Neo Soul King Yhwach

[Third Person Pov]

Lee stood in the boxcar, his mind racing over the different conversations he could have when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see Yhwach standing there.

"Lee," Yhwach began, "you're stalling again. You need to fix things with Kenny. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to rebuild that bridge." His tone was matter-of-fact, It was as though he were simply stating a fundamental truth—one that couldn't be ignored.

Lee met Yhwach's gaze, Yhwach was always direct, never one to sugarcoat things, especially when it came to matters of survival and group cohesion. It was part of his detached nature, always seeing things from a broader perspective.

Lee frowned, shifting his weight. He knew Yhwach was right. The situation might have been different, but the fact of the matter was that Lee was pushing this talk aside when it needed to be done. Maybe it was because he dreaded pushing Kenny further away from him, which is why he opted instead to give him space, but that approach clearly wasn't working.

Saving Larry had created a gaping hole in Lee and Kenny's relationship. He had tried stitching that hole up by agreeing with Kenny that the group needed to leave, but it was temporary. Something would come up that would cause the two to conflict and the stitches would always be undone.

Lee walked out of the boxcar. He needed to apply some hot glue to this situation. It wouldn't fix the past permanently, but it would be the first step toward reconciliation. It wouldn't just be a half-measure like Lee's previous methods.

He opened the cab door and saw Duck sitting in Kenny's lap. Katjaa was standing in the corner while her husband was showing Duck the different controls that the train had to offer. Of course, he made sure that his son didn't actually touch anything.

"Wow! I'm the best conductor ever. We're going to be arriving at Savannah in 10 minutes!" hollered Duck.

"10 minutes, huh?" smiled Lee.

"He might be a little off, but we're making good time. We should be heading into Savannah sometime this evening. If there's still light, we might be able to find a boat as soon as we stop." mused Kenny.

"Kenny, could I talk to you privately?" asked Lee. As expected, Kenny's eyes narrowed suspiciously at Lee's demands.

"What do you need to talk about?" confronted Kenny.

"Us. Kenny, I need to talk about us and I would appreciate it if your son wasn't around to hear everything I'm going to have to say. Katjaa can keep an eye on him until we're done here. I don't want any distractions." explained Lee.

Kenny grimaced a little, but he nodded and told Katjaa, "Honey, take Duck into the boxcar. I'm sure Lee is just overreacting about something as usual."

"Sure. Come on, Ducky." said Katjaa.

"Mom, I want to drive the train!" complained Duck.

"I promise that you can do that once Lee is done. He needs to talk with your dad," reassured Katjaa. Lee noticed that her tone was full of worry. He didn't know whether Kenny had discussed any of their problems with her, but he wouldn't be surprised if he didn't.

Or if he did, then he painted himself in a positive light.

Katjaa and Duck left and Kenny turned his attention to Lee fully. His fists were slightly clenched and wrinkles were starting to appear on his forehead. If Lee didn't know any better, he would think that Kenny didn't even want to be anywhere near him. It was strange considering he seemed to tolerate Lee's presence a few seconds ago.

Everyone's gone, so there's no need to hold a false pretense. Everything in this room that is going to be said is the cold, unfiltered truth.

"What's the big deal now?" asked Kenny.

"Kenny, this has been a long time coming. I know that we left things on a bad note and I'm not willing to let that slide any longer. The time has come for us to hash out our differences. No one else, but us." announced Lee.

Kenny quickly spun back around and grumbled, "I don't have anything to say. We already said everything we need to.".

"No, we put a temporary bandage on our issues. We didn't- I didn't make things right with you." Lee replied solemnly.

"So, what do you want? For you to say sorry and everything goes away? This ain't grade school." retorted Kenny.

"That's why I want you to speak to me, man-to-man." declared Lee. Kenny spun back around and Lee could see the venom in his glare from here. He had to be careful not to set Kenny off. That wasn't going to solve anything. It would just push the two of them further apart.

The gap might be impossible to cross by that point.

"You KNOW why I wanted to kill Larry in that meat locker. You KNOW that my plan had merit and you KNOW you were considering it before you decided to be Superman. Yet, here we are. I'm the bad guy and you just get to strut around like nothing ever happened." accused Kenny.

"Who's calling you a bad guy? Is there anyone that's constantly harassing you? If they have a problem with you, let me talk to them." reassured Lee.

"What the hell does it matter? You treat me just like everyone else," whined Kenny.

He chose not to answer the question. That's interesting.

"Kenny, I've been nothing, but cordial to you since that night. I've always expressed trying to move past our differences, but you've never been ready to listen to me." Lee said.

"Listen to you?! I've listened to you plenty. You and everyone else in that meat locker. All of you telling me how much of a monster I was. About how I wasn't thinking clearly and was only looking out for myself and my family. I got a news flash for you: I'm supposed to think about my family because no one else is going to." declared Kenny.

"That's not true."

"Sure it is."

"What about all the times that I protected your family? I saved Katjaa from that dead teacher reanimating and saved both of them from the St. Johns. You can't just forget that." reminded Lee.

