Neo Soul King Yhwach

" 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."-Chuck, Charles If you're fancy.

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[Third Person Pov]

Lilly's lips curled into a snarl as she glared up at Crawford. "You want answers? Rot in hell. I'm not telling you a damn thing. I'd rather die than betray my group. And unlike you, I still have a shred of humanity left."

Crawford's smug smirk faltered for a moment, replaced by a frown that darkened his eyes. but Lilly refused to flinch. "Wrong choice," he said.

A gunshot rang out, deafening in the confined room. Lilly instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the pain, for the end. She silently counted.

One... two... three...

But no pain came.

Her chest still rose and fell. Slowly, she cracked her eyes open, the acrid scent of gunpowder stinging her nose. She glanced down at herself. No blood. She was alive.

But then her gaze shifted. The sight beside her made her stomach churn. Molly slumped against the wall, her eyes wide and lifeless, A crimson hole marred her forehead, the blood trickling down like a bloody river.

"No!" Lilly gasped, her voice breaking as her stomach twisted into knots.

Crawford let out an exasperated sigh, wiping his hands on his coat as if he'd been inconvenienced. "This is what happens when you waste my time," he said, his voice laced with cold indifference. "You see, I don't tolerate insolence, and I don't ask twice. One of you had to make an example. Consider this a warning."

He crouched down to meet Lilly's blazing eyes, his tone turning venomous. "Let me make this clear, sweetheart. Every second you waste trying to play hero costs someone else their life. Do you think you're being noble? All you're doing is signing death warrants for your friends."

Lilly's body trembled, She stared him down, unblinking, her jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. "You can kill me, too, but I'll die before I give you a single word," she hissed.

Crawford stared at her for a long moment, his lips twitching into a cold, humorless grin. "Suit yourself," he said, standing upright. "But remember, this could've been easy. Instead, you've chosen to make it messy. And I excel at being messy."

Crawford looked down at Lilly, He straightened, brushing the nonexistent dirt off his coat, and turned to Kevin and Valentina. "Teach her some manners," he said, "But don't go overboard. I need her alive, and I'd rather not waste precious supplies on corpses. No broken legs, no missing limbs. Just make sure she learns her place." He cast one last glance at Lilly, his expression unreadable. "Oh, and Lilly?"

Lilly's bloodshot eyes locked onto his, burning with raw hatred. Crawford smirked, leaning in close enough for her to feel his breath. "This is the price of your self-righteousness. Every bruise, every drop of blood... that's on you." He paused for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "And for God's sake, Do try to behave. It'll hurt less if you do."

As he stepped out of the room, Franklin followed close behind. In the hallway, Crawford was greeted by Andrew, his trusted second-in-command. The man stood at attention, his face set in a grim expression.

"Andrew," Crawford greeted, his tone sharp. "Did our little friend find anything useful?"

Andrew nodded. "Yes, sir. If I may..."

Crawford raised an eyebrow, signaling for him to continue. "Go on."

Andrew stepped closer, speaking in a hushed tone, careful not to be overheard. "I have an idea, one that could benefit us greatly. It involves having that woman alive."

[Scene Break Location: The Rest of the Group, Savannah, House]

The house was eerily silent. It wasn't that there was a lack of people inside – there was a good four people inside – but no one really had anything to say. Larry couldn't speak much as the only thing occupying his mind was his daughter. 

Not that I was worried about her leadership skills. She always complained about the training I put her through, but it's made her prepared for this world. Unlike me, she's not some naïve kid who thinks everything will be okay just by staying positive.

She was realistic, but, unfortunately, that came with its own set of problems. Until now, Larry failed to understand that self-introspection would not be as fruitful when the person doing it was brutal in their assessment of their own flaws. He could tell from the looks she had made that she was struggling. She was barely staying afloat.

She might have been a grown woman, but Larry was still her father. The last family that he had left. It was his duty to pull her out of whatever hole she was stuck in. On the other hand, she had to grow up and navigate through situations like this without his guidance. He was just as realistic as he had prepared his daughter to be.

Any day now, my time in this world can end. I fear that it's going to end sooner rather than later.

Larry took the nitroglycerin pills out of his back pocket and slowly opened the lid. His fingers were trembling and he almost dropped the lid. He looked around to make sure no one had seen his near-gaffe, but everyone else was lost in their own worlds.

I have enough, but is it enough? A heart attack might be the least of my own problems right now. Those parasites that we encountered have been sucking the life out of us, out of this group. They are our biggest problem.

"What's up?" asked Ben.

Larry looked up, thinking the kid was addressing him, but he was actually talking to Mark who was whispering something in his ear. If they were going to get out of this city alive, they were going to need all hands on deck, and, quite frankly, seeing these two in action would be sure to degrade anyone's morale.

If they're the ones we have to count on to be useful, we should shoot ourselves in the head now.

"Hey, those people said their community was called Crawford? Right? Their leader's name was Oberson Crawford?" asked Mark.

"Yeah, I think so. Why?" questioned Ben.

"Nothing. Do you really think they control the entire city like that one guy said?" Mark wondered.

"Please, they don't control shit. That's just a scare tactic that they used to make us capitulate to them. If they really were the top dogs in this city, they would have sent more than four people out. My guess is that they're holed up someplace else, but they don't control a large area." Larry scoffed.

"Well, they certainly scared you enough to shoot at them, right?" retorted Carley. Larry glared at the women, heated insults forming at the tip of his tongue ready to be fired at a moment's notice.

These people don't fucking get it. They live in la-la land.

Carley didn't wait for his response and turned to say something to Mark, so Larry didn't bother with making any kinds of insults and instead focused on himself once again. He realized that the bottle of pills was still open, so he quickly put the cap back on and stuffed it in his back pocket.

Suddenly, his nose detected a faint smell. It smelled like...smoke. Larry looked around worriedly to see if anything was burning, but everything looked fine. There weren't any fires going on or anything, but he could still smell the smoke.

He sneezed and, instead of feeling mucus shoot out his nose, he felt a tangier substance latch onto his bottom lip. Rubbing it with his finger, he looked in horror at the sight of blood on his fingertips.

Blood? Where did that come from? Am I sick?

