Episode 1: The Fallen Rise- Bite The Bullet

Clementine arrived at the old Wellington police station that served as their already existing firing range, security, and jail purposes. The insignia shield was painted on both sides of the cement walls and Clem could hear pistol shots ringing inside. Time to shake the cobwebs off and improve her aim, specifically for head-shots, Clementine let herself in, past the front desk and a bored clerk, and followed the sound of gunfire inside.

On her way down the corridor, she spotted something that caught her eye: a small black and yellow hand-sized device that could be useful. She picked it up. "Still works..." She pressed the button but the safety was on. It was a stun gun.

(0) Picked up the Police Taser Gun.

The young girl then rounded another corner and through a doorway she spotted the two teens Maree mentioned. One girl who was in her late teens and another boy who was closer to Clementine's age, and they were both practicing with their accuracy on the targets on the other side of the room, firing off bullets and competing against one another.

The girl made a snide remark at her adversary right beside her. "Nice shot Michael, your daddy teach you that?"

The boy called Michael had a long-ish fringe, and his brown hair was quite bushy. He also had brown eyes and wore a long-sleeved checkered shirt with a pattern of orange and while also adorning grey-ish blue jeans. "Fuck off Helga, quit distracting me."

Helga had mangy unkempt blonde hair and blue eyes that flared red with emotion as well. Seems familiar... The girl also wore a dirty pink hoodie with green cargo pants. She had some scratches around her face, and to Clementine she was a far cry from the last girl she knew at this age. But that was when the two of them stopped firing, turned, and began to approach their new visitor. "What do you think you're doing here? Can't you see we're busy?"

"I'm here to practice shooting like you guys. ...Can I have a gun?" Clementine politely responded to them.

Michael put away his gun and went over to a foldout chair in the corner. He sat down in it but he was still hunched over, ready to get back up in a second's notice, and placing his gun on a side table next to him to take a break himself. "Guns and ammo are over there." He motioned towards a pair of metal lockers back by the door.

"Thanks." Clem was about to turn and get what she needed when Helga interrupted her to get her attention.

"What's your name girlie?"

She turned back to face her. "I'm Clementine. ...And you must be Helga, right?"

"Yup, don't go forgetting it anytime soon because I sure as shit will remember you Clementine." Helga then gave an up and down on the young girl and revealed an ominous smirk. "Say, would you like to play a game? It's real easy, and I'd really like to see what you're made of."

"Sure..." Clem was nervous but willing and curious as to what this Helga had in mind. "What's the game?"

Helga could hardly contain her giggles. "Actually it's a test of reflexes." She then aimed the barrel of her gun at Clementine's feet.

*BANG!*

The gun went off and Clementine yelped in response and jumped back in a panic. The floor where she was standing was chipped by the bullet that was meant for her. "Are you crazy?!"

"That's not a very nice thing to say..." Helga then looked back at Michael to get a laugh out of it. "Aww... she doesn't want to play anymore. But she is pretty quick on her feet, don't you think?"

[GRAB HER GUN]

[PUT HANDS UP]

Clementine fought again internally on what she had to do next. But the thing was she felt like she was being in severe danger here at gunpoint. She didn't know if this Helga girl was serious or playing a sick game or maybe both. She acted with concern for her own safety.

When Helga still had her attention on Michael, Clementine lunged for the gun in her hand. She got both hands on it before Helga realized what was going on. The two of them struggled for a moment until the bigger girl overpowered the little one and yanked away to elbow Clementine in the face to which she fell down on her back.

(?) Helga will remember that.

"And THAT wasn't very smart now was it? Spunky though, I'll give you that." Helga scowled as she kept her gun on Clementine. "...But no, you're either a stupid kind of special or a special kind of stupid."

"You were going to shoot me!" Clementine hissed at her, slightly regretting going for the gun. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Let her." Michael chimed in while still sitting in his chair. "Then she'll be put in a cell to rot like a common lurker."

"Like my brother would let that happen..." Helga brushed off any potential consequences like it wouldn't affect her at all. "Besides I was just fucking around with the brat... no harm no foul."

"How would you like it if I shot a gun at you?" Clementine got back on his feet as she attempted to stand up to this bully, narrowing her eyes. "It's not funny."

"I got a rouse outta you; that was pretty funny." Helga snorted as she put away her gun and signaled the end of her game. "Looks like you won't play along now though."