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." dismissed Kenny with a wave of his hand.

A broken clock?! This mother-

No, Lee couldn't get angry. That animal caged inside of him was crying out for freedom, but he wasn't about to loosen the stranglehold that he had on it. He wanted to talk to the man as Lee Everett, the leader of the group instead of Lee Everett, the murderer.

"Kenny, you still haven't told me specifically how you've been mistreated. If you can give me some more information, I can get to the bottom of it." Lee said patiently.

"It's the looks people give me when they think I'm not looking. You, Larry, Lilly, and everyone else. They all see me as some unstable psycho when the only reason that they were able to leave with their lives and supplies is because of ME. I didn't even get a fucking lick of gratitude." complained Kenny.

"Is that the problem? You feel unappreciated?" confirmed Lee. Kenny just sighed heavily and turned back around. Some of the hostility seemed to have left his face, but Lee didn't think he had gotten anywhere with the man.

It seems that we argue, he says something that he didn't mean to reveal, and then he shuts himself off for the rest of the day. Trying to have an open conversation with Kenny is like trying to pull teeth.

"Kenny, answer me," demanded Lee.

"Yeah, I do. I feel like you're out to discredit me. The only people who support me at this point are my wife and son. Everyone else has to be bitching about every little thing I do and I'm sick of it." Kenny muttered.

"What could they be bitching to you about? Half of them don't know what happened in the meat locker and you've just been fixing the RV since then," noted Lee.

"No thanks to you. My fucking wife found out somehow and there's only one person I know that could have told her." Kenny spat.

Lee looked down in shame. To be honest, he had forgotten that he had spilled the beans to Katjaa, but he owed it to her to tell her. She had been so understanding about his secret and he couldn't continue to keep any more that might damage the couple's relationship if it came out at the wrong time.

By who? No one is snitching besides you.

"There it is. Hell, at this point, I think you should hold a group meeting. Get the new guys involved too, so you can tell them what a piece of shit I am. Make sure everyone's on the level." grumbled Kenny.

"It was going to come out one way or the other. I couldn't just...NOT tell her, especially after I already told her I was going to jail for murder." defended Lee.

"That ain't your secret to spill!" retorted Kenny.

"Why does it have to be a secret, Kenny? If you're so convinced that you were in the right, why are you keeping it a secret from your loved ones?" confronted Lee.

"You know why. Most of them wouldn't get it. They would think that I...wanted to do shit like that. I don't hold any affection for that old fucker, but that doesn't mean I wanted him to die. I didn't think he'd make it!" replied Kenny.

"I don't think you're like that. I think that...you had perfectly valid reasons and I was wrong to accuse you of not caring about Larry's life. I'm sorry." said Lee.

Kenny didn't say anything for a while. Lee was praying to whatever God still existed that the man would just accept the apology and let this pettiness go. Deep down, he knew Kenny wouldn't.

"No. I'm not falling for this bullshit. You're just trying to make me feel like you're on my side when I know that isn't the case."

"Kenny, that is...I've always had your back when it mattered most. Sure, we've had a few disputes in the past, but we always moved past them. I agreed with you when Duck was about to be thrown out, I agreed with you when you said something was fishy with the St. Johns, and I agreed with you when you wanted to leave." Lee replied.

"You had my family's back a couple of times, sure. But I understand why you did it now. You see, driving an RV and then a train gives you time to think. A lot of time. I can't believe I didn't see it before." stated Kenny.

"Come again?"

"It was never about taking care of my family. It was always about making yourself look better. If you made me feel like you had my family's best interests at heart, it would keep me under your thumb. If you could do that, then I would always be indebted to you and I wouldn't speak out on the bullshit I see!" exclaimed Kenny.

"Wait, are you...saying that I did everything I did as some form of emotional blackmail?! Kenny, that has to be the stupidest theory I've heard in this conversation...and that's saying something." gasped Lee.

This is not going to plan at all.

"Oh, of course, I'm the stupid one and you're the smart one! I may not be a professor and I may have never gone to some fancy college, but I still got more brains than half of this group combined!" Kenny retorted.

"If you had any intelligence in that head of yours, you would realize that I've kept your family safe because I care! I care about their lives!" yelled Lee. His patience was running thin at this point. Kenny just refused to see any kind of reason.

What did I expect? That I was Jesus and I could make him see the light?

"My family! That's what you always talk about, but what about me, Lee? WHAT ABOUT ME?!!" screamed Kenny.

"Ken-"

"NO! You keep bringing up my family, but what you have done for me lately? Isn't that what it's about? Talking man-to-man?" demanded Kenny.

"Helping out your family is helping you, you fucking moron. Or did I read you wrong and you're not the good family man you claim to be?" Lee asked in a low voice.

"Oh, you want to preach to me about family? Unlike you, I've got a REAL family I'm trying to protect! Not that fucking sham you're running back there!" antagonized Kenny. He stood up as Lee clenched his fists.