At that moment, Larry suddenly felt nauseous and bent over the side of the couch to hurl. Nothing came out. Instead, he looked in surprise as the ground had changed from a brown hardwood floor to a dark, gray cement floor. Larry gasped and looked around.

He tried moving his legs, but they were tied together. He tried moving his arms, but they were also tied together. The smell of smoke disappeared and was replaced with the distinct smells of piss and vomit.

No. Why am I back here? Why am I back here? Why am I back here?

"Larry..." whispered a voice. He turned and, to his horror, saw George was looking back at him. George, his old comrade who had been killed over 40 years ago. His face had bruises all over and his neck also had a long cut slashed across it.

"Larry, you fucked it up again." wailed George. His voice was a deep, guttural groan, one that made Larry shiver all the way down to his bones.

"What? Why are you here? Leave me alone!" yelled Larry.

"You fucked over the people you were supposed to protect just like you did in Vietnam. You can't do anything right and now everyone's in danger, because of you! Your own daughter is in danger!" accused George.

"Shut up! I didn't do anything. I had to shoot...I had to." defended Larry.

"This isn't Vietnam, Larry. This is a completely different situation and you fucked it up! Don't you remember what your fuckups have gotten you? Just look at me. Look at me, Larry. Don't you remember what you had to tell my mom when you got back?" reminded George.

It's not my fault. It's not my fault. It's not my fault.

"Don't you remember, Larry?" asked another voice. Larry turned to see Austin, just as battered and bruised, staring into his soul.

"Don't you remember, Larry?" said a third voice. He didn't even have to confirm that it was David.

"I remember! I remember how they killed you. I got revenge. It's over." Larry cried.

"You started something else, Larry. It'll never be over when it comes to you. Now, all those people are going to be killed by Crawford and you can do nothing, but watch. Just like you did the first time." said George.

"You'll be joining us soon, Larry. You're too old. These people will have their way with you. Maybe they would have granted mercy if you didn't pull the trigger, but it's too late for that now." Austin added.

"It's all your fault, Larry." proclaimed David.

It's not my fault. It's not my fault. It's…my fault. It's my fault. It's my fault.

"Larry!" boomed a voice. He blinked his eyes hard and realized he was back inside the house. Mark, Carley, and Ben were all looking at him weirdly.

"What? What do you all want?" spat Larry. He couldn't show any signs of weakness or doubt in front of these people. If he admitted wrongdoing, they would all side with Kenny over him, and that meant they would side with Kenny over his own daughter.

You did the right thing. Fuck whatever the ghosts of your past said.

"You were shaking and mumbling something. It was kind of scary. Is something wrong?" asked Carley.

"I'm fine," grunted Larry.

"You're not bitten, right?" asked Ben. Larry just gave a hard look in the boy's direction and he swallowed hard.

"Okay, I was just making sure..."

"We were just talking about our options if Lilly, Kenny, and Duck don't come back with a boat," explained Mark.

"Well, hang on a minute. We still have to find Lee before we can make a final decision on that. He's the leader, after all." Ben reminded them.

"I know, Ben." sighed Mark. "I'm just saying that if we don't find them soon..."

"We will. We will find them. Lee will have a plan." Carley determinedly stated. It was the most emotion she had shown all day.

"What exactly does that mean? We come up with an escape plan?" asked Ben.

"No, I'm saying we should figure out what to do after we accomplish this boat mission and find the others. I would wait for Lilly to come back, but...I want to at least start a conversation, so we're not just taking more shots in the dark." Mark replied.

"Fine. You want to know what we should do? We should get the fuck out of here whether Sailor Kenny finds a boat or not. I've never trusted that plan, and we should never have come here in the first place. As soon as my daughter gets back and we find the rest of the group, we're cutting bait. Let him flounder here if he wants to do that." Larry declared.

"You're just going to leave him?" questioned Ben.

"If he's planning on being stubborn trying to chase a pipe dream, then we'll have no choice," grunted Larry.

"Look, we don't have to commit to anything. We're just laying out the options until the others get back. Obviously, as Larry said, one of them is leaving the city. It's not a bad option." Carley opined.

"Yeah, but Kenny's going to be pissed. The dude's already on edge after Katjaa died. Besides, the boat plan isn't that bad. If he knows what he's doing, then we just have to trust him." Ben retorted.

"Trust him? What has he done to earn our trust?" challenged Larry.

"He fixed the RV and got us away from the motor inn. I would say that's a pretty good way to earn somebody's trust." Mark said sarcastically.

"Hmph. It's not like he didn't persuade Lee to drag everyone else out there. Now, look at where we are." Larry retorted.

"Guys, arguing about the past isn't going to help anyone. Let's just stick to the future. Okay, so we have to leave the city as one plan. We have the boat as another plan." Carley stated.

"What if the boat isn't big enough for all of us?" asked Ben.

"Then, we'll have to make a decision. Those who want to get on the boat can get on and those who can't..."

Carley trailed off. Everyone understood the implication. For them to find a boat that fits all of them, things would have to go almost perfectly and Larry knew damn well that expecting something to go perfectly was a fool's errand. They had some good patches here and there, but there was always something they had to deal with.

Why should now be any different?

"Okay, just out of curiosity, who here actually likes the boat plan? Larry, you don't have to answer. I think we all know what your opinion is, but what about the rest of you guys?" asked Mark.

"I just wanted to get away from the bandits and if that meant going here, then I was all for it. However, after Katjaa and.... Doug... died, because of these people…I don't know if it's worth it. Instead of wasting time here, why don't we go out and try to find Lee and get away from this place?" asked Carley.

Mark shook his head. "Carley, it's way too risky and we already have three people gone for something else. We don't want to split up and make it easier for those Crawford bastards to find us."

"But..."

"Carley, Lee, Jugram and Clementine will both be back here safe and sound. Once Kenny comes back, I'll ask Lilly if we can send someone out to search for them. Until then, we need to stay put like she instructed." Mark said.

Carley made a small noise of disapproval and turned her attention elsewhere. Mark turned his attention to Ben.

"What about you, Ben?"

"I mean...I just want to get out of here. If it's the boat or leaving on foot or whatever…I don't care. I just want to leave." mumbled Ben

Classic. No conviction at all.

