Neo Soul King Yhwach

Since we're entering episode 2 of this Saga I decided to make a cover. ( Side Note: If any of you is an artist or a good editor at manga panels and whatnot if you'd like to help me make some art for this story for free of course I'm broke, Also rate the cover )

[Yhwach Pov.] 

Days had passed since our arrival at the motor inn. It had taken time, but I managed to transform the small room I claimed into something more fitting for someone of my stature. It was a far cry from my throne in Silbern, where I ruled over the Wandenreich, but it would suffice in this world. The bed was crude, the walls bare, but I had made it clean and orderly—at least as much as the environment allowed. I had never been one for frivolous comforts, but even I had standards.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I reflected on the events that had transpired since I emerged from that portal into this new world. The faces of the humans I had met flickered through my mind, but one stood out more than the others—Lee Everett. A man of contradictions, this Lee. A criminal who killed, yet still clung to some misguided sense of morality. I had watched him closely, studied him as one would an insect beneath the glass. His actions intrigued me, and it was for that reason I had given him the pistol we found together.

That pistol... it was more than just a weapon. It was a tool, a measure of control, and more importantly, a test. I needed to see if Lee would turn it against me if desperation or circumstance drove him to the edge. I kept a spare pistol as a precaution. Trust, to me, is not given lightly; it's a currency I handle with care, doling it out in fragments to those who prove their worth. Lee had earned a sliver of that trust—not enough to lower my guard, but just enough to keep him close, to observe how far his convictions would take him. His bond with Clementine was a vulnerability, a weakness, but also a strength that could be molded, and exploited when the time came.

However, there was an unsettling issue I had yet to resolve. My Quincy abilities, particularly those reliant on reishi, were largely ineffective here. The draining effect of their usage in my current weakened state was a constant concern. I had hoped to tap into my Blut for protection and enhancement, but it remained elusive. As such, I had to rely on conventional weapons, which, while practical, were a far cry from the powers I once wielded.

To preserve myself, I took measures that others might deem extreme. I embedded fragments of my soul within each member of this group, They were unaware, of course, but it was a necessary action. one they would never comprehend. 

Souls were an untapped resource in this world, and by merging a piece of myself with theirs, I could prolong my life and gather valuable knowledge. When they died—and they inevitably would—they would feed my power. Each soul was a small reservoir of energy and information, and in a world as uncertain as this, I needed every advantage.

Still, there were uncertainties. The walkers, those mindless beasts that once were human, posed an interesting question. When a person dies and is reanimated, what happens to their soul? My Reikaku—my spiritual perception—could not detect them as I once could with souls. It was as if they were empty vessels, devoid of the essence that once animated them. But perhaps, their souls were still trapped within those decaying shells, unable to pass on. If that were true, it could prove problematic for my plans.

A faint frown tugged at my lips as I glanced at my reflection in the cracked mirror across the room. I had noticed something disturbing: my mustache had grown shorter. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there. my power was waning, and with it, my physical form was beginning to regress. The implications were clear—I was becoming even younger, weaker. This world was sapping me, reducing him to something less than what he was.

With my spiritual powers so diminished, I had to rely on more mundane methods of survival. Weapons of this world—knives, pistols, shotguns—had become my tools. I had taken a knife when Lee and Clementine weren't looking, slipping it into my coat. I had no doubt I could kill with it if necessary, though the thought of relying on such primitive means was distasteful.

The group, for the most part, had grown accustomed to my presence. The majority saw me as a leader, or at least someone with authority. That was good. The more they relied on me, the more they would unknowingly contribute to my survival. And the more people we encountered, the better. Each new member was another potential source of power, another soul to consume when the time came.

I had to contemplate my next move. This world was still foreign to me, but I would learn its secrets in time. I would regain my strength, piece by piece until I could once again wield the power that was rightfully mine. And when that time came, not even this wretched world would be able to stand in my way.

I closed my eyes and leaned back, allowing myself a moment of rest. There was much to be done, but for now, I would wait. Patience was a virtue I had mastered long ago.

And I had all the time in the world.

...

So long as I continued to absorb souls to sustain myself that is.

[Scene Break - Third Person Pov.]

