Atomyk

The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

Outpost

The scouts returned to Outpost with little fanfare. Although the community was grateful for the supplies, this exchange had been in place long enough that Outpost had come to see the scouts less a a luxury and more of a common way of life. Thomas and his friends were introduced to the council, but their introduction was muted by the news that Ben had been lost. Still, this didn't seem to sway the people eager to join the scouts in order to protect their home. Reggie had decided to keep it a secret from them and the council that their plans had changed toward eliminating the gang at the art museum.

Of both the old and new recruits, only Thomas and Rudy were interested in the language classes, though Rudy was only interested in sign language for Elliot's sake. Bex and Enrique would have followed Thomas, but the man had told them it was better they concentrate their time on the scouts. Reggie had promoted Enrique to help train them, after all.

Rumors began to spread about Matt and his dissatisfaction with Outpost's council. The guy was a charmer and relatively well-liked, so the rumors never turned malicious. While the community looked up to Reggie, many of them were scared of the man. Many were dissatisfied with his ideas, but no one wanted to say anything. How could they possibly question the man that saved them? Like Myriah, many in the community simply believed that everything would work out. Of course, not everyone was so willing to sit quietly...

---

Rudy - Outpost/Classroom - Matt

Richard had called for a break. He had looked upon his class of diminishing students and realised that this was a bad idea. Rudy could see it plainly on his face. While Sarah's class had maintained a steady number of students for the past three days, Richard's class had lost more than they gained. Myriah had been hoping this would open the door to starting a school of sorts in Outpost, but these classes were throwing wrenches into her plans. With a heavy sigh, Rudy stood up to talk his friend, Elliot. He was about to sign to the boy when Elliot glared at him, which was the equivalent of being told to fuck off if Elliot talked. He had been in a bad mood for days and he was taking it out on Rudy and Richard. It wouldn't be long before Elliot stopped showing up to these classes as well.

Forced to give Elliot space, Rudy instead made his way for Matt, who was also sort of Rudy's friend? The guy spoke with him, so that was fucking good enough for Rudy. He sat down next to Matt and rolled his eyes. "What a joke this turned out to be," Rudy said. "Outpost is fucking all over the place. Reggie's changing his plans on the fly and Myriah is too focused on what's immediately important to her. No wonder people are talking."

It was then that Thomas decided to pull a chair up and sit across from Matt. "People are talking, aren't they?" he said with a bit of a smirk. Rudy frowned at him. Thomas didn't seem to be a very interesting guy. He was nice, dutiful, and quiet most of the time. He hadn't spoken of his daughter since three days ago. Rudy had no idea what to really think of the guy.

"It doesn't really concern us," Rudy interjected. "No matter what people think of Reggie, we're still his scouts."

Thomas stared for a moment, but eventually shrugged. "I suppose. But... Matt, right? I'm still new around here, so I thought you might be able to give me a good idea of the state of things. You seem to know exactly what's going on."

---

Reggie - Outpost - Sylar

Only three days in, and the scouts had doubled in number. Reggie was overjoyed at this, even if he wasn't sure about some of the new recruits being women. Could they really muster up the strength he needed out in the field? He decided it would be best to give those few to Enrique; The man was thankfully as tough as he said he was.

The veteran members of the group didn't exactly need the extra training. A few of them did, but Reggie realized he was wasting time keeping all of the scouts in Outpost. It was for that reason he eventually approached Sylar with a proposal. "I trust you," Reggie started off with. "And I know you care about Meghan, so I have an idea." Reggie placed a hand on Sylar's shoulder and moved him away from where the other scouts were running drills. "Myriah's probably asked you about assisting with her classes, but I need you to forget about that. We need someone to check out the art museum and get a good idea of the state of things. How many people they have exactly, their schedule, their formations. I don't expect you to find out everything, but right now we're blind."

Reggied turned away, his eyes on the group of scouts. "I'll let you lead and I'll give you a handful of my veterans. You can use The Pub as a base of operations so you can even check up on Meghan. She can assist you if she's up for it, but I'm sure I don't have to tell you not to push her."

The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

Shannon - Haywood/Civilian Apartments - Shan/Ryder/James/David/Valentina/Polyester

The buzzing inside the apartment building felt way too loud. The building wasn't the biggest they had, so Haywood's civilians were forced to pack together, crowding both the hallways and the scant few apartments. No one could keep quiet and the sounds of distant gunshots kept everyone on edge. "What's going on?" some asked. "It's finally over, isn't it?" Shannon had no answers for them. No one had any answers.

She was huddled in one of the apartments with James close at her side. She had been wallowing in the fact that she was largely useless to Daniel, her arm still in a sling and forced to hide away with the other civilians. Slowly, she began to realize that it was important for her to be here. What state would James be in if she was out on the front lines? The boy was quiet for now, but he had practically had a death grip around Shannon's arm. There was also Polyester to consider, the quiet guy who for now looked about nervous enough to throw up. It was a similar look plastered on the faces of everyone around Shannon. For most of them, Haywood had been a place of constant strife and hardship. None of them could find the courage to look at this situation in a hopeful light.