"I thought the boat plan was pretty solid before we came here. I know I supported Kenny's plan before he left, but I'm starting to think about it a bit more now. With those people out there in the city and everything else, I just don't know if it's worth risking our lives for something that might not even benefit everyone. Still, I don't want to sway one way or the other until our whole group is here. Everyone deserves a say no matter what their opinion is."

Mark rubbed his eyes and sighed deeply after he finished his statement.

"I always thought that survival was about working together...that the only people we should be fighting is the dead, but it seems like everywhere we go, there's always a new group that wants to hurt us. Maybe I'm wrong and everyone's just shitty, now. Maybe there aren't any decent people left."

"That's not true, Mark. There are bound to be decent people besides us who are still left in this world. We just have to find them." Carley soothed.

"The nice ones didn't survive. The guys who were willing to be assholes did. That's why we run into a lot of them. Look at Lee. He killed those dairy farmers...you think he's still the nice guy he was at the beginning?" questioned Larry.

"I don't doubt that he's become more hardened, but that doesn't make him a monster. Not like those people we just came across," said Carley. She looked at everyone slowly and sighed.

"That's another thing I wanted to talk about. The people from that community, Crawford, that we're in close proximity of by the looks of things."

"What's there to say? If we leave the city or leave on a boat, we won't have to deal with them anymore. We got the two people who killed Katjaa and Doug. Let that be the end of it." urged Mark.

"I know. I know I should, but...it just doesn't sit right with me knowing that there may be other people that come here looking for a home and they just have to deal with that. Imagine if they had old people or children like we did. They would be forced to abandon them or fight back." Carley pointed out.

"Are you proposing that we go to war with them?" Larry asked, raising an eyebrow in interest. These people want to fight them? Hell, why are they getting mad at me for shooting at them?

Carley cringed at Larry's terminology.

"I wouldn't say go to war, but...I guess there's not really a better way to put it."

"No offense, Carley, but that's kinda stupid. I don't even know how to shoot a gun well, and neither do the kids."

"Ben's right, Carley. I understand where you're coming from, but we're most likely outmanned, outgunned, and morale is low. Once we find the others, let's just get out of here while we still can by any means necessary." Mark added.

"Mark, they could have people all over the city by now. We might be put into a position where we're going to have to shoot our way out." Carley stated.

"Oh, so now, you want to be all trigger-happy? Where was this when Kenny was crawling up my ass?" confronted Larry.

"I don't want to start a fight if we can avoid it, but...maybe, there's just always going to be bad people around no matter what like Mark said. Maybe that's what this world is trying to tell us. There'll be good people like us and bad people. Sooner or later, we can't keep running. We're going to have to stand our ground." Carley ominously replied.

"Fight for what? This house? It's not even that good. This was supposed to be a temporary stop anyway!" shouted Larry.

"Larry, lower your voice," whispered Mark.

"This is bullshit. We can't even train anyone and you're acting like we can just gun these people down? I need some air." Larry finished. Before anyone could protest, he got up and made his way to the backyard.

"Ben, go with him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Carley ordered.

"You think he'll run off? I don't know if he'll listen." Ben slowly replied.

"Ben, just do it!" pressed Carley. Ben said no more and quickly got up himself to follow Larry out the back. Mark felt like laughing. Somehow, Carley had managed to divide the group even further in her quest to unite them under a common goal.

"That could have gone better," Mark said.

"No shit, Captain Obvious," Carley added.

[Scene Break Location: Kenny's Group, Savannah, Streets]

Duck didn't stop to look back as he ran quickly down the streets of Crawford. In the distance, he thought he could hear the sounds of walkers, but he didn't stop to investigate. Around him were the other members of the group that had gotten away from Crawford. His dad, Clementine, Yhwach, Lee, Chuck, Marcus, Isaac, and that other old guy, Vernon.

When he had run out of the store, he thought he was going to get caught. There were two other men who made their way into the store just as he managed to hide behind a crate. Thankfully, they didn't see him.

He started running once he heard another man shout at him to stop. He ducked right into an alleyway, completely panicking by this point, until a hand reached out and grabbed him. At first, he thought it was the man who had shouted at him, so he tried struggling until he heard the warm, familiar voice of his father telling him to stop. The two of them made their way inside some old bar and were ushered by Vernon in a cellar underneath the floorboards.

Duck had never seen a room inside a floor, but it smelled kind of weird down there, so he was kind of glad he didn't have to experience that for long. They had all sat there in the darkness and waited while footsteps caressed the ground above them. Vernon had whispered beforehand that the room was a bit dark, and the cellar was in the corner, so he was hoping that anyone who came in wouldn't be able to see the door.

Yhwach had asked what were the chances of that and Vernon had replied that they were very low. Apparently, luck was shining on them that day, because nobody had found them. After a few minutes had passed without any noise, Lee had carefully opened the door and crept out. Once he figured that the coast was clear, the remaining members all left and ran back as fast as they could to the house, sans one important member.

Lilly.

Duck could only assume that something bad had happened to her.

"We're almost there!" grunted Kenny. He led them to the gate at the side of the house and opened it. Everyone headed inside the yard just as the back door to the house opened.

"What's all the commotion?" asked Carley. She dropped her mouth in shock at the sight of Lee Everett in front of her. She didn't say anything else and went straight in for a hug.

"Lee, holy shit! You're back."

"I'm glad to see you too, Carley," said Lee.

"Can we get inside? We got a problem!" ordered Marcus. Carley looked over and recognized that there was someone she hadn't seen before scratch that there were two people she hadn't seen before. Nevertheless, she ushered everyone to come inside while Marcus kept his gun trained on the streets just in case some unwanted company showed up. Duck stepped inside the room and saw that most of the group were inside waiting for him.

"You guys found them!" exclaimed Mark.

A door was opened upstairs and Larry walked out, He looked around at everyone else welcoming the group back, and Duck felt sad because his mother was never going to be part of that group again.

She was gone...forever. This wasn't a comic book where they could bring her back to life through the power of alien technology. He was never going to be able to hug her again like Clementine was hugging Lee.

Heroes are strong. I need to be strong.

A hand touched Duck's shoulder. He looked up to see his father staring down at him, a sad smile on his face. Did he know what his son was thinking?