Lilly stretched as she headed out of her room. It was a beautiful summer day, one that Lilly would have relished in the world before. Her experiences were anything, but ones that should be relished, however. It had been a few days since she had escaped the drugstore with the rest of her group. Thanks to Glenn's sacrifice, she was able to get a bunch of nitroglycerin pills for her dad along with other general medical supplies.

I can't dwell on his death. Life moves on. You need to be strong, Lilly.

No nonsense. That's what Lilly prided herself on being. It gained respect from some people and caused animosity with others, but she didn't mind. As long as there were no internal struggles within the group, people could dislike her all they wanted. They just needed to listen to her.

It's time for me to step up and be the leader that I know I can be. The leader that my dad always wanted me to be.

Already, the group had gotten to work fortifying the motor inn. Kenny and Yhwach had moved Kenny's truck and Glenn's car as well as the vehicles abandoned inside the motor inn to the front, to block off any walkers from getting in. As for the RV, Kenny had insisted that the vehicle should just be left where it was since he wanted to work on getting it fixed up. If the group ever needed to leave quickly, it would serve as a nice getaway vehicle. The group also took some gas out from Glenn and Kenny's vehicles and put it in the RV just to keep their options open.

They also needed to keep someone on watch, so a chair was placed on top of the RV in order for the person on watch to have a nice vantage point of the nearby woods. If something came out of there, it would be seen quickly and everyone in the motel would be alerted immediately. Right now, the only people who took shifts were people who knew how to use guns, which included Lilly, Larry, Lee, Yhwach, Kenny, and Carley.

Eventually, everyone besides the kids needs to learn how to shoot a gun. If the military doesn't come soon, then we need to be able to protect ourselves.

Even though she was a former member of the military, Lilly had no idea how the army or the National Guard was being deployed to combat the threat of walkers. The group had tried to turn on a car radio to see if they could find anything out, but it was just static. It seemed like all the news anchors had abandoned their posts for a while, whether it was voluntary or by force.

Figuring out how the outside world had been affected wasn't the most important priority right now. The most important priority was adding more food to their reserves. Based on Doug's calculations, the group only had a few weeks' worth of food if everybody wanted to have a meal. Of course, they could stretch that food out by implementing rations, but Lilly figured that should be a conversation for another day.

Most of these people aren't going to want to hear that they may have to skip out on a meal if we want to survive longer.

Anyway, it might not have to come to that. Lilly had suggested that the group clear out her old workplace, the Robbins Air Force base. Considering most of the workers either left to find their families or were deployed elsewhere, the base was probably ripe for the picking. It had been determined yesterday that Lilly, Lee, Yhwach, and Kenny would all go on this mission. The more people that went, the more supplies that could be scavenged. Of course, that also meant that only 2 people left at the motor inn would be capable of keeping watch.

I don't want to make my dad work any harder than he has to. He needs to take care of his health.

Larry would probably chastise Lilly, saying that he was fine and to quit worrying about him so much. But Lilly was his daughter: it was her job to worry about him. Hopefully, the mission went smoothly and she would be back before nightfall.

Right now, the group was waking up and getting ready for the day. Larry was the first one on watch, and he would be followed by Carley in a few hours. Lilly walked over to the room where they kept their food stock. It was at the end of the motor inn on the first floor, considering it was the only room that had no beds located in it.

As she walked inside, she saw Kenny, Katjaa, and Duck were already crowded around the food pile.

"Mom, I'm hungry!" moaned Duck.

"I understand, Ducky, but we need to make sure that we save enough food for everyone. This isn't like before, where we can just go to the store and buy more groceries. You remember that I told you things are different right now?" reminded Katjaa.

"Oh, come on, Katjaa. Let him have a little more food than normal. We can cut the kids a little slack. I mean, who's gonna notice if there's an extra box of animal crackers missing?" asked Kenny.

Lilly just shook her head at Kenny's response. Dumbass ideas like this would be exactly why their food supply would run out faster than normal. Teetering on the brink of starvation, because some people can't control themselves.

And the people that enable this behavior are just as bad.

"I think I'll notice if you take more food than what you're supposed to," announced Lilly.

The three of them turned around with various expressions: Duck seemed intimidated, Katjaa seemed nervous, and Kenny seemed surprised.

"We have these rules for a reason, Kenny. Everyone only takes one food item per meal. That's how we decided to run it, and that's how I'll continue to run it. Even the kids have to follow these rules." stated Lilly.

