There was only one thought racing through Clemetine's thought that was stronger than her fear of either dying: 'Not him. He can't die. I won't lose anyone else.' She ran straight for the walker holding Lee's ankle, bashing it's head in with the steel wrench. It was weak already, but that hit to it's brain finally did it in. Lee, panting, grabbed his gun and caught his breath on the floor.

"Luke, hold on!" Clem yelled, rushing over to him. Before she could reach him though, she saw a metal pole dangling close to the edge of the hole he created disappear. The sounds of high pitched squeaking and Luke's ragged breath confused the pair. Lee stood up next to Clem just as he pulled himself up. He was able to stick the pole between the space he was stuck in, allowing him to stand on it for a brief moment, throw his machete up and jump to safety. The walker foolishly continued to swing it's arm, but was unable to do anything. It was no harm to them, so they left it alone.

Luke clutched his knees, gasping for air. "Jesus.. What just happened-" Clem suddenly piped up.

"I'm so sorry, I really wanted to help you out, really, b-but I froze and.." She couldn't continue to speak, a lump in her throat as she practically tackled Lee. She hugged him harder than she ever had before. He hugged back, rubbing her head and back to assure her he was still there.

"Shh.. It's alright. We're all okay.. You're okay, right?" Lee asked Luke, who was still barely able to gasp out a breath from the adrenaline pumping through him.

"Y-yeah, yeah.. Clem, look at me." He requested, standing up straight with shaky hands. She looked up, but her eyes were foggy with the threat of tears. She didn't cry though.

"W-what?"

"You did good. Okay? You defended yourself, you saved Lee's life, and I was fine at the end of it. I even got to look cool in front of you for a change. It was a scary situation, I know, but.. We're alright. We're still here." He flashed a cool smile her way, his breathing became more normal the more he spoke. Lee smiled back at him, nodding in a way that suggested he did the right thing.

"See? Everything's fine." Her guardian insisted. Clem wiped away the tears threatening her eyes.

"I.. I'm still sorry." She softly muttered, facing Luke directly after removing herself from Lee's gaze.

Luke slapped the air. "Save it, it was nothing.. But I did look cool back there, right?" Clem half smiled at his playful question.

"Sorta.. It was kinda goofy how you just fell through the bridge like that. But yeah, that was pretty cool."

"That's all the apology I need." After they were done recovering from the attack, Lee spoke up.

"We should check the rest of the bridge before we-"

"Hello? Is everything alright? I heard a struggle. Is someone there?" A gentle, but loud yelling voice called from the end of the bridge, interrupting Lee. Luke, Lee and Clem immediately turned their attention to the mystery man yelling questions their way. Seemed innocent enough though, not like they could hide or run even if they wanted to. This place was ready to fall apart and had very few options for cover. Lee walked first, in front of Luke and Clem.

"Who's asking?" He put his gun to his hip, but still clutched onto it just in case. The man ahead held a rifle, but not toward them. He walked forward, but not close enough in case any bullets were fired his way. That way he'd have time to dodge.

"I am." Lee rolled his eyes at his answer.

"Uh, we don't mean any harm. We're just a few survivors." Luke yelled back in an attempt to make them look decent.

"You come across a lot of survivors around here. Some are good, some are bad." The man replied.

"We're friendly! We know how it is out here, just look at my arm." Lee raised his nub. The man squinted his eyes attempting to get a closer look. He was an Asian man with dark hair, black eyes, a white and blue hoodie and some cargo pants.

"Yikes.." He muttered under his breath. Lee sighed.

"Besides, would a bad group have any children with them?" Clem questioned, standing next to Lee. He quickly ushered her behind him though.

"Only if the child was a total asshole. Are you an asshole?" He asked, inquisitorial. Offended by the question, she pushed her way back to the front. Or, tried to. Kinda hard with Luke's hand holding your shoulder back.

