The tide was now beginning to turn in this war, as of today the Scavengers and New Eden stand together against the Highwaymen pillaging their home, Hope County. Marcus and the teens have completed their mission and New Eden will now aid their people. With that done the next thing to do was to go home back to Prosperity and tell everyone the good news, but they weren't going back alone. The group also made new allies in their time in New Eden, the young woman Ellie and Joseph Seed's most dedicated follower the Judge, both of them have just become part of their team and are riding back with them to aid them in their struggles.
Marcus liked Ellie. She was kind, nurturing, and willing to step up when it's necessary, the world needs more people like that. It was clear that Carmina and Hunter also liked her, she was a lot like them in many ways.
The Judge was a different story. He didn't know what to make of him given that he didn't know much about him like who he was or where he came from. The few things that he knew about him from the teens was that he's been Joseph's Right-hand Man since he brought his people into the new world, he's his most obedient follower, he's a man of few words, Ellie was pretty much raised by him, and nobody has seen his face or even know his real name. Marcus wasn't sure if he should fight beside him or not but Ellie was pretty much like his daughter, and Hunter and Carmina were willing to so that meant he had to as well, but he would keep his eyes on him.
An hour or two has passed since the group left New Eden with their newest allies and the ride back has been rather quiet all things considered. When they left the Compound the Teens decided to rest their eyes for the ride back to Prosperity.
The truck sped down the dark roads of the Holland Valley as the moon illuminated the sky. Marcus kept his eyes focused on the road not letting himself get distracted. Meanwhile, the teens and Ellie were all sleeping soundly in the backseat while the Judge sat right next to the captain. He was resting back in his seat, his arms were crossed, and his head was looking upwards. Marcus wasn't sure if the Judge was sleeping actually, he hasn't moved a muscle since the drive started or even made a single sound.
Curious to know if the Judge was sleeping or not, he whispered. "Hey, are you asleep?"
The Judge lowered his head and faced the Captain, he shook his head while growling in annoyance.
"Alright jeez, no need to growl, I was just asking," Marcus said then focused back on the road. The Judge let out a sigh and lay back in his seat.
Marcus glanced at the Judge as he was driving wondering "Who are you?" so he decided to fill the silence by talking to the Judge. "So...what's your story? Are you from Hope County or were you born somewhere else?" Marcus asked curiously.
The Judge glanced at Marcus but didn't say anything, just ignoring the questions.
"OK…how long have you known Joseph for?"
Again, the Judge didn't answer, he just simply continued ignoring him.
"Alright...so what's your name?"
For the third time in a row, the Judge kept ignoring the Captain which was annoying him.
"OK, you don't wanna answer any question, fine...jeez," Marcus put his focus back on the road.
When the truck passed through the bridge into the Holland Valley, Marcus glanced at the Judge, his arms were crossed and his head rested against his window staring at the beautifully colored lights that illuminated the skies of Hope County every night. Marcus glanced up at the Nighttime sky seeing the bright colored lights illuminating the night, he smiled at the sight. The night is one of the few things he's liked about Hope County since he's arrived in the valley.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Marcus asked.
The Judge nodded, not taking his eyes off the colorful lights.
The lights were one of many things Marcus likes about the valley. Hope County wasn't like other places he's been to all over the US and its people were stubborn but kind people who weren't afraid to stand up to those who would wish to bring harm upon them, even when they're brought down they choose to remain strong and find a way to bring themselves back up. People like that are what this world needs now more than ever. The people of Prosperity are by far the greatest of individuals Marcus has ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Marcus looked at the rearview mirror to check on the three teens in the backseat. They were all still fast asleep in their seats. Ellie was sleeping in a similar position as the Judge, while Hunter and Carmina were cuddled next to each other with an arm each wrapped around themselves. Hunter had his head rested against the glass of his window, Carmina was found resting next to Hunter with her head next to his, and her hand placed on her chest.
Marcus chuckled a little at that sight. "Man, those two are always so sweet together," he whispered to himself.
The Judge looked back and saw the two then grunted in disgust, sitting back in his seat, shaking his head.
Love was something the Judge chose to not partake in. In his old life, he dated many women, but none of them ever worked out for him, and thanks to the culling he didn't remember anything about them: Not their names, faces, or certain things. All of that was just lost memories now. However one of his past lovers remained in his memories, it was a woman he met right here in Hope County before the Collapse. That one woman was different from the others, she was a unique individual, a great shot with a bow, a hell of a survivalist, and mean but had a good heart. That one woman was the only one he ever connected with, he had genuine feelings for her and he didn't care for what she was; he still loved her nonetheless. When the Collapse came she was ripped from him and he never saw her again. When the world was reborn the Judge never involved himself with such things ever again and hasn't since then. He just kicked these thoughts out of his head and just kept sitting quietly in his seat.
