Chapter 21: Lights Out
"Just like old times." He spoke.
"If you mean by me saving your ass, by old times. Then yes." Sunny loaded an arrow and shot the walker at her left. "Exactly like old times." When she started walking toward the road, her friend followed. He muttered a mix of a question and complaint about having to kill all the walkers on the way back to where his companion came from, only to earn a glare from Sunny. "Considering I was more concerned in finding you dipshit, then killing them. Yes, we do."
"Well hello sunshine." He remarked.
"Preston." Sunny growled, shutting the boy up for the remainder of the trip.
He had gotten away. When he ran, he figured she was behind him, he thought she was behind him. That was the whole reason why he fled when he did. All hell was busting loose, he thought she'd make the decision to flee. But, he knew her well. If she didn't follow him, she was still there. He hadn't gotten very far before a shot had rang out, so that had to mean she was alive, right? Sunny had that habit of surviving through things, even after evidence had been presented that she hadn't. That girl could have faked her death fifty times over and he'd be fooled almost each time. But his brother, he wouldn't have if he was still alive.
Preston had gotten far enough, by the time the shot rang out, that he couldn't turn back. He was too hurt by then.
He had collapsed hours ago, slumped up against a house. The back of the med center just hardly in his view in the light of the full moon. All it required was for him to use the strength and energy he didn't have. His bullet wound stung, along with the cut. One of the Savior's he took down only had a knife, but he didn't go down without at least cutting Preston pretty good. He sat there bleeding out. He tried to keep his labored breaths silent, but it didn't work too well.
It was when Preston could hear someone walking in his direction, he held up his empty gun.
"Don't come any closer." He tried to sound firm, but there was a small hint of weakness in his tone.
Whoever it was, was gutsy at the least. They kept coming forward pushing Preston's hand down.
"Hey." He grunted, moving away from them as much as possible, which wasn't far. They took a look at his wounds.
"I'm not even going to ask." Instantly Preston recognized her voice, as her face became clear in the moonlight.
"Michonne?" She smiled at him.
"C'mon." She helped him up, and they slowly made their way toward med.
A doctor was just wrapping him up, when a gunshot rang through the starless night.
"What the hell was that?" Michonne asked.
"I have a few guesses." Preston grunted as he put his shirt back on.
The cut was on his side, and the bullet had been in his shoulder. Now he sat back hoping to get a little rest. He closed his eyes and fell into a light sleep.
Darkness surrounded most the hallways, making Res be on edge. His green eyes cut through the darkness, scanning the room one more time along with looking through the cracked open doorway. It was so oddly still. He was up for twenty minutes before he realized Michonne was awake too. She sat in her chair, eyes closed and looking relaxed. She was awake nonetheless. Preston sat up causing Michonne to open her eyes. She was about to tell the younger man to lay back down, but he got the first word.
"It's too quiet." He told quietly. They have power here, I know. Could keep the lights on all night and still be good."
"The Saviors, their probably the reason why." Michonne answered.
"Yeah." Preston slowly stood much to her disliking.
"I have a feeling. I don't know what. But I think a walk might help out." With a sigh of defeat Michonne followed the persistent Res.
They wandered down the hallway until Preston stopped without warning.
"Damn it Preston, warn me next time." Michonne warned in a hushed voice.
He did a double take, looking into the room to his right again. Then, he walked in.
"Preston? Preston!" She scolded, following.
The woman in the room stirred, even though she had already been laying awake too. He hadn't recognize who it was at first, her short hair threw him off. Once again, Preston stopped. Now since he was older, he was taller than Michonne, blocking her view with his square build.
"Preston?" The voice was so familiar, both froze when it first sounded. Michonne was filled with joy, as she stepped out from behind Preston. A single, small lamp let out a weak glow to the room.
"Michonne?" Maggie's face lit up, before Michonne wrapped her arms around her. Preston stood back, a warm smile curling his lips.
But the reunion was cut short.
Nurses sped down the halls with flashlights, and what may have looked like knives.
"Lights out, lights out!" Several warned as they ran by.
"Close the doors, lock 'em up! Lockdown!" More finished.
Preston stiffened. Without warning he turned the lamp off with a small, simple flick of a finger. It went out within seconds, the small glow trying to stay alive, but ultimately the light died. Res took out a pocket flashlight, handing it to Michonne as he checked his newly reloaded clip.
He looked at the two women. "You stay here with Maggie." He pointed at Michonne before rushing to the door, he paused in its frame. The light of other flashlights bobbed on his figure as more people and nurses rushed through the halls. He rested a hand on the doorframe in a calm manner.