Kenny just stared at Lilly with a look of disdain, but Katjaa decided to step in to cut the thickening tension in the room.

"You're right, Lilly. Duck, we can only take one food item with us per meal. You know that's how the rules are." stated Katjaa in a stern manner.

"Okay. I'm sorry," said Duck.

Lilly softened a little bit when she heard the boy's apology. She hadn't meant to be so hard on him, but she didn't know any other way of disciplining people other than using lessons that she had learned in her childhood.

"It's okay, Duck. It's not your fault. It's up to the people guiding you to remind you what you can and cannot do. If you break the rules, that's a reflection on them." stated Lilly, with a pointed look at Kenny.

Kenny just looked back in a hostile manner. "Kat, why don't you and Duck go outside and start eating? I'll join you in a minute."

Katjaa seemed to notice that Kenny and Lilly were about to argue once more, but she just nodded and took Duck outside away from the pair. Once the door closed, Kenny spoke again to Lilly.

"Don't you dare tell me how I should raise my child! Last time I checked, you ain't the expert on parenthood, unless you got some kids running around that I don't know about! It was just one box of animal crackers for a hungry kid."

"Yeah, this time it will be one box. Then, next time it will be one candy bar, one bottle of water, and eventually, our supplies will run out, before we know it." retorted Lilly.

"Oh please, I ain't going to let it get to that point. I know how to say 'no' to a child, Lilly. You need to stop acting like you're queen bitch all the damn time. How about you let some things go? Our situation is already fucked as is." said Kenny.

"If 'queen bitch' means that I can keep this group alive, then I'll happily act like that. You're letting your love for your family cloud your judgement. You need to think rationally about the whole group here. These supplies aren't just for your family, they're for mine as well." responded Lilly.

Kenny just rolled his eyes, before he grabbed a can of beans.

"Whatever. I'll take my leave if you'll allow me, dictator Lilly?"

Lilly chose not to respond to that, and Kenny walked away out of the food locker.

Kenny is going to be more of a problem than I thought when it comes to keeping this group together. He just does things that benefit his family rather than look at the bigger picture. When he gets called out for it, he can't even take criticism properly without making some smart-ass remark.

Yeah, Lilly and Kenny were not going to get along well.

[Scene Break Location: Road, En Route To Robbins Air Force base]

Lilly stared out the front of the car as the trees zoomed past her. She was in the passenger seat of Kenny's car, with Kenny driving, while Lee and Yhwach sat in the back. The tension between her and Kenny from their earlier argument hung in the air like a thick fog. She had no desire to be in close proximity to him, but she couldn't make a scene in front of Lee and Yhwach.

As they drove on, the road to Robbins Air Force Base appeared on their right. Lilly quickly asked Kenny to make the turn. He complied without a word, the car veering off the main road and onto the path that led to the base. As they approached, Lilly scanned the surroundings. There were no soldiers manning their posts, no sign of military activity—just silence.

"We're here," she said as Kenny pulled up to the entrance.

The main part of the compound was protected by a chain-link fence, and beyond it, they could see the base's interior. A watchtower stood at the far end, but the glare of the sun made it impossible to see if anyone was inside. The main building appeared intact, but Lilly wasn't about to take any chances.

Her eyes narrowed as she observed the courtyard. Walkers were scattered throughout, some roaming aimlessly, others standing still in the sunlight. The lack of human presence was concerning, but the immediate threat was the walkers. The fence had an opening, providing them access, but they needed to clear the area first.

Lilly crouched down and motioned for the others to gather around. She began laying out her plan, her voice low but firm. Yhwach remained standing, his arms crossed, while Lee leaned in to listen.

"Okay, listen up," Lilly began. "There aren't too many walkers around, but we need to do this quickly and quietly. We'll split up into pairs to clear out the outside. One team will take everything on our left, the other on the right. Use melee weapons only unless you have to fire a gun. I know the two of you have one, so use it with caution."

Lee nodded. "Alright, we'll take the right side," he said, already moving toward the gate with Yhwach following closely behind.

"Wait! We haven't even discussed who's going with who yet!" Lilly whispered urgently, but Yhwach merely glanced at her with an expression that suggested she was wasting his time.