After a few more minutes of driving, Marcus saw a sign that read 'Prosperity - 5 Miles' Seeing that Prosperity was still a distance away Marcus decided to fill the remaining silence by listening to something on the radio, but not wanting to wake anyone up he lowered the volume of the radio, so he turned the volume knob left then opened the cupboard, pulled out a cassette tape, and inserted it into the cassette player. Marcus pressed the 'Play' button on the radio, a moment later Only You began playing, quietly on the radio.
"Only you…" The Judge quickly turned his attention to the radio, the prophet just played the song used for the Culling. The Judge could already feel the culling taking over as the song's lyrics filled his ears, his head began pounding against his skull, his vision starting to turn red, and the urge to kill building inside him. He couldn't let himself lose control again, not while he had anything to say about it.
He looked toward the radio and reeled his fist back, smacking it against the stereo. Sparks flying and the sound dying on the radio. The event was enough to make Marcus slam on the brakes in shock. This, in turn, made the teenagers snap their eyes open and shoot up from their seats.
"What the-?! What the hell is going on?!" Hunter asked as he pulled out his knife, ready to attack whatever the problem was.
Carmina's shock was overcome by embarrassment once she realized she was intimately close to Hunter while Ellie was right next to them.
"I'll tell you what's going on," Marcus said, pausing before explaining what happened. "This guy went ape shit when a classic song started playing. And, he smashed the radio with his bare hand!" He pointed to the tape deck shooting sparks.
"Classic song?" Ellie asked as she wondered about the Judge suddenly lashing out like that. She looked to the Judge and saw that his hands were on his head. Ellie had heard about something like this happening before. There were rumors around New Eden that Ethan tortured the Judge by playing 'Only You' the same song that Jacob Seed used on his selected individuals to undergo the Culling, a Classical Conditioning long ago before he died, whenever a person heard that song they would go into an aggressive state and Jacob would use them to kill his enemies.
Carmina looked to Ellie, who asked about the song that had been playing before the Judge lashed out. "Ellie? You know what that was all about?"
Ellie didn't know what to do. It wasn't as if she didn't trust the two other teens and the Captain, but she wasn't one hundred percent certain about what was going on. It would probably be better if she keeps her mouth shut instead of spouting theories when they may or may not be true. Then again, who's to say that it won't happen again? The others may benefit from the information she knew at the moment. Not to mention, she didn't want to be disrespectful by speaking about the Judge's personal secrets.
Upon deciding to do something, she shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose he just doesn't like the song. Maybe don't play it again?" she suggested.
The Captain and the teens from Prosperity looked at each other with confusion. Normally, people don't smash things with their bare hands when they don't like a song. But Marcus decided not to pry into the Judge's affairs. They had to build some trust between the people of Prosperity and the people of New Eden, and respecting one's privacy can go a long way. "Alright then," Marcus said, starting the truck up again. "It's only a few miles back to Prosperity. We're almost home." He said, Carmina and Hunter breathing sighs of relief.
As they drove closer and closer to Prosperity, Marcus decided to give their people a call about their return. The Captain grabbed his radio and turned it on. "Rush, you there?" he called into the radio.
"Marcus! Kim here," the Rye mother said on the other line. "How are things going? How are the kids?"
Marcus smiled at the doting mother calling. "Hunter and Carmina are fine. And so am I, thank you for asking," he joked. "Anyway, where's Rush? I've got something important to tell him."
"He said he wanted to scout ahead with some of our guys, keeping tabs on the Highwaymen since the attack. He should be back soon," Kim explained.
"Good, because so will we," Marcus said. "If you don't mind, can you gather all of the folks at Prosperity? We've got something important to talk about and I think everyone should hear it."
"Will do," Kim confirmed. "I take it things went well up North?" she asked with a touch of worry in her voice.
Marcus paused for a second, feeling the effect of the Gift Joseph had given him coursing through his body. "We'll talk about it when we get back. We're just a few minutes away,"
"OK, I'll meet you at the gates, over and out." With that, the transmission ended.
It wasn't long until they turned up to John Seed's old ranch, which was now home to many survivors and known as Prosperity. The Judge remembers this area well. He fought to hold it for the Holland Valley resistance and eventually killed the Father's brother not too far away from here. He had mixed emotions about returning to this place and finding it to be the home of a large number of "sinners." And now he would be fighting alongside them once more, this time against a bigger threat.
Marcus pulled the truck in front of the Gates and noticed Kim, Nick, and Jerome standing in front of them. Happy to see his friends again, and in good health, he stopped the truck and pulled the key out of the ignition. Opening the doors, he and the others exited the truck. Carmina went straight up to her Mom and Dad and gave them both a big hug.
"Oh Carmina we are so glad to see you OK, we were really worried about you out there," Kim said relieved.
"Yeah Kiddo, we couldn't stop worrying about you out there with those psychos, fearing that they would hurt you," Nick said, holding Carmina tightly.