"Hey, buddy. What's wrong?" asked Kenny.

Duck didn't even get to reply, as a voice boomed across the house.

"Where's my fuckin' daughter?!!"

Duck saw Lee cringe as Larry stopped the reunion short and marched over to the center of the group. Lee turned over to Isaac.

"Isaac, keep an eye on the window and make sure no one's followed us," said Lee.

"Followed us? Are those people from Crawford back?" questioned Ben.

"Yes, and...they took Lilly," Lee stated. The silence in the room was so heavy, you could almost hear a pin drop. Larry's face went from disbelief to worry to downright, unbridled fury. Even Duck, a pretty stupid kid, knew things were about to go down.

"What...What do you fucking mean they took her?! Where did they take her?"

"We didn't see, but Vernon heard sounds coming from the place he and I were scavenging, and we saw some people from afar. We all ran, but Lilly...she wasn't with us," explained Lee.

"You left her?!" growled Larry.

"No, she told me to run!" Duck exclaimed. All eyes fell on him, and he bashfully ducked his head. Larry slowly walked towards him, but Kenny got in front of the boy and shielded him.

"Don't you dare!" Kenny said.

"Why did she tell you to run?" interrogated Larry.

"We were looking for supplies in some supermarket, and there was a guy that had a gun on her. I tried saving her, but she just told me to run. I ran and I hid with the others until it was safe to leave." Duck explained further.

"You sure they didn't..."

Carley didn't finish her question, but Lee understood what she was implying.

"No, they wouldn't have. Duck would have heard a gunshot if they had shot her. They didn't shoot her, right?" Lee asked Duck.

"No, I didn't hear anything," confirmed Duck. Larry was still staring at the boy with an almost blank expression on his face. No, that wasn't right. It was almost like his anger had stopped halfway and he was just frozen in time.

"It wasn't his fault. Leave him out of it," demanded Kenny.

"I knew it," Larry said in a low voice. Kenny arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"Come again?"

"I KNEW that bringing this brat along for the ride was only going to make things worse! If he wasn't there, she would have been fine." accused Larry.

"Larry, I don't think that's really fa-..."

"Oh, I don't want to hear it, Lee. You know it just as well as I do. These kids are not prepared for the shitstorm that we're about to face. It's time to let the adults come out and play. These motherfuckers have been asking for trouble."

He walked over to the table and picked up his rifle, checking the cartridge to make sure it was loaded, before moving over to the back door.

"Where are you going?" asked Yhwach.

"I'm going to get my daughter back. I'm going to actually do something rather than sit around here and wait to die." Larry said.

"Hold on a minute. You don't understand what kinds of people we're dealing with." Vernon said.

"I understand perfectly fine! And who the fuck are you?" challenged Larry.

"My name's Vernon. Your friend, Lee, found me and Isaac in the sewers while he was trying to get away from the same people who took your daughter. I understand you are emotional right now, but you can't run in there headfirst. Your daughter wouldn't want that." pointed out Vernon.

"What would you know about what my daughter would want?" hissed Larry.

"I know she wouldn't want you getting yourself killed on a suicide mission! Do you think I don't have hate in my heart for Crawford? I hate them more than it should be possible to hate another human being! I hope they all get the finest seats in hell for what they did to me and my group! I do. But, if I did something stupid and got myself killed for nothing, what would those same people think? What would those people...good people...who sacrificed their lives for a common cause, WHAT WOULD THEY THINK?!!" challenged Vernon.

Larry tried to speak, but nothing came out besides some sounds that didn't even sound human. He had nothing to say, as did everyone else who became silent, because of a man they had just met.

"Look, I'm not saying that we shouldn't go back for Lilly, but we need a plan. These people are smart, organized, and efficient. They know this city better than us. We got lucky that the rest of us weren't caught." Lee stated.

Larry looked towards Lee, looked back at Vernon, looked towards everyone else, and just dropped his rifle with a sigh.

"Fine, we'll make a fucking plan. I need...some time alone. Nobody disturb me!" demanded Larry as he stomped up the stairs to the nearest room.

Duck flinched as the door slammed shut. The rest of the group didn't really look like they knew what to do.

"So, did you guys manage to find a boat?" asked Mark.

"No, we didn't," answered Lee. Duck saw his dad tense up. He looked...sad. Really sad.

Dad really thought we were going to find a boat.

"We need time to rest and recuperate anyway. Let's come up with a plan in the meantime and we can fill Larry in on it later." stated Vernon.

"Do you think they'll have kept Lilly alive?" asked Ben.

"For his sake, Benjamin, I hope so." frowned Yhwach. He glanced up at the room Larry had gone into.

"Well, nice to meet you, Vernon. I'm Mark." introduced Mark.

"I'm Carley. That's Ben, The guy shouting at you was Larry, Lilly's dad," added Carley.

"Vernon, I know that we may have got off on the wrong foot, but I would ask you to give our group a chance. We've just hit a rough patch, and people are becoming a lot more irritated and anxious than normal. Larry didn't mean anything that he said. None of it was personal. He was just mad that his daughter was taken." said Lee.

"I don't take offense to it. As a father myself, I understand how it feels when your child is in danger and you can't do anything about it. It's funny that you say he was angry because that's not what I felt emanating from that man." Vernon said.

"What do you mean?" asked Yhwach.

"I felt something, but...it wasn't anger. I felt the most powerful emotion that all fathers feel when their son or daughter is in trouble. It's the one thing that makes us do a lot of bold things, stupid things, heroic things, anything, really. The one thing that can dictate our lives without our consent."

"What's that?" breathed Kenny.

"Fear."

"Hey, Duck," whispered Clementine. Duck turned and saw that Clementine was looking at him thoughtfully. Even though she was 2 years younger than him, he always felt like she was so much smarter than him. She always knew exactly what to do...just like the good guys did.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine. I just wish my mom was here." Duck said.

"Me too." Clementine agreed. She walked over to one of the windows and looked outside. Duck walked over and joined her. She was looking out at something in the yard.

"Hey, Duck, is that a shed?" asked Clementine.

"Uh, I think so," Duck said. He didn't remember what that brown structure was called, but a shed sounded about right.