"No one ever does Helga." Michael quipped as he got up from his chair and approached the blonde and the little girl. "You better change your attitude or you might regret it."

Clementine piped up and added remembering an old friend. "I knew a guy a long time ago who almost shot me too." Of course she would cite good ole Nick, poor guy.

Michael raised an eyebrow at that. "Really, what'd you do?"

"He apologized. And I accepted it."

"What about her?" Michael motioned towards Helga. "Would you forgive her if she apologized?"

Before Helga or Clementine could say anything else, a familiar character showed up in the room they were in. "Why don't I hear shooting, just babbling?!" It was Wayne the Pain as Dustin had called him. "What's going on in here?"

Helga hid her grin and tried to act innocent. "Hey Bro, these kids won't let me get on with my target practice. Think you can teach them a lesson?"

Well obviously Wayne would be Helga's much older brother; they certainly had that asshole trait that runs in their family. The blonde backed up so that Michael and Clementine would be in the line of fire when Wayne approached them. His eyes widened when he recognized the little girl from earlier. "You! Clementine was it? ...You have a problem with my sister too?"

Clem retorted with a tone of frustration. "Yeah I do. She pointed a gun at me and she almost shot my foot off."

He turned to her. "Goddammit Helga! I told you these things ain't fucking toys!" Wayne yelled at his surprised sister as he snatched her gun away from her.

"I was just having a little fun, no one got hurt!" She shouted back. "And she tried to grab my gun away from me!"

"Well Helga, can you really fucking blame her?" Michael joined in. "If she didn't try, I probably would've."

"Fucking ridiculous, you're sixteen years old Helga, do I still need to babysit ya?!" Wayne rubbed his eyes. "You keep doing shit like this and..." He trailed off with a sigh.

"Maybe you could keep her gun away from her?" Clementine suggested a somewhat appropriate punishment.

(?) Wayne will remember that.

"And where the hell do you get off telling me what to do?!" Wayne growled at her. "First the argument with dust mite and now this? It none of your fucking business, how many times do I need to say it?"

"It is my business because I gotta nearly work with her every day." Michael challenged him. "Are you still ignoring the fact that your little sister is fucked up in the head?"

In a flash, Wayne advanced on the young teen boy and the next thing he knew, Michael was picked up by the collar and slammed into the wall, everyone still reeling from utter shock of the sudden action. Wayne hissed. "Take that back... now! Take it back!"

"Get the hell off of me!" Michael struggled to no avail, he was pinned. "You're on my throat, I can't breathe! *cough* *cough*"

Helga smirked at the display before her. "He might need a little timeout Wayne, why don't you put him down for a nap?"

Clementine had to act fast, she had to do something!

[Convince Wayne]

[Taser Wayne]

More violence wouldn't solve anything; she had to stop him with words of sympathy. "Wayne! I know what you're trying to do, you're protecting your little sister, and I can understand that. But how are you going to explain this to everyone else? You're going to hurt him! It's not worth it, so just let him go and we'll all forget what happened in here! Please!"

"The hell we will!" Helga growled as he turned back to older brother. "Are you listening to this pacifist bullshit?"

Suddenly, Wayne's grip slackened and Michael fell to the ground coughing, trying to catch his breath. The man in his early thirties backed away from the boy with shock on his face. "Fuck, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I..."

(?) They will all remember this.

" *cough* *cough* ...shit." Michael rolled over and got back on his feet. His small fourteen-year-old body would've been no match to get outta that by himself. He gave a look to Clementine and nodded. "Thanks."

"What the hell was that?!" Helga exclaimed as she strode to her brother. "You let him go on a whim just like that?! How about-?!"

"Shut up Helga!" Wayne silenced her defiantly with his commanding authority on her. He then turned to Michael and Clementine. "Practice is over for today; get back to your other work. Now!" The older brother made an extra effort for him and his sister to leave ahead of them, and the two of them got the head start.

Then the two remaining kids followed them out as they left the firing range and then the police station behind. When they were outside, Michael turned to the girl next to her. "See ya later Clementine."

"See ya." Clem waved him off as he put his hands in his pockets and walked off back towards the tents while she had to make her way to front gates to meet up with Dusty.

A/N- Looks like Clem dodged a bullet there... ;) Now that she has finished 'practicing' will Clementine find fortune in the rest of her day with Dusty? Tell me what you think about these characters, and stay tuned.