Lee, oblivious to Lilly's protest, continued. "There are only four of us, and 'Jugram' and I are already heading in, so I guess you're with Kenny. We'll meet back with you at the front of the base."

"Guys, wa—" Lilly began, but her words fell on deaf ears as Yhwach and Lee slipped into the base. Yhwach didn't bother to acknowledge her further, while Lee seemed too focused on the task at hand to notice her concern.

Lilly just looked at Kenny, who looked back at Lilly with an equal amount of uncomfortableness.

God, help me. Lilly thought.

"Just don't do anything stupid," muttered Lilly, before she proceeded to enter the compound with Kenny going after her.

She quickly surveyed the scene. There were 4 walkers, two near them and two farther back. The two farther back had one sitting down while the other one was near the fence, almost like it was staring at the outside world. Lilly turned to Kenny, and said, "Ok, I'll take the one on the right. You take the one on the left."

Kenny readied his axe and went over to the walker on the left. He buried the head of the axe inside the walker's skull before Lilly matched him by also killing the other walker with her hammer. Now, they just had the two further back to deal with.

"Alright, let's take them out one at a time," said Lilly.

She turned and saw that Kenny was already heading toward the walker who was standing up. This action left him in full view of the walker who was sitting. The walker got up and started walking over to Kenny.

Stupid son of a bitch.

With vigor, Lilly rushed over and slammed the hammer into the walker's skull. By that time, Kenny had already dispatched the fence walker, meaning that there were no more walkers on their side of the compound. Nobody was hurt, but that didn't make Lilly any less irritated.

"Kenny, what was that?" asked Lilly.

"What do you mean, we got all of them, ain't we?" questioned Kenny.

"Yeah, but you didn't even listen to what I was going to say. You just ran off and almost got yourself killed." retorted Lilly.

"Get myself killed? That dead asshole was just sitting there. He wasn't going to get me before I was going to get him. Why don't you take that stick out of your ass, just because everything didn't go your way, princess?" challenged Kenny.

"Fuck you. I'm trying to keep you alive, but…you know what? You're not even worth discussing this with, because your dumbass has already made up your mind." finished Lilly.

She stopped speaking and just tried not to blow up. On some level, Kenny was right. There was virtually no danger considering the circumstances, but it wasn't about his actions. It was about his mentality. If his impulsiveness continued to be enabled, he could get someone killed if the group found themselves in a more dangerous situation.

You have to be methodical when it comes to disposing of walkers. That's how you make sure you can guarantee your safety. Lilly thought.

She ended up ignoring any retort Kenny had to make, and instead headed back to the front of the base. Lee and Yhwach were already waiting for them.

"Did you guys see anything?" asked Lilly.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone in the watchtower, since they would have seen us coming a mile away. We dispatched the walkers pretty easily, but we didn't see any signs that people were still there. I think this base might be ours." reported Lee.

Lilly was glad to hear it. Selfishly, she was kind of happy that any supplies in their base would be the sole possession of their group. They already had ten people, and it was only going to be harder to keep everyone fed and armed if they ended up bringing more people in. At some point, they had to prioritize survival above all else.

Not like any of these guys want to hear that. They'll save everyone they can.

"Ok, our first priority is to go to the commissary. If there's any food still left, it will still be in there. If it's fully intact, that's a few months' worth of food that we can live off of. Then, we'll go to the armory and get ourselves some more guns. Pistols, rifles, shotguns, anything that we can use. Finally, we'll look for other items like medical supplies, although that's not much of a priority, since we can always go back to the pharmacy if we need anything. Sound good to everyone?" asked Lilly.

No one seemed to have any objections, so Lilly slowly opened the door. She peeked around the corner with her hammer drawn. There seemed to be no walkers inside the base, a far contrast from the outside. The thought of that only served to unsettle her more. She was not going to let her guard down, not when they were so close to the finish line.

"Keep your weapons ready. There could be more that we haven't seen yet." reminded Lilly, as she led the way to the commissary. The group kept themselves at the ready, but no walkers appeared. Finally, they arrived at the door to the commissary.

"So, is this the place?" asked Kenny.

Lilly nodded in confirmation before Kenny replied "Alright, then what are we waiting for?"

He opened the door and was immediately met with a gun to his head. Lilly looked at the person who was holding the gun. He was a Caucasian male who looked to be in his mid-30s with glasses and a 5 o'clock shadow. He had on a black jacket with army camo pants.