"I know I'm no father, but that doesn't mean I don't know anything about taking care of someone else's family," said Lee.

"Is that why you had a wife and kids before you went to jail? Or did you just not have anyone, because they knew how shitty you would be?" antagonized Kenny.

He wanted to hit Kenny. He wanted to just wail on the man until he couldn't even speak. He could feel...HIM trying to claw his way out of Lee's heart. No, he couldn't do that. It wouldn't solve anything and it would just make things worse.

I'll have to try a different approach.

"Keep going," Lee replied.

"What?" asked Kenny confusingly.

"Tell me how you feel. Get it off your chest." clarified Lee.

"Uh...okay. I feel...I feel angry that you have this pedestal put under you while I always seem to get the shit end of the stick. You're not always right! There are things that I know about better than you. Yet, when I help out the group, it's never good for everyone! People always have to bitch and moan about EVERYTHING!"

"The boat plan is the best plan! Everyone's bitching, but no one is offering an alternate path that we KNOW exists. If my plan is a shot in the dark, then so is everyone else's plans. Why is my plan treated like a pile of shit while they act like their plans are so much better?"

Kenny huffed. His face was getting a bit red, but Lee kept bearing the brunt of Kenny's words. His pride was worth less than the unity of this group.

"You know what I hate the most? I hate YOU, Lee. I hate YOU because I have to accept that you have protected my family better than I have! I hate that I'm stuck with your ass for the foreseeable future. I hate that you can come in with a criminal past and somehow come out with a better reputation than me, because of one situation! I hate that you made me look like an asshole in front of everyone just because I wasn't going to risk a big-ass walker being trapped in a room with us! I hate that everyone here can't stop gushing about you. I hate that I...I can't get over things as easy as you. It's just...too much." said Kenny.

He backed up into his seat and almost fell down in it. Lee slowly walked over as Kenny swiveled the chair around and buried his head in his hands. He didn't cry, but Lee could tell that the anger was gone. It had been replaced by an overwhelming sense of...sadness. Lee put his right hand on Kenny's shoulder.

"Kenny, I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way. I truly am. I don't know how I can make things right with you, but I'm willing to try. Despite what you may think, I don't hate you. I really don't." reassured Lee.

"We're done talking," said Kenny after a few seconds. Lee nodded and made his way to the door. There was no point in pushing any further.

"Kenny, are we good?" asked Lee.

"I don't know if we're good, but I know I'm good," replied Kenny. He turned back towards Lee with something resembling a smirk under his mustache. Lee smirked at that and opened the door. He knew he was nowhere near fully repairing his relationship with Kenny, but he felt that, just for a moment, the gap between the two men had been fully bridged.

[ Scene Break, Location: Inside of The Train]

"What do you think about these guys?" asked Justin. He was currently sitting down with Marcus against a pair of crates. The two of them were away from the rest of the group which wasn't a surprise to Justin at all.

Who wants to associate with criminals?

"I don't really care for any of them. I just met them." Marcus replied.

"No shit we just met them. Do you think they're skilled though?" asked Justin.

"Who the fuck knows?" Marcus replied.

"Jeez, you're a real joy to talk to," muttered Justin.

"I'm not thinking about stupid shit like that. If these people are willing to give us a ride and band together, then fuck it, I guess." mused Marcus.

"They were ready until you almost fucked it up. Why would you tell them all of your crimes? Were you asking for them to kick you out?" chuckled Justin.

"There's no point in hiding from it. Knowing you, it probably would have come out sooner or later. These people have kids with them which...I outta respect. They're trying to provide for them." Marcus stated.

"You have kids?" questioned Justin.

"No, I don't have kids. They would just waste my fucking time. I was killing people, not playing house." Marcus retorted.

"Okay, I just think that they didn't have to know everything about us. It's not like we're the ones who found their group. They found us." Justin explained.

"You just mad that you don't have any secrets to hold over them?" Marcus asked.

Yes, I am kind of pissed off. You did the same shit with Chuck, but it was okay. I guess it wouldn't have mattered considering their leader is a convicted felon himself.

Justin liked holding things over people. Some might call it blackmail, but he would call it being smart. Information was always a good thing to keep in your back pocket because you never knew when you might need it.

It also makes it easier for people to do what you want if you know what they want.

Everyone has a price. That was the motto Justin lived by.

It didn't matter whether they were a boy or girl, child or adult, strong or weak, smart or dumb, or a good person or bad person. The only thing that mattered was figuring out what that price was. Justin didn't concoct one of the biggest pyramid schemes in Georgia by accident. The people he worked with all had things that they wanted and Justin was willing to tell them whatever they wanted to hear to make sure he could keep them under his thumb.

Hey, if it worked out that his "clients" could get what they wanted while Justin kept earning, then everything was great. However, that was seldom the case. Misdirection seemed to be a common theme in keeping the rats in line.

Man, it would have been nice if Marcus had kept his mouth shut about that guy's past. Lee. I could have used it against him if I ever needed to.

