(Flashback)
Larry's POV
55 years ago
Larry was running with Jasmine. Larry didn't know how long they had been running but knew they needed to get far away from his home. He'd probably never see it again. It made him tear up a little. He was about to cry, and in absolute anguish, Jasmine tripped and fell to the ground, which made Larry follow suit. Both of them were on the ground.
Larry was the first one to get up. "Come on, Jasmine, let's go!" Larry yelled, trying to pull her up. But when Jasmine tried to stand, she screamed in pain, "I can't stand up; my foot hurts super bad," Jasmine said. Larry, unsure what to do in this situation, thought, 'Man, if his mother were here, she would know what to do.' But she wasn't, so he had to make do with what he had. He knew he wasn't going to leave her; he didn't want to be all alone. So, he picked her up and set her on his back, and with her on his back, he started running. They were way slower when he was running with her.
Ever since they were in this forest, Larry could always see something in his peripheral vision, but he was too scared to look at what it was. Larry also couldn't shake the feeling that they were being pursued by something dangerous, which made Larry run faster. That's when he saw a road in the distance, or at least he thought it was a road. His mother told him about them, and how things like cars could drive around on them. Other people meant they could help; that also meant they were safe. He just needed to run a little further. "I can do this," Larry told himself.
Before he could get any further, somebody took Jasmine from his back, which made him spin around a few times and then he slammed to the ground. Larry wasn't sure what happened. One moment he had Jasmine in his arms; the next moment, she was gone. When he turned behind him, he saw the reason why he lost Jasmine, and it horrified him. He saw his friend being bitten on the neck by a monster, and Jasmine, with fear in her eyes, trembled, saying, "Larry, help me!" But Larry only felt fear and the urge to save his own life rather than hers. He ran away, feeling the urge to save his own life more than hers.
He got towards the road and saw a sign with a weird symbol. His mother told him it was a bus sign, so he waited. But he was super anxious because that thing could come and kill him. His anxiety was going through the roof; he felt like he couldn't breathe. Soon, the bus came, and all of the stress he felt was relieved. He noticed it was also raining, and the sun was coming up. He got on the bus and sat down in one of the seats. That's when he realized what his actions did and how he left his friend for dead. That's when he truly cried. These were not tears of five-year-olds crying tears of whining; these were absolute tears of anguish and regret.
The bus left the bus stop and went into the distance. Larry's fate was in the air.
(End of flashback)
Lee's POV
Everyone entering the pharmacy felt bad about leaving that girl. They could still hear her screaming. It didn't affect Carly and Mark, but Kenny was concerned. Kenny had been different ever since the dairy, taking more risks, and doing what needed to be done. While they agreed that things should be done, Kenny had a feeling that his friend was going to take it too far one day.
They were in the back room of the pharmacy. Kenny was already in the drug room, which Lee quickly followed him into. "We should be good to clear everything out, but let's hurry up. Not sure how long that girl can keep them at bay," Kenny said quickly, taking one of the shelves and searching for any medical supplies. It looked like he did find some because he started putting them into his backpack. They didn't have a bag; they only had two bags as well as their pockets, which would probably have to do. "Tan, maybe you should look for more bags when we go on our supply run," he thought to himself, noting that in his mind. "All right, everyone, don't forget the counters this time. I really emphasize that. Don't forget the counters," Kenny said, frustrated.
"Hey, it was a life fault. I just forgot about them," Mark said. He went to the counters first, quickly getting some supplies and putting them into Carly's bag. They started doing it quickly. Lee moved towards the first rack that was on the other side of Kenny's rack that he was searching. Lee saw there was a trash can holding some supplies, and it wasn't just garbage; it was real medical supplies, as well as some energy bars. "They're going to need that," he thought to himself. He quickly grabbed everything that was in that first row of racks. He'd been getting proficient in scouting at this point; it even surprised him how fast he could grab stuff. He looked over to his left and saw Carly getting some supplies as well; it looked like her bag was filling up fast. He looked over towards Kenny; his bag was filling up fast as well, and the girl was still screaming outside, and it didn't look like she'd be stopping anytime soon. So, they were having a good time, at least he thought so. He quickly looked over towards the counters and saw Mark might need some help. Lee quickly went over and helped Mark round up all the supplies in the cupboards. "I think that's everything, guys," Mark said, his pockets filled with meds. "Good, that girl didn't die for nothing, I guess," Kenny said, smiling as the idea worked. They found, though knowing that he had to take the life of an innocent young girl, they'd probably be suffering as walkers now. "What has the world come to?" he thought to himself. He quickly snapped out of it. "Lee, come on, are you going to let the walkers kill you or what, man?" Mark said, going from the other side of the counter. Lee meekly slid over towards the other side of the counter. Now they just needed to quickly get out of the pharmacy; that's when the girl's screaming stopped.
"Oh s***, we don't have much time now. Hurry up, Lee, get over here," Kenny urged, concerned for his friend. Lee saw a door to his left, and when he was quickly walking towards them, the door came down, smashing Lee to the ground. Lee, both Carly and Mark, as well as Kenny, said, "Guys, I'm going to need some help over here," they yelled, struggling because there were multiple human corpses on him; his muscles were burning trying to lift it. He heard gunshots; Carly was shooting them off with him, which was working, it was making it lighter, but it still wasn't enough. That's when Mark came over to help him lift the door, and with both of them lifting it, they were able to push it towards the side, making Lee crawl away and then quickly get up. "Thank you, man. I'm not sure what I've done without you," Lee said, grateful.
"Don't mention it. Well, I guess you could mention it after we get out of here. And besides, we're friends; that's what we should do for each other. We want to charge back, right?" Mark said. They just nodded. "Come on, you two; let's go," Kenny yelled, already on the other side of the room with Carly. Mark was able to get to the other side, but then that's when Mark noticed something. "Lee, look out!" As Lee was running towards them, he got jumped by a military walker. The problem with this walker was he was wearing a helmet, so Lee couldn't just cut it with his ax. He could try, but it would take too much time, so he had to try to decapitate it. He pulled out his ax from his newfound leather holster for his ax. Surprisingly, Doug made this. He pulled back the ax, and with both of his hands, he sliced through the walker's neck. It didn't fully go undone, so Lee had to do it again. On the second strike, it completely severed, and that's when he kicked the walker into some rebar. The rebar pierced the remaining body, headless now, and Lee quickly ran over towards the others. Kenny already got the metal panel that they used before which was their escape route. "Let's go, guys," Carly said, quickly heading through the opening. Lee looked back towards his once home, took a breath, and said with somber words, "Goodbye," and left through the small hole in the wall, escaping the drugstore, and now they were going to return to his new home, however long that lasted.
