Disclaimer: The Walking Dead Series is NOT my work. It is owned by TellTale, all rights, commendation and acknowledgement goes to them.
However, "Derek Brooks" is my own fictional character and apparently the only thing I own in this story.
AN: Here's a new chapter for you folks! The next chapter would have some action in it and things would get heated. I'd probably break it down to two chapters or just one big chapter. I'll do my best.
Chapter 12 – A Deal Struck
Tears ran down on their faces as they were pulled away, their captor's strong grip on their arms made any attempts of escape impossible as they were being tugged roughly towards the boat.
"Marlon don't do this!"
"Please Marlon!"
They cried out. They begged for him, over and over again. Their tear-stained faces yearning for a second chance. Hoping desperately for their leader to change his mind.
"Don't leave us!"
"Marlon!"
"MARLON!"
The last thing he remembered seeing was the look of betrayal in their eyes as they were pulled away.
Marlon jolted awake, gasping for air, his body drenched with cold sweat. He wearily placed a trembling hand on his face, drawing in a shaky breath.
'It's just a dream,' he thought to himself.
He tossed the sheets aside and got dressed for the day. The familiar weight of his signature varsity jacket settled on his shoulders, its embroidered emblems, now worn and torn, spoke volumes about its history. He paused for one moment, studying his reflection on a small mirror.
He looked like he went through hell. His hair was a mess, dark shadows beneath his eyes were telltale signs of lack of sleep. The hint of redness in his eyes only supported that theory even more, as if taunting him.
"What else could I have done?" He muttered to himself.
A knock at the door got his attention.
"Marlon?" Tenn's voice called out. "You awake?"
"Y-Yeah. Come on in." Marlon replied.
The boy timidly opened the door and looked left and right, seeing no one else, he went inside. "I-I just wanted to see if you're okay. I could hear you when I passed by earlier but I didn't want to intrude."
Marlon nodded, offering a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm... I'm okay. Just a rough night, you know?" He patted the space next to him on the bed, inviting Tenn to sit.
Tenn hesitated for a moment before taking a seat. "Nightmares?" he asked softly.
Marlon sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Yeah, something like that."
Tenn's expression shifted to one of concern. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Marlon glanced at Tenn, appreciating the genuine concern in his eyes. A concern he didn't deserve. If only he knew what he really did, if only he knew what really happened that day. Would he have understood? He mentally shook his head.
"Not really," he admitted. "Just one of those nights, you know? It'll pass." He waved the boy's concern.
After a moment of silence, Marlon asked "Do you want to play?"
Tenn's eyes lit up at the suggestion and nodded eagerly. "Sure!"
Marlon gathered the few toys scattered around the room and presented them to Tenn. The latter's eyes only lit up even more when he saw the objects on hand.
"Oh man! I was looking for these." He grabbed the toys from Marlon's hands, inspecting each of them one by one.
Marlon chuckled. "Found them last night. Figured you're gonna look for them soon enough."
"Thanks Marlon!" The boy grinned a wide smile.
Marlon chuckled, tousling the top of the younger boy's head. "It's no big deal."
The two boys played with one another, simply enjoying each other's company despite the man-eating monsters lurking outside the gate. It was peaceful, almost as if the rise of the dead never happened.
Old memories resurfaced on his mind, and a twinge of guilt hit Marlon's nerves. He robbed the twins of this moment. He robbed Tenn of his sisters. How dare he enjoy this while the people he sacrificed, his people, were out there doing God knows what. The thought haunts him every day.
The realization felt like a punch in the gut, halting Marlon in his stride. He pulled back from Tenn, confusing the young boy. However, before the latter could question him, a familiar sound of static crackled in the room. Marlon was quick to move towards the source of the sound, the radio. He hid the object from Tenn's view, shutting it off.
"What was that?" he asked.
"It's nothing." Marlon lied. After a few beats, he added, "Look, Tenn, I-I got something to take care of. I'll be back in a while."
Thankfully, the boy did not prod any further. "Okay."