No, Justin couldn't think hastily. From the reactions of the people in Lee's group, it seemed like everyone knew already. Even if he didn't say anything, he doubted that he could have gotten anywhere with that piece of info.

Anyway, he was jumping the gun. There was no need to be malicious with these guys. They had let them on the train and most of them seemed unfazed at the revelation that he and Marcus were criminals. All Justin had to do was keep his eyes and ears open to see what he could find out about certain members. He looked around the boxcar.

Katjaa and Duck had come back inside the boxcar and they were speaking to Clementine and Carley. Ben and Doug were sitting nearby talking amongst themselves while Lilly and Larry were on the other side. They seemed to be the least approachable, but Justin wasn't about to talk to a bunch of kids instead.

That would just look weird.

"Hey, Marcus. I'm going to talk to Lilly and Larry and see if we can learn more about these guys," said Justin.

"Good luck with that," grunted Marcus. Justin thought he heard the faintest sounds of humor in his voice, but Marcus's face was stone cold. There wasn't much fun to be had with this guy.

Boring.

Justin walked over to Lilly and Larry who immediately took their attention off of whatever conversation they were having and instead focused on him. There wasn't much warmth in their gaze, a stark contrast to the other members of the group.

Well, I don't know if those guys actually wanted us, but they didn't mind our presence.

"Hey, uh, you guys are Lilly and Larry, right?" asked Justin.

"What's it to you?" Lilly bit back.

Justin put his hands up in mock surrender.

"Whoa, I'm not trying to be a menace here. I just figured that I should at least know who everyone is. If we're going to be part of your group, then that would be a good idea, wouldn't you think?" Justin replied.

"If you want to gossip, go find someone else. We don't exchange pleasantries with strangers," growled Larry.

These two are a bit touchy. You've always liked a challenge, Justin.

"Hey, your daughter wanted to get to know us earlier. I don't see why it's a problem now." retorted Justin.

"I just wanted to know your names and your story. Now that I got that information, I don't really think it's a priority of mine to have a conversation with you like we're old buddies. Honestly, the fact that you two are criminals doesn't really help." Lilly said.

"Your leader is a criminal. Why is it different for the two of us?" asked Justin.

"Lee has proven himself to the group and shown good judgement...mostly. We can't say the same about you. Getting rid of one coupling is not enough." replied Lilly.

Mostly? Is there something more?

"Lee let us come with him, which I think was more than generous considering you basically stole our home. Are you saying that he was wrong in doing that?" wondered Justin. Lilly's eyes narrowed and Justin knew he had found something to exploit. Some possible sources of friction.

"I think Lee knows what he's doing. If he says that we should let you in our group, then that's what we're going to do." Lilly replied curtly.

She didn't say anything about her own opinion.

"Yeah, Lee seems like a great guy. I would talk to him, but it seems he went somewhere. Wouldn't want to bother the man if he's on a mission. Speaking of which, we're going to Savannah, right? What exactly are we doing there?" asked Justin.

"We're...going to find a boat," muttered Lilly. Yet again, Justin noticed the disapproving tone that crept into her words. If he didn't know any better, he would guess that Lilly didn't like the boat plan at all.

"I don't know if that's smart. Do you guys know where a boat is in Savannah?" asked Justin.

"No, we do not. Kenny is convinced that there is one and it'll be a piece of cake." Lilly replied.

"But you're not?" questioned Justin.

"No, we are not! That boat plan has so many holes in it, the boat would probably sink if we found one! We need to go find a place on land or something and dig in. That motel was perfect." Larry spat.

"You guys were at a motel before?"

"For a while. Eventually, we ran into bandits and Lee decided to make the executive decision to have all of us leave with our supplies. If we had just tried to fight them, I know we could have won! Our group was trained, but...it is what it is." Lilly explained.

"Thankfully, we haven't run into anyone bad since we met Chuck, but that must suck. All that time and energy you probably put into the place and now it's all for nothing," said Justin.

Lilly didn't reply, but briefly nodded. Justin smiled internally. He was getting a lot of potential information on the character dynamics within the group. It seemed that Lilly wasn't exactly fond of Lee or Kenny's decisions, but she decided to roll with them. Was that making her more pissed than she was letting on?

"Was Lee always the leader of your group?" interrogated Justin.

"No, he only became the leader recently. He's pretty good with everyone besides Kenny, but Kenny is just a whiny fuck." Lilly stated.

"The decision about letting us in the group seemed pretty unilateral. Did he not want to consult your expert mind on that?" asked Justin.

"Are you being patronizing to me?" growled Lilly.

"No, just stating the facts. It didn't seem like you were particularly pleased about Lee's decision, which would explain your hostile nature towards me." Justin calmly replied.

"Lee's a criminal, so it only makes sense he would take you two strays in. He's being too trusting, but my daughter doesn't have that issue." Larry grunted.

"Ok, if you feel that way, then you should tell him. He would take your advice into consideration, right?" Justin inquired.

"Yes, he would, but he does have the final say. I can't force him to think like I do. He's more optimistic than me...and that means we see things differently. It's nothing that we can't discuss later." Lilly said.