"Don't worry...I'm fine, now...let go...ca-can't breathe." Carmina said fighting for air. Kim and Nick were holding Carmina very tight in their arms that she couldn't breathe properly.
"Whoops, sorry kiddo," Nick said as he and Kim let go of Carmina, who took deep gasps of air to fill her lungs.
The parents and Jerome laughed at what they saw. Now it was Jerome's turn to gasp for air, although not to the level Carmina was. He turned to see Hunter holding onto him tightly. "Thank you for trusting me, Jerome," he said with a smile.
Jerome smiled as well, returning the hug. "You had faith in me, so it was only right for me to have faith in you," Jerome said honestly. "I'm so proud of you, Hunter, and I just know that your mother and father would be proud of you, too if they could see you now."
Suddenly, Hunter's smile melted away into a frown at the mention of his birth parents. He didn't like the subject of his parents being talked about, at all really. After all, his Dad doesn't even know about him and is most likely dead, and his Mom just left him shortly after he was born and is probably dead too. Even the mere mention of their names depressed him.
Hunter released his hold on Jerome and looked at him with his frown, "Jerome…just...do-don't,"
Jerome didn't want to pry any further, as he knew that Hunter was uncomfortable with the subject of his parents. Not to mention, he didn't want the subject of his parents to come up because he was still hiding the truth that his mother was out there somewhere. He still didn't feel right about keeping Jess's resurgence a secret, but it was probably for the best. Maybe Hunter didn't want to know if his parents were out there, that he moved on? Perhaps God himself would let it be known when the time is right.
The questions running through Jerome's head came to a screeching halt as he saw two more people exit the truck, a man covered from head to toe in furs and pelts, a mask covering his face. Followed by a young woman wearing clothes made from animal skin, with no shoes on her feet, carrying a bow in her hand.
The three adults recognized immediately who they were, or at least where they were from. Their reactions blended between shock, anger, and fear. Kim clenched her fists as they leered at the New Edeners while Nick and Jerome reached for their guns.
Before things could escalate, both Hunter and Carmina reached out to the adults before they drew their weapons. "Wait! Wait! They're friendly!" Carmina exclaimed, hoping to stop them.
"That remains to be seen," Jerome said, having had run-ins with the Eden's Gate people in the past and having no more trust for these New Eden people.
"Jerome, Kim, Nick! Please don't shoot them, they're with us!" Hunter yelled at them to get them to lower their guns.
"Are you kids crazy? You brought these peggies to our home?" Nick said as he pulled out his handgun aiming it at the Masked man. The Judge moved Ellie behind him to protect her and raised his arms to lower tension.
"They didn't," Marcus answered Nick's question. "I did. I went up North to get help. I came back with it. Joseph has agreed to help us in our fight against the Highwaymen, and gave leave for his Judge to follow me." Marcus explained.
"What about her?" Kim asked, referring to the young woman.
"This is Ellie," Marcus introduced. "She's one of the Chosen that the Judge has taught in New Eden. She's skilled with a bow and tough as nails. We used her help to reignite the Flame of Eden in the East, and she volunteered to come back with us."
"You mean to tell us that Joseph gave you his Judge, his personal executioner, and a young chosen volunteer to come along?" Nick questioned.
All three glanced at each other, then nodded at the three adults.
Kim crossed her arms. "I don't exactly feel comfortable in the presence of the Chosen. They've killed God knows how many of us during the war with Eden's Gate. And I've heard all sorts of nightmare stories about this Judge of Joseph's. This wasn't what I had in mind when I thought of help from New Eden."
After she vented her arguments, it was Nick's turn. "How do we know that these people won't stab us in the back?"
"How dare you?" Ellie asks sternly. "We are just as vulnerable to this plague of locusts as you are. You are not the only ones who need help. Your captain is right. If we don't stand together, we are all going to die. But in order for that to happen, we need to trust one another. I'm willing to put aside the past, but the question is, Are you?" She questioned then quickly added. "Besides, I had nothing to do with anything that happened in the past, I wasn't even born at that time."
Nick scoffed at the young woman. "You think I care about that? You Peggies are all the same to me!" Nick said as he kept his gun aimed at the Judge.
But Ellie blocked Nick's shot from the Judge. "If you want to kill him, you'll have to kill me first!" Ellie proposed.
Kim was surprised by Ellie's loyalty to the Judge. She really didn't want any blood to be spilled on her doorstep, especially not a young woman's. "Nick put the gun down," Kim commanded. "She may be a Peggie, but she's still a kid!"
"Dad, please don't do this!" Carmina begged, her hands raised.
"Please! We worked so hard for this alliance to happen. Don't put it in jeopardy!" Hunter added, looking at Jerome as well.
Jerome didn't exactly feel comfortable with dealing with the people who caused so much harm to Hope County, but they were both facing an even greater threat. Taking a deep breath, he faced Nick. "Nick put the gun down. If we kill these two here and now, how are we better than the Highwaymen?"
