Neo Soul King Yhwach

[Third Person Pov.]

Yhwach's eyes narrowed as he saw the walkers closing in on Shawn and Duck. "Lee," he barked, His voice was steady as he looked at Lee, "get to Shawn. I'll cover you."

Lee's eyes widened slightly at the command, but he didn't hesitate. There was a certain authority in Yhwach's tone that brooked no argument. "Hold on, Shawn!" Lee shouted as he sprinted toward the fallen man.

Kenny, seeing his son in immediate danger, made a beeline for Duck. The man's fatherly instincts took over, and there was no question in his mind about what needed to be done. He reached Duck just in time, yanking him away from the grasp of the undead.

Meanwhile, Yhwach aimed and fired, a single bullet tearing through the skull of an undead that was inches away from Shawn. The creature dropped instantly, its lifeless body collapsing in a heap.

Lee reached Shawn just as another walker lunged for him. Without hesitation, Lee slammed his fist into the walker's decaying face, knocking it back. But the walker was relentless, clawing its way back toward them. Lee's heart pounded in his chest as he grappled with the creature, struggling to keep it at bay.

Kenny, having successfully freed Duck, turned to see the dire situation unfolding. He hesitated for a split second, torn between helping Shawn and getting his son to safety. But the fear in Duck's eyes made the decision for him. Kenny bolted away with Duck in his arms, leaving Shawn to fend for himself.

"Kenny, help Lee!" Shawn's desperate voice rang out, but Kenny didn't turn back. The man was already running, focused solely on getting his son to safety.

"KENNY!" yelled Shawn. Lee just watched in shock at what he had just witnessed, before turning back and looking at the 2 other undead creatures that were still trying to bite Shawn. The walker who had accosted Duck was now shambling over to join the party.

"Get away from him, you sons of bitches!" said Lee as he kicked a walker in the face. The other walker grabbed onto Lee and got into a grappling match with him. Shawn was still freaking out trying to pull his foot from the tractor without much success. Lee kept the walker at arm's length, but he couldn't do anything without a weapon. The 3rd undead started to reach out in an effort to bite Lee.

Oh god, I'm going to die here. I'm going to be devoured.

Just as Lee thought it was over, a gunshot rang out. The walker in front of him jerked violently before collapsing to the ground, dead. Lee looked up to see Yhwach standing a few feet away, his pistol still aimed, smoke wafting from the barrel. Yhwach's expression was as impassive as ever, but his eyes burned with slight curiosity. However, Lee had no time to think about Yhwach's expression as another walker was approaching.

Hershel arrived on the scene just in time, his own rifle in hand. He aimed and fired at the walker that was reaching for Lee, dropping it with a single shot. The final walker, the one Lee had punched in the face, started to rise again, but Hershel didn't give it a chance. Another shot and it was down for good.

At last, all was silent in the farm, besides Shawn's cries of pain. Hershel quickly ran over to the tractor and got it started, before rolling the tractor off Shawn's leg. Shawn tried to get up, but he couldn't apply pressure on his left leg and immediately fell back down to the ground.

"It's okay, son. I got you," said Hershel as he went to go assist Shawn in standing up. Lee looked and saw that Clementine and Katjaa had joined the scene. Katjaa was fussing over Duck, while Kenny looked back at Lee with a guilty expression on his face. Even though Lee should have felt sympathy for the predicament Kenny had found himself in, his near-death experience only served to increase his anger.

That motherfucker. He left Shawn to die and almost got me killed. And now, he has the gall to feel ashamed of what he did.

From the look on Hershel's face, as he surveyed Kenny, it seemed that he held similar feelings. Kenny almost shrunk at the intense glare that Hershel was giving him. Sensing that another argument could break out, Yhwach stepped in.

Yhwach took a deep breath and approached the scene with his usual composed demeanor. The adrenaline from the confrontation still coursed through him, but his focus remained sharp.

"Everyone made it without much difficulty," Yhwach began, his voice carrying a calm authority. "I suppose we should all be thankful for that. There's no need to tear each other's throats out. What's done is done."

His words hung in the air, attempting to diffuse the rising tension. Hershel, still visibly shaken, rounded on Yhwach with a glare. "What's done is done?! My son almost lost his life, and this asshole did nothing but run away. If it wasn't for Lee... I don't know what would have happened to him."

Yhwach turned to Hershel, his expression remaining impassive but his tone steady. "I understand that, Hershel. But rather than focusing on what could have happened, we should focus on what has happened. Lee was able to save Shawn, Kenny was able to save Duck, and everyone is still alive."

Shawn, still in pain but determined to keep the mood calm, spoke up. "Yeah, Dad, it's fine. I'll be ready to go in no time. I might need to rest for a few days, though."

Hershel's gaze softened slightly as he took in Yhwach's words and Shawn's reassurance. He looked at both Lee and Yhwach with a mix of gratitude and lingering tension. "Thank you both for saving my son."