Justin nodded. "Of course. I don't think your opinions should be discounted. After all, we are criminals and we were going to prison because we were dangerous. I don't blame you for being hesitant in taking us in. If you feel that you're right, you should challenge Lee."

"Why do you care so much?" confronted Lilly.

"Sorry, I might have overstepped. It's just...I've seen so many people that I know lose their livelihood, because of external pressures. One of my cousins...actually...he had this control freak stepdad. All his stepdad wanted to do was live his life through my cousin, so he would...force him to go on runs at midnight, eat less food so he wouldn't get fat, and uh...not hang out with friends or do "useless" things. His stepdad wanted him to be an Olympic athlete, which is why he trained him so hard. My cousin struggled with bulimia and depression, but he never got diagnosed, because...uhm...his stepdad didn't believe in mental disorders."

Justin blinked back tears. Lilly's hard expression changed to one of sympathy and Larry even looked a bit sad at Justin's horrible tale.

"Sorry, it's kind of hard to tell. We were...uh...kind of tight whenever he did get to hang out with me. He hung himself a few years ago...and I was so guilty. Maybe that's why...I did what I did. I didn't give a shit about other people's suffering, because of my own." said Justin.

"What the hell was his mom doing?" wondered Larry.

"His mom was too scared to say anything. She married the stepdad for his money, and he would just yell at her if she ever tried to speak up. She was nothing more than a scared little mouse. I think that's why I don't want you to fall into the same trap. I'm not saying you're like her, but it would be nice to remind Lee that two people are responsible for the decisions. Just because he gets the final say doesn't mean you shouldn't get any say." Justin replied. He swallowed to keep himself from getting choked up.

"That's...I'll keep that in mind. I'm sorry about your cousin, Justin." Lilly replied.

"Don't be. You didn't know him. While you're at it, maybe you should tell Lee about any backup plans in case we don't get a boat. I would hate to be stranded in the middle of nowhere. It was...uh...nice talking to you guys." said Justin.

"It wasn't really nice that you decided to invade my daughter's private time with me, but I'm glad that you don't seem to be a complete idiot," Larry said.

Justin nodded and turned around. Since his back was to Lilly and Larry, they couldn't see the smile he had on his face. Justin had learned many things by being a conman and one of them was that a sob story would always get people to feel sorry for you. That one moment of vulnerability that Lilly had shown had allowed him to worm his way inside her brain and take a little hint of control. If he played his cards right, he could find a permanent home inside of there.

As for the story, Justin was the one who told it, which only meant one thing.

It was complete and utter fuckin' bullshit.

[ Scene Break, Location: Otherside of The Train]

Yhwach stepped outside the boxcar, The rush of wind greeted him, a welcome respite from the tense atmosphere inside. He saw Ben leaning against the rail, his shoulders hunched forward as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him. The boy's face was drawn, reflecting a mixture of exhaustion and anxiety—emotions that were all too common these days.

As Yhwach approached, Ben noticed him, and his body language shifted immediately. His posture straightened, but it wasn't out of confidence—it was out of fear. He glanced up at Yhwach, his eyes widening slightly.

"Uhh, hey Jugra—" Ben began, but the words caught in his throat as he noticed Yhwach staring at him, his calm yet piercing gaze unblinking. Ben froze.

Yhwach continued to look at Ben, his expression unreadable, but that only seemed to amplify the boy's discomfort. Yhwach was aware of Ben's fear, how the boy shrunk under his presence, but it wasn't something Yhwach had any intention of addressing—not right now.

Ben swallowed hard and, after a few more agonizing seconds, spoke again, his voice barely a whisper, "Did you, uh... need something?"

Yhwach finally broke his gaze, looking out into the distance, where the train tracks stretched endlessly. He could feel Ben's fear—It wasn't the first time he'd encountered it. In fact, fear was something Yhwach knew all too well, both as an emotion to exploit and as a natural part of life.

"No," Yhwach said calmly, "I simply wished to stand here."

Ben, unsure if that was better or worse, nodded quickly. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, glancing between Yhwach and the train tracks, clearly not knowing how to respond.

After a moment, Yhwach spoke again, "You're afraid. Not just from me, but of what's happening... what's going to happen."

Ben's head snapped up, his face flushing slightly. "I-I'm not—" He stopped himself. What was the point of lying? Yhwach already saw through him. "Yeah... I am."

Yhwach didn't react. He simply stood there. "Fear is natural. It keeps people alive. But you need to decide what you're going to do with it."

Ben looked at Yhwach, surprised by the unexpected comment. He hadn't expected Yhwach to talk to him like that. "What do you mean?"

Yhwach turned to face him fully, his voice taking on that authoritative edge, the one that made people listen whether they wanted to or not. "Fear can either paralyze you or propel you. If you want to survive, you need to learn how to manage it. Fear can't control you forever."