Emily's POV
Emily and Naruto saw the "Motel" sign as they left the forest. Below that sign was Lee's group coming down the road. Emily, not surprised at this point, waved and yelled out to them. It had been two weeks, and she felt like she was getting used to this newfound group she was in, at least she thinks so. Of course, it wasn't easy after finding out her family were murderous cannibals, and she might have been one at some point, but she didn't know she was eating human meat. She'll have to carry that guilt for the rest of her life. At least, she frowned at that thought.
Despite her personal feelings, she and Naruto walked over to Lee's group, which included Kenny, Mark, and Carly. They were also let in by Travis, who unfortunately had his leg cut off. As they were getting into the motor inn, Naruto was, of course, making some talk with Lee. She didn't want to listen to it; it wasn't her place to.
His prosthetic was pretty cheaply made; it wasn't the best prosthetic. It was just made out of some metal from cars, and some duct tape, that was pretty much it, but it seemed to work pretty well. This guy named Doug was truly an amazing inventor. She usually said bye to him and Naruto, but she decided to leave him for his chat. It would only take her a minute to do something.
She walked over to her room, which was next to Naruto's. The reason for that was a chorus Naruto insisted on. That both of them should be right next to each other, made Emily smile. He is such a good friend, maybe too good for her. Emily shook the thoughts getting in front of her door, opening it, and going into her room quickly. She didn't close the door; she quickly got something out. It was a case; it had a fancy cross symbol. Other than that, the box was just a brown box; it was made of pure wood, not cardboard or anything like that. This box was expensive alone; it was also old. They found this in a nearby church, east of their once old home, the dairy. They also found other things going through that church. They found a pure silver amulet with a tiny ruby on it. She's not sure where they kept it, but she hopes it's somewhere safe. The third thing they found was a piece of paper. It was an incantation to seal anything that is pure evil and really powerful beings too. But the thing that she has, the first thing they found when she opened the box, was a dagger. A pure silver dagger with many markings on it. These markings were repelling evil seals. It said in their father's journal these symbols were the simplest way of killing evil monsters, and these are probably the most common things that she'll see in her journey of retailing a monster hunter. She also hasn't finished her father's journal; she's still trying to learn everything from it. She's probably halfway done reading it, but putting it into practice, she's probably just two chapters in. And in those two chapters, it's how to use Mana. She unlocked her Mana by accident; she was able to control her Mana that easily; it just came so naturally. She was able to enhance her strength, speed, durability, agility, and every single physical attribute you can think of. For intelligence, she's the same, but she's not saying she's dumb by any means; she's a pretty sharp person. It's just Mana that does not affect the mind.
That's what she did the first week that she was here, as well as getting to know everyone in the group and getting settled in as well. Everybody was nice; she could see they were all good people despite their flaws. During her second week, she learned how to flow her Mana into objects. Emily grabbed the dagger and channeled her Mana through it, making it glow golden. As quickly as it came, it quickly fizzled out like a flame. She couldn't quite make it last long, probably like four seconds, but something. She put the dagger back put the lid back on the box and slid it back under her bed. She has a feeling that she'll have to use that soon, and her intuition is never wrong. That scares her a lot. That made her walk out of her room, going to find Naruto and hang out with him.
Jackson's POV
Jackson's side was filled with frustration because one of the scouts came back and just said the same thing over and over. Ever since the dairy, Jackson couldn't stop thinking about the kid. How dare he wound him in such a way? If he hadn't used Mana in his attack, he would have been dead. That seriously enraged him to the point where he killed half of his followers. That same half had been rebelling against him. He swiftly took out that half with brutal ferocity, making the other half back down. It just took a few beheadings and some sex too. It seemed humans didn't like it when he had intercourse with their spouses in front of them, especially the children, which confused him. It's just a way of life; every animal will do it, every human. But of course, he as a vampire doesn't exactly reproduce. When they do, they're what's called half-vampires. These hybrids are strong, even stronger than a full-blooded one like himself. This was the perfect opportunity, the birth of many of them. So he had sex with every single woman in the camp, and he enjoyed every second of it. And of course, he wasn't quite done yet, and he knew he should have done it faster because the blood moon was coming. Luckily, this was his last one; they had not been impregnated. With the blood moon, his power will increase tenfold, and this final attack will finally kill that brat and his sorry group. He'll make sure of that, as well as make him suffer for a while, and then he'll swiftly kill him.
Jackson could still feel the pain of getting incinerated, and it sickened the hell out of him. He snapped out of his monologue when the man asked, "Sir, when do you expect us to head out?" The man's voice was full of fear, but he stayed firm. Jackson just smiled, "Well, I am busy, but I'll answer your question nonetheless," he said, holding a nude woman that he was having intercourse with. "It will probably be in a few hours; tell everyone that and don't bother me until it's time," Jackson ordered, not annoyed in the slightest; he was more amused than anything else. The soldier nodded, leaving to send out his message. He saved this woman for last; her name was Elizabeth, maybe Eliza. Jackson didn't care; all these females were a means to an end. But this one, this female, was different; she was the spouse of the leader of this rebellion. It happened two weeks ago; Randy was such a fool thinking that he could defy him, he said while having intercourse with his wife. "Your husband was such a fool, but you, you're such a magnificent woman," he said as the girl gasped. She was enjoying his ministrations; of course, he was enjoying it as much as she was, but for entirely different reasons. The reason why she enjoyed it so much was because this was proper punishment. He left Randy still alive, and she was watching him gagged and shamed up, beaten and bruised, as well as his son, also beaten and bruised, and they're both watching him. It gave him even more pleasure than before, but everything had to come to a head. That's when he came inside of her; it seemed like when vampires have intercourse with humans, they couldn't get enough of it. They would then be obsessed with you, which now poor Elizabeth was obsessed with his taste, and now wanted to be with him for all eternity, which she did impress him. Maybe he will when he finally climbs to the top and becomes the king of all vampires; he'll take maybe her as his queen. At the start, she showed so much spiciness that made him even more aroused, but he quickly broke her. Jackson was pondering it; he finally came to a decision, but first, he needed to deal with Randy and give him his final punishment.
He turned towards the beaten man, absolutely broken after seeing his deed done; his son was petrified. "Oh, my boy Randy, how do you feel witnessing your wife absolutely loving me?" Jackson said, finding Randy's situation amusing. Of course, Randy couldn't say anything even if he wanted to because of that gag in his mouth. Jackson decided to pull it off just to see what his answer would be. The first thing he said was, "I will kill you," he quietly whispered. Jackson didn't quite hear it. "Speak up, don't leave me in suspense with every bone and every drop of blood that is in my body, as well as my sons. I will put all of my life to figure out a way to kill you," he said, spitting right into his face, which made Jackson even more smile. He was so amused at Randy's determination to kill him; this would be kind of interesting, and he could see Mana pouring through him, and it was pretty strong, which just made Jackson even more smile. He loved the feeling of danger as well as the thrill of battle; he was satiated, but just for spitting in his face, he couldn't let that slide or other people would get the idea, and then there would be another rebellion. So Jackson punched him hard enough to knock him out; he then looked where the boy was, and he was gone; his blinds were gone. It looked like he cut them or his father did. Jackson decided to let him leave; he won't get far; he'll probably die. Jackson thought, seeing the wife that he defiled, "You know what, girl? I think you're the one who will finally be with me forever as my bride," Jackson said, then biting her on the neck. She then passed out from the shock, as well as the immense pleasure he gave her by putting his fingers into her special spot. He put her to the ground gently; he then laughed in the air; everything was coming towards his plan. That motoring group doesn't know what's going to hit them.