Yhwach, considering the sentiment, saw it as a form of repayment for the assistance they had received from Hershel's family the previous day. "It was the least we could do. Your son helped us, and this was a small measure of repayment."

Lee nodded in agreement. "It was nothing, really."

Hershel gave a nod of acknowledgment, then turned towards the farmhouse. "I think you should get going if you want to reach Macon. I need to take care of my son right now. If you ever need any help, you are welcome to come back here."

Kenny's guilty expression didn't leave his face until Hershel finally disappeared into the farmhouse, his shoulders slumping as the door clicked shut. The weight of what had just happened seemed to hang in the air, palpable and suffocating. Kenny shifted awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with anyone, but the tension in his posture was clear.

After a moment, Kenny turned towards Lee, his voice subdued. "You and your friend got that ride to Macon if you want it." His tone lacked the usual confidence, and there was a strained undertone as if he was trying to make up for what he knew had been a cowardly act.

Lee nodded his head, a mix of gratitude and unresolved anger swirling within him. "Thanks, Kenny," he replied, though the words felt heavier than he intended. He appreciated the offer, but the lingering resentment made it hard to fully accept the gesture without reservation.

Kenny then turned his gaze to Yhwach, who had been silently observing the exchange. The tall man's expression was as unreadable as ever, but there was a faint glimmer of something in his eyes—curiosity, perhaps, or calculation.

"Thanks for, uh, covering us back there," Kenny mumbled, his usual bravado completely gone. He seemed unsure of how to address Yhwach, perhaps sensing the stark difference in how the man carried himself.

Yhwach looked at Kenny for a moment before giving a curt nod. "Your son was in danger. It was the logical course of action." His words were straightforward, devoid of any warmth or additional sentiment.

Kenny shifted uncomfortably, not entirely sure how to respond. "Yeah, well... I appreciate it," he said, though the words came out awkwardly as if he wasn't sure they were enough.

With that, the tension began to dissipate, and the group prepared to leave. Lee and Yhwach gathered their belongings, readying themselves for the journey ahead. As they made their way to the vehicle.

[Scene Break Location: Highway]

A pickup truck drove down the empty highway. The sky was a bright blue and the sun was shining as brightly as ever. There were rows of daisies and other flowers that were blooming in the fields alongside the road. If anything, today seemed like the perfect day for a nice Sunday drive.

Today had been anything but perfect for Kenny.

Sure, he managed to save his son from the walkers. That was something that he should be proud of, right?

Every father needs to be able to protect their family. Otherwise, what's the point of having one in the first place?

Yet, it was the WAY in which he saved Duck that gave him pause. He remembered seeing Duck be grabbed by the monsters, he remembered saving Duck from the walker's clutches, he remembered looking at Lee struggling to help Shawn, and he remembered running away when faced with a choice.

Is that what I want to teach my son? To run away when others need help? What kind of life lesson is that, Kenny?

After the initial shock had worn off, Kenny had felt incredibly guilty about what he had done. He wanted to help Lee, but, at the moment, he was more concerned with making sure his son was kept safe. Surely, he couldn't be blamed for that right?

If Hershel was faced with that choice, he would have saved his own son over mine, so there's no way I should be expected to do anything different.

Despite himself, Kenny decided to push the guilt he was feeling downward. All he had done was save his son like any father would. Besides, Lee was able to stall long enough for Yhwach and Hershel to show up, so he wasn't even needed. It's like Yhwach had said earlier "What's done is done.". Kenny couldn't change the past, so there was no point dwelling on it. For now, all he was going to focus on was getting back home.

Maybe, I should just hop on my boat and set sail. Those walkers don't seem like they can swim.

A commercial fisherman by trade, Kenny felt most at home on the open sea. That couldn't be said for the rest of his family, but they would learn to love it for Kenny's sake if not their own.

He wondered what Lee and Yhwach's plan would be after they reached Macon. Did they have a long-term plan or were they just seeing where the road took them and hoping for the best?

He wished that he had gotten to know Yhwach's group better, but he was too busy working on his truck to make conversation with them before everything went to shit. It was then that Kenny realized he didn't really know the people he was traveling with all that well.

Jugram seems like a military guy. Lee's a.....good person? Clementine isn't related to Lee, and they were found together....separate....Shit, I don't know anything about them.

Still, Kenny felt he could trust them with his family's safety. After all, they wasted no time helping Hershel's family, and it's not like Kenny was going to stick them with the whole way. They would probably split up in Macon once Lee found his family. Kenny just hoped he didn't run into any scarier situations before they reached home.

Or before the government starts handing out shots. A couple of extra guns never hurts anybody.

As the truck rolled down the highway, the silence between the passengers grew thicker. Duck was leaning against the window, his small face pressed against the glass as he watched the world blur by. He was blissfully unaware of the gravity of what had happened back on the farm, the innocence of youth shielding him from the harshness of the world around them.