It took Nick a minute or two of thinking for him to lower his gun and put it away. Breathing a sigh of relief, Marcus spoke up. "How about we go inside? We've got a lot to talk about."
"Yeah, that's a good idea, come on everyone else is gathered, we just have to wait for Rush," Kim said.
Everyone went inside the community to wait for Rush.
After the Confrontation with the New Edeners that have joined their community, members of Prosperity: The Rye's, Marcus, Jerome, Hunter, Hurk, Sharky, Gina, Nana, and Grace were all gathered in the Command Center to discuss their 'truce' with New Eden. Shortly after everyone was gathered, the doors opened and Thomas Rush came through, though looking beat from his travels and work. The Judge and Ellie were waiting outside until the Meeting was over.
"Sorry that I'm late, everyone," Rush apologized. "The Highwaymen are regrouping since the attack on Prosperity and I heard that... recent events have the New Edeners to fight harder. But we've got more important things to discuss.." He went up to the table with all of the maps. "Thanks to Marcus, Hunter, and Carmina, we've managed to win the favor of Joseph Seed and his people. Now I know you all have mixed feelings about that…"
Rush was interrupted by Gina. "Who in their right mind thought that this was a good idea?" Gina spat, interrupting Rush. "No one is thinking about how dangerous this is? I've seen what those people can do if you get on their bad side. It's not pretty. And that masked fucker out there is responsible for killing more Highwaymen than all of you combined! I lost a few of my friends to that son of a bitch." Hurk tried to put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down, but Gina just shrugged it off.
"Most of us know what Joseph Seed is capable of," Kim added. "He's killed God knows how many of our friends and did so because he was following God's orders. What if he says it's God's will to take us all out when they don't need us anymore?"
"You weren't there, Mom, you didn't see what we saw when we were in the North," Carmina interjected. "The New Edener's weren't that different from us. They were just trying to survive like us, though with a few strict rules. But they weren't monsters like you said them to be, they're a lot like us, they just want to live in peace and protect their loved ones as we do,"
"Joseph Seed doesn't want to start another war against us, all he wants to do is protect his family. If he did choose to launch a war against us then it would just get many people killed." Hunter said, then added. "Joseph just wants to keep his people safe, just like we wanna keep our people safe,"
Grace then spoke up, "Look Kim I don't like working with the peggies just as much as you and Nick do, but we can't defeat the Highwaymen alone, so I'm willing to put aside my issues with them just until the Highwaymen are gone," Grace said.
It was now Hurk's turn to talk. "I don't know, guys. I kinda like this whole truce thing. I mean, we fought against those fucks years ago and we barely made it out alive. Maybe it's better to have them with us than against us, right?"
The whole group was surprised to hear Hurk say something so intellectual. Now it was Sharky's turn to say something smart. "I'm with Hunter and Carmina on this, I'd rather not start a fight that gets more of our people killed. So, I think working with Joseph is the better option." Sharky said.
After all of the stupid things, these two idiots have done over the years, before and after the Collapse, they were wondering if Hell was freezing over right now. They've never been known to say anything intellectual, but they both understand that right now isn't the time for jokes.
Since everyone else has given their opinions, it was Nana's turn. "We've all seen what those Highwaymen hoodlums are capable of and these New Eden folks have no love for them. You know what they say: the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?" Nana said, giving her wisdom.
Jerome then spoke to voice his own opinion on this 'truce' between them and Joseph. "Normally, I'd be open to forgiving those who have done wrong in the past, but with these people, I'm not sure if I can. Especially when it comes to Joseph Seed."
"Jerome," Hunter said. "I know they've done bad things in the past, but they're not the same group of people they once were, I promise you and everyone else on that. If we can't learn to work with them, then we won't stand a chance against Mickey and Lou,"
Jerome didn't want to admit it, but Hunter was right. The New Edener's didn't show anywhere near as much hostility as they did before the Collapse. But, it was hard for him to believe that Joseph and his people could change after all the horrible things that they've done in Hope County. He was a man of God and was obligated to have his heart open for forgiveness, but he wasn't sure if he could. But for Hunter's sake and the future of Prosperity, he had to try. He nodded at Hunter, which made the young man smile.
"Listen, people, I know many of you don't want to forgive Joseph for everything he's done, but you don't have to. All you have to do is just put aside your grievances for now and cooperate with him. Joseph seems to trust us to do the right thing, me especially since someone else will be ruling New Eden soon." Marcus said.
"Marcus, what are you talking about?" Nick asked as the others wondered what he meant by that.
"After I helped Joseph return from his exile, he said that when he passes, I will be the future leader of New Eden." Once Marcus finished his sentence, everyone gasped in disbelief, all except for Hunter and Carmina.
"W-what...Are you serious?" Kim asked, not believing what she was hearing.
"Captain...are-are you messing with us right now?" Rush asked incredulously.