(Flashback)
Larry's POV
49 years ago
For the last six years of his life, Larry did nothing but pickpocket and do shady things to get enough money for one ticket to America, hoping to find a better life there. He still had nightmares from that day six years ago when he left his friend and saved his skin. He'll never forgive himself, so he tries not to think about it. Sometimes, that's a good thing because now he got his ticket and he's on the SS Quebec, heading for America. He's been brushing up on English by stealing books from libraries or finding them in the trash, so he's pretty decent in English. It will get better over time, but this is a good start.
Larry was lying in his bed, thinking about everything that transpired these past six years. He hopes that he'll be able to atone for all the things he has done by this new chance. "When I get there, I'm going to join the military so I can help as many people as I can. It's the least I can do for you, Jasmine. I will never be cowardly ever again," he said to himself. He then heard a knock on his door and heard in French, "Room service." When those two words came out of what he assumed was the leader's mouth, his stomach growled. He checked his wallet, which he got from the trash, as well as everything else that was on him. He had 27 dollars and 84 cents, which in American dollars would be $30. He quickly went and opened the door and saw a woman who was wearing a maid outfit. Larry knew she looked surprised, but when she showed him his money, that surprise quickly went away, and a smile came out on her face. He looked at the menu, and the only thing he could afford that wouldn't be too expensive was just a fried fish, so he got that. He gave her $10 in American dollars, and she quickly left.
Larry decided to walk up on deck and he saw it was a party; that was the only thing he could describe it as. People were dancing, kind of overwhelming for him. Larry couldn't shake the feeling that something would go wrong because everything goes wrong; for every good thing that happens, there has to be a worse thing that will happen after. In a few hours, as he got his fried fish, a fog set in. As Larry was eating his fish, he heard a yell from outside of his room. He quickly ran over towards the yell, and then he saw a gathering of people. He squeezed through a bunch of people wanting to see what this was, and he saw a body. She was completely ripped apart. Before the poor girl let him know, he felt sick and barely held himself back from barfing until he got to his room's bathroom. When he left his room to go and empty his stomach, he saw someone that caught his eye. It was a boy as old as him, but he was wearing a black trench coat. He had a more analytical expression on his face like he was analyzing the murder and trying to figure out the culprit. Larry didn't think about it much because he needed to throw up, and he did. He threw up all of his contents, which was such a waste, Larry thought to himself, washing his face with water.
During the night, he had a dream that he woke up and saw a green, scaly Fish Man, and he put his claws up and shredded his gut. Larry woke up gasping. He quickly went to the bathroom again, took a pee this time, and then got a drink of water. "What was that dream?" he thought to himself. He was unsure if being on the spot was the best decision he could make. "No, I can't have these thoughts now. It's already happened. I just need to live with the decision, just like my decision before," he thought, getting up. He decided to walk around and look at the stars around the boat; they were sort of calming. That's when he saw the same kid walking around. The kid noticed him, and he quickly ran off. Larry followed him and gave a loud whisper, "Please don't go, I have a question for you," Larry whispered, running towards where the boy was, but he took a corner and completely disappeared. "What is this?" Larry thought out loud. That's when he noticed something behind him, and he saw a green, scaly figure. He could now see it very clearly; the darkness was shrouding it. Its eyes were glowing like headlights; it was like a dark sea creature. Its claws were razor-sharp, and it had very thin, razor-sharp teeth as well. Larry stepped back, but that's when a creak in the floorboards sealed his fate. The creature tried to claw him, which Larry quickly ducked, and he quickly ran around. He needed to get to his room; no, he can't run to his room, he needs
To deal with this thing here and now, Larry tried to think of a way to kill it; he didn't have any weapons. Then he thought of something; it was probably his best shot. So he quickly ran towards one of the kitchens; luckily, nobody was in there, but the creature was near his tail. He bashed through the entrance of the kitchen and quickly grabbed some kitchen knives, as well as quickly turned up the oven to its highest setting. He also did the stove as well and put the knives on there. He fixated all his attention on the creature, ready to defend himself.
He just needed to be quiet because it looks like it reacts to sound and not actual sight. So then if it's paid through hearing, what's with the headlights? Larry took the knife and was going to try to figure out that question. Making sure he made little noise, he saw the knives were brightening hot. He quickly grabbed them, making sure not to grab the middle part as they were hot; he could feel them as well as he lowered the stove. He just needed to find the right angle to shove it in there, hopefully burning it to a crisp. When he was strictly right in front of it, it noticed him because of a creak in the floorboards again. Larry thought, "Forget it, I have to do it now," he yelled, shoving the knives into its flesh, making it yell in pain. But that didn't deter him; he quickly shoved it into the oven and quickly shut the door, locking it. It tried to get out, but he heard it not struggle anymore. He quickly dialed it down, turning it off.
"I can't believe you did my job for me," a person said behind him, which made him turn back, and he saw the boy wearing a black trench coat. "Who are you?" Larry asked, wanting to know who this guy's identity was. The boy just smiled, truly impressed. "I'll tell you when we get off towards the Americas," he said, walking away, leaving Larry stupefied. Larry just went to his bed and slept in it, and as the man said, he appeared towards him again right when he was going to step foot in America. "You wanted to know who I was; well, the name is Chuck. Charles. Charles if you're fancy," Chuck said. "Yeah, it's nice to meet you, Chuck. What was that thing?" Larry asked, wanting to know. "It's what we call a quasi. They are things that kidnap children and then eat them or even worse than that," Chuck explained. "Okay, what was with the headlights then for eyes?" Larry then asked. Chuck stopped for a moment, trying to remember himself. "Wow, if my knowledge is correct, the reason why they have lights for eyes is because they are blind. That is true, and they do attract you through sound, but they can sort of see you through light if that makes sense. They can pretty much see sound through those lights," Chuck tried to explain. But that just went over Larry's head. "You know what, man? I just want you to sleep somewhere, so let's part ways," Larry said, wanting to get out of this guy's craziness as quickly as possible. Chuck just nodded, and he was the first one to walk away. It was so foggy in the New York Harbor. Larry finally got off, and he walked into the city of New York, hopefully, that experience on the boat, as well as the experience in the forest, are the last times he encounters this type of thing.
(End of flashback)
Naruto's POV
Hey guys, how did this run go?" Naruto asked curiously. It looked like none of them were hurt that much; they just looked super conflicted, except for Kenny, but that's nothing new.