Kenny glanced over at Lee, who was sitting beside him, staring ahead with an unreadable expression. Lee had said thanks back at the farm, but there was something in his eyes—something Kenny couldn't quite place. Was it disappointment? Anger? Or maybe it was just the weight of everything they'd been through already.

In the backseat, Yhwach was as still as ever, his posture rigid, his gaze fixed somewhere far beyond the horizon. He hadn't said much since they'd left, but then again, he never really did. Kenny found himself wondering about the man's past, about what kind of life could make someone so detached, so cold. And yet, Yhwach had saved them, hadn't he? He'd stepped in when Kenny had hesitated. That was more than Kenny could say for himself.

As the truck rumbled down the highway, Yhwach watched Kenny in silence, his mind processing the recent events. The tension from the earlier encounter had not fully dissipated, but Yhwach's focus was now on practical concerns. He nudged Kenny's arm, causing the man to glance over with a questioning look.

"What's up? You need something?" Kenny asked, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and weariness.

Yhwach gestured towards a supermarket in the distance. "There's a supermarket. Lee and I figured that some extra supplies wouldn't hurt. We could always use food, water, and medical supplies among other things. If you could stop there so we could gather supplies, that would be much appreciated."

Kenny considered the suggestion, nodding thoughtfully. "That seems to be a smart idea. We are running a bit low on that kind of stuff now that you mention it."

Kenny began to slow down, his gaze shifting to Lee, who had been quietly listening to the exchange.

That seems to be a smart idea. We are running a bit low on that kind of stuff now that he mentioned it.

"Seems agreeable to me. But what about the girl? Who's going to protect her, Katjaa, and Duck if something happens?" Kenny asked, his concern evident in his tone.

Lee responded without hesitation. "Clementine has a hammer. Plus, you can leave your car keys with Katjaa just in case they need to drive out of here."

Kenny nodded at that plan. That seemed smart, although he was a bit worried about the prospect of an 8-year-old child with one hammer being the sole protector for his wife and son. Man, he wished he had another weapon besides his gun.

The truck rolled to a stop at the edge of the supermarket parking lot. The emptiness of the lot was eerie, with abandoned cars littering the space and not a soul in sight. Kenny glanced at Duck and Katjaa, a look of determination on his face.

"So, Lee, 'Jugram', and I were talking and we figured that we should go to the supermarket to look for new supplies. I trust you'll keep Duck and the girl safe. We'll be back soon, alright?"

Katjaa nodded firmly, her gaze steady. "We'll be fine. Just hurry."

With that, Kenny, Lee, and Yhwach stepped out of the truck and made their way towards the supermarket. 

"Alright, so are we doing this thing or what?" asked Lee.

"Yeah, lead the way." said Kenny.

The three of them started to walk towards the doors of the supermarket. Kenny looked around and saw some of the insides of the cars a little bit closer. They seemed to be relatively empty, so their owners probably fled a long time ago...or they got trapped in the supermarket.

"Shouldn't we check some of these cars? They could have useful stuff," said Kenny.

Yhwach's gaze remained steady, his voice calm but authoritative. "Our objective is clear, and our time is limited. We'll need to reach Macon before nightfall. Scavenging here will only delay us, and the supermarket offers a greater chance of finding what we need."

Lee just looked at Kenny and said "Yeah, as long as you don't run away if we see trouble, everyone should be fine."

Kenny froze. Lee's statement was starting to bring back all those feelings he had repressed. All the guilt. The shame. Kenny should have been more apologetic, but he hated the fact that Lee had brought back all those feelings. The most dominant feeling that decided to rear its ugly head was anger.

"You got a problem, man?" asked Kenny in a confrontational tone.

Lee just turned and looked back at him. Yhwach seemed to frown at the argument that was about to ensue.

"Yeah, I got a problem. I got a BIG problem when someone sees that someone else needs help and just leaves them to die."

"Leave you to die?! That's how you see it? The way I see it, I saved my son and got him out of danger. I just assumed you would be able to handle a couple of walkers long enough for Darren and Hershel to show up. And guess what, you did!" rebutted Kenny.

"Oh, so, because everything turned out ok, that absolves you of what you did?" argued Lee. "Is that what you say to make yourself feel better? About abandoning Shawn to the walkers?"

"Fuck you man! I wish things could have gone differently, but it was in the heat of the moment. You save one person and you think you can preach to me?" answered Kenny.

Where the hell does this guy get off? Kenny thought

"Let me ask you something, Lee. Have you ever made a mistake in your life? Or are you some saint who has never done anything wrong?"

Lee's expression changed to one of guilt before he looked down. He didn't seem to be in an arguing mood anymore.

"Oh, so I guess you ain't Mother Theresa then, huh?" challenged Kenny.

Before the tension could escalate, Yhwach intervened, his towering presence demanding their attention as he struck both of them on the head with controlled force. "Enough."

The authority in his voice left no room for debate as both Kenny and Lee turned to him.