"I know how it sounds guys, I didn't believe it either, but Joseph claims that years ago God spoke to him, he showed him my face and said that I was the one destined to be the true ruler of Eden," Marcus explained, then continued.
"But that's not all, on the same day Hunter went missing Highwayman ambushed me and sent my ride crashing into the lake. I washed up on a small island in the north, where Joseph approached me and guided me to a book hidden in an old Bunker where I found the book "Joseph's Teachings". I thought it was an illusion but it felt very real. That book is what allowed me and the teens to enter their Compound. There I learned that the New Edeners had a prophecy. 'Whoever finds "The Word of Joseph" will be ordained by God to be the true ruler of Eden', and I was the one who brought it to them,"
"That sounds...I don't even know what to say," Nick said as he took in this new information.
Carmina nodded. She never thought that a friend of hers would be the future leader of New Eden. Even hearing the words come from Joseph's lips, she could hardly believe it. She may not have known Joseph for some time, but she could tell that he was nothing like the monster her community made him out to be. Maybe he mellowed with age, maybe the Collapse changed him for the better? Or perhaps the time made him realize that he made many mistakes and that he must make amends in one way or another.
Rush nods. "Well, that will certainly give us an edge over the Highwaymen, but something still doesn't sit well with me. When I was captured, I saw the New Eden people shrug off bullets and kill those bandits like they were possessed or something. How is that possible?"
Marcus sighs. "Well, I'm afraid that I can't go into details but Joseph gave me something. He gave me the strength and power I need to take the fight to Mickey and Lou. I can't really explain what it is, as it's supposed to be a secret, but trust me when I say we can certainly use it to our advantage."
Rush's eyes widened. He can only imagine his most trusted friend being able to shrug off pain like Joseph's people. He grew both excited and worried if he were ever in that position. But for now, they had little choice but to prepare for the worst. "Well, whatever it is that you have, it's bound to help us out."
There were murmurs among the rest of the group. "Wait, man! You're telling me that you've got superpowers?! Well, I want in, homie! I've got a vendetta to pull off and I'm gonna need something like that to stick it to those fuckers!" Hurk said, getting very excited about what he was hearing.
"Yeah, man! Hook a brother or two up!" Sharky said also. "If any of you take care of Blade as much as I do, you'd understand why I'd need superpowers." He sighed, exhausted by how long he's taken care of the said baby. Gina rolled her eyes at the two morons.
"Hate to break it to you, guys," Marcus answered. "But it's not that simple. You really don't want what I've got, there were risks to take, I got lucky." With that, Hurk and Sharky's hopes of becoming superheroes of Hope County vanished.
Grace grew curious as to what this secret was. "What kind of power is it? Like, what does it feel like?"
Marcus shrugged his shoulders. "I can't really describe it. I can tell that my senses are higher than normal, like way higher. And I feel stronger, a lot stronger. I know that sounds nice, but I don't know. It feels unnatural in a way, even though Joseph said it was a gift from God."
"OK, now that we got that out of the way, what about the masked man and the girl?" Rush asked about the two peggies who were outside.
"I don't trust them, the Judge especially since he's Joseph Seed's most loyal servant and his most dangerous fighter, that man is a psycho and I will not trust him or any of his servants," Kim said bluntly.
"I don't know, Kim," Grace interjected. "He could be pretty useful with his skills. The Highwaymen won't be able to see him coming until it's too late. If he's the one training the Chosen, he's bound to have something to bring to the table. I say we give them a chance."
"I think he can." Hunter cut in. "I've seen what he can do with a bow. I saw as he was training some of the chosen and he always hit the target directly in the center. People with skills like that are useful to have around. Ellie can be helpful too, she's smart, skilled and also good to have around,"
Now it was Carmina's turn to speak. "I'm willing to give Ellie and the Judge a chance too. Ellie was helpful when we took back their Flame, and she's a great person to talk to. The Judge is also someone we can use to help in stealth attacks against the Highwaymen,"
"I say we give him a chance too," Hurk said. "To me, the guy's like a slasher movie villain mixed with a ninja. How often do we get a chance to work with a guy like that?"
"He's right," Sharky agreed. "That combination is like, super epic,"
"Morons," Gina muttered under her breath, but loud enough to be heard by everyone except Hurk and Sharky.
"Captain, what do you think about them?" Rush asked Marcus.
"Well...from the short time I spent with Ellie she's been reliable and somebody that I'm willing to trust. But, I don't know about the Judge given that not much is known about him. However, if the others are willing to trust then I guess I will too," Marcus declared.
It was clear that many were willing to put aside their differences with New Eden, but some still weren't willing to.
Nick interjected into the conversation. "I'm not gonna place my trust in that Masked son of a bitch." he spat angrily. "How do we know he will stick his neck out for us? Who here is willing to stick their neck out for him? And, who is going to listen to him out there in the field?"
