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.
Chapter 16 – Where All Roads Lead (Part 1)
The morning sun rose, showering Ericson's school with its early rays. Marlon woke from his slumber, the sunlight piercing through the worn curtains of his room. Sleep had evaded him for the past few days, and yesterday's heated argument with Brody did not help either. He lay still on his bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him.
The silence was almost suffocating, a stark contrast to the turmoil in his mind. He knew he had to get up, face the day, but the willpower to do so was nowhere to be found. His thoughts drifted back to the night before, to the decisions he had made, and the growing tension within the group.
He knew if this keeps up, they can't stay here any longer and even if they left, where would they even go? They never went past their borders for a long time, hardly knew what's out there.
Marlon sighed deeply, closing his eyes for a brief moment, hoping to find some semblance of peace or clarity. But the same questions and doubts swirled in his mind, leaving him feeling more lost and conflicted than ever. He knew he couldn't stay in bed forever, though, and with a resigned groan, he finally pushed himself up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed.
As he sat there, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he tried to muster the strength and resolve he needed to face whatever challenges the day would bring. Others would be expecting him soon, and despite his own inner turmoil, he couldn't let them down.
His mind drifted back to the arrangement he made with the raiders, a necessary evil, a small exchange for some leniency. A pang of guilt hit him in the heart. He didn't like it; in fact, he despised the very thought and the fact that he had to do it again pains him to no end. Who is he to decide who lives and who dies? If there had been any other choice, any other way to protect his friends, he would have taken it without hesitation.
But there wasn't.
With a deep breath, Marlon forced himself to stand. The room felt colder than usual, or maybe it was just his own apprehension seeping into his bones. He moved to the window and pulled the curtains aside, letting more of the morning light flood in. The school grounds below were still and quiet, a deceptive calm that belied the tension simmering beneath the surface.
He knew he had to gather his resolve. The others depended on him, trusted him. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, trying to shake off the lingering doubt. There was no room for second-guessing now; he had to act, and fast.
With a final, steadying breath, Marlon turned away from the window and began to dress. His mind went into autopilot, each movement was mechanical, choreographed, as he prepared himself for the day ahead. The weight of his responsibilities settled heavily on his shoulders, but he squared them away. Today, he would do what needed to be done, no matter the cost to his own conscience.
As he finished dressing, he glanced at the door, beyond it lays a series of events which would shape the course of the school. Whether for good or bad however, he didn't know.
But before he could get the chance, the door of his office burst wide open, sending his senses into overdrive. Brody marched into the room, her eyes wide with fear, and her breath coming in rapid, panicked gasps.
"Marlon!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling. "They're gone! Derek, Clementine, and AJ—they're not in their rooms. They took off in the middle of the night!"
Marlon's heart skipped a beat, the color draining from his face. This was the last thing he needed, the last complication he could afford. He stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing to comprehend the ramifications.
He forced to snap himself out of his reverie, and focused. "Did you check everywhere?" he demanded.
"Of course, I checked everywhere!" Brody replied, her tone urgent. She paced around the room, her breathing uneven. "They couldn't have overheard us last night… did they?" she turned to look at Marlon.
Marlon swallowed hard, forcing himself to think clearly. The fragile balance he had been maintaining for a long time was on the verge of collapse. If Clementine and the others had truly left, then they have no leverage against the raiders. He needed something and he needed it fast.
"We need to find them," he said firmly, his resolve hardening. "They can't have gotten too far. We just need to look for them."
Brody sighed in frustration, "Where?" she asked tiredly.
Whether it was the lack of sleep, stress or Brody's tone, Marlon couldn't tell, but he was running out of patience. "JUST FUCKING ANYWHERE!" He snapped, closing the distance between them, eyes wild followed by erratic breathing. Brody shrunk down from his imposing figure, backing away a few steps.
Marlon noticed this and shook his head, sighing. He took a moment to compose himself and brushed past her, heading towards the dormitory. Brody followed soon after.
Inside the dormitory, Mitch, Aasim, and Ruby had gathered around the room where Derek, Clementine, and AJ had been staying. The door was ajar, and the room, once filled with the few belongings of their guests, was now eerily empty.
"What the hell?" Mitch muttered, frustration and confusion evident in his voice. He pushed the door open further, scanning the room for any sign of their guests.
Aasim, ever the rational one, stepped inside and began to search more methodically. "They must have left during the night," he said, checking under the bed and in the closet, hoping to find something—anything—that might indicate where they went. "But why? What would make them leave so suddenly?"
Ruby, standing in the doorway, hugged herself, worry etched across her face. "You don't think they lied to us, did they?" she asked quietly, her voice trembling slightly.
"I knew we couldn't trust them!" Mitch growled in anger, punching his fist into a nearby wall.
Aasim stood up, shaking his head. "This doesn't make any sense." He said, looking lost.
"You don't think they stole anything before they left, did they?" Ruby paced around in a small circle, a worried look on her face.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they did," Mitch snarled. He shook his head in anger and disappointment then left.
Aasim looked at him in concern. "Where are you going?"
"See if they took anything else," was the only reply from the angry teen.
Mitch bumped into Marlon on the way out, with Brody lagging a few meters behind. The two boys locked eyes for a moment. The tension between the two boys was palpable. One blamed the other for the current mess they're in, and the other just wanted to protect everyone. Mitch snorted and turned away with a huff, his frustration evident.
The remaining two inside the dormitory noticed Marlon and Brody's arrival, Aasim stepped forward, his voice laced with concern and a hint of accusation. "Did you know anything about this? Why would they leave?"
Marlon took a deep breath, his heart pounding in the inside but kept his cool. "We don't know yet but we'll find out eventually. Right now, I want everyone to stay inside the school until Brody and I figure things out."