"If I don't come back... Tell Enid I lover her, the baby too. She's gonna be beautiful, just like her." Res smiled, but it faded as both women tried to stop him with words. "But, somebody close to me once told me freedom of any kind comes with a price. And damn it, if they can take this place down, Alexandria's next. Just, tell her I love her, and our little girl." He thought of the scar that went over his friend's eye. Even though the father and mother to be had no idea what the gender was, but Preston always thought it was a girl.
With that Res ran down the winding hallways, finding his way into the early morning darkness. He closed the door behind him. Seconds later, a ball of fire flew in the air, landing on the opposite side of the street from him.
It was an arrow. A cloth on the end set afire.
A warning. A declaration.
It, was a promise.
A darkened figure atop of a nearby house's roof shot another, this one went farther. Preston loaded the chamber of his gun. Tonight was as good as any to die, if that was what this battle was calling for. A group of Saviors slowly made their way up the street. The bowman's figure was lighted slightly by the new light of the morning. She had a handkerchief tied around her face so no one saw her breath. A black jacket to keep her warm, and blend with night. Her red-brown hair was down, the ends hardly passing her shoulders. The scar that threaded over her left eye seemed much more persistent with the handkerchief and the fire in her eyes.
That scar was proof that freedom of any kind, always had a price.
Then it happened. The tension in the air had built to the point it just snapped.
It started with John running from the house he had been in, holding up a gun. He fired three times, before a savior returned fire, hitting him. Sunny jumped from the rooftop, fighting with a combination of arrows and her knife. Abraham and Rosita came out of the same building John had, covering him.
"Damn it John." Preston yelled, picking the man up, and dragging him toward Med.
"Go get patched up, and try to defend these people." Before John could answer, Res shut the door. That was when Preston spotted another blond at the end of the pack of Saviors. Ian started firing off rounds, just like Abraham and Rosita. Preston started doing the same, as three more bodies ran from behind Ian and joined in the fight. The sun was just starting to come up, draping the horrible scene with admirable colors. And still the fighting continued. More Saviors joined in, but the opposing force kept its number to eight. One man had a handkerchief around his face as well. He stood back to back with Sunny in the middle of the swarm of chaos. Some Saviors ran into the circle surrounding almost all of them, the separated Sunny from the other man. Everyone was being pushed back, forced to flee. Abraham and Rosita were already out of sight. Preston caught a small glimpse of sunny, before a loud report. A searing pain ripped through Preston's chest, knocking him back. He hit his side shriveling in pain. Blood streamed down his chin as a blurry figure stepped in his view of the blue morning sky. The other Saviors were elsewhere. It was a second before Preston's eyes adjusted. When they did, they were met with a scar ridden face. The entire right side of the man's face was threaded with scars, some spanned to the left. His dark eyes filled with a sick sense of humor as he chucked down at Preston and the blood in his blond hair.
"Braxton." Res spat at the man's shoes, a small drop of blood ending up on the toe of his boot.
"It's good to see you too Preston." Braxton's lips curled into a cruel smile as he rolled Preston onto his back. "Now, how long has it been?" He set a foot on Preston's chest, causing the younger man to yelp. "Seven, eight, eleven years? I lost count." The older man's hair was a short dark brown with a light mix of grey.
"Oh Preston, Preston, Preston. Where's Angel, hmm?"
Res didn't answer, glaring up at Sierra's widow.
Braxton shrugged. "No matter. You can tell everybody that I said hi. And, uh, you can also be my little warning." Braxton chuckled. "You kids can keep up your little tantrum, but someone's gonna have to suck it up." Braxton suddenly became serious, his voice sharp as he pointed his gun down at Preston. "You don't know who you're dealing with."
"Neither do you." Preston growled as blood still soaked his shirt.
And just with the simple flick of a finger, a report sounded.
Within second, it was lights out.
A/N
Braxton. Has. Returned. This isn't good.
Luke died last chapter, and Preston Actually dies this chapter... That's quite a bit of death.
This small fight hasn't ended yet.
Who will fall next?
Is Sunny getting herself into something that she may not be able to handle?
Is the Underground really safe?
Thanks for reading, please remember to vote and comment, annnnnnndddddd until the next chapter!
- I uploaded this on Memorial Day, and just thought I'd leave that down there cause the saying connects to the story, and is sorta like a hint -
Have a happy Memorial Day for those in the U.S.
And like a lot of people say: Freedom comes with a cost.