Nick had some good points, even though Prosperity was willing to work with Ellie, but the Judge was a different story. Nobody spoke up against Nicks's argument. After everything Prosperity has heard about the Judge many were afraid to be around him, he was an absolute savage. However Carmina and Hunter had a different opinion of him, Hunter had a much deeper opinion. After all, in the few times he has met the Judge, he's helped him and even saved his life. The Judge is the reason Hunter is still standing, he owed the Judge a debt for saving him, so if anyone was willing to risk their lives for him then it would be him.
"I will," Hunter suddenly spoke up. Everyone at the table turned to look at Hunter, their faces filled with surprise. "I will," Hunter repeated, then said. "I owe him,"
Everyone, especially Jerome, looked at Hunter with confusion. What could Hunter possibly owe the Judge? He just recently met him, but that wasn't the truth. "Hunter? What are you talking about?" Jerome asked, confused. "You don't owe him anything,"
"Yes, I do," Hunter argued at Jerome. The truth was coming out now and Hunter knew he couldn't lie to his friends any longer. He let out a sigh and said. "He...he...he's the one who saved me from that bear,"
The second Hunter revealed the truth he hid from them all, everyone at the table's eyes widened or jaws dropped in shock, silence followed for a minute as everyone processed the truth. Hunter had lied to them and kept the truth secret from them and now he was revealing that secret.
Jerome was the first to speak since the confession. "You mean to tell us that it was the Judge who saved you from the bear attack?" he asked with curiosity.
Hunter nodded. "He was also the one who nursed me back to health. He took me to the old bunker I mentioned where he treated my wounds, then when I was able enough to walk he helped me get back here, and we parted ways,"
The members of Prosperity were left speechless when Hunter explained his past encounter with the Judge. They had no idea that one of their own was being helped by someone they deemed as dangerous a while ago. Since the truce between them and New Eden, their opinions have changed about the Judge and other members of Joseph's family, some more than others. However, some held firm beliefs about the New Edeners, especially about Joseph and the Judge. Kim was one of those people, and when it came to Carmina, Hunter, or any of the other children, she was very protective, perhaps overly-so.
"Hunter, why would you keep something like that a secret from us?" Kim asked Hunter.
Hunter sighed before answering honestly. "Well, first of all, I didn't think you guys would've believed me. After all the things we've heard about the Judge, it would be pretty unbelievable for him to stick up for an outsider, let alone care for his wounds."
Carmina felt a little hurt after what Hunter had said. "I would've believed you Hunter because I trust you," she replied honestly.
"I would have too," Jerome said, feeling a little betrayed from Hunter keeping a secret like that away from him. Over the years before the Collapsed and even Eden's Gate, he built up a reputation for being good at keeping secrets and being trustworthy. And after raising Hunter, he felt a little bit hurt that Hunter didn't feel like he was able to trust him enough to tell him about what happened that day.
Now Hunter felt like a liar with how his lie affected the people around him. "I'm sorry about keeping that from you guys, but I guess I didn't want to start any conflict between us and New Eden at the time. Anyway, the Judge didn't have to save my life then, but he chose to so I owe him for that. Also...there's something about him that I can place my trust in, so I'm going to."
Marcus nodded. "I understand why you kept that from us, but it doesn't mean it was the right move. Next time, tell us whatever happens next, ok?"
Hunter sighed and nodded. "I will man, don't worry," he said.
To break the awkward silence, Rush decides to change the subject. "Anyway, is there anything left to discuss?"
"Rush, I think we should get some rest right now, it's getting late. We can pick this up in the morning," Kim suggested.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Marcus nodded in agreement. It was then that Marcus realized that he hadn't rested much since he, Hunter, and Carmina left to get New Eden's help. There wasn't much time for a break, and he's had to do the impossible twice, he needed a much-deserved rest.
"Alright then," Rush agreed. "We'll pick this up tomorrow, everyone rest up, we have a busy day tomorrow."
Marcus turned his attention to the two New Edeners outside who have joined their community, if they were going to stay then they needed somewhere to sleep. Marcus turned to face Kim.
"Kim, you think you can give our newcomers a place to sleep? And be nice, please?" He asked the woman.
Kim rolled her eyes at the Captain of Security. "Alright," she said as she went into the main courtyard to find the two New Edeners that have come to help them. She found the Judge leaning by one of the walls, arms crossed and his head just looking around at the people of Prosperity. He saw the adults working on the walls and the other facilities that make Prosperity what it is. He was keeping his distance from the people, which gave Kim some comfort.
As for Ellie, the younger Chosen was taking a closer look at the facilities that the others at Prosperity were working on. One that was an important one to their community, Ellie was found at the Weapon Bench working on her bow, using materials that were theirs. While she was working, she noticed that other people were working with parts that she had never even seen before. She grew curious at the old box of components and gears, she reached out to grab one of the boxes and rummage through it. However, Kim beat her to it and seized the box before Ellie could even touch it.