"Who…who are you?" asked the man. He clearly seemed to be a bit nervous about aiming a gun at another human being, which suggested to Lilly that the man was clearly trying to put up a tough guy front.

"I'm Kenny. I didn't realize that anyone was still here. How about you take that gun off me and we can talk things out?" asked Kenny.

The man still held the gun to Kenny's head, before Lee spoke up.

"Woah there man, We just came here to loot the base for supplies, so why don't we all just calm down? We're not here to hurt you, I promise."

The man looked over at Lee before he lowered his gun.

"Sorry, I thought you might have been part of the other group of guys who came in here. They were a nasty bunch, and I barely got away with my life." explained the man.

"Is that other group near us? Do you know where they're set up?" demanded Lilly.

The man shook his head. "No, but they didn't manage to get in here. The dead made sure of that."

"The dead? There were only a few walkers when we came in here. They couldn't handle that many?" questioned Lee.

"No, there was a lot more, uh, walkers, but they chased after those idiots once they started to make too much noise. I think they may have actually done you guys a favor because there was a lot more surrounding this place. That's kind of the reason I stayed here in the first place. Well, that and the amount of food still left." explained the man.

"Yeah, that's why we came here. Lilly said there would be a lot of food still in the commissary to this place, and we got a lot of people in our group, so the more, the merrier," said Kenny.

"Oh, did you use to work here or something? I don't exactly remember you." stated the man as he studied Lilly.

"Maybe we worked in different divisions. I worked on a bunch of bureaucratic stuff involving planes, and my dad, Larry, was a foreman for this place. I'm guessing you don't know who we are?" questioned Lilly.

The man scratched his chin. "Nah, can't say I do. Although, I think I heard about your dad. He had a reputation for having a bit of a temper, right?"

"You can say that again," mumbled Kenny.

"Anyway, I'm Mark. I'm sorry we got off the wrong foot." introduced the man.

"Well, Mark, if you want to make it up to us, how about you part ways with that food that you're currently keeping safe? In exchange, we'll take you back to our group and make sure you're safe." proposed Lilly.

"We got a couple of kids that could use this food. You'll be doing a good thing, Mark."

Come on, take the deal.

"Alright." acquiesced Mark. "I guess it's better than staying stuck in here."

The group quickly got to work gathering up all the food in the bags they had come equipped with as well as the bags that were present in the commissary itself. Once that was done, Lilly and Mark led the group to the armory. There were still a few guns present.

"We have a few pistols, enough for almost everyone to have a gun. We don't have to keep borrowing each other's guns every time we need them for something. We also have a couple of rifles, which can be used for combat and hunting." remarked Lilly.

Lee's eyes widened as he took in the array of guns, clearly impressed by the sight. Yhwach, however, felt a quiet satisfaction settle within him. The presence of these weapons was more than just a fortunate discovery—it was a means to further his plans.

"Mark, do you have any more supplies that we could use to get out of this place along with the rest of the team? I'm going to pull the car up and make sure that we can load our supplies quickly and get out. I don't want to be here any longer than we have to." ordered Lilly.

With that, Lilly exited the base and made her way back to the car. She didn't like the idea of bringing more people in, but she knew there was no way that the others would turn him away. Plus, he did have food, so it wasn't like he was contributing anything to the group's survival.

There will come a time when we simply cannot bring more people in. I don't know how I'm going to convince the others that turning people away is the right thing to do when that time comes.

Shaking her head, she got back into the car and drove it through the fence that the group had entered from. The fence broke easily, and Lilly parked the car near the entrance of the base. The rest of the group exited with the food and weapons in hand, as well as some more medical supplies and cans of gasoline.

Once the loot was packed away, Lilly settled into the passenger seat, while Mark took a place in the back with Lee and Yhwach. Kenny started the engine, and they began their drive back to their destination.

Yhwach, his attention shifting to Mark, broke the silence. "Mark, was it? How long have you been in the military?"

Mark looked up, meeting Yhwach's eyes. "About ten years. I joined the Air Force right after college. I wanted to do something meaningful with my life, and military service seemed like the best way to achieve that."

Yhwach listened, his expression unreadable. "A commendable choice," he said, He assessed Mark with the same scrutiny he applied to all those around him, always calculating, always weighing potential usefulness.