"Kenny," Yhwach began, his tone measured but firm, "I understand the instinct to protect your son. As a father, I know that fear. But abandoning others in the process is a failure you cannot afford to repeat. And Lee," he turned his gaze to the other man, "your anger is justified, but it must not cloud your judgment. What's done is done."

His eyes narrowed, carrying the weight of his words. "We are not here to dwell on past mistakes. We are here to survive. Petty arguments will only lead to further mistakes, and in this world, mistakes are fatal. I expect both of you to put aside your grievances and focus on the task at hand."

Yhwach's voice turned cold as he concluded, "Do I make myself clear?" His gaze bore into them, ensuring there was no misunderstanding.

Lee and Kenny said nothing for a few seconds before Lee said "Yeah. I'm good."

Kenny decided to join in. "All good, Sir. Let's loot this place."

Yhwach nodded at their sentiments. "Very well then, let's see what we can find."

[Scene Break Location: Kenny's Truck]

"So, Two-Face is the coolest villain ever, right? I mean he looks all scarred and ugly, but he's super cool. Don't you think so too, Clementine?" asked Duck.

"Well, I don't really like Batman as much as Spider-Man. The way he shoots webs is cool to me," said Clementine.

As soon as she finished speaking, Duck started up again. "Ewww, you like Marvel more than DC? DC's way cooler. They have the best villains. If Batman was here, he would just beat up all the bad guys and the world would be saved. No one can stop him."

Katjaa just shook her head in exasperation as Clementine muttered some half-hearted reply. It seemed like whatever had been bothering Duck had gone away for the moment. Once Clementine tried talking to Duck to make him feel better, Duck had immediately taken control of the conversation. The kid went a million miles a minute. Katjaa kept wondering how he had so much energy considering everything that had happened.

The car was filled with 2 different options. One about DC and Marvel. Two very distinct tastes, but useful to have considering the current climate of the world.

In the back of the truck, the debate raged on—DC versus Marvel, two very different comic books clashing. It was a small, useful conversation in their otherwise grim reality.

...

Well, maybe not that useful, but at least it was something to focus on.

[Scene Break Location: Supermarket]

Kenny started packing the canned food he had found in his bag. Luckily, the bag was also available near the front of the store, which was nice, because Kenny had not brought one himself. Lee and Yhwach were busy checking for supplies in another part of the store. Normally, it would be stupid to split up, but the supermarket seemed empty as soon as they entered.

Due to all the commotion they made at the front doors, Kenny figured any walkers in the aisles would have already made themselves known. The aisles weren't the only things barren; the shelves had a lot fewer supplies than Kenny would have thought.

Guess people didn't waste any time.

Of course, why did he expect them to? People were inherently selfish, they were always going to be concerned about protecting themselves first, before protecting others.

And I fit right in with them. How can Lee judge me for panicking because I wanted to make sure my son was safe?

To be honest, Kenny didn't want to be around Lee right now. Even though he didn't know Lee that well, Lee seemed like a selfless dude. Lee seemed like the kind of guy who would take the shirt off his own back if you needed it.

So, with that in mind, it was no surprise that Lee had heavily disagreed with Kenny's actions. He probably saw Kenny as a piece of shit.

Whatever. I did what I did, and I don't regret anything.

Was he just lying to himself to make himself feel better? Did he really not feel a thing?

Kenny just grumbled to himself, as he finished collecting the items on the shelves and saw a door to an employee area. He might as well see what's in there. Maybe there could be useful stuff since people wouldn't think to look there. Kenny slowly opened the door, but he didn't see anything in the immediate vicinity. He walked further into the room and saw piles of boxes littering the area. Some of the contents had been spilled out onto the floor. The room looked about as organized as a school classroom full of elementary school kids who just learned they had a substitute teacher for the day.

Kenny just shook his head, before he turned and saw a walker making its way towards him. The walker had an employee uniform on with the nametag of Astra. 

There was a huge bite mark on his neck, so Kenny guessed that a walker took a chomp out of him after he died.

These motherfuckers. Everything I've done today has been their fault.

Finally, the whirlwind of emotions that Kenny had been feeling was trained on a singular target: Astra. Kenny dropped his bag, walked over to the walker, and punched it in the face. The walker went down, and Kenny proceeded to stomp on Astra's head over and over again until his face was complete mush. Panting heavily, Kenny looked at his creation.

Damn, that felt good. I need to get a hold of myself, though.

Sensing there was nothing else in the room, Kenny walked back to the front of the store where Yhwach and Lee were waiting for him.

"There you are. We were about to go looking for you," said Lee. Yhwach noticed the blood on Kenny's shoe and asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing just ran into one of the walkers. I didn't feel like wasting ammo, so I killed it the old-fashioned way," replied Kenny.

Yhwach nodded in approval, before looking outside.

"Alright! Next stop: Macon, Georgia"

[Scene Break Location: Macon, Georgia]

Macon seemed to be as much of a ghost town as the rest of Georgia. The red brick buildings loomed over the 6 occupants of Kenny's vehicle as they entered the town. The sidewalks were cracked with years of wear and tear, but the town itself seemed to have no one around to greet them. There were multiple stores that looked like they had been broken into, but no one seemed to be currently occupying them. Cars littered the streets, with some being parked to the side and others being flat-out deserted in the middle of the road.