Kim, though having good intentions, scolded herself for acting so rashly to the young woman when it came to the parts. She stuttered. "Uh, sorry about that," she apologized, putting the box down. "We just like to keep a tight leash on our resources. These are important in taking the fight to the Highwaymen."
Ellie shakes her head. "My apologies. I didn't know what I was tampering with something so important," Ellie apologized. "Umm...is there something you need of me…" Ellie paused as she didn't know the woman's name.
"It's Kim, and Ellie, right? I need you and the Judge to follow me," Kim requested.
"OK," Ellie nodded then proceeded to follow Kim over to the Judge. The leader of the Chosen snapped out of his trance and turned his attention to the Rye mother.
"I need you two to come with me. There's something I need to show you." With that, Kim led them to the main building, where everyone lived. A few minutes of walking led the group to an empty room that had once belonged to a couple that defended Prosperity. They both died in the recent attack. Kim opened the door and showed them inside. There weren't any windows in the room but there was a bed and some other necessities.
"Marcus told me to give you both a place to stay while you're here. I take it this will do for you two during your stay?" Kim asked, wondering if they would be comfortable in a room like this. She knew it was much different than what they were used to.
While it was different, it wasn't uncomfortable, at least not for Ellie. "I think that this will do fine. Thank you," Ellie said graciously.
Kim smiled at the girl then left the room closing the door behind her, leaving the two peggies alone. The Judge went over to the bed and waved his hand over, gesturing to Ellie that she can have it. The Judge was no stranger to discomfort and he was fine with watching over her while she got her rest. It wasn't like he slept much anyway with his constant nightmares.
"Are you sure?" Ellie asked. "I mean I don't mind sleeping somewhere else,"
The Judge nodded his head giving a low grunt.
"OK, if you insist," Ellie walked over to the bed and sat down on the mattress. She removed her bow and quiver, placing them both on the side on the bed. Ellie then laid down on the bed placing her head on the pillow. "Judge,"
The Judge looked at Ellie, "Will you stay with me 'till I fall asleep?"
The masked edener nodded at Ellie which made her smile, "Thanks,"
The Judge took a seat into a chair that sat by the bed and waited patiently for the young woman to drift off into a peaceful sleep. A few minutes later he could hear Ellie's quiet snores, he turned to look at Ellie, she was fast asleep in the bed. The Judge watched as Ellie slept peacefully and smiled slightly behind his mask. She looked so peaceful sleeping.
Seeing as how Ellie was asleep, there wasn't any point for the Judge to stay in this room so he quietly got up from the chair and went outside to think.
Meanwhile, in Hunter's room, Hunter was getting ready to go to sleep. He removed all of his gear and put on a simple grey T-shirt and a pair of pajama pants. Now that he was comfortable, he went through his ritual of checking his equipment and putting it away for the night. He went over his things: boots, bow, and, of course, his knife. He took a minute to really look into the blade of the knife, seeing his reflection. He killed many Highwaymen with it, but it remained shiny.
Something Jerome said earlier made him reflect on this knife more than usual. He said that his parents would be proud of him if they were here that is. This blade was a gift from his mother, the only part of her that he had ever seen. He wondered what life would be like if he could see her again, and his father, which he knew next to nothing about. He had moved on since he first heard the news that he did not have parents like other kids, but he couldn't help but sometimes feel envious of the other children around him, the ones that had their parents around.
Hunter wanted to reflect more on that subject, but he heard the door open suddenly, which nearly made him drop the knife onto the floor. Using his honed reflexes, he caught the knife and put it back into its holster. He turned to see the door fully open and Carmina standing in the doorway, also in sleepwear. She had on a black t-shirt and gray sweatpants. He smiled at his best friend/girlfriend visiting him. "Oh, hey, Carmina" he greeted. "Getting ready for bed?"
Carmina smiled. "Yeah," she answered. "I see you are, too?"
Hunter nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "It'll be good to finally get some sleep after the busy couple of days we've had, you know?"
"I hear you," Carmina said with a laugh. "It'll be nice to sleep in my own bed again. No offense to the New Edeners, but they don't exactly have the best sleeping arrangements."
"Yeah, it will," Hunter laughed along with her. He yawned before speaking again. "Anyway, what brings you here? Come to say goodnight?"
Carmina's smile melted away when she remembered why she came to his room. "Well, to be honest, no I didn't. I wanted to know why you kept the truth from us, me especially? I mean, don't you think we deserve to know if you're getting involved with New Eden before we needed to?" Carmina vented to her friend.
Hunter sighed, He really didn't want to talk about this anymore. "We already talked about this. I had reasons to not tell you guys at the time."
"Yeah, but why keep it from me?" Carmina asked sternly. "Did you think that I was just gonna tell on you?"
"No, that's not it!" Hunter answered, clearly under stress from Carmina's interrogation. "You know I would never want to hurt any of you guys, especially you. I just…"
"Just what?" Carmina asked, demanding an answer.