[Timeskip - Scene Break Location: Motor Inn]

Lilly shivered as she was sitting on top of the RV. Currently, she was on watch, but there wasn't much of anything to watch. Since the group had moved into the motor inn, the woods had been mostly quiet. There were a few walkers that had appeared, but they were easily taken care of once they were spotted. As for humans, there hadn't been a single one they had come across, since they had picked Mark up almost 3 months ago.

3 months. 3 months, we've been here. If the calendar that Doug decided to follow is any accurate.

Long gone were the hot summer days that Lilly had become accustomed to. They had been replaced by chillier days and even colder nights. It was nothing too major, considering they lived in Georgia after all. Cold in Georgia during the fall had temperatures going under 60 degrees during the night, but it definitely still provided an impact.

Luckily, the group had gone back to Macon a couple of times in the past 2 weeks to scavenge more supplies from the pharmacy along with other necessities. These necessities included warmer clothing, which is why the supply groups raided clothing stores in Macon as well. Usually, it was Lee, Yhwach, and either Kenny or Mark who elected to go, depending on which one had done it last. Lilly now donned a black jacket to go along with her beige tank top and brown pants.

We've stockpiled enough supplies to last here for a while. But for how long?

Any hope that the military would make things right again had been vanquished in the 3 months that Lilly had been with the group. They had seen neither hide nor hair of any governmental authority, since they had set up at the motor inn, so Lilly could only assume what had happened.

They lost the fight. The dead have taken control of this world over the living.

Everyone knew that fact was true, even if they didn't want to admit it themselves. Lilly's thoughts shifted to each group member. She had separate thoughts for each of them: Lee was a hard-working savior, Yhwach was a surprisingly ambitious old man, Clementine was a sweetheart, Kenny was an impulsive dumbass, Katjaa was a doting wife, Duck was an oblivious kid, Carley was a smart-mouthed reporter, Doug was a lovable dork, Larry was her father, and Mark was an optimistic guy, but a bit of a moron.

All in all, it wasn't the worst group of people that Lilly could have chosen to survive with. She had laid the foundation for the group to survive and thrive in the motor inn, by adding to their supplies and training them to become proficient marksmen. Even if some were better than others at shooting, they were at least able to defend themselves properly if they needed to.

And they most certainly will need to. Everyone's so focused on the threat that the dead pose, that they have forgotten about the living. There's no way everyone decided to be a good Samaritan once the shit hit the fan.

No, Lilly didn't forget about other people. Whatever threats came their way, they would be equipped to deal with them.

[Scene Break Location: Forest]

It was a crisp autumn day near Macon, Georgia. The trees and leaves were starting to turn different shades of red, orange, and yellow. Two men slowly walked up on a walker that seemed to be on its lunch break. Lee had his axe in hand, while Mark carried a rifle and decided to hang back a little behind him. Sensing that the walker was distracted by its meal, Lee walked up and buried the axe in the back of his head. The walker fell over and Lee got a better look at what the walker seemed to be eating.

A rabbit. That's just great. We need all the food we can get before we run out of the commissary food that Mark had brought back. Lee thought.

"What did they get this time?" asked Mark.

"Looks like a rabbit," responded Lee.

"Well, that's another meal lost." sighed Mark. The two of them started walking through the woods looking for more animals to hunt. Normally, Lee would be out here with Yhwach, but the officer was getting ready for a mission to go back to Hershel's farm for more food. In order to prepare properly, he had decided to sit this one out. Currently, Lee, Mark, and Kenny were the only ones out hunting.

It's not that I mind Mark's company. It's just not the same.

"I still can't believe we went through all that commissary food in 3 months. It seemed like so much at the time," stated Mark. Lee found that he had to agree. Even with Lilly implementing a stricter ration schedule, it seemed like their food supply was getting shorter and shorter.

We're not getting enough food from hunting to replace the food the group is eating every day. Something's gotta give, eventually.

"Maybe you shouldn't have opened the door," replied Lee.

"Yeah, except then I'd probably BE food by now. Trust me, I have no regrets," replied Mark.

"A rabbit's hardly a meal, Mark, but…I'd take it. We're all hungry." said Lee.

"No kidding." agreed Mark.

