonlight.
"Hey!" Carl yelled, making Justin start to run but Carl catches him. Carl was a fast runner. "Where are you going?!"
"Outside the fences! Get off me!" Justin kicked Carl off, but doesn't make a run for it since he had a gun pointed to his head.
"Come back inside!"
"No! You can't tell me what to do! I'm sick of being a caged dog!" Justin yelled.
"We're trapped because the Governor trapped us here! Because of you! We're not gonna let you go!" Carl yelled.
Justin kicked the concrete in rage. He was tired of arguing and fighting. He didn't want to get involved in the war the Governor and Rick was having. He was tired of being involved. He didn't want anything to do with it.
"I didn't want anything to do with it! I didn't care either! It wasn't my suggestion! I don't even wanna be involved in this stupid war! That's why I'm trying to escape! I'm gonna escape before I get hurt again!" Justin yelled.
"The pain's not gonna stop, Justin! You can't make it go away and you can't fight it off! It's just there, okay?! You make room for it! You get prepared for what's gonna happen next! You don't run away! It haunts you and it will keep haunting you until you make the right choice and clear room in your heart! That's what I've been doing! That's why I'm a good shot today!"
Justin growled. "I don't wanna make room for it, Carl! I'm sick of letting the pain get to me! I'm not gonna let it ruin myself!"
"You've already ruined yourself! You don't care about anything! Your putting yourself before others and you kill people when someone asks you to and you don't care! That's what happens if you don't make room for it! It doesn't make you strong, Justin! It makes you weak!"
Justin yanked away from Carl's tight grip. "Do you have any idea what I've gone through! My ex-boyfriend posted rumors and around my school and I got bullied so much! My mother died in a terrible car accident and when I saw her dead body in the hospital, she wasn't even my mom anymore because she was so injured! I lost my sister and I loved her more than anything in the world! I was forced to watch her die and now my father treats me like shit!"
"Well, it was my fault one of my group members died! I didn't kill a walker and it came back and killed him! I was forced to watch my mother go through a C-section and then I had to shoot her! Now my father isn't there for me anymore! He doesn't care but I'm still going on, Justin! I've made it and I'm grateful! I'm not taking life for granted!"
Justin opened his mouth to argue, but Carl interrupted. "Everything we've been through gave us something! The person who I basically killed in the group has grown close to me! When my mother went through a C-section, my baby sister was born! She didn't come back as a walker because I shot her so there'd be no pain! My father may not be here for me, but I'm here for myself and I've learned how to take care of myself because of him! I got something back and you did, too!"
Justin didn't argue back like he usually did. He just bowed his head shamefully as each and every one of Carl's head sunk in his head while the truth hit him like a train.
"Your boyfriend betrayed you, but you broke up with him!" Carl continued. "Your mother died in a car accident but you still had family left and she didn't have to go through the world now! You lost your sister, but you got Woodbury and lot's of other people you could've cared about! Your father treats you badly but you got out of there and now you're here!"
Justin stared at Carl with realization in his crystal blue eyes, his glare softening more and more through every word slipping out of Carl's mouth. He's beginning to slowly realize what he's done to himself.
"Are you grateful that you've received new things, or are you throwing them in the trash like a weakling?" Carl tested him as his glare grew stronger.
By now, Justin's glare has completely softened. He's realized that Carl was right and he has been throwing everything in the trash. All along, he's been a weakling. A complete weakling who couldn't accept the new, destroyed world and refused to clear room in his heart for more pain.
Carl scoffed. "You know what? Go. I don't care anymore." Carl tried to walk off, but Justin stopped him.
"Carl, wait." Justin said, but it wasn't Justin's voice. It was Wilmur's.
He didn't have Justin's eyes or voice anymore.
Wilmur was back.
"What?" Carl said with an annoyed voice, but flinched when he realized Justin's voice and eyes have completely softened.
Justin gave Carl a tiny smile and walked beside him, walking back in the prison with him.
All along, he was acting childish and weak. He shoved Justin into his life and threw everything else away. Even his mother and little sister. He'll never be able to forgive himself for how he changed.
But he has found a new friend and he won't throw him away like he did to everyone else.