With that said, Marlon left the room without another word. He went to the school's rooftop and flipped the radio on. The device flickered to life, its screen flashing to life. He licked his chapped lips, feeling his heartbeat rise. After a few tense moments, he pressed the button on the communication device and spoke.
"What do you want?"
The trio arrived at the main building. On the way there, the courtyard was ghostly quiet except for Violet, who was at the main gate keeping watch. They climbed up the wooden stairs, approaching Marlon's office and gently knocked on the door. The door swung open but to their surprise, it was Tenn who greeted them instead of the familiar blonde-haired teen. Mutual surprise flickered in their gazes.
"Hello." He greeted, innocence in his voice. "Are you here for Marlon?"
Clementine's warm smile graced Tenn, and she nodded affirmatively. "Yes. He said he wanted to discuss something important."
The young boy's eyes darted between them and the room, a flicker of uncertainty in his gaze. He chewed the insides of his mouth and after a brief internal deliberation, he gestured them inside. "Marlon's not here right now, but I guess he wouldn't mind if you wait here," he said, his voice a blend of politeness and shyness. Then, a realization dawned on him. "Oh, Violet told me about the pencils last night. That was cool of you. Thanks for giving them back. I missed having colors." A warm smile adorned his face as he immersed himself back into his drawing.
Clementine's eyes softened at his words, and she returned a smile of her own. Curiosity grasped AJ as he saw the small toys laid out next to Tenn. Intrigued, he meekly approached the objects to give it a closer look. There were three figures – one adorned in a blue uniform with a hat, the second had a red helmet boasting green and yellow stripes. The third figure had faded, losing most of its vibrant colors. AJ puzzled over its identity.
"Who are these guys?" he inquired, a curious tone lacing his words.
Tenn stopped his drawing and turned his attention to AJ, he pointed at the one with the red helmet. "These guys are firefighters." He pointed at the figure in AJ's hands. "That one's a policeman and she's gonna save the day."
AJ only got more confused, as he continued twisting and turning the object in his hands, his eyes narrowing, not able to make any sense. "But what are they?"
Derek stepped into the conversation, crouching low beside them, he gently took the figure in his hand, treating it with utmost care as if it was the most fragile object in the world. Vivid memories flashed into his mind – recollections of the very few policemen he met. Those who swore to defend the innocent and protect the city. Those who sacrificed themselves to save people. People like him.
His eyes softened ever so slightly, his eyes still focused on the miniature policeman. "They're people just like us. They're job is to protect the innocent and maintain peace and order."
However, a shadow crossed his expression. Not all of them are like that after all, some who survived turned to banditry, using their title and skills to get what they wanted. He furrowed his eyebrows and his features turning sour. "But that was back then. These guys don't exist anymore." His tone carried a tinge of anger mixed with sadness as he handed the toy back to Tenn.
AJ tilted his head sideways, a question forming on his lips. "What happened to them?"
Derek sighed longingly. "When everything went to hell a lot of them went back to their families. Those who stayed to do their job didn't last long…." He trailed off, his eyes distant.
AJ let out a soft 'oh', immediately putting together what he meant.
Clementine glanced towards Derek with a sad look in her eyes. She knew that look, one she was all too familiar with.
Tenn awkwardly looked between the trio, slowly standing up. "I-I'll go look for Marlon. He should be around here somewhere. I'll go get him for you."
Clementine snapped out of her reverie and looked at Tenn. "Y-Yeah. Thank you, Tenn." She gave him a small appreciative smile.
As Tenn quietly withdrew from the room, AJ resumed playing with the toys Tenn left behind. Sensing an opportune moment, Derek rose from his seat and bridged the distance to Clementine.
"We still haven't told AJ yet. Now's the best time than any." He proposed, a tone of urgency in his voice.
Clementine bit the inside of her cheek but nodded reluctantly, recognizing it was an inevitable outcome. She mentally braced herself for the storm of emotions that's about to come.
"AJ. Can you come here for a sec? We need to talk to you about something." Derek called over.