To Lee, this was not a good sign at all. If his parents were anywhere, they would probably be at the family pharmacy. Lee didn't know if he wanted to reveal that his parents owned the place. The group seemed to have bigger problems of their own, as their car sputtered to a stop.

"Why are we stopping?" Lee asked.

"This is as far as we're going. My truck is completely dry right now." Kenny explained, "Guess neither of you have some gas to spare?" When Yhwach and Lee shook their heads, he said, "Then we have to go deeper into the town, hopefully, we'll find some gas there."

The group pushed themselves into a walk, heading further into Macon. The further they ventured into Macon, the better look they got at the state the town was in right now. Even though most of them had never been in Macon, they could easily tell that the town was a shell of its former shelf. The streets were filled with abandoned cars and all the buildings in the town, no matter if they were residential buildings or stores seemed abandoned too.

Meanwhile, Duck had wandered up the street and saw a man who seemed to be working on a car.

"Look!" he shouted.

Kenny approached Duck and shouted, "Hey there! You friendly? Our trucks have run out of gas."

The figure stopped what it was doing and looked to where the group was standing, revealing itself to be a walker. More walkers suddenly started coming from every direction, stumbling and crawling out from storefronts, under cars, and out from the alleyways, and began to approach the group from all sides.

Kenny looked around himself, trying to find a place where his group could hide from the undead, finding none, "Fuck!"

"We're surrounded!" Lee shouted, taking out the hatchet that was given to him by Yhwach shortly before he and his group left the supermarket. It seemed like he would get an opportunity to use it sooner than he expected.

He tilted his head to the side when he heard Duck scream, seeing how the boy was brought down to the ground by a walker. The undead got itself on top of the boy as Duck cried out for help. The walker on top of Duck got its head blown open by a gunshot, covering the boy in its blood. 

Katjaa and Kenny quickly ran over to their son, happy he was okay as Lee looked at the person who just saved Duck from a walker, expecting to see Yhwach. Much to his surprise, he saw two people he had never seen before. He saw a woman holding a smoking pistol and an Asian man. They must have run out of the drugstore behind them.

"RUN!" The Asian man shouted as a caucasian woman with a pistol continued to fire her pistol at the walkers.

Everyone ran inside the drugstore while the Asian man barely managed to lock the front gate again, effectively protecting the people inside for now.

Not wasting any time, The group quickly ran into the drugstore their two saviors came from. When they were inside the building, the lady with the pistol and the Asian man followed them into it, the latter quickly closing the gate that was outside the door and placing a combination lock on it. It was when the walkers reached the gate and began slamming themselves against it, trying to reach the people who entered the drugstore.

Once everyone was inside the drugstore, a woman in a brown tank top immediately voiced how displeased she was by their actions, "We can't take risks like this."

"And we can't just let people die either!" rebutted the other Caucasian woman.

"When I say that door stays shut no matter what, I fucking mean it!" The woman in a brown tank top shouted and gestured to the new arrivals, "We don't these who these people are. They could be dangerous."

"Or worse, they could have led'em right to us!" An older man cried out in anger, joining the argument.

The Caucasian woman from earlier looked at him in shock, "Where the hell is your humanity?! They would've died out there!"

The old man however was not fazed by letting people get eaten alive, "Then we let'em."

"We're not dangerous." Lee said, trying to defuse the situation, "We're just regular folk."

"What's dangerous is a bunch of people running outside and drawing their attention to us." The tank top lady retorted.

"Oh, yes." Kenny was growing annoyed by the tank top lady, "Because that's exactly what we wanted to happen. For a group of those things to get us. Use your brain, lady. We obviously didn't know that this was gonna happen! We just found ourselves in this town. We had no idea it was filled with those things!"

"You'll have to excuse her." The pistol lady said.

"The hell he or anyone will." The tank top lady was getting more pissed by this situation, "This is about survival, do you guys not see what's happening?"

As the woman in a brown tank top was speaking, Lee felt how someone grabbed his hand. He looked down at this persona and saw Clementine, "What is it?"

"I have to pee," Clementine whispered to him.

"In a minute, Clem," Lee whispered back.

"They got kids Lilly." The Asian man pointed out.

"Those things outside don't care." The tank top lady, now named Lilly, pointed out in return.

"Maybe you should go join them then. You'll have something in common!" Kenny stated angrily.

"Goddamn it, Lilly, you have to control these people!" The older man told her harshly.

"Carley and Glenn just ran out there!" Lilly argued as she pointed at the two.

"She's not wrong. They took a risk," Yhwach interjected calmly, his presence cutting through the tension.

Lilly nodded, turning to the tallest man in the room. At least one of these new people was making any sense to her, "Yes. We did."