"Why can't we help look for them then?" Aasim asked.
Marlon was quick to come up with an excuse. "We still don't know where they went and with those bandits running around close by, I want people to keep watch in the school at all times." Marlon replied.
Just as things couldn't get any messier, Willy barged through the dormitory doors, his eyes wide with panic. "Marlon! There's people outside trying to get in!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear.
Marlon's heart dropped as soon as he heard those words. He felt butterflies inside his stomach, anxiety and hopelessness overwhelmed his senses. He felt nauseous, the world spun around him and everything became a blurred mess as he slowly lost control. Marlon's calm façade slowly crumbled, revealing the panicked teen beneath. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" he muttered under his breath, pacing in tight circles.
Brody fared no better. She slowly sank to the floor, muttering, "No... no…" Her knees lost their strength as she realized their dire situation. Her eyes were blank and vacant, her breathing erratic. The remaining teens looked at the two with worry in their eyes, unsure of how to help.
Before they could tend to their leaders, the school gate crashed open with a thunderous roar, followed by screams echoing through the courtyard. The sound sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
Ruby, Aasim, and Willy hurried to the nearest window, their hearts sinking at the sight of armed men and women pouring into the school grounds. The invaders tore through the school without mercy, scattering their belongings as if they were nothing. However, the teens' worst fears were soon realized when they spotted Omar, Mitch, Louis, Tenn, and Violet being forced to their knees by their aggressors. Their cries for help fell on deaf ears.
One of the invaders, a tall dark-skinned man, shouted with all his might. His voice booming across the courtyard. "If you want your friends alive, you get out here now!"
Panicked, Ruby turned towards Brody and Marlon. "What do we do?!"
However, they remained unresponsive. Brody was frozen in place, her eyes wide with terror, while Marlon seemed lost in his own despair. Aasim, desperate for guidance, rushed towards Marlon, grabbing him by the collar and shook him aggressively. "Marlon! What. Are. We. Going. To. Do?!"
Marlon blinked, shifting his gaze towards Aasim with hopelessness in his eyes. "There's nothing we can do…"
The sounds of the dormitory doors being kicked open grabbed their attention. Two of the assailants pointed their guns at the group while a third, equipped with a police baton, approached them aggressively.
"On your knees, now!" the man with the baton barked, his voice sharp and commanding. The teens hesitated, fear and hesitation written across their faces. The man took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. "I said, on your knees!"
Ruby and Willy exchanged a terrified glance before slowly sinking to the floor. Aasim, still gripping Marlon's collar, reluctantly let go and followed suit. Marlon, his mind reeling from the shock, finally lowered himself, his body trembling.
The man with the baton stopped in front of Marlon, looking down at him with cold eyes. "Heard so much about you." he sneered. " You thought you could protect them?"
Before Marlon could respond, the man raised the baton and brought it down with a brutal force. Pain exploded in Marlon's head, his vision blurring. He heard Ruby's scream, a desperate, terrified sound, but it seemed distant, as if coming from another world. The man struck again, and Marlon's world went black.
Aasim watched in horror as the baton descended on Marlon, feeling a mix of fear and helplessness. He wanted to move, to help his friend, but his body wouldn't respond. The sight of Marlon crumpling to the floor, unconscious, was the last thing he saw before the butt of a rifle connected with his temple, plunging him into darkness.
Ruby and Willy were next, the attackers showing no mercy as they ensured all the teens were subdued. The room fell silent, save for the heavy breathing of the aggressors and the soft, unconscious moans of the fallen.
As the leader surveyed the scene, he nodded to his comrades. "Tag 'em and bag 'em. Lily wants them up the brig on the double. The rest of you, sweep the area, grab whatever useful and keep a lookout. There could be more hiding."
The men moved swiftly, binding the hands and feet of the unconscious teens and dragging them to the prison wagon. The leader stepped outside, signaling to the rest of the group to bring in the remaining captives from the courtyard. Omar, Mitch, Louis, Tenn, and Violet were violently dragged towards the cart and thrown in with the rest of the teens, their faces bruised and bloodied.
The invaders worked with practiced efficiency, securing the area and ensuring no one was left unbound. The leader looked over his captives, nodding in approval, then spoke into his radio. "Command, this is Rockport. Package is secured. RTB in 15, over."
He turned towards the rest of the soldiers. "We're moving out!"
The horses pulled the wagon with the teens inside, dragging them towards the unknown. The rattling of the cart wheels and the clinking of chains were the only sounds breaking the tense silence. The teens, their faces a mix of fear and defiance, exchanged glances with one another, glad that everyone still made it in one piece despite the minor injuries.
As the sun continued to rise, its warm light was a stark contrast to the cold, harsh reality happening on the ground. The teens, now prisoners, faced an uncertain future, their once-safe haven slowly slipping beyond their reach. The promise of a new day did little to lighten the heavy burden of the unknown that lay ahead.
AN: FINALLY! THE THREE PART ARC IS FINISHED! (The following chapters will be uploaded after a few days). For context, i was going to upload the "supposed" update a few months ago right after the filler chapter but i didn't like it. Things started to not make any sense and after much deliberation, i decided to scrap the entire chapter and rework it into a three-part arc instead. This, combined with my job, took a lot of time to make since i had to start from the beginning and reuse some of the scrapped parts into the story but it was worth it.
I'll upload the following chapters after a few days. Leave a comment and a like/fav so that i can see how well this turn out.
A shout-out to the people that supported me through the reviews, i hear you, and i thank you. Even if leaving a comment is not much for you, it means a lot for me. Thank you very much for your support.
Don't forget to share to other people if you can and have a great day ahead!