"I'm not an asshole." She scoffed. Lee and Luke could barely hide their smirks. Then, the man across the bridge let out a laugh. Lee finally holstered his gun and Luke let go of Clem.

"I'm Lee, this is Clem and Luke. We have more people behind us, but they're hanging back while we inspect this bridge. You don't mind if we cross it and bring the rest of our group with us, do you?" The man shook his head, shaking off his laughter.

"I don't. You guys seem cool. You just never know what to expect these days." He walked forward, showing the rest of himself to the group. Now they didn't have to shout to hear each other. They also noticed he had decently trimmed facial hair, specifically a small beard and a mustache.

"Say, you didn't happen to pass by any guys named Carver or Troy or anyone like that, did ya?" The man shook his head at Luke's question.

"Nah, been mostly quiet the last few days. I got plenty of food back in the station though, in case you guys are low on supplies. And if you want, you could even come stay the night with me and my group." Luke and Clem were surprised at such a deal. 'This guy is way too nice,' they both thought. He reminded Clem of Omid.

Lee was still hesitant. "We'll see. We're headed for the ski lodge for the night."

He laughed at the irony. "No shit? That's where my group is. I can guide you!" He really was genuinely okay with taking them. How rare.

"Really? Alright then." Lee acknowledged the oddity of this offer, but they'd have to stop eventually anyways. It was their best bet. After crossing the bridge and checking absolutely everywhere for any more danger, of which there was no more, Luke went back and gathered the others, guiding them over the bridge. While he did so, Lee and Clem patiently waited outside for the man to finish gathering his supplies.

"What do you think of this guy?" Clem asked, doing her best Lee impression. He found it cute, but the question itself kinda creeped him out.

"I think he reminds me of Omid." And that's why it creeped him out. Clem winced.

"Yeah.. Same. Christa's gonna hate him." There was silence as the pair watched the group cross over the bridge, her head leaning on his shoulder as they sat on a rock. Just like the RV. Safer times when everyone was there, and their worst fears were whatever happened to Travis and Lilly.

"..Yeah, probably."

The man from the bridge stepped out of the small house he was in with a bag full of something that reeked of blood and.. Meat? The two were already salivating. The smell hit the rest of the group coming up too. He also had a backpack on, along with a holster for a hunting knife labeled 'M/W'. "Oh, hey there, folks! Man, you did not say your group was this big."

"Is that a problem?" Pete asked.

"Not really, nah. We have more than enough food for you all."

"Really?" Sarah beamed. The man couldn't contain his laugh.

"Ha, of course. We might even have a dessert. I don't mean to brag, but these mountains are the perfect place for fruits and humble survivors who can cook better than anyone else before or post apocalypse." That earned a chuckle from a few optimistic faces. Christa felt a twinge of pain and ignored the man, heading for Lee and Clem instead.

"Lee, this guy seem solid to you?" She whispered.

"Christa, come on. He's offering us meat, when's the last time you had a real meal?" Lee questioned.

"The cabin, which I also hated. I don't like this." She grumbled.

"You don't like anything, Christa." The annoyed look on Christa's face made Clementine reconsider her words. "It'll be fine." But she kept her chill attitude.

"I don't think we got your name." Carlos said.

He blushed. "Oh, right! It's Matthew. My partner - Walter - he's gonna help me cook the best meal you've ever had post walkers."

"Well what are we waiting for? I'm starving." Nick enthusiastically rubbed his palms together, licking his lips in anticipation of a hot meal.

"Yeah, me too!" Sarah agreed.

"You don't think we could take a quick break, do you?" Rebecca questioned Matthew and her own group. Alvin held her arm over his shoulder to support her.

"Oh yeah, right. Bec needs a break. Mind if we use your house?" Her husband vouched, as always.

Matthew spent a good three seconds staring at her pregnant stomach before shaking his head. "Not at all. I'll give you ten minutes to catch your bearings, and then we'll bring home these groceries."

"Thanks, hun. You have no idea how refreshing it is to find someone human for a change." Alvin ushered her towards the door of the house while Matt unlocked it.