"I used my treehouse like a secret base to make sure none of the walkers could get me. What if we do the same thing and use the shed as a secret base, so none of the bad people can find us?" asked Clementine.

"Oh, yeah. Then, we can surprise the villains and save the day if they ever come looking here. No one will ever see it coming." agreed Duck.

"Let's go look at it," said Clementine. She looked over at Isaac who was keeping his eyes trained on the yard as well. She walked over to him.

"Uhm, excuse me."

Isaac jumped and looked down at Clementine who was eyeing him shyly. Duck didn't blame her. That guy was kind of scary.

Maybe we can pretend he's the villain, so that it will prepare us for taking down the real villains.

"What is it, kid?" asked Isaac.

"Can we go outside to the yard? Duck and I want to take a look at something," said Clementine.

"I don't think you should do that. There are dangerous people out there. Don't you remember what we were just running from?" questioned Isaac in disbelief.

"Well...yeah, but this could help us. Do you see that shed?"

"Hmm...yeah."

"What if we use it as a secret base in case those bad people come here? Then we can hide in there and they won't notice we're here." Clementine explained.

"Uh...I think that shed has two doors, Clementine. What if they just open it?" posited Isaac.

"...Well, then...we run?"

"We shoot them!" exclaimed Duck. Isaac's eyebrows shot so far up, that Duck thought they were about to go off of his head.

"Okay...How about you just get someone to watch you out there like Lee or Kenny?" propositioned Isaac.

"I'll get my dad." volunteered Duck. He walked over to Kenny who, thankfully, was just sitting down not really saying much. Elsewhere, some of the other adults were getting to know Vernon a bit better, one of them being Lee, so Duck figured that asking him wasn't an option.

"Dad! Can you come with us? Clementine and I are going to go see the shed." said Duck.

"What? Duck, I think I'd rather just sit here," muttered Kenny.

"Please! Please! We could use it as a secret base." said Duck.

"A secret base?" Kenny asked.

"Yeah, like the Batcave. You know, the one Batman has where he has all of these cool gadgets and technology and..."

"Alright. I get it. Fine, I guess it wouldn't hurt to look seeing as we haven't run into anyone yet." said Kenny, groaning as he got up.

"You alright, Dad?" Duck asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, son. I'm not as young as I used to be and we did a lot of running." chuckled Kenny.

Kenny walked over to the back door and Clementine joined them with a smile on her face.

"I'll keep an eye out in case anything starts looking fishy out there," stated Isaac.

"Thanks," Kenny replied. He opened the door and the two children immediately burst out onto the grass. The cold air hit Duck's face, but he needed it after he worked up a sweat by running such a long distance.

"Dad, what are we going to do now?" asked Duck as Clementine went ahead to the shed.

"I don't know, Duck. I don't know," replied Kenny. He never looked more tired than in that moment.

"We're going to stay with the group and leave soon, right?" pressed Duck.

"Well, Duck, that's going to have to be the plan unless I find a bottle with a magic genie that grants me my wish for a boat," Kenny replied sarcastically.

"Magic genies are real?" gasped Duck.

"No, I was just..."

"What if we find one and just wish for all the walkers to turn into people? Wouldn't the world go back to normal?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Or we can give ourselves invisibility, so no one can see us walk around. We could sneak in and grab whatever we need without anyone seeing us."

"That's not possibl-"

"Or what if we give ourselves high body temperatures like Scorpion, so we'll never have to worry about being cold again? We could go to Antarctica and live there without any other people trying to find us and kill us. Nobody's going to go to Antarctica! It's genius!"

"Not a bad idea, except for the part where we don't have..."

"Duck, can you help me with the door?" asked Clementine. Duck jumped out of his mind-bending genie fantasy land adventures and went to go help Clementine pull the door open. It wasn't locked, which surprised Duck, because most people usually lock stuff that was important to them.

It means this place has nothing important. There's nothing here.

They managed to open the door and stopped as they realized what had just appeared in front of them. Duck had to blink a couple of times to make sure he wasn't just seeing things. Kenny walked over, worried at the kids' silence, and let out a sound of shock once he saw what they were looking at.

There, in front of the trio, was a boat. An honest to god boat that looked completely new. Duck looked over at Clementine who looked back at him. They both smiled and Duck turned to his father. Kenny looked down at his son and, slowly, his face morphed into the happiest expression Duck had seen on him since his mother had died.

This was it. This was the break they needed. This was their ticket out of here.

[Scene Break Location: Crawford's Hideout, Savannah]

The sound of a door creaking open echoed through the dimly lit room, followed by footsteps that grew louder with each passing second. Crawford entered the room, Lilly sat slumped against the wall, her face bruised and swollen, tears staining her battered cheeks. Her breaths were shallow.

Valentina stepped aside, cracking her bloody knuckles and casting a quick glance at Crawford, silently seeking his approval. Crawford took one look at Lilly and smirked, his gaze lingering on her bruised face. He picked up a nearby chair and dragged it across the floor, the screech of metal on concrete grating against her ears as he positioned it directly in front of her. He sat down, leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees.

"Well," Crawford began, his voice dripping with mockery. "Hope you've enjoyed your little stay here. The accommodations might not be luxurious, but they're effective, wouldn't you say?"

Lilly glared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line as she bit back the retort forming in her throat.

Crawford chuckled, shaking his head. "Still holding on to that stubborn streak, huh? Admirable, really. But let me tell you something, Lilly." He leaned in closer. "If you were a part of my community, this would be a vacation compared to what you'd endure. My people follow my rules, or they suffer the consequences. And believe me, the consequences make this—" he gestured toward her battered form, "—look like a love tap."

"You're sick," she spat, her voice hoarse but firm. "You call this leadership? Torturing people to get what you want? You're no better than the monsters outside."

Crawford's expression hardened, his smirk vanishing in an instant. He straightened in his chair, his cold eyes locking onto hers. "You think I enjoy this?" he asked, "You think I like wasting my time on ungrateful little ingrates who can't see the bigger picture? No. I do what needs to be done. For survival. For the betterment of humanity."

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "You're testing my patience, Lilly. And I assure you, that's a dangerous thing you're doing. So, I'll ask you again." He leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers. "Are you going to talk? Or are we going to have to do this the hard way? Because, believe me, I love the hard way. It weeds out the weak. Separates the wheat from the chaff, so to speak."