The two of them kept an eye out for any signs of activity but saw nothing. Lee just internally sighed.

Looks like this day is going to be another waste of time. I'm not going to be happy to see Lilly's face if we don't bring anything back.

"When I accidentally grabbed for Carley's rations the other night, I thought she was going to take off my hand. I'm lucky Doug was there to calm her down, or else she might've shot me right then and there!" exclaimed Mark.

Lee remembered the argument vividly. Seeing someone like Carley, a usually composed woman, burst into pure anger just showed how desperate the group's food situation was becoming. They couldn't find any more food in Macon, which was the main source of their supply runs. They hadn't ventured out much beyond that, but Lee wondered if maybe they needed to expand their horizons a little bit.

Maybe we need to have a group discussion on what our future plans should be.

"We're all on edge. Just cut her some slack." defended Lee.

"Yeah, you're right. I wish I knew for sure how much food we have left." wondered Mark.

"You'll have to ask Lilly. She's the one handling the rations," responded Lee.

"Or mishandling it, if you ask Kenny," stated Mark.

"He's just worried about his kid getting enough. I also worry a lot about Clementine's hunger, too." defended Lee.

Well, it's mostly because Clementine talks to me more than the other adults, though, so maybe I'm doing something right with her.

"You think Kenny's having any more luck than we are out here?" inquired Mark.

"I sure hope so," responded Lee.

"Yeah, between the lack of food and Kenny and Lilly fighting all the time, things are getting pretty tense back at the Motor Inn. You know Kenny's talking about taking off if he can get that RV running," stated Mark.

Kenny had made it no secret to the rest of the group that he didn't feel that the motor inn was a long-term solution. A fisherman by trade, he wanted to take his family and make for the coast once he fixed up the RV. On the other hand, Lilly felt that the setup they had was fine, and they just needed to bring back more supplies. In her eyes, it was stupid to leave an established setup to chase a myth that they weren't even sure existed. Combine that with their personal differences, and Lee understood why the two never seemed to get along.

It probably didn't help that Larry threatened to throw Duck out to the walkers based on a suspicion that was proven untrue.

Either way, Lee didn't think Kenny was the type of guy to just take off without telling anyone. If worst came to worst, he would at least announce his decision to the group and see who wanted to come with him.

"Kenny won't abandon us. He's a good man," reassured Lee.

"I guess we'll see," said Mark skeptically.

A bird could be heard cawing in the distance, as Mark continued speaking.

"Can't blame him, though. Did you hear Larry going off on him last night? What's the old guy's deal, anyway? Seems like he's got a problem with you in particular."

"He and I have some personal issues that we need to work out. That's all there is to it," responded Lee. It was technically the truth. While Larry was nasty to most people, his beef with Lee was more personal due to his past.

Will it ever be worked out, though? I could find a way to kill all the walkers in America, and he'd still find a way to hate my guts.

"Well, I get where you're coming from when it comes to personal issues. I hope you guys work it out soon. We could use a break from all the fighting and tension in our group. And I know think Lilly thinks Larry's getting weaker, but the guy's all muscle. He's a walking piledriver! I know I wouldn't want to be stuck in a room with him!" exclaimed Mark.

"You could say that again," remarked Lee.

As the two kept walking, Mark noticed a bird perched up on a branch. He immediately crouched down and started to aim at the bird. Lee crouched down next to him. Secretly, he thought the bird was a pitiful meal, but they needed anything they could get.

"Can you make that shot? I'd hate to waste the bullets," explained Lee.

"Trust me. If I don't think I can hit it, I won't," replied Mark.

He concentrated his breathing and fired a shot. The bullet missed and the bird flew away. Before Lee could reassure Mark, the two of them heard a scream.

"AGHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Shit, was that Kenny or Jugram?!" asked Mark.

"I don't know! Come on!" shouted Lee. The two of them started running in the direction that they heard the sound, but it was hard to pinpoint considering the woods were pretty large.

Please, don't be Kenny or 'Jugram' Whatever happens, spare our group from another death.

They stopped for a second and looked around themselves for a second before hearing another scream. Lee and Mark headed in the direction of the scream and were greeted by the sight of three survivors. Two of them appeared to be teenagers while the third was an adult man. The boys were attempting to help the man out of a bear trap that had latched onto his leg. One of the teenagers had black hair while the other had a light brown colour.