"Everything's fine, don't worry about it, just normal scavenging shenanigans, you know," Lee said.
"Do you guys got some good stuff this time?" Travis asked, hobbling over as Lee and the others were walking towards Lily and Larry, who were both smiling at the group. It's oddly been a great relationship between them all; it is very surprising.
Naruto noticed Clementine and Duck both coloring. That's when he also noticed Emily went into her room, which he assumed she was doing some more mana training. He should probably do more chakra control or more chakra form training.
He was snapped out of his thoughts because he heard Clementine say, "You're back! Ben found some stickers inside some old drawer in one of the rooms. He gave them to me. See?" Clementine said excitedly, pulling up her walkie-talkie and showing very cute flowers.
"Hey sweet pea, that's neat. I'll find you in a minute," Lee said, smiling at his newly adopted daughter. Naruto smiled at the scene; he had never had that sort of relationship other than with the old man, who was now gone. Even before he went into this world, he was gone. Clementine doesn't know how good she has it; hopefully, she will understand that someday. She'll understand, now what he thought.
He stayed in the back; he wanted to know how this conversation would go and how they were going to deal with Jackson. He could always go out and find him, but he's not even sure where he is. Even, that's also a pretty bad idea; who knows, Jackson may be stronger than when you find him. It took him using one tail of Doxie chakra to defeat him. It was good that they were taking Emily's advice and putting up these seals. He wasn't sure what she was talking about either, but he knew one thing; he trusted her with all his heart. There's just something about her that he can just trust immediately. She helped them when she didn't have to, so Naruto will have to trust her even more than before. He knows what she's saying will work; he just has faith.
"It looks like we got Ben on watch again," Kenny said, stating the obvious thing.
"Yeah, well, he insisted about to go and do that watch," Larry said, annoyed.
Naruto couldn't help but think, ever since the dairy, Larry has been different. He seemed like a changed man; maybe it was that near-death experience during the meat locker. He didn't quite know; maybe if he ever goes into a near-back experience, he'll be the same way as Larry. Maybe.
"We might as well just put a sign up saying the men are gone, come rape our women and children," Kenny said. Everyone just gave him weird looks.
"Come on, man, you're taking that too far," Mark said, clearly not liking what Kenny was getting at.
"Come on, you guys, you guys can't take a joke, can you?" Kenny tried to defend himself; everyone just ignored him.
Lily came over to put down her rifle; she had it on her at all times. The only time that she doesn't is when she sleeps, too, or when she's talking about supplies. It's like a weird butt. Naruto is not going to question it.
"So, what did you get?" Lily said, smiling at Lee, making him blush a little bit. Naruto doesn't understand what's going on, but it looks like Lee was keeping himself together or putting himself back together, so Naruto will be like that.
"A lot of stuff," he cleared his throat, then after he said that, everyone gave Lily and Larry the bags, and they started looking through them. "Holy cow, you guys really did clear the entire place out, probably," Larry said, surprised.
"Yeah, we had a few close calls, but you're able to make it all okay," Carly said, clutching her crossbow.
"A few weeks ago, I'm just glad you all made it out okay," Lily said. "I know it's not easy doing these runs, but we all want to say we appreciate it," Lily then added.
Kenny, making the smuggest of smiles, said, "Thank you, Princess," he added it for good measure.
Lily annoyed it and then said, "This will keep us going, at least until we figure out a way to get out of here," Lily said, or what she truly meant is, that until we deal with Jackson, we're not going to be able to leave here, or not with everyone, that is.
Everyone knows this; that's why they're thinking of solutions or trying to.
"I don't get why we don't just run. We have a damn RV working. We can probably pass a couple of miles before it even knew it. And even when they tried to mobilize, they catch us, we'll be long gone before then," Kenny said, telling them the same argument for weeks now.
Lily just sighed, "We "Don't worry about it, you know Kenny's Kenny, he'll pull through, he always does," Lee said, having faith in Kenny. "And we will have to eventually leave, no matter if Jackson's alive or not," Lee said, weighing possibilities in his head.
"I do agree, pumpkin. We will have to eventually leave. It's hard for me to say that, though, with that Jackson guy. We will have to eventually deal with him or outrun him or something," Larry said, getting tired of it all, pretty much. "The thing that we should do is what keeps us safest. Doesn't that make the most sense, everyone?" Lee asked.
"Yeah, I guess so, but none of our options in front of us can completely guarantee our safety, so we're still at square one," Mark said, knowing how his once friend, the point is everyone, we need to stay together. We can't be fighting each other over the littlest stuff. Sure, Jackson's a problem, but we'll get through that. We can deal with it, remember the dairy, as well as the incident after that."
Everyone was just silent when he mentioned the dairy, as well as the other event, the event with the family. Not to remember clearly how they, Mark, and Ben came back with that boy mangled up; it was horrible. After that, they helped the family more and they sent them off their merry way; that was the only way that Naruto could describe what happened.
"Yeah, you're right, man, we are in this together, no matter what comes our way. I know we'll be able to deal with it when the time comes, 'cause we always have done it, right, everyone?" Mark said, trusting Lee's judgment more than ever before. Everyone else agreed with him.
"Don't worry, guys. If Jackson ever attacks again, I think I can take him down with a powerful Rasengan to the face," Naruto said, giving his trademark smile. Everyone just smiled at that newfound confidence in their abilities to deal with what will come next.
After that entire situation was moved over, Naruto decided to go towards his room to get some training in 'cause he felt like he might have to use it pretty soon. It would be good to get some last-minute training in with Doxy, so he went into his mind.
(Flashback)
Larry's POV
41 years ago
It has been 8 years since he arrived in America, preparing for his eventual enlistment into the military. It has always been his dream to enlist in the military to protect people from evil and to protect his nation with his life. It's also the only way he could atone for leaving his friend.
Larry was living on the streets, saving as much money as possible. He had to go back to pickpocketing and doing some shady dealings, but he was able to do it. When he turned 17, he was able to forge the letter, giving his parents' blessing. He sent it to the recruitment office and was still waiting for it, so he decided to go to a bar and get his first drink. He knew he had to be 21 to legally drink, but doing things illegally didn't work out for him. As he was going to do that, he was walking to the liquor store. That's when he passed an alley and heard a yell through that alley. He quickly sprang into action; he promised himself he would never leave someone, and he saw a woman being sexually assaulted by a man. This girl was his age, and that made Larry even angrier. He had been getting pretty built, preparing for his eventual enlistment into the military, so it was quite easy for him to pull off this grown man who was in his thirties. He threw him to the ground and started beating him until his knuckles were covered in the man's blood. The man quickly ran off, clearly afraid of him. "Good riddance, scum like that deserves the life they have," Larry said, now focusing on the girl who was afraid of Larry, but he was able to comfort her and was able to get her home. They talked on the way and they pretty much hit it off. The girl's name was Sophie. He stayed in her house, which was the first time in years that he had been in a house. It's always been like abandoned houses, bridges, the sort of homeless life. Sophie was surprised that he was homeless; she told him he looked super good for being homeless. It made him blush a little bit, and during that time, a relationship formed. When he got his recruitment letter, he knew his dream was just an arm's reach from him. But before he left, he and Sophie, wanted to show her love for him, and that's when they made love, and Larry lost his virginity that day. That same day, he got on a bus to finally enter boot camp and his training in the military.