"And we appreciate it," Yhwach continued, his tone steady and authoritative. "Now, let's all settle down. We need to focus on our next steps."

The older man was about to say something, but quickly forgot what he was about to say when he saw Duck, "Son of a bitch! One of them is bitten!"

"He wasn't bitten!" Lee quickly denied it.

"Like Hell, he wasn't!" The old man replied and stepped towards Duck, "We have to end this. Now."

Kenny immediately got himself in the old man's way, a furious look on his face, "Over my dead body."

"We'll dig one hole." The old man threatened Kenny, glaring at him angrily for getting in his way.

"No! I'm cleaning him up, there's no bite, he's fine!" Katjaa shouted in panic, trying to keep her only son safe.

"Don't You fucking people get it?!" The old man shouted, "We've already seen this happen. We let someone with a bite stay, and we all get bitten!"

"Shut up!" Kenny yelled at him.

"What are you talking about?" inquired Yhwach.

"He's bitten, you thumbsucker! That's how you turn!" shouted the old man.

So, bites turn people into these... walkers? Yhwach thought, his eyes narrowing as he absorbed the information. It makes sense. The rapid spread of this plague, the sheer number of these creatures—it must be through infection, not just random chance.

He remembered his earlier thoughts in the barn, the unsettling questions about whether these creatures had souls, and the nature of their bites. The truth had become painfully clear. A bite from the undead was not just an injury; it was a death sentence, marking the beginning of a transformation that could never be undone.

Katjaa was desperately trying to defuse the situation, as she pleaded with Lee. "Lee, stop this! It's upsetting him!"

"Oh, I'm 'upsetting' him? Upsetting is getting eaten alive!" Lilly's father retorted, his anger escalating.

Attempting to reason with her father wasn't working well, but Lilly still acknowledged the defense. "Dad, we get it, it's a big deal."

"Do you? You're not fucking acting like it!" the old man snapped, frustration and fear driving his harsh words.

"What if this was your daughter?" Lee asked, trying to reason with the old man.

"Never woulda' happen!" The old man retorted, "She's not some snot-nosed toddler, ok? She's United States Air Force."

"Oh, fuck you and her!" Kenny shouted, "I'm gonna kill him, Kat! Just worry about Duck."

"Lee!" Clementine called out for Lee, having made her way to the bathroom during this argument.

Lee looked at her, "Yeah?"

"There's someone in there," Clementine replied.

"It's just locked." Lee explained, "Keys behind the counter. Probably."

"Hey, I'm not the bad guy here. I'm just looking after my daughter!" The old man tried to defend himself at this point.

"Considering you want to murder a child just because you think he was bitten, with no evidence to prove it, then yeah, it's safe to say you are the bad guy here." Lee pointed out.

"He's covered in muck, you dumbass, she'll find a bite, watch!" The old man retorted.

"She won't." Kenny denied, boiling with anger.

"And if she does?" The old man replied, "First thing he'll do is sink his teeth into his mom's face. Then once she's dead, he'll probably pounce on your little girl. They'll turn fast, and then there'll be three. And that boy is the ball game!"

"He's a little boy. I think we can handle him." Lee stated.

"A little boy?" The old man asked, "He'll be an uncontrollable man-eater!"

"It's not gonna happen!" Kenny shouted, getting more tired of this old man with each passing second.

"It is and we're tossing him out now!" The old man shouted, near his breaking point.

Lee shifted his gaze between Kenny and the old man, wondering which side of the argument he should take. 

The tension between them was broken due to Clementine screaming in fear. Everyone looked towards where the girl was and saw a walker jumping out of the bathroom. The undead landed on the floor and began crawling towards Clementine who could only back away from it in fear.

The old man's eyes widened, "Jesus!"

"Clementine!" Lee shouted in worry.

His reaction to seeing Clementine in danger was in. He began limping towards her and the walker as fast as he could, but unfortunately his wounded leg eventually caused him to fall to the floor. Knowing how little time he had right now, he got himself back on his feet. By the time he reached them, the undead grabbed Clementine by her leg, trying to bring it closer to itself.

"Get away from her you son of a bitch!" He shouted as he grabbed the walker and pulled it away from Clementine.

The undead changed its target the moment it set its dead-looking eyes on Lee and lunged towards him. Lee grabbed the walker by its shoulders as he struggled to keep the undead away from him. As the undead was getting closer to sinking its teeth in his neck, a bullet suddenly went through the walker's skull, killing it immediately. He turned to look at the person who just saved him from the walker and saw Yhwach.

Smoke billowed from Yhwach's left hand as the pistol he'd just fired from still emitted a faint haze. His eyes narrowed as he assessed the chaos unfolding around him, irritation clear in his expression. The constant bickering and the ensuing mess had clearly pushed him to his limits.

"I've had enough of this," Yhwach declared, his voice cutting through the uproar with chilling calm. He lifted his pistol, the barrel still warm, and pointed it directly at the old man. Gasps of shock and alarm erupted from the others as they processed the imminent threat.