"Jesus Christ." Mark shook his head upon seeing the position the older man was in, alerting the teenagers of his and his group's presence.

"Oh, shit! No, no, please don't kill us! We just want to help our teacher! We'll leave, I swear!" The teenager with black hair shouted.

Just then Yhwach and Kenny arrived at the scene, with Yhwach holding a few rabbits in one hand, Kenny, panting slightly from the run.

"Lee! Mark! You guys okay?" Kenny called out, his voice urgent.

"Get it off! Get it off, goddamn it! Get it off me!" The man pleaded, clutching his leg in pain.

"Travis, maybe they can help!" The other boy with brown hair added.

"These might be the same guys that raided our camp and we barely got away from that!" Travis replied fearfully.

"What guys?" Mark asked.

"Why the fuck is there a bear trap out here?!" Kenny exclaimed.

Yhwach glanced at the trap and shook his head slightly. "We had no hand in this," he said, his tone calm but edged with a note of disdain. "This was not of our doing."

"Don't listen to them, Ben!" Travis shouted at his friend, "Please, just let it go! We're not a threat to you!"

"Kid, chill out! We'll try to help you, but you've got to shut the fuck up!" Kenny told Travis to calm down.

"Who raided your camp?" Yhwach asked.

"I-I don't know! Guys with guns!" Ben stuttered out.

"What the hell happened?" Lee asked.

"Mr. Parker said we should stay off the streets! We were trying to be careful but..." Ben's answer was interrupted by Mr. Parker whimpering in pain.

"Lee, this is fucked up. We've gotta help 'em." Mark insisted.

"Please!" Ben pleaded.

Travis looked angrily at his friend, "Ben, shut up! My dad was Special Forces, I know what I'm doing!"

"Just see if you can get him out! After that, you can leave us or whatever, I don't care! Please!" pleaded Ben.

_______________________________________________________________

What does [M] (Lee Everett) do with the man?

A) Save him

B) Leave him

C) Let Yhwach handle it.

D) Nothing.

_______________________________________________________________

Relationships [M] (Lee Everett):

Yhwach: 7?/15

You and him are pretty good pals. In the 3 months that you have survived together, the two of you have built up quite a rapport. Any suspicion that 'Jugram' had of your intentions is firmly in the past.

Clementine: 11/15

She thinks you're really cool, and you're pretty much the 2nd person she talks to after Sandra regarding anything. The two of you aren't "close" per se, but you do have a good relationship with her.

Kenny: 8/15

Your relationship with him is complicated, to say the least. He doesn't really like you, but he respects you and what've you done for the group, hence the neutral relationship. He's constantly fighting with Lilly over how the group should be led. although right now he just wants either you or 'Jugram' to make a decision quickly.

Katjaa: 11/15

She can't thank you enough for saving her son, and the 3 months that you and she have survived together have only reinforced her already high opinion of you.

Duck: 10/15

He's glad you stood up for him in the drugstore and thinks you're super cool! Not as cool as Batman, though.

Carley: 9/15

She thinks you are someone who can be trusted, despite your past. If your secret ever got out, she would vouch for you.

Doug: 8/15

He hasn't really had much of a chance to talk with you personally, but, based on Carley's opinion of you, thinks you're a pretty cool guy.

Lilly: 7/15

Honestly, there are some parts that Lilly likes about you and doesn't like about you. Namely, the fact that you haven't actively campaigned against her methods is putting you in her good books. However, your terrible relationship with Larry and your interaction with him in the drugstore makes it hard for her to see you as a friend.

Larry: 3/15

If you thought that his relationship with you would increase over 3 months, think again. If anything, his relationship with you might have gotten worse. Larry has made it no secret to hide his disdain for you, considering you're a convicted murderer and all.

Mark: 9/15

You and Mark are good friends. You would say that he's probably one of the few people you would voluntarily take out hunting if you didn't have 'Jugram' with you. Either way, he's got your back for whatever comes next. Right now he wants you to help save the man. He understands where you're coming from when it comes to handling personal issues.

Ben: 5/15

He just met you, but he would appreciate the help.

Travis: 5/15

He's convinced that you're part of the bandits, but he wouldn't mind your help.

Mr Parker: 5/15

He's in agonizing pain and just wants someone to free him.