Lilly clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she forced herself to maintain eye contact. "Do your worst," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm not telling you anything."

Crawford sat back, letting out an exaggerated sigh as he rubbed his temples. "You really don't get it, do you?" he said, his voice tinged with frustration. "This isn't a negotiation. This is me giving you a chance—a chance to make things easier for yourself and for the people you supposedly care about. But if you're too stubborn to take it... well, that's on you."

Crawford's smirk returned as he reached into his coat, pulling out a knife. He twirled it lazily between his fingers, He turned the knife in his hand so the light caught the blade. "You know," he began casually, as though discussing the weather, "I'm a patient man... but not that patient."

He crouched down in front of Lilly, the knife glinting dangerously close to her face. "You said to do my worst," he murmured, tilting his head with mock curiosity. "So tell me, Lilly—did you mean it? Or was that just more of that empty bravado you're so fond of?"

Lilly's jaw tightened, her eyes narrowing as she fought to keep her composure. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.

Crawford's smirk widened at her silence. "That's what I thought," he said, leaning forward and pressing the blade against her neck—not enough to harm her, but enough for her to feel the cold kiss of steel against her skin. "See, here's the thing: people like you always crumble when it counts. You think defiance makes you strong, but strength comes from understanding the situation you're in... and knowing when to yield."

The blade slid down just enough to nick her skin—a tiny, shallow cut, more a threat than a wound. A thin line of crimson appeared, but the pain was barely there. Still, it was enough. Enough to make her eyes widen, enough to shatter her resolve, even if only for a second.

"Stop!" Lilly finally gasped, her voice breaking. "Just... stop!"

Crawford's grin widened as he pulled the knife back, twirling it again before slipping it back into his coat. "Oh?" he said, his tone dripping with mock surprise. "I thought you said to do my worst? Did you change your mind? Or are you finally ready to spill the beans?"

Lilly glared at him, her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. "You're a monster," she spat.

"And you're stalling," Crawford retorted, his grin never faltering. "Now, let's try this again. How many of you are there? And who came up with the oh-so-brilliant idea to waltz into my city?"

Lilly hesitated, her mind racing. Could she lie? Would he believe her? Every second she waited felt like an eternity, Crawford's gaze boring into her, daring her to defy him again.

"Tick-tock, Lilly," Crawford said, his voice sing-song. "Every second you waste, someone else pays the price. Do you want that blood on your hands?"

Lilly didn't answer to Crawford's threat right away, having just gotten an idea how to mess with his group to her and her group's advantage. She didn't have to tell them the whole truth. She could lie about some details about her group. She nodded to herself, deciding to go along with it. It's not like Crawford would have anyone to clarify her lies to him.

"I'll comply." Lilly quietly replied. Just saying those words made her sick to her stomach, but she had to think rationally here.

"What was that? I didn't quite hear you." Crawford grinned gleefully.

"When you're talking to the boss, use your fucking voice!" boomed Kevin.

"I SAID...I'll comply and tell you whatever you need to know. Like I said, I only arrived here today, so...if you want a location, I can't promise that I'll give you an exact position, but..."

"It's alright. We know this city inside and out. If you give us any information, we'll be able to find out where your group is really quickly. If it's good, then we can continue the...ah..." negotiations" with the rest of them. You may even get to go to the same place together wherever that will be." promised Crawford.

"What does that mean?" questioned Lilly.

"It means, as long as they don't pose a threat to our community, we'll give you a chance to leave this city with them. You must understand that none of this is personal. As the leader of this community, it's my job to be prepared for any possible hostiles and your group falls under that label." explained Crawford.

Whatever you say, Jim Jones.

Lilly knew better than to be antagonistic towards Crawford. As it stood, he was the man who was controlling her fate.

"Why don't we start with some information that you do know? How many people are in your group?" asked Crawford.

"...Twelve," Lilly answered.

That's not including Vernon and his buddies, but he's not part of our group yet. It's telling the truth without telling the whole truth.

"List how many men and women are in your group," ordered Valentina.

"8 men and 2 women," said Lilly.

"Do you have any kids in your group?" continued Valentina.

"Yeah, one of them is a boy and one is a girl," added Lilly.

They want stuff down to the nitty gritty details, huh?

"They're keeping two kids in their group?" Kevin shook his head at this information with a displeased look on his face, "Talk about a waste of resources."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lilly wanted to know.

"Children are a liability and a waste of resources." Crawford explained, "There was a rule in our community that every person had to earn their keep and children for all the obvious reasons couldn't work like adults. All the supplies they take could instead be given to someone who actually contributes something to the group and doesn't sit on their ass all day and whine whenever something doesn't go their way."

Lilly narrowed her eyes in disgust at him, "What kind of place was your community?"

"The kind of place that would work to rebuild the human race." Crawford gave her an honest answer, "What else do you have to say to me? How did you find yourself in Savannah? Did you have any means of transport?"

"No." Lilly shook her head, "We came here on foot."

"On foot?" Crawford raised his brow. His group seemed disappointed by this information, "Where did you come from?"

"Macon," Lilly replied.

"Macon?" Kevin whistled.

"Talk about a long walk," Valentina stated.

"You don't say?" Lilly asked, sarcasm evident in her voice.

"Anyways what about old people? You know, the ones that would be put to better use in a senior citizens' center?" joked Crawford.

"Two men," said Lilly. She struggled to suppress her anger at the thought of likening her dad to an old, decrepit senior citizen.

Keep your composure. Don't let them know you're getting to them.

"So, they have fewer people than us including a couple of kids and old men? Seems like you just got lucky killing two of our guys out in the street." Kevin arrogantly stated.

"You killed two of ours first." protested Lilly.

"Nuh uh, Your group shot first. Nothing would have happened if you hadn't jumped the gun." defended Kevin.

Lilly just looked down. She didn't have a good retort to that. He was right. Her dad had shot first, which had escalated the entire situation.

If they had shot first, then I would know for sure that we made the right decision. I still think they weren't going to just let us leave the way that guy was talking about us.

"After the shootout, where did your group go?" interrogated Crawford.

"We ran down the street to try and get away from the walkers that got attracted by the noise," Lilly stated.