"I don't know," Hunter paused to think about that day. "There was something about that day that made me wonder. I don't know how to describe what happened between me and the Judge. He didn't have to save me, but he did anyway. I've been wondering why ever since. I needed time to myself to figure that out." He looked back at Carmina. "Sorry if that's not a good answer."
The Rye daughter sighs. "Look, I get it," she began. "But we don't keep secrets in this community. We built Prosperity on the belief that we can trust one another."
Hunter looked at her. "What, so you don't trust me anymore?"
Carmina rolled her eyes. "No, I still trust you, Hunter," she assured. "But, do you trust me?"
Hunter nodded. "Of course I do Carmina, I trust you more than anyone," he confessed.
"Then why didn't you tell me at the time?" she asked intently.
"I guess…" he trailed before he answered. "I-I-I...didn't want you to think I was weak." He saw Carmina's confused expression and explained it. "I was so afraid, I thought my life was over at that time. If I couldn't take on a bear, how can I take on the Highwaymen? When that bear was going in for the killing blow, I prayed for a miracle Carmina. I prayed to God to let me live, to keep fighting, and then the Judge appeared out of nowhere and saved my life."
Carmina placed her hands on Hunter's cheeks and gently stroked them with her thumbs. "Hunter I don't care if you are weak or not, you're always gonna be my best friend and the person I fell in love with. Don't let one experience affect you like that, we're all gonna have moments in our lives where we feel weak and defenseless. Jerome taught us that, but it's up to us whether we let those experiences move us forward or push us down."
Hunter smiled at her for her comforting words. "Thanks that means a lot coming from you, I try not to but sometimes it just gets to me," Hunter thanked her. "I'm sorry I lied to you, Carmina. I should've trusted you, you're my girlfriend after all."
"Don't worry, I forgive you," Carmina said. "After everything we've been through together, it's hard to stay mad at you. But, promise that you won't lie to me again, I trust you enough for me to tell you the truth so I should expect the same from you."
Hunter nodded at her then said. "I promise Carmina, I won't lie to you ever again,"
"Good," Carmina kissed Hunter on his lips for a second then pulled back and said, "I love you."
"I love you too," Hunter said right back at her. Carmina smiled then pulled Hunter over to her, softly wrapping her arms around him. He did the same wrapping his arms around her and gave her another kiss.
Carmina had an idea, which caused her to grow a blush on her cheeks. "Hey, uh, you think I can sleep in your bed tonight?"
Now it was Hunter's turn to blush, along with his eyes widening and jaw-dropping. "What?!" he asked in a very surprised tone.
Carmina sighed. "I said, is it okay if I sleep with you in your bed tonight?" she repeated, more nervously than last time.
Hunter had to admit that he was taken aback by this request. They were dating, officially, but it was still new to him. He didn't know what to say. He would love to sleep in the same bed as Carmina, but he didn't want things to be weird for them. He looked at Carmina again and saw a hopeful look in her eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint Carmina again.
"Ok," Hunter agreed, although a bit reluctantly, as he was still unsure about how this would go.
Carmina's eyes lit up and she went back to hugging her boyfriend. "Awesome! Thank you!" she said with happiness.
Hunter went to bed first, sitting down then laying on his side. Carmina didn't waste any time and did the same, the two teens laying right next to each other. They both smiled as they were only a couple of inches away from each other's faces. With each of them in the other's embrace, it took no time at all for them to fall asleep. At least, it didn't for Hunter, who went to sleep first. While he was out, Carmina took his hand and held it close to her. It wasn't long until both of them fell asleep.
While this was happening, Kim was watching them sleep soundly in each other's arms. She smiled at the kids, thinking this situation was absolutely adorable. Moving as quietly as she could and pulled a blanket over their bodies and blew out the candle that lit up the room. She turned to the two teens and planted a kiss on each other's foreheads. "Sleep tight, you two," she whispered, before leaving the room.
Not far from Prosperity Jess, the hooded woman watched many things through her binoculars. First, and most importantly to her, was the fact that she saw her son grow into a strong young man. It filled her with as much sadness as pride, to see him grow so much since she last saw him. She wanted nothing more than to see him and tell him that his mother had not abandoned him, but there was something she had to do first.
Well, two things actually. To find her lover, wherever he is, and to make Joseph Seed pay for everything he had done to her and the rest of Hope County. And she thought, what better way to do that than to kill Seed's most loyal follower? She leered at the Judge as she looked through her binoculars, the masked figure sitting there with his arms crossed. "Better make your last days count, motherfucker, because they're gonna be your last," Jess said to herself. She then left her overlooking position to return to her camp, to come up with a plan to take her revenge on Joseph.
Authors Note:
Another chapter of the New Dawn completed. If anyone sees any errors tell me so I can fix them.
Please leave a review and tell me what you think.