The training was nothing special, just some basic hand-to-hand combat, as well as some more physical exercises. Nothing that Larry was surprised about. There was one thing he was surprised about, though; the people in it. They were so lively; some of them were jokers, and the jokester mentality affected him as well. During his boot camp days, he played pranks on his commanding officer, the good old eraser trick. It always got them every time. Of course, they always got reprimanded, but Larry, without a shred of doubt, would say this was the best time of his life.
But those days ended, and Larry and his other boot camp friends were all separated into different units because they were being shipped to Vietnam. Larry was nervous; he had never been in a war before. He had technically been in a war, but he was a child back then. But he knew this would save many American lives; those damn Vietnamese, he'll kill every last one of them. Larry's conviction burned brightly, and for years, he didn't know how he survived most of the time when he was in Vietnam. They were just mostly flashes, just at the moment, but he was able to get most of his units that he was in through it, not without casualties though. The damn gorilla attacks were just frustrating. Larry once got a bullet wound that left a scar on his lower back.
But there is one time that he remembers so clearly, but also not so clearly at the same time; it was more like a dream. He was sent to his 20th unit. He was in Vietnam for 7 years, and this last unit he was in was the devastating unit for his body and his mind. So he and his unit were supposed to protect a supply line; they surrounded this supply line with four trucks. Larry was on the left; he was the driver. One of his friends from this new unit was sitting right next to him. "Do you think this war is just?" Larry's friend said out of the blue. It kind of caught Larry off guard a little bit. "I don't know; I just take orders. The sooner we get this done, the sooner people at home are more safe," Larry said, so keeping his naive dream alive. His friend sighed, "You really are the idealist, even now, seven years in. You can't seem to let go of it, can you?" His friend said it made Larry grip the steering wheel a little bit. "What exactly are you saying?" Larry asked, not liking where his friend was going with this. "I just don't see the point anymore. We're fighting an uphill battle for no reason. Many of our young recruits are dead now; the war is very unpopular, last we heard. And we can't even fight the enemy because they use such unorthodox tactics," his friend listed. Larry was about to defend the entire Vietnam War, but that's when they got a radio transmission from the front truck. Larry quickly took it off the receiver, "Yes, Bravo," Larry said. "I think I see something, everyone be on your guard," everyone, the person in the front truck said to every vehicle around them. Larry wasn't sure what he was talking about, and neither did his friend. That's when a shockwave suddenly hit the truck and broke the windshield, and that also made Larry swerve to the right, hitting a nearby tree. Luckily, none of them were injured that badly, but what Larry saw, he could not explain or even write off as a dream either. It was just so real. He saw two figures, one having a golden aura, the other having a dark purple aura or smoke or whatever it was. He could see what they looked like when he got closer, as well as help with binoculars. "Who do you think those things are, their people? One of them has yellow hair, pretty spiky, has a white complexion, I think I can see red-slit eyes, he's awesome, "Wearing a black cloak as well as wielding a katana sword that Larry couldn't quite see the entire details of, his clothes were just average worn-out, close to nothing. The other guy had black hair and he also had a white complexion. His eyes were red too, but they had like a star symbol on them. He was wearing a brown trench coat and was also wielding a katana sword. After relating all this information to his friend, without warning, both of the figures clashed their two katanas together, creating another shockwave that made both Larry and his friend stumble. "What is this? This is nothing I have ever encountered before," he remembered the ship incident as well as the incident that killed his parents, but none could compare to this. He saw the figure making a ball of wind and shoving it right towards the other figure. The other figure then produced lightning out of his hands, like a comic superhero. They both clashed, creating an even bigger explosion, and Larry got hit by a straight lightning bolt, making him hit a tree hard and blackout.
He then woke up and found himself not far from where their rendezvous point was, but then he found out that his entire battalion was killed, and Larry was then discharged from the military. He didn't exactly believe it, but he was discharged from Vietnam. When Larry looked back at that, it was probably a good thing, because he might have died before the war would have ended. And of course, he'll get to see Sophie again; who knows if she is still waiting for him.
(End of flashback)
Lee's POV
Lee was confused as to why Carly would want to talk to him alone, but he decided to humor her. When he got up to the upper floors of the motel, Carly just leaned on her arms, seeming to be thinking about something. Lee imitated her posture, wondering what this was all about. "So, was this all about?" Lee asked curiously.
"I've been thinking about things, some of them are about you, others are about everyone else," Carly said, somberness in her voice.
"Carly, you're scaring me a little bit," Lee said, concerned about his friend's health. Carly gave him a sad look and then delivered her news. "I'm sorry for making you worry," she said.
"Does Doug know about these thoughts you're having?" Lee asked. "Because if anyone else would know, it's probably Doug."
"Don't worry, it's nothing bad, you know," Carly said, clarifying, which made Lee sigh in relief. "Just keep your head out of the dark place, Lee. It's not good for you," Carly joked, making Lee laugh a little bit.
"If it makes you feel better, I've been thinking about stuff too. I think we all have after the dairy. I think all of us needed time to process what happened," Lee said, his expression sober.
"You're a convicted killer, Carly," Lee said, surprised by her statement. "Jesus, Carly," he said, shocked by what she said to him. Why would she want to be thinking about his convicted murderer status?
"And I think people should know. Not because they deserve to, or because you're a bad person. After all your actions these past months, weeks, if I had any thoughts that were speaking ill about you, they're gone. Certainly now," Carly said, confidence in her voice.
Lee didn't know what to say. He had thought about telling people, but he always went against it. It's just too risky. There's no way people would accept him if they knew. "People need to know now because we're running on borrowed time here. And during situations like that, I want to see Lily trying to expose you during a heated argument. People need to know it from you. You don't have to tell everyone, just think about the people that you trust. They'll probably be the most likely to accept you. Just please think about this, Lee. We have no idea when Jackson's going to strike, so you need to do this. Who knows the repercussions if you don't," Carly said, urging Lee.
Lee thought about it for a moment. Everything that she was bringing up made sense. "Maybe you're right. People should know. It may be uncomfortable, but I think everyone should know. I owe them that much. We've been through this for this long, and everyone sees everyone as a family now. So if I don't open up now, it would betray all the trust we have all built together. Yeah, I just can't rest with that. So, I'll do it, Carly. Don't worry, I will. But, I want to ask something," Lee asked, wanting one last assurance before he did it.