"What about us?" Clem queried, folding her arms sassily.

Becca playfully rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean." Matthew, again, chuckled out loud as she and her husband walked inside.

"You guys are hilarious. Sarita's gonna love you guys, Walt too." He stated, rubbing tears from his eyes.

"Can't wait to meet them, and their cooking." Luke said almost ravenously. Maybe he was bitten back there..? Sike.

After a few minutes of break, Clem looked up to Lee, noticing his eyes were staring gloomy at the floor. "Lee..? You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, sweet pea. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. You just seem sad." He nodded, sighing.

"I.. I'm worried about Carley, Chuck and Molly. They're tough, but.. We've never faced anything like Carver."

"I know.. I'm scared too."

"They'll make it out." Lee and Clem snapped their attention to Christa, who was sitting behind them against the rock they sat on. "Molly wouldn't ever let someone like Carver beat her. She's dealt with worse. And Carley? Smart, strong, fast and strategic. She doesn't let emotions clog her brain. Chuck is too strong to give in to a lunatic like Carver. They'll make it, Lee. I know they will." Their spirits were surprisingly reinvigorated by Christa of all people. Maybe Rebecca was able to help her see more clearly? Or maybe she's simply in denial.

Night 4

Carley awoke in the back of a truck, wrists tied up to a metal bar, a bandage over her shot leg and a pain bad enough to make her grit her teeth and dig into her hands with how painful it was. She opened her eyes. Across from her was Chuck, sitting next to William Carver himself, and next to him was a man wearing a beanie with long, dark hair. Apparently, his name was Johnny. They seemed to be talking, with Chuck attempting to reason with Carver and the other man basically not listening. To her left was Molly, unconscious. There was a big, purple bruise where her cheek was and even a cut in the middle of it. On instinct, she shook and tried to help her friend, attracting the attention of everyone else on board.

"Molly! Molly, what happened, wake up!" The reporter thrashed about, only to be stopped by the growling of a leashed up dog. She whipped her head in its direction. She was in Sam's range.

"Easy, boy, easy.." Carver leaned forward, petting the dog's head. "She's no threat to me just yet. You can stay calm." The dog listened obediently, lowering his body but keeping a firm lock on Carley.

"Carley, can you feel your leg?" Chuck questioned, leaning as close as he could to his friend. Carley kicked around to feel something and luckily enough she could.

"Yeah.. It hurts like hell, but I'm fine. What happened to Molly?" The mocha skinned woman replied.

Johnny answered. "Troy punched the shit out of her when she kept screaming. She bit Shawn too, insane bitch." Carley gritted her teeth, causing Sam to growl at her.

"Johnny, enough. I think they get their place at this point." Carver butted in.

The ex-convict shrugged. "It's true, boss. She bit the shit out of him." The older man in charge facepalmed.

"Just go check on Tisha and Bonnie up front." Justin did so without a word. "Shawn, get over here and examine these wounds." Shawn hopped up from his spot in the corner of the truck.

"On it, boss." He carefully walked towards the girls and Chuck. The truck was moving at such a fast pace and it had been a full day on the road. No doubt they were getting close. Shawn knelt down and checked Carley's leg, applying pressure to the wound. Carley hissed in pain. "Yeah, it's gonna hurt for a while. Bullet was taken out though and you should be okay. You might even be able to walk normally by next week."

"Next week?" Carver asked - no, threatened.

"See what happens when you just go around shootin' folks? Now she's worthless as a worker. What are you gonna with her now when we get to this camp?" Chuck asked, staring Carver dead in the eyes. The two stared menacingly at each other for a while before Carver withdrew, standing up.

"We'll discuss it later. For now, I wanna talk. Shawn, check on the other two." Shawn obediently did whatever his boss commanded. He checked Chuck's body, but his wounds weren't so bad. He had some bad ribs and his knees, chest and face were quite beaten up, but he was fine otherwise. Molly was okay too, with the bruise and cut combo being the only thing visible on her.