Ben opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He wasn't sure what to say. Yhwach wasn't like anyone else in the group—he wasn't one for comfort, nor was he someone who coddled or gave false reassurances. His words were cold, but they rang true in a way that made Ben think. He didn't know what Yhwach's past was, but in that moment, Ben could feel the weight of experience behind the man's words.

Yhwach glanced once more at the boy, then back at the train tracks, his own thoughts briefly wandering before he refocused. "If you let fear control you, Benjamin... you'll be nothing more than a liability. And in times like these, that's a dangerous thing to be."

Ben's throat tightened. Liability. The word stung, but deep down, Ben knew it was true. He didn't want to be a burden, but fear had been eating away at him for so long now. He nodded slowly, trying to absorb what Yhwach was telling him. Maybe there was something to it. Maybe he needed to stop letting fear dictate every decision he made.

"It was me..." Ben said after some hesitation.

Yhwach paused as he turned to look at Ben. His eyes penetrated deep into Ben's eyes As if staring directly into his soul.

Ben felt a rush of anxiety flow through his body. For a moment he felt hesitant to reply but that thought was almost immediately thrown away when he felt Yhwach's scrutinizing gaze.

He took a heavy breath to calm himself down. I have to tell the truth... If I don't, it'll eat me alive faster than the dead out there. 

He thought for a moment of clarity and that was enough to ignite a moment of bravery as he confessed wholeheartedly "I... Was the one giving those bandits the supplies." With a guilty look on his face. 

Yhwach remained silent for a moment longer, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he observed the boy. Ben's confession wasn't entirely unexpected; in fact, Yhwach had suspected something was amiss with the supplies. 

Still, why come to me? Surely, he'd confess to Lee instead. Interesting...

Hearing it directly from the boy's lips—especially when Ben had nothing to gain from telling him—caught Yhwach's interest. It showed more courage than Yhwach had anticipated from someone as frail as Ben. But bravery alone didn't excuse recklessness.

Ben, feeling his chest tighten with every passing second, couldn't stand the silence any longer. The weight of Yhwach's unreadable gaze was unbearable. He swallowed hard, his throat dry, the anxiety gnawing at him like a beast. "Say something... Please!" His voice trembled.

Yhwach's eyes narrowed slightly, He stepped closer, just enough for Ben to feel the man's towering presence more acutely. The wind howled softly as the train sped onward, but the world felt frozen in place for Ben.

"When you gave the bandits those supplies," Yhwach began, "did you think it would save us? Did you believe you were doing the right thing?"

Ben stammered, trying to find his voice. "I-I thought... I thought if I kept them happy, they wouldn't attack us. I was scared, Jugram... I didn't know what else to do."

Yhwach let the words settle, studying Ben's face. Fear. It had driven the boy's decisions, but now, that same fear was paralyzing him. Yhwach understood fear—he had wielded it, used it as a weapon—but Ben had let it consume him. That, Yhwach knew, was fatal.

"You acted out of fear," Yhwach said, his voice low but carrying a weight that made Ben flinch. "Fear led you to believe you could control those bandits, that they wouldn't see you as weak. But they did. They took what you gave them, and they kept coming back. Didn't they?"

Ben nodded, his eyes cast down, unable to meet Yhwach's intense gaze.

"Now, you decided to confess to me, hoping for some... what, Ben? Forgiveness? Redemption?" Yhwach's tone wasn't mocking, but there was a coldness to it that made Ben's heart pound faster. "Or do you just want someone else to carry your guilt?"

Ben's head shot up, eyes wide. "N-no! I swear, I just... I don't know what to do. I thought telling someone—telling you—would help. I don't know how to fix this."

Yhwach regarded him for a moment longer before turning his head slightly, gazing out at the blur of trees rushing past them. The truth was out now, but what to do with it was another matter entirely.

 Yhwach stayed silent for a few more moments as if fully aware of Ben's internal suffering before he finally spoke which sent shivers down Ben's spine. "I could kill you... Ben." 

Ben flinched, his body trembling, his mouth opening and closing as he stuttered out, "I...I...I..." He instinctively backed away as Yhwach stepped closer, Ben felt a sense of suffocation as if he was a criminal being judged by a king.

Yhwach's eyes bore into Ben's very soul. "Nobody can see us," Yhwach began. "I could toss you over right now, and be done with it..."

Ben's heart raced, panic rising in his throat as he nearly shouted, "NO—I—JUGRAM, PLEASE—" but before he could finish, Yhwach's sharp glare silenced him. He felt the words trying to form in his throat, but no sound came. He wanted to refute, to defend himself, but it was as though his voice had been stolen, and some deep part of him knew—if he spoke now, there would be one less passenger on this train.

Yhwach noticed Ben's feeble attempt to speak, but he pressed on. "But..." Yhwach's voice softened ever so slightly. "I respect your honesty, Ben. I very much do." He allowed a brief pause, before continuing. "Be thankful we managed to escape safely before anyone was compromised because of your naivety."

Ben's chest tightened. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe under Yhwach's scrutiny. Yhwach stepped even closer, his eyes narrowing as he continued. "The naive thought that you could tame a pack of rabid animals by feeding them scraps... scraps they could just as easily take by slaughtering every one of us."