Carley's hand twitched toward her own pistol, a protective instinct surfacing as she prepared to intervene. Meanwhile, Kenny, Lilly, and the others stood wide-eyed, their minds racing as they grappled with the possibility that Yhwach might actually kill the old man.

Yhwach's gaze returned cold. "Two bullets," he said, his tone carrying an unsettling clarity.

The old man's confusion was palpable as he looked from Yhwach to the pistol and back again. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"Two bullets," Yhwach repeated, his eyes locking onto the old man with steely resolve. "This pistol contains two bullets. One for you and one for the boy if your claims are to be believed."

The old man's eyes widened in realization, but before he could respond, Yhwach's pistol shifted. The barrel now aimed directly at Duck, causing Kenny and Katjaa to react with horror.

"Jugram, what the hell are you doing?" Kenny's voice was sharp, filled with panic and anger. "Stop him!"

"Hold on, Kenny," Yhwach said, his gaze never leaving Duck. He continued to speak to the old man with a calm demeanor, "If the child is indeed bitten, I will put him out of his misery. But if he is not—"

Kenny's desperation cut through the tension. "He's not fuckin bitten! Are you crazy, Jugram?"

Yhwach raised his right hand to silence Kenny, his eyes remaining cold and calculating. The old man's voice trembled with both fear and frustration. "And if he isn't?"

Yhwach allowed a faint, almost amused smile to touch his lips. "If the boy is not bitten, then he will be spared. But you will receive the same fate if you cannot provide proof. The bullet intended for him will be for you."

The room fell into a heavy silence, the gravity of Yhwach's words hanging like a dark storm. The old man's face blanched as he realized the weight of Yhwach's threat.

"Please," Katjaa pleaded, her voice breaking with desperation. "He's not bitten. You don't have to do this."

Yhwach's gaze shifted from Duck to the old man, his expression unreadable. "It is a matter of principles. Your reckless behavior has put lives at risk. If you wish to continue like this, then I will extend to you the same mercy you have shown."

Kenny's eyes were filled with anger and fear as he moved closer to Yhwach, trying to gauge if there was any way to defuse the situation. "Please, Jugram, don't do this."

Yhwach's stance remained firm, the threat in his posture undeniable. "This is your final chance to prove the boy's condition. Fail to do so, and the consequences will be severe."

The old man's face paled as he processed the situation. He was clearly rattled, caught between the fear of facing Yhwach's wrath and the guilt of potentially condemning an innocent child. He knew that any further escalation could mean his own life and the weight of his earlier decision seemed to press down on him with full force.

Finally, the old man took a deep breath, his eyes shifting to Duck, and then to Yhwach. "Alright... alright," he stammered, his voice trembling. "We'll check the kid."

Yhwach lowered his pistol slightly, but his eyes remained cold and calculating. He nodded curtly, satisfied that the immediate threat of violence had been averted, though the atmosphere remained tense and fraught with unease.

Kenny, still fuming, glared at Yhwach but said nothing. Katjaa moved to check Duck's condition, her hands trembling as she examined him for any signs of a bite.

"Look, look!" Katjaa exclaimed with relief evident in her voice to gain everyone's attention as she had just finished cleaning her son, "He's clean! Not a single scratch on him!"

Kenny smiled smugly at the old man, "What do you think of that, asshole?"

"I'm Larry and I'm fucking sorry." The hostility was gone from Larry's voice, but he didn't sound remorseful.

The Asian man slowly turned towards the barricades as he heard some noise coming from over there, "Guys?"

Unfortunately, Yhwach's shot had drawn some unwanted visitors to the drugstore. Everyone heard how the undead began pounding against the barricades, trying to get into the drugstore. Everyone stepped away from the barricades just in case they went down, which all of them hoped was not going to happen as they knew how badly it would end for all of them.

"Everyone down! Stay quiet!" Lilly said in a yelled whisper as everyone went down and began hiding the shelves, hoping the walkers would eventually lose interest in them.

"They're gonna get in!" Larry said in genuine fear, peeking above the shelf he was hiding behind.

"They will if you don't shut the fuck up!" Kenny whispered to him.

It was when everyone heard the sound of a gunfire of automatic rifles and shotguns coming from the distance. They even could hear a helicopter somewhere in the distance.

"Is that the military?" Lee asked.

"I don't know," Lilly replied.

"Thank God for whatever it is." The Asian man stated as the walkers lost their interest in the drugstore and began walking away from it, presumably towards where the shots came from.

"Why are you guys here in the first place?" asked Yhwach.

"It's my dad. He has a heart condition. It requires him to take nitroglycerin pills. We were trying to get into the pharmacy where the pills were. It seems to be locked and we have no idea where the keys are." revealed Lilly.

"There's probably another entrance. Maybe through the office." offered Lee.

"How do you know that's an office?" questioned Carley.

Oh shit. Did I give away too much? Lee thought

"Uh…educated guess," said Lee.