"What do you want from me?" Carley asked, using her toughest voice possible. Despite her bravado, even she was kind of scared of her predicament.

Carver smugly smirked. "I think you already know the answer to that question, but if you mean immediately, I want to negotiate."

"You can't negotiate with him." Chuck cut in. Bill rolled his eyes and placed a hand next to Carley's head on the wall, locking her even closer to the man. He smelled surprisingly good, like a pack of smokes made organically in the woods. An odd musk. He stared Carley right in the eyes, but it took seconds for her to break her sight off of his.

"Don't listen to that wimp. You can reason with me, you just gotta think outside of the box. 'It's not right' and 'They won't work for you' isn't good enough. Because I know it's not right, nothing is in this world, no shit. But it's the best decision for the future of the world that that group stays with me. I don't need you people, though. It'd be great if I could keep so many hands around the place, especially since you apparently got more friends according to the loud one over there, but we can end this early if you just try to cooperate with me. So, got any offers? I'm all ears." His grizzly voice was stained with a condescending tone that pissed Carley off to no end. She had to play this wisely and take a different approach to Chuck, but does she have to resort to throwing her new friends under the bus?

Choices:

A: "Leave Rebecca and the others alone. We'll never hurt or give you away, give you all of our supplies and disappear."

B: "You can have the cabin group, just leave us alone."

C: "Why don't you keep my group and leave the cabin group alone? They've done nothing wrong from what I've heard and we could use a new place. We're all very handy and strong."

D: "Take us all, we're not going down without a fight. If Chuck can't convince you, no one can."

Relationships (Carley):

Lee: 10/10

Clementine: 10/10

Christa: 8/10

Molly: 6/10

Chuck: 10/10 (Molly mentioned how you held her back when coming to Howe's and is grateful you didn't let her run wild.)

Pete: 7/10

Nick: 6/10

Luke: 7/10

Alvin: 7/10

Rebecca: 4/10

Carlos: 6/10

Sarah: 5/10

Carver: 1/10 (Can you reason with him, are you not convincing enough or will you give in? The choice is yours.)

Troy: 1/10 (One of Carver's loyal workers, seems to be high ranking. You don't know him well yet though.)

Justin: 3/10 (Seems like an asshole, is an asshole, and a high ranking one at that)

Bonnie: ?/10 (Hasn't spoken much, don't know yet)

Tisha: ?/10 (Hasn't spoken much, don't know yet)

Johnny: 3/10 (A total douchebag and you hardly even know him)

Shawn: 4/10 (Seems less dangerous compared to his associates, but is still a bootlicking weakling in your eyes, despite the predicament you're in)

Sam: 2/10 (He was once kind to your group. Now he's tamed by Bill. Maybe we can convince him to rejoin the morally correct side? Or join his side..?)

(Clementine) Relationships:

Lee: 10/10 (You saved his life, but even so he's proud of you.)

Carley: 10/10 (It's obvious Lee is lonely without her. You hope she comes back soon.)

Christa: 8/10

Molly: 8/10

Chuck: 10/10

Luke: 8/10 (He understands why you did what you did. He never told anyone about the bridge incident either.)

Pete: 10/10

Nick: 8/10

Carlos: 8/10 (He's impressed at your skills. Luke made sure to tell the group that you took out a few walkers anyways.)

Sarah: 10/10

Alvin: 7/10

Rebecca: 7/10

Carver: 2/10

((QOTC: Are there any characters you think are grossly overrated? My pick is a tie between Jane, especially when players first played season two, and Kenny, especially the reddit Kenny fans. I like Jane and love Kenny, but they get way too much discourse, lot's of their horrible actions are excused because one side likes one over the other and Kenny in particular is always seen as some flawless hero while Jane is the devil. They're both bad, that's the point of the choice.

As always, here is the discord link: https/discord.gg/7TRgv3XVAU ))