There was a long pause between the two. Lee wasn't sure what to say next, so he decided to say this. "That's when Carly saved them because she spoke first. 'You're exactly right. It may be hard to say your past, but it will be a far cry from me if people don't hear it from you. Who knows what will happen,' Carly said, looking grim.
Lee looked over towards the motel, and everyone was working hard, doing their part. Lee smiled at this community. Civilization can return; it just takes everyone to work together. Sure, they can be different, but as long as they have the same goal, then that's what will drive them. This new civilization we now see is the next goal, his next dream for a better future for Clementine, for Ben and Travis, heck even Naruto and Emily. This future is for them, and this would be one step to take to get to that dream, a community that will thrive. This gives me way more confidence. Maybe they can defend the motel. Maybe they can take him down. Thanks, Carly. I needed this," Lee said, smiling at his friend.
Lee turned his back towards Carly and he got to the top of the stairs. He asked Carly, "Are you sure they'll be ready to hear what I am planning?" one last assurance before he did it. "It's not a matter of if they're ready or not. There aren't going to be any good times to say it, but there are going to be a lot of bad times," Carly said, giving him one last piece of advice. "We need to make it easy on yourself," he decided to go in order where he needed everyone, so unfortunately the first one that he'll have the courage or try to have the courage to tell is Clementine. After he got down the stairs, he quickly walked over to the girl who was drawing something using a leaf, which was unusual, but it's not much storage for pencils, colored pencils, pens, or any of that stuff. "Hey Clem," Lee said, laying down to her level. "Hey, Lee," Clementine greeted back, smiling. "What are you doing?" he asked, curious. He wanted to work up towards it. It would be good to just tell her right out, right? It needs to come slowly. He said to himself. "It's called a leaf rubbing. My teacher, Miss Morgan, taught us this when we went to the Botanical Garden one time," Clementine said, holding up leaves full of graphite, as well as a piece of paper with a pretty beautiful design. "And you're not that much of a... art connoisseur," she said, showing Lee the leaf rubbing. "See, it's the same... well, kind of," Clementine said. Lee just smiled at her. Clementine's spirits were up. "That is something," Lee said. "Do you like it here?" he suddenly found himself saying to her, not knowing why he just said it outright. "I don't exactly not like it, but I guess there could be better places, I guess," Clementine said, thinking about it
For a moment, Clementine was silent. "Why do you ask, anyway?" Clementine asked, just wanting to hear his opinion. "I think it's finally time I tell her who I am," We thought about it for a moment, trying to think of many ways to break it to her or to break it to himself, that's more accurate. "Before I met you, Clem, before the plague, I killed someone," Lee said, just wanting to be straight with her.
"Oh, so that's what-" Clementine quickly trailed off. "Yeah, it was a bad thing, no excusing it. I'm trying to atone for it now, anyway I can," Lee said.
"Why are you telling me?" Clementine asked, curious.
"Because I didn't want to keep it to myself anymore," Lee simply answered. "Have any questions?" Lee then added. "You can now go back to whatever you're doing," Lee said awkwardly.
Without any words, Clementine went back to what she was doing. Lee got up; he was now going to go and find Naruto. He was the second person he met after Clementine. The last time he saw him, he was in his room. He got to Naruto's room, he gave a soft knock at first, no answer. He then knocked way harder, and when that didn't work, he started getting concerned. So, he opened the door, which was surprisingly unlocked, and it was just a false alarm. Naruto was just meditating. He slowly closed the door behind him and tried to get the boy's attention, which was easier said than done. He had to think of something. He wanted to tell the boy who he truly was. He then remembered the perfect thing to get Naruto's attention. He got out one of his cups of ramen, put it into the microwave, and put it in for 30 seconds. They still had working generators. They got one of the generators from the St. John Dairy, which worked well. Once the ramen was fully cooked, he then released it, and the smell, just like a hound-smelling blood, Naruto immediately opened his eyes and grabbed the ramen from Lee's hands, quickly consuming it.
"Oh, hey Lee, how's it going?" Naruto said, his mouth full. It's always the same tricks with him. He's still single-minded, but he's our best shot at taking down Jackson and other things like him, as well as the boy's pretty likable.
Lee took a deep breath, and he just came out with it. "Look, Naruto, when we first met, I came from a police car," Lee started. Naruto just gave a puzzled look. "So, before this entire plague or apocalypse, I killed someone," Lee said. Naruto's expression changed, "Did you enjoy it?" he simply added.
"No, I did not enjoy it, not at all," Lee knew that for sure.
"Then we have no problems, do we? I know you're a good man, Lee. You're surely better than any other person I've met so far, usually better than Jackson, and I'm not saying something. No crimes that you have done before will ever come close to the crimes he has committed over thousands of years," Naruto said, clutching his fist in frustration. "I know we'll deal with him somehow, I just know it," Lee reassured Naruto, whom he sees as a son. If Naruto doesn't see him as a father, then that's what he sees Naruto as, a son that he never had, just like Clementine is the daughter he never had. He's not quite sure about Emily quite yet, but she's starting to grow on him, and he feels empathy for the girl. He also feels like she should know as well, that's all I have to say. "You can go back to whatever you're doing," Lee said, opening the door.
"I think I'll go outside for a moment. I'm already done with what I had to do anyway," Naruto said, going outside. Lee and Naruto went in different directions, and Lee knew the next person he was going to tell. It was time to get Kenny and Katja out of the way. He won't tell Duck, firstly, Kenny won't like that, and secondly, Lee doesn't think he's ready. Maybe someday when he's older. The only reason why he told Clementine and Naruto was that he knew Clementine longer, and he'd probably be with him longer. Naruto, after everything is done for this group, truly trusts him, as well as his capabilities are needed, so he feels like he should be straight with the boy. He then walks over toward Kenny, ready to tell him about his past.
Noah's POV
Fear covered Noah's entire body as he ran. He didn't know how long he had been running; the only thing he knew was that he needed to get away from that man, or no, a monster was the most accurate term. Ever since his father went against that man, he did nothing but torment their entire family. Noah had seen horrible, unspeakable things that he couldn't quite understand.
It was raining and getting dark. He needed to find shelter. He didn't care what it would be; he just knew he needed shelter, as well as some food and water. He wished he could have his mom tuck him in at night. He would never complain about going to bed ever again if he could just return to that place.
He then stopped because he saw a huge cave entrance that looked like it offered shelter. "Maybe," Noah thought to himself, afraid of everything around him. It also didn't help that actual, real monsters were trying to trail him; these were the rotting corpses of horses.
So, he ran into the cave. He wanted to get to the end of it just to get away from those things. It was pitch black and dark. When his eyes adjusted to the new environment, he found that he had no ground to stand on. He was now falling, and when he hit the ground, or he thought he hit the ground, Noah blacked out.