Ben's legs trembled as Yhwach's words cut through him, each one sinking deeper. "You tried to buy safety from people who have no concept of honor. What you failed to understand, Ben, is that fear can only buy you time—but it cannot buy you peace."

Ben bit his lip, tears stinging his eyes. He didn't want this, didn't want any of this, but he also knew Yhwach was right. He had been careless, Naive, and foolish, and now it was too late to undo his mistake.

Yhwach tilted his head, watching the boy's face, the realization setting in. "You've shown bravery, in your way, by confessing to me. That's why you're still standing here... But know this—there won't be another chance. If your fear drives you to another mistake like this, I will not hesitate."

Ben's breath hitched, but he nodded, unable to speak, feeling the crushing weight of Yhwach's ultimatum. This wasn't just a warning. It was a promise.

Yhwach chuckled softly, his amusement sending another shiver down Ben's spine. "Don't worry," Yhwach said, waving his hand dismissively, "I won't tell a soul about your little mistake." His tone carried a mockery, as though he found the boy's fear entertaining.

Ben swallowed hard, relief washing over him, but it was short-lived. Yhwach took a few steps away before stopping, turning just enough to cast a sidelong glance at Ben, his expression darkening once more. "But Benjamin..." Yhwach's voice dropped. "I wasn't lying when I said I will not hesitate to kill you if you prove to be a liability again."

Ben's heart sank, his face pale as Yhwach's words cut deep. There was no escaping that promise. Yhwach's tone left no room for misunderstanding—it wasn't a threat; it was a certainty.

Yhwach's eyes narrowed, lingering on Ben for just a moment longer before he added, almost casually, "Be more useful, Benjamin. And perhaps, I'll consider letting you live." There was a cold finality to his words, a chilling reminder of the consequences of failure.

Ben nodded weakly, unable to muster the strength to speak. His entire body trembled, but Yhwach had already turned away, making his way back toward the boxcar. As Yhwach stepped through the door, his thoughts drifted momentarily.

For now... at least, Yhwach mused internally, a faint, imperceptible smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had no need to end Ben's life—not yet. There was still potential in the boy, however faint. Yhwach would give him time to prove it, to either rise above his fears or crumble beneath them.

The train sped fast, heading towards the horizon and cutting through the lifeless forest as the boxcar was silent. Most of the group was still in the boxcar, but a few members of it left it to go to the other part of the train. Lilly and Larry went outside together for some reason, Katjaa and Duck left the boxcar to join Kenny in the cab and Chuck was out in the front.

Yhwach saw Lee walk over to Clementine and sit down next to her after seeing there was something on her, "Hey Clem. What are you thinking about?"

"What Chuck said," Clementine replied.

"What'd Chuck say?" Lee wanted to know.

"That what happened to Doug would happen to me and Duck." Clementine stuttered out, having difficulty in completing the sentence.

"The fuck? He did?" gasped Lee. Immediately, he became angry. The rage that he had tried to keep away had come back albeit at a more manageable level than when he killed the senator. How dare someone scare Clementine by telling her she was going to die?

I'm giving this motherfucker a piece of my mind. Who does he think he is?

"Swear," Clementine said. as Yhwach looked towards them, having overheard Clementine's words.

"Sorry. I'm going to talk some sense into him." Lee said as he got up. Yhwach silently trailed behind Lee before speaking.

"Why the sudden rage, Lee?" Yhwach asked, his voice laced with curiosity, though his expression remained indifferent. He had a way of sounding detached, even when he seemed engaged.

Lee glanced over his shoulder, his frustration clear, before muttering, "Chuck told Clementine that she's going to die. What the hell is wrong with him?"

Yhwach gave a slight nod as if processing the information. So, this is what has him so riled up... He mused inwardly, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. But this man Chuck... perhaps he's more perceptive than Lee gives him credit for. 

The two men walked past Lilly and Larry, who appeared to be deep in conversation. Neither of them acknowledged the pair as they headed through the cab, brushing by Kenny, Katjaa, and Duck, who exchanged confused glances. Yhwach's attention barely lingered on them; his focus was elsewhere, on the man they were about to confront.

Stepping into the front of the train, they found Chuck leaning against the railing, the wind tousling his gray hair as he stared ahead, a serene smile on his face as though he had not a care in the world. Lee's anger surged again, and he didn't waste any time.

"Hey!" Lee called out, his voice sharp, catching Chuck's attention.

Chuck turned around slowly, still smiling. "Hey," he replied casually, as if nothing had happened.

Lee's frustration boiled over. "I don't care what reasons you had for saying it, but there's no reason to go and tell my girl she's gonna end up dead!"

Chuck sighed. "I said that because she is." He looked directly at Lee. "I don't know much about you folks, but I can tell you this: keep going on like this, and that girl ain't gonna make it."

Lee was quick to snap back, his temper flaring. "What do you know?"