"Which street?" pressed Crawford.

"I don't know. Our goal was to get to River Street and find a boat, so we headed in that direction. We found a house and holed up there, but I don't know which one it is." said Lilly.

"So, you don't know, huh?" confirmed Crawford.

"I don't. I was more concerned with getting away from the dead than figuring out where we were on the map," growled Lilly.

Just take this information and go. I can at least buy some time so that Lee can come up with a plan to rescue me. I just hope he'll do it soon.

"We could retrace Joe's steps and look in the area of wherever he saw them last. You said you saw them on 38th Street, right?" inquired Kevin.

"Yeah, that's where we saw them, but we confronted them closer to 33rd," said Valentina.

"Hmmm, if they were going to the river, and you saw them at 33rd...maybe a house in the Victorian district?" posited Kevin.

"We'll iron out the details later." Crawford quickly replied. He looked back at Lilly and gave her a wry smile.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Lilly. Unfortunately, you're not out of the woods just yet. We're going to keep you here until we figure out what to do with you. Maybe we'll even ask you some more questions. The possibilities are endless." Crawford explained.

Lilly saw that this was coming. Furthermore, she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that if her group didn't come soon, this was going to be her grave.

I don't trust that smile one bit.

"Kevin, stand outside and make sure our guest doesn't attract any unwanted attention. We don't want her friends to get the wrong idea and try to rescue her. That would of course make them a threat to the safety of Crawford, which would mean that we would have to...deal with them in a harsher manner." threatened Crawford, looking back at Lilly to make sure she got the point.

Lilly just stared back at him, refusing to show any sign of fear.

"See you soon, Lilly." laughed Crawford, as the two men left the room and closed the door behind them.

Finally, they're gone. I'm safe for now.

Lilly was never someone who believed heavily in religion, but she prayed to whatever god who was listening that her group wouldn't suffer any consequences for her actions.

[Scene Break Location: The Rest of the Group, Savannah, House]

Lilly, we're going to get you back. Wherever you are, just hold on for a little while longer.

"Vernon, right?" said Larry. Vernon looked at the man and nodded.

"I would like to...apologize...for my outburst," muttered Larry, in a low voice.

"I don't take any offense to it. I accept your apology," replied Vernon.

"Are they still checking on the boat?" asked Carley.

"Yeah, they should be back any minute now," answered Mark.

"While they're finishing up, I would like to say something. Lee, your group seems like good people and that's something very rare to have in this city. After being around you for a short while, I think it would be best if Boyd and I joined forces with you." smiled Vernon.

"We would be glad to have you." smiled Lee.

"Larry, did you know we found a boat just sitting in the shed?" asked Mark.

"I heard enough of your excitement to figure that one out on my own." retorted Larry.

Just then, Kenny, Ben, and Yhwach all walked into the living room. None of them looked like they were jumping for joy, which unnerved Lee, considering Kenny would probably be throwing a party if that boat was ready to run.

"Well?" asked Carley.

"You want the good news or the bad news?" asked Kenny.

"I think we could all use some good news," Lee said in exasperation.

"Good news is, the boat's seaworthy enough. In pretty good shape, mostly," revealed Kenny.

"Mostly," Yhwach interjected, his eyes fixed on Kenny.

Carley crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Mostly? What does 'mostly' mean?"

Yhwach stepped forward, "It means the vessel itself is intact, but it lacks the essential components to serve its purpose. The gas tank is empty, and the battery has deteriorated to the point of uselessness. Without these, this boat is no more than a monument to squandered potential."

"Yeah, what he said," Kenny muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "We'll need to find fuel and a new battery if we're gonna make any use of her."

"Where are we going to get that stuff? We already tried searching the streets and there's barely anything out there. Those Crawford people took everything." reminded Marcus.

"Forgot the boat for a second. We're not doing anything until we rescue my daughter!" declared Larry.

"Shouldn't we come up with a plan to get Lilly first? The longer we leave her with them, the worse it will get for her," added Mark.

"We came to this city to get a boat and it dropped right in our laps. I'm not saying Lilly isn't important, but we don't have time to sit around and wait for those assholes to find us. Even if we rescue her, they're going to be hot on our tail trying to get her back. I'm not letting them stop me from getting out on the water." argued Kenny.

"Can we all fit on that boat? It looked kind of tiny," observed Clementine. Kenny gave Clementine a long look and sighed.

"No, only five people can fit on that boat and that includes bringing both of the kids. We will have to make a decision about who stays and who goes," revealed Kenny.

Everyone in the group looked at each other uneasily. Lee knew that the idea of leaving people behind had been a topic of discussion, but now that they were confronted with making a decision, they were starting to understand what kind of impact their decision could have on the group.

"There're three spots up for grabs, then," Chuck said.

"Three? But he said the boat had five spots." reminded Marcus.

"Yeah, but I assume two are reserved for Kenny and his son. No way in hell is Kenny staying on land and he's not leaving his son behind, so that means there are three spots." pointed out Chuck.

"The old man ain't wrong," Kenny said.

"We can cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, we need to find a way to rescue Lilly and get the parts we need. We may have to split up on this one." warned Lee.

"Split up? That's just going to make us easier targets!" protested Ben.

"Scavenging the street won't get you anything, Lee. It's like your friend said, Crawford took everything. Every spare battery, every drop of fuel, they have possession of all of it and they're not going to just hand it to us if we ask politely." scowled Vernon.

"Well, then, if we're going to rescue Lilly from Crawford, why don't we just get the supplies for the boat while we're there? That way, we can fill it up and get out before they even knew what hit them." proposed Mark.

"Yeah, and the ones who aren't going on the boat can get out of the city faster. That's a good idea, Mark." praised Lee.

"What is the plan? How exactly are we going to get Lilly and our supplies from Crawford without being noticed?" questioned Carley. Lee scratched his chin. They didn't know the layout of Crawford and they didn't have the numbers or weapons advantage. A full frontal assault would be pointless, but maybe a more subtle approach might work. 

"There's got to be some way we can sneak in there undetected," stated Lee.

"There might actually be a way. I know the sewer system that runs beneath Crawford like the back of my hand. Y'all wouldn't happen to have a map by any chance?" asked Vernon.

"We do, actually..."