AJ paused his play, his eyes shifting between Clementine and Derek with a mixture of curiosity and unease. "Am I in trouble?" he asked with a touch of hesitancy in his voice.
"No, no. It's just- We need to talk about something first. Come here." She motioned for him to come closer. The boy reluctantly returned the toys and walked towards the young adults. Clementine exchanged a quick glance with Derek, who nodded to her for assurance. After a brief contemplation, she decided to cut to the chase.
"We're not staying here AJ."
"What?!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with shock and a twinge of anger. "But why? It's safe here!"
"AJ-" Derek began, attempting to intervene, but the boy was having none of it.
He continued his outburst, leaving no place to argue. "They have food here, walls and nice people! Why do we have to leave? Why?!" His tone mixed with anger and frustration.
Derek, wearied, pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling a heavy sigh. "Yes, we know. But the raiders know where we are, remember? They knew about the school."
The mere mention of raiders injected a pause into AJ's passionate rant. Derek could observe the tiny gears turning inside his head, his young mind weighing the consequences. It was a commendable display of logical thinking for a child of his age if he were to say anything about it.
"So?" his voice wavered with uncertainty. "We can fight them, right?"
Clementine kneeled down, matching his eye level, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Not this time goofball." Her tone carried a mix of empathy and firmness, acknowledging the harsh reality they faced.
AJ's gaze shifted between Derek and Clementine, a look of despair in his young eyes. "So, we're leaving? Again?"
Derek sighed. "It is what it is kiddo." After a contemplative silence, he continued, "We're not leaving right now if that's what you're thinking. We still need to check on things with Marlon first. After that? We'll talk about it. Alright?"
AJ mumbled a weak 'okay', his optimism for staying at the school fading. Clementine and Derek shared a silent understanding of the emotional toll this decision took on the young boy. They were weary of the nomadic life, just as AJ was, but with the looming thread of raiders, they couldn't afford to linger in the safety of the school.
The jiggling doorknob grabbed the trio's attention, and the door swung open revealing Marlon. He stepped inside his office with Tenn in tow.
"Hey you three." He greeted them with a tight smile. "Tenn told me that you were waiting here. Gotta admit, I thought you three would come by much later."
Derek casually shrugged. "Well you did say morning."
"That I did." Marlon cleared his throat. "So… I reckon you three got plans of your own but I gotta ask. Are you staying?"
Clementine shook her head. "No. We can't stay here."
Derek noted the sudden tension in Marlon's posture but didn't comment on it.
In the weighty silence that followed, Marlon clicked his tongue, expressing his disappointment with a subtle shake of his head. "Damn shame," he murmured. "You guys would've fit right well in here." His gaze traversed the trio, emphasizing his sentiment. "All of you. I'm sure the other guys would say the same."
Derek met Marlon's words with skepticism. "Even after everything?"
"Look, what happened yesterday was a total misunderstanding. You didn't know us, and we didn't know you. So, let's just let bygones be bygones. I'm just glad nobody got seriously hurt."
Clementine offered a solemn nod. "That we can agree on."
Marlon licked his chapped lips, a strange look in his eyes. "When are you leaving?" he asked.
Derek scratched the back of his head. "Well, we're not leaving right now if that's what you're thinking. We need a map and some supplies. Now I know you won't be just handing those willy-nilly but if you happen to know where to find them, we'll be happy to get it ourselves. In exchange, we'll help you guys out. Favors for favors you know."
At Derek's assurance that they weren't departing immediately, a subtle relaxation swept over Marlon's posture, unseen by the trio before him.
Marlon mulled over the arrangement, a contemplative look in his eyes. "Seems fair." He finally conceded. "But I need you to do my favors first if you don't mind."
Derek's eyes briefly met Clementine's, the latter nodding in affirmation. Returning his attention to Marlon, he nonchalantly shrugged. "I don't see why not."
"Good. So, here's what I need you to do."
AN: Kinda late for a New year's chapter so i apologize for the delay. I hope you enjoyed the story! Don't forget to leave a review and add to your favorites to be updated.