Chuck's gaze remained firm. "I know that you don't have a goddamn plan. When we get to Savannah, then what? You gonna suddenly figure it all out?"

Yhwach, who had been silent so far, finally intervened, his voice calm and steady, as if he were stating an obvious fact. "We find a boat."

Chuck turned to Yhwach, raising an eyebrow. "You think that's a new idea? You got even the foggiest idea about where you're gonna find one of those?"

Yhwach remained still, the slightest flicker of amusement crossing his face. He wasn't concerned with Chuck's skepticism—he had already considered the man's point. Yet, as always, he remained ten steps ahead. Lee, however, replied with more frustration, "No. Which is why we've been having a lot of, er... discussions over that. Just in case we don't find one."

Yhwach glanced at Lee and added dryly, "I think they're more like arguments, but I suppose 'discussions' is a good enough word." It was the closest thing to a joke Yhwach would allow himself, though his face betrayed no humor.

Chuck's face softened slightly as he regarded Lee, his voice taking on a more serious note. "Look, you're the leader of this group, aren't you? That's what the rest of them say. So sit down with the girl, and hash it out. Find a map, for Christ's sake. I'd give you one if I had it. And if something happens to you..."

"It won't," Lee interrupted quickly, though the conviction in his voice sounded more like hope than certainty.

Chuck wasn't convinced. "If it were to happen, you've got to prepare the girl. The same goes for the boy. Teach them to use a weapon. And, for the love of all that's good, cut that girl's hair."

"She's a little girl." Lee weakly replied.

"She'll die a little girl if you treat her like one. You gotta consider her a living person. That's it. You're either living or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl, you ain't a boy, you ain't strong or smart. You're alive. Look at her hair. You got her running around with a mop that's gonna act like velcro to any hands swingin' its way. Find some scissors in my pack and take care of that hair before a walker does it for you. And then show her how to use a gun, because, like it or not, that's what saves your life from here on out."

Yhwach, watching the exchange, couldn't help but chuckle softly to himself, though the sound was barely audible. The old man is wiser than he seems, he thought, observing Lee's internal struggle. Chuck wasn't wrong; the girl was vulnerable, and in this world, vulnerability was a death sentence.

I also can't guarantee that I'll be around to teach Clem later. Life ends pretty quickly and I don't want the next one to be Clementine's.

"I would also convince the boy's parents to help him learn as well. Explain to them how they work and to not be afraid. I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, but too many people have died already..." mused Chuck.

"They have." agreed Yhwach.

"And seein' another little girl die might just do me in." Chuck shakily replied. There was a hint of emotion on his face, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"We hear you. A plan, a haircut, and a gun. It's good advice." said Lee.

"It's something," muttered Chuck.

Lee and Yhwach both went back to the cab where, thankfully, Kenny, Katjaa, and Duck were all still present.

"Guys, could we have a second?" asked Lee.

"What's going on, Lee?" replied Katjaa.

"Uh, we were just talking with Chuck and he said that we needed to make sure that Clementine had all the tools necessary to be a survivor. Things like knowing what our plan is and how to shoot a gun, so she can defend herself," explained Lee.

Kenny's eyebrows rose up. "How to shoot a gun?! That's a huge step. You're not actually going to do it, are ya?"

"That's the thing. I don't like the idea, but I also like keeping Clementine alive...and I think this is for the best. We have a lot of ammo and I'm sure we can find something to use as target practice." said Lee.

"Well, if you're sure," Kenny replied.

"That's not all. We...want Duck to be trained as well," revealed Lee.

"No. Absolutely not!" shouted Katjaa.

"Mom, I want to learn how to shoot a gun! Why can Clementine learn and I can't?" whined Duck.

"Ain't no one teaching you how to shoot. You're too young," answered Kenny.

"Look, I know you two aren't going to be huge fans of this, but this is going to keep him safe. This will make him stronger." pleaded Lee.

"Lee, I'm sure you realize that Duck isn't like most kids his age. Clementine might be able to handle it, but my son can barely eat his food properly at times. We respect your decision to teach Clementine how to shoot and we ask that you respect our decision as well." Katjaa stated.

Respect their decision. Normally, I would, but Chuck has me thinking about these kids' lives. I could convince them right now to give Duck a chance or I could just teach Clementine. If either of these kids died, I don't know if I could live with the decision I'm making right now.

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Who does [M] (Lee Everett) Talk To?

A) Insist that Duck learns how to shoot

B) Don't insist that Duck learns how to shoot

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Relationships (Lee):

Yhwach: 14/15

He wants you to push for Duck to learn how to shoot. What Chuck said about the kids dying has made him rather curious.

Kenny: 8/15

He doesn't really know what to feel about you. He does appreciate that you tried burying the hatchet by admitting responsibility. Right now, he's conflicted about letting his son shoot a gun.

Katjaa: 14/15

She is vehemently against her son learning how to shoot.

Duck: 12/15

Yeah, he could shoot the monsters!

Chuck: 5/15

You know that he would want you to push for Duck's training.

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