Yhwach unfolded the map and put it on the coffee table. Everyone gathered around as Vernon put his finger on the map.

"I think I could lead us through so we could pass under the perimeter and right into the center, where they keep their supplies. We come up right underneath 'em, take 'em by surprise, grab what we need, and get out before they even knew what hit 'em." proposed Vernon.

"Would that really work?" asked Carley.

"I've thought about it before; I just never had the people do it. But I think if we all work together, we could pull it off. Not only could we get Lilly and the boat supplies, we could also pilfer medicine from their stocks. That medicine would be useful for our group and it would mean that the people leaving on the boat would have more medicine to take with them when the time comes." explained Vernon.

"That does make a whole lot of sense. Might as well give a final 'fuck you' to these bastards for killing my wife in cold blood." growled Kenny.

"Now you're getting the idea," Vernon replied with a cold-hearted smile.

"Hang on. We're not going there to light the whole place up, as much as we hate them for what they did to us. We need to get everything we need and get out quickly without being detected. We don't have time to go on a revenge murder spree." chastised Lee.

"Well, if someone does catch us, then we have to take the opportunity. Thin their numbers a little bit, so they can't do the same bullshit to another group if they catch them." Carley retorted.

Lee looked at Carley in shock. Something about her was different and it wasn't just the tone in her voice. Her eyes, once red with tears, were now completely focused and sharp. She had changed in the time that Lee was separated from her, but he didn't know how.

Do I want to know how?

"It doesn't matter. This plan is good. I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather take a chance on doing something than just sitting around here waiting to die. That boat out there is an answered prayer, we just gotta push a little bit farther. Is everyone in or out?" confronted Kenny.

"I'm in," said Lee.

"I'll join along," said Yhwach.

"Yeah, I'm in too," Mark said.

"I...I'm in." stuttered Ben.

"We're all in. Every one of us." declared Carley.

"Hold up just a sec." Lee told his group as he got down on his knees in front of Clementine, "You ready?"

Clementine nodded at him, "Ready."

"Whoa, hold on a minute. You're not taking her with us." Vernon said with a displeased look on his face. He shifted his gaze to Lee and Kenny, seeing Duck standing between them. He shook his head, looking at them with a disappointed look on his face, "What? You're taking him too? Did you not hear anything I said about the kind of place Crawford is? If you take them in there and they find them."

Kenny looked over his shoulder at Vernon, "This little boy's not just excess baggage. he's gotten us out of a tight spot more than once. he's coming. Deal with it."

"The same goes for Clementine." Lee added, "She needs to learn how to handle herself out there. Don't worry about her getting into trouble as she will stay close to me and Jugram. Someone once told me there isn't young anymore and he's right."

Chuck nodded in approval, smiling both at Lee and Kenny, "I couldn't have put it better myself."

"Let's move out," Kenny said.

"Now that we've hashed that out, I should be getting back. We should go tonight, under cover of dark. Before then, I think it would be best for me to grab Boyd and the supplies that we have and store them here. We might not have the opportunity to do so later on." said Vernon.

"You sure you want to go on your own? Crawford's people could still be out there," warned Carley.

"Being careful is how I'm still alive," replied Vernon.

"Hang on, Vernon. I'll go with you to grab the rest of your supplies." volunteered Chuck.

"Chuck, are you sure? Like Carley said, there could be people trying to look for us out there. They already got Lilly." reminded Lee.

"I understand your concern, but being careful is how I have stayed alive as well. Let these old men do something for the group. We don't have to leave everything to the young'uns." smirked Chuck.

"Alright, old man. Make sure you don't pop a collarbone while you're walking over there." ribbed Marcus.

"If I do, I'm going to call you to come fix me." retorted Chuck.

Vernon gave Chuck a grateful nod. "I appreciate the offer, Chuck. With an extra pair of hands, we should be able to get everything we need. Let's go now before we lose more daylight."

He turned to leave but stopped, his gaze shifting to Lee. "That said, since we're now technically part of the same group, and you're the leader here, it's only right I ask for your permission. Do you think it's wise for us to go?"

Lee blinked, caught off guard by Vernon's formality. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the weight of the decision settle on him. Vernon wasn't wrong—he was the leader of the group, whether he wanted the role or not. But was letting two of their newest members wander off alone the right call?

Lee's thoughts drifted to Crawford, and the threats who still lurked in the city. His mind wandered off—the St. Johns, the bandits, and now Crawford. Vernon and Chuck might be careful, but even careful people could end up dead.

At the same time, they needed those supplies. Every single resource counted, especially now. And if Chuck and Vernon didn't go, who else would? Ben? Larry? No way. They'd stick out like sore thumbs in a hostile environment.

_______________________________________________________________

What Should [M] (Lee Everett) do?

A) Allow Vernon and Chuck to go

Lee allows Vernon and Chuck to leave, allowing them to go retrieve Boyd and gather supplies.

B) Prevent Vernon and Chuck from going

Lee decides it's too risky to let them leave, prioritizing their safety over the potential supplies. This may cause frustration but ensures no further losses—at least for now.

Bonus: What should [M] (Yhwach) do?

While the others handle their own tasks, what should Yhwach do in his downtime? ( Note this is only if Choice A) Were to win )

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Relationships [M] (Lee Everett):

Kenny: 8/15

Not much has changed, but he's glad you're letting him find parts for the boat.

Duck: 13/15

He wants to go, but he's glad that you've assigned him a new mission.

Lilly: 15/15

She hopes you come for her soon.

Larry: 10/15

He's glad you've come up with a plan to rescue his daughter.

Carley: 14/15

She's glad you're back, but, besides that, nothing has really changed.

Mark: 13/15

He trusts your judgement.

Ben: 14/15

Whatever you think is best for him is what he will do. He wouldn't mind the opportunity to prove himself, even if he's a bit scared.

Marcus: 8/15

He thinks you're a good leader, but he doesn't have much of an opinion of you on a personal level.

Chuck: 9/15

He approves of you taking Clementine & Duck to Crawford.

Vernon: 6/15

He disapproves of you taking Clementine & Duck to Crawford.

Isaac: 5/15

He doesn't know too much about you, but he's starting to feel unwanted. 

_______________________________________________________________