"It doesn't matter," said Lilly. "If you could help get into the pharmacy, that would be great." She then turned to Larry. "Come on, Dad. You need to rest now."

"But, Lill-" started Larry.

"DAD! Please…" pleaded Lilly. Larry just couldn't say no to his daughter at that point, so he acquiesced before sitting down near the office entrance.

"I'm starting to think this drugstore isn't a permanent solution," said Glenn.

"You're right. This ain't exactly Fort Knox." agreed Kenny.

"So, what's your plan ?" asked Yhwach.

"We need as much gas as possible, so we can all out get out of downtown Macon. FAST." emphasized Glenn.

Yhwach nodded his head in agreement. "That seems like a pretty reasonable solution to me."

"So, I'll head out and get gas. There's a motel not too far from here, out towards the end of Peachtree. I'll work my way towards it and then loop back siphoning what I can."

Lee looked at Glenn in surprise. That seemed like a lot to do for anyone, especially a man who had just helped them.

"You know your way around? Local?" inquired Lee.

"Born and raised," answered Glenn with a smile.

"Actually, if you're gonna do this, here's a walkie-talkie in case you need help," said Lee. He handed his walkie-talkie to Glenn. "The little girl, Clementine, has the other one. Hopefully, you won't need it. But it's better to be safe than sorry."

Lee turned to Lilly and Larry. "Don't worry Lilly, We'll work on getting your father his medicine. Everything will be fine. I know this has been a stressful situation for everyone involved, but we can't be at each other's throats like this."

Lilly thanked Lee, who waved it off as no big deal. Meanwhile, Yhwach addressed Carley and Doug. "And you, you seem to be doing a good job on being a lookout, so you can stay there. Carley, you can shift in with him when he needs it."

"It's Doug." The young man introduced himself as Doug, "You got it."

"You got it, boss," responded Carley.

Lilly didn't seem particularly pleased that Yhwach was ordering around "her" group like he was the one in charge, but she didn't say anything.

Glenn left through the office to head to the motor inn. Kenny went back to his family trying to comfort them, presumably about what just happened. Yhwach decided to walk over to Lilly and Larry. He wanted to get to know them better, and quite frankly, he should maybe smooth things over with them. Carley was fiddling around with a radio that she had found.

Lee had a couple of options. He could try speaking to Lilly and Larry and help Yhwach smooth things over.

There were also supplies that Lee could try and scavenge from the shelves. It never hurt to have more supplies, and Lee figured there was no way EVERYTHING was taken from his family's pharmacy.

My family.

That brought Lee back to the main reason he was in Macon in the first place. To find his family. Maybe there were some clues about where his parents or brother could have gone. He could try looking in the office for anything. But what if they had never come here in the first place?

Or maybe, Lee should just help out with getting into the pharmacy. The quicker he got in, the faster everyone would be able to leave. Lee looked at the windows and saw the hasty fortification job that somebody else had put up. Lee didn't know if it was his family, or someone else, but these windows would not be able to stop a huge pile of walkers if they descended onto the pharmacy once again. Since there didn't seem to be any building materials, Lee couldn't really work on the windows. Besides, they were trying to leave the pharmacy, not make it a safe haven, so what was the point?

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What does [M] (Lee Everett) do?

A) Talk to Lilly and Larry

B) Search for clues about his family's whereabouts

C) Search shelves for supplies

D) Try to find a way into the pharmacy

E) Bonus: In the meanwhile what should Yhwach do in his spare time?

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Relationships [M] (Lee Everett):

Yhwach: 5/10

You think that 'Jugram' is still wary of you and clearly dislikes your selfless hero bravado. It feels like a constant reminder of someone he despises or fears. There's a coldness in his gaze that makes you wonder what he's really thinking beneath that calm and detached exterior.

Clementine: 7/10

She's shaken up about what happened. She's never been that close to death before.

Kenny: 7/10

He had an argument with you but. He appreciates that you backed him up against Larry.

Katjaa: 8/10

She's grateful that you stopped Larry from tossing Duck out.

Duck: 7/10

He likes that you stood up for him. He doesn't really know what the argument was about, though….

Lilly: 4/10

She's annoyed that your group seems to be controlling what happens. Also, you almost insulted her dad in front of everyone.

Larry: 2/10

He absolutely fucking hates you, Kenny, and 'Jugram' for what you three did. You're just as much of a moron as everyone else.

Carley: 6/10

She's glad you stood up to Larry. She knows something about you, though….

Doug: 6/10

He's glad you didn't side with Larry to throw the kid out. He's more concerned with the watch at the moment.

Glenn: 6/10

He's glad that you didn't let a kid die. He left to go get more gas.

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Group Stats:

Trust: 50/100

You just met a lot of new people, and the old guy wants to kill Duck. But Duck was saved by Yhwach, and everyone calmed down. There are still some in the group who don't like you though. Man, don't you wish you could go back to when the group was just "No L's"?

Members: 11

Choose wisely... Every Decision Counts.