When he woke up, he was completely fine. He looked around and saw that the area was lit by torches. There were a bunch of beautiful drawings of three birds. He couldn't quite understand what it was; it looked like one of the birds branched off from it, and then the other person liked that, so the three birds battled, and the two good birds won, that's how Noah took it.
He saw an entrance to his left. "I want my mom and dad!" he yelled, the desperate situation getting to him. So, he cried for hours, not sure how to take his new situation in, so he did it the best way he could, by bawling his eyes out.
After he was done doing that and was now completely emotionally drained, he quickly went towards the opening. That's when he saw a glowing rock. It was glowing orange, which so happened to be his favorite color, and he had a certain urge to go and touch it. So, he did, but it burned his hand, and then it exploded. He screamed in terror and pain.
Lee POV
"Hey, you two, how are you doing?" Lee asked.
"We're okay," Katjaa responded, smiling. "We're just having a little spat," Kenny said, sort of annoyed but not as much as Lee could tell. "We all carry guns now, and, well, I don't like it," Katjaa said. Lee noted the gun between both of them as he looked at the collection, moving towards the side a little bit. She was disgusted by firearms. To be honest, Lee was also uncomfortable that they had to arm people like Ben to survive. Now, if Ben didn't have Travis, he wasn't sure where they would be. Now he was mostly the voice of reason between the two. Before Travis, he assumed David or Parker kept them both or their entire school alive, but now none of them were gone. It seemed like Travis took charge, or he wanted to. Lee wasn't sure why he was thinking about Travis and Ben right now. I guess the mind wanders or something like that. He quickly focused back on the conversation he was having.
"It's the way it's got to be," Kenny said, partially. Katjaa was surprised at her husband's ferocity and temper. "I know, but I'm not going to get used to it," Katjaa bit back.
We didn't know what to say or even do; this seemed like a private conversation for him to be hearing. It was very uncomfortable, but there was nothing to help it now. He might as well try to help the best he can. "Sorry, how are you, Lee?" Katjaa asked. Both of the couples gave their full attention to Lee; he now had the floor.
"There's actually a few things I need to ask. You have to try harder to get along with Lily. We can't keep going on with this power struggle. We're a family; a family doesn't fight amongst themselves," Lee said, trying to snap some sense into his friend and brother-in-arms. "I don't know how straight we can be in this day and age. There will always be disagreements, and I think it will stay that way," Kenny said. Regret was in his voice, but he quickly changed his composure. It was so fast that Lee could barely catch it, which he made a mental note of.
"So, what then?" we asked, wanting to know what Kenny's plan was. Was he just going to leave them? "There will come a point where we'll have to do what's best for our families. You might call all of us a family, but I have only one family to protect, and that's my own, not whatever this you're talking about," Kenny said, truly not seeing it how Lee sees it or how most people do.
"Do you guys trust everyone here?" Lee then asked, wanting to get their opinions on how strong the trust bonding them was or truly is. "It's good to get other perspectives. More or less, I obviously have problems with Lily and Larry, but I don't distrust them, or anyone in this group for that matter," Kenny said, giving a genuine smile for the first time in this entire conversation. "Not trust as much as we are now," Katjaa said. Yeah, they cannot but trust each other if there are threats like Jackson around. They need everyone on the same page to deal with it.
"About the guns," Lee said, a sternness in his voice. "Don't you start," Kenny said, getting fed up with the gun topic. We just sighed in bewilderment. "I just want to say, Kat, it's probably good that it makes you uncomfortable," Lee said, agreeing with both Katjaa and Kenny's sides of the argument. Of course, they needed the guns; it's how they had lived this long, as well as using this evil protection voodoo magic stuff. But they can't get used to it; dangerous things could happen from that, and it could lead them to their ruin. Lee can't risk that happening. But we need them, there's no doubt about that," Lee then said, making both of them sort of happy. But that would be good enough for Lee. He hoped this argument didn't go any further; he thought he just dodged a bullet for the entire group. He dodged the bullet by quickly diffusing this conversation that they were both having; it's no good for Duck.
"He was finally ready, hey Kenny, do you got a second? I need to talk to you in private," Lee said. "Okay, pal," Kenny said, getting up, and both of them walked a bit away. It was definitely out of earshot, so Katjaa couldn't hear their conversation. He was going to tell him too. He just wanted to do it one at a time to make him feel more comfortable. "It's serious," Lee said.
"Can you just smirked. 'Oh no, what did the she-devil do to you now?'" Kenny said, clearly joking. "Shut up, man, come on," Lee said, sighing at Kenny's sense of humor.
"I killed someone, different than the St. John's. It was just different, you know, before," Lee said, scratching his head. He was very tense; he wanted to see his reaction. Kenny just groaned for a moment. "I know, I didn't say anything when I was with you because I was with the girl, and you know, I was worried," Lee said, very nervous now. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything, but what Kenny said next surprised him.
"Dude, I thought about putting a 5 lb salt lick onto Larry's head, you heard me say that, right? During the time," Kenny said, not fazed at all, just a little bit skeptical. "Yeah, you did," Lee remembered the meat locker like it was yesterday; it was still a nightmare he would never
forget, not for a long time. "And you're saying who we were before, what the f*** does that matter? It's everything this mess has got us doing now, Lee. We have to think about the now; we can't keep thinking about the past, man," Jesus, Kenny said, not at all holding it against him.
We didn't know what to say, so we stayed quiet. Kenny's features softened. "Is Duck safe with you, or is he okay around you?" Kenny asked the biggest question, and can you put serious emphasis on this question?
"Of course," Lee said. "Why would that ever be called into question? I would never do anything to hurt anyone in this group. He knew that for sure, and he thinks Kenny sees that, which he was the last one that he thought would see past the murder that he wants was and see that he's just a man trying to survive."
"Hey, you two, how are you doing?" we asked.
"We're okay," Katjaa responded, smiling.
"We're just having a little spat," Kenny said, sort of annoyed but not as much as Lee could tell. "We all carry guns now, and, well, I don't like it," Katjaa said. Lee noted the gun between both of them as he looked at the collection, moving towards the side a little bit. She was disgusted by firearms. To be honest, Lee was also uncomfortable that they had to arm people like Ben to survive. Now, if Ben didn't have Travis, he wasn't sure where they would be. Now he was mostly the voice of reason between the two. Before Travis, he assumed David or Parker kept them both alive, or their entire school alive, but now none of them were gone. It seemed like Travis took charge, or he wanted to. Lee wasn't sure why he was thinking about Travis and Ben right now. I guess the mind wanders or something like that. He quickly focused back on the conversation he was having.
"It's the way it's got to be," Kenny said, partially. Katjaa was surprised at her husband's ferocity and temper.
"I know, but I'm not going to get used to it," Katjaa bit back.
We didn't know what to say or even do; this seemed like a private conversation for him to be hearing. It was very uncomfortable, but there was nothing to help it now. He might as well try to help the best he can.
"Sorry, how are you, Lee?" Katjaa asked. Both of the couples gave their full attention to Lee; he now had the floor.
"There's actually a few things I need to ask. You have to try harder to get along with Lily. We can't keep going on with this power struggle. We're a family; a family doesn't fight amongst themselves," Lee said, trying to snap some sense into his friend and brother-in-arms.
"I don't know how straight we can be in this day and age. There will always be disagreements, and I think it will stay that way," Kenny said. Regret was in his voice, but he quickly changed his composure. It was so fast that Lee could barely catch it, which he made a mental note of.
"So, what then?" we asked, wanting to know what Kenny's plan was. Was he just going to leave them?
"There will come a point where we'll have to do what's best for our families. You might call all of us a family, but I have only one family to protect, and that's my own, not whatever this you're talking about," Kenny said, truly not seeing it how Lee sees it or how most people do.
"Do you guys trust everyone here?" Lee then asked, wanting to get their opinions on how strong the trust bonding them was or truly is.
"It's good to get other perspectives. More or less, I obviously have problems with Lily and Larry, but I don't distrust them, or anyone in this group for that matter," Kenny said, giving a genuine smile for the first time in this entire conversation.
"Not trust as much as we are now," Katjaa said. Yeah, they cannot but trust each other if there are threats like Jackson around. They need everyone on the same page to deal with it.
"About the guns," Lee said, a sternness in his voice. "Don't you start," Kenny said, getting fed up with the gun topic. We just sighed in bewilderment.
"I just want to say, Kat, it's probably good that it makes you uncomfortable," Lee said, agreeing with both Katjaa and Kenny's sides of the argument. Of course, they needed the guns; it's how they had lived this long, as well as using this evil protection voodoo magic stuff. But they can't get used to it; dangerous things could happen from that, and it could lead them to their ruin. Lee can't risk that happening.
"But we need them, there's no doubt about that," Lee then said, making both of them sort of happy. But that would be good enough for Lee. He hoped this argument didn't go any further; he thought he just dodged a bullet for the entire group. He dodged the bullet by quickly diffusing this conversation that they were both having; it's no good for Duck.
"He was finally ready, hey Kenny, do you got a second? I need to talk to you in private," Lee said. "Okay, pal," Kenny said, getting up, and both of them walked a bit away. It was definitely out of earshot, so Katjaa couldn't hear their conversation. He was going to tell him too. He just wanted to do it one at a time to make him feel more comfortable.
"It's serious," Lee said.
Then shut it, you don't owe anyone any explanation," Kenny said, smiling. After that, Kenny just walked away and went back to Katjaa. Lee glanced over toward Kenny and Katjaa again. "Katjaa, I need to talk to you about something, it's important," Lee said, giving Kenny a nod, basically saying, "I'm giving her the same conversation that I gave you." Kenny just responded with his nod.
With his newfound confidence, Lee just said, "I've killed before, before the Walkers ever showed up," Lee said, going to see how Katjaa would react.
"You mean, you are a murderer?" Katjaa said no ill intent that Lee could feel or even sense from her.
"You're saying that like it was my job," Lee said, now getting nervous. Was he way too straight with her? Maybe he should try and work over the method the next time he tells someone after the entire conversation with Kenny went so smoothly. Now, everyone was in it; it was fine, just like it would be with that man.
"Well, what were the details? I need more information than this," Katjaa said, still having the kindness like before. We immediately nodded.
"It was in a dispute," we simply said
. Katjaa looked shocked.
"Would he have killed you?" she had to ask. Lee, to be honest, did not know. He didn't look like the type of guy who would be able to take him out, or maybe he could; now that was another thing that Lee had to think about. "I don't know," Lee said, honestly. That made Katjaa look towards the ground; she was also thinking about something. We hoped this wouldn't affect his relationship with her or with her family. It looked like she was taking it very well; he hoped.
And with a new fire in her eyes, she asked an entirely different question. "Tell me what happened when you were locked in the fridge at the dairy," she said. Lee was surprised to see the determination in her eyes; it looked like she was preparing to ask him this question probably ever since the dairy.
We knew honesty was the best policy. "Larry had a heart attack when we were in there. Kenny said he was going to turn, and Lily was trying to pick him up using CPR, and Kenny wanted to smash his brains in using a salt lick. We were able to stop him. If it wasn't for Naruto doing some of his magical power thing, Larry wouldn't be here with us," there was a huge pause for a moment. "I'm sorry you have to hear this, Katjaa. I do need to warn you, Kenny, he's different than he once was. He's suggesting something like that; he says it's for the good of the group, but I'm feeling like it's just good for you and your son, and that's fine and all, but that is dangerous. I do think you see that, don't you?" Lee asked, wanting to get her opinion on the matter.
Katjaa just gave a sad sign, and she was about to walk away. "Katjaa," Lee said, stopping her in her tracks. "I know what you mean."
"Lee, Ken, he has been different, and during that day in the meat locker, and now makes sense to me, everything just keeps changing," Katjaa finally said, completing her walk towards her husband. "I know," Lee said. He went over to Lily and Larry's rooms; they probably both knew. Larry knows; he just wants to check if Lily knows, as well as to clear the air with something that he's been needing to tell her for a while.
Lee blushed at the thought. He knocked on her door; he then heard mumbling from inside the door, and the door quickly opened, showing a pretty unkempt Lily. She looked like she was pretty stressed out.
"What do you want, Lee? I'm busy," Lily said, annoyed but also something else, but Lee couldn't figure out what. There was just so much about those eyes. Their brown hazel eyes always enamored him. Was he feeling feelings for Lily? He didn't even know her for like a year. Could he be this lonely? He has Clementine and Naruto, but even then, was he feeling that lonely? It can't be. He cleared up his mind; he knew what he was here for, and he was going to get it done as quickly as possible.
"Is your father here?" we asked. We didn't know that first before he got to the real conversation. He and Larry had been on good terms; the relationship was getting better, way better. They've had some peaceful conversations; the old man gave him fewer death glares. He made some really good progress overall. "No, he's in Naruto's room, playing chess with him. He'll be back in a few hours," Lily said, blushing.
"Okay, just wanted to check for a moment. So, Lily, did your dad tell you who I am?" Lee said, seriously. Lily was expecting a lot of things but not to be interrogated.
"Yeah, what if he did? Is that a problem?" Lily said. There was tension in the air. "Is that a yes?" Lee said. Lily gave a nod of yes, she does know. "Well, then I guess that's all I needed," he was about to turn back, but that's when Lily grabbed his hand or shocked him.
"What are you doing?" Lee said, shocked at her actions.
"I have to tell you something, I can't hold it in anymore," she said, nervous, which made her look cute to him, so he gave her all of his attention.
Lily closed the door, locking it, which Lee noticed immediately, and he was tensed up. "What is Lily going to tell him that is bad enough for he was then cut off from all of his thoughts from one her lips Met.
May 23th