Then the inevitable happened. "They're in! They're in!" Shouting could be heard outside, sending everyone in the apartment into a frenzy. Shannon swore under her breath and held James close to her as everyone began streaming into the hallway. As the door opened, the shouting increased in volume and Shannon could see civilians shoving past each other in order to get away. In the chaos, faint moaning could be heard.

"Guys, stay close to me," she said, following the other civilians outside. When she reached the threshold, a man ran into her, almost knocking her to the ground. He didn't even bother to offer an apology as he stumbled back on to his feet and continued running. Though Shannon couldn't see what has happening at that end of the hallway, the screaming gave her a good idea. She looked behind her to make sure Polyester was following, but found him still back inside the apartment, his eyes set firmly on the ground. "Poly! Come on!" she called. Though he didn't look up, he quickly fell in behind James and her.

Shannon cautiously stepped forward and fell in with the stream of runners. As they were on the first floor, the two ends of the hallway both went to exits out of the apartment building. To Shannon's right was a line of apartments and to her left was a line of windows. As she neared the second exit, she saw walkers banging against the glass. "Turn around!" someone suddenly screamed. "They're here too!" Despite these words, the civilians continued rushing toward the exit like a rapid river. It wasn't until walkers burst through the doors and fell into the crowd that the stream began to slow. Everyone began to pull back and head for the stairwell, pushing Shannon and James along for the ride.

A sudden breaking of glass was heard and walkers began to poke through the windows. Some grabbed fleeing civilians while others fell into the hallway. In an attempt reorient herself, Shannon shoved against the wall of the hallway and pulled James close to her. She called out for Polyester, but she barely heard her own voice over the uproar. It only took a few precious seconds for her to spot him, but by then it was already too late. Poly had been grabbed by one of the walkers in the window and was bitten in the neck soon after. He screamed out in anguish, but all Shannon could do was follow the others up the stairwell.

She passed others who had hurt themselves heading up the stairs. One woman had been trampled in the chaos. James let out a yelp at the sight, but Shannon was quick to push on to the second floor. There, she saw some people move to hide in the apartments, but most of the crowd was heading further upward to the final floor of the building. She moved to follow them, but paused when she saw a little girl at the foot of the stairs. It was the little girl with the eye patch who had pulled a gun on Shannon and Daniel days before. She and the others with immediate medical conditions had been brought to the third floor, but Valentina must have run off from them. Of course, now the girl just looked shell-shocked and lost amongst the chaos. "James, take her hand," Shannon commanded. Thankfully, the little girl took James' hand without complaint and the trio headed further up the stairs.

On the third floor, the remaining survivors had crowded at the back of the hallway. Presumably some had decided to hide in the remaining apartments. Shannon spotted David Johnson in the hallway, the doctor who had fixed up her arm when she first arrived in Haywood. He was speaking with the raider woman in the wheelchair and two others Shannon was unfamiliar with. The girl of the pair caught Shannon's attention in particular, as she was wearing a strange backpack with what appeared to be an oxygen tube connecting it to her nostrils. David turned around and let out a sigh of relief upon spotting Valentina. "There you are," he said, looking down at Valentina. He then looked to James and said, "You two go hide with the others." James nodded silently and led Valentina away.

With the moaning still echoing from down the stairs, Shannon reached out and grabbed David by the shoulder. "We need to barricade the stairs," she said, unable to hide the quiver in her voice.

The doctor nodded. "I thought so too. You go join the others and I'll get all the able bodied people we have working on that."

"I'm able bodied," Shannon said, even though David was looking directly at her sling. He shook his head.

"No time to argue."

As David went around to asking people to move furniture out of the apartments and to pile it on the stairs, Shannon began to head downstairs. Someone had to tell the people on the second floor to move up to the third floor. However, fresh screams stopped the girl in her tracks and she realized the walkers had already made it to the second floor. "Crap!" she exclaimed, practically jumping back up to the third floor. "There's no time! Hurry, everyone!"

The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

Myriah - Outpost - Matt

Matt seemed to be genuine in his excitement, but Myriah wasn't entirely convinced. She had never been able to get a good read on him. At the very least, she understood he wasn't the biggest fan of the council, but otherwise... "If you're busy, we can just work around that," she said, standing up. "I'll tell Richard and Sarah that you plan on speaking with them tomorrow."

She then made her way to one of the bookcases and examined the bottom shelf. There had to be language dictionaries around here somewhere. "And I'll keep in mind your grievances about the council. I can't make any promises, but if change is destined to happen, then it will happen, even if takes some time."

***

The next day, Myriah was happy to see that people really were showing up for classes. Although Sarah's French class had attracted a whopping twelve individuals (At least five more than Myriah even expected), Richard's sign language class had only attracted seven, and one of those were Richard's brother Elliot. It was unfortunate to see as Myriah had largely started this for Elliot's sake, but perhaps once more members of the community started using other languages, there would be an increase in attendance.

The administrative building was already so packed with the cafeteria, council room, and the clinic, that the two classes were forced into rooms at opposite sides of the building. Further language classes would have to share the rooms and Myriah wasn't sure how she should schedule things. With the people on the wall being on rotation all hours of the day, there had been scheduling conflicts to consider, but for now both classes were to occur once a day, with French at nine in the morning and sign language at eleven in the morning.

With Richard's class about to begin, Myriah gestured to the man to speak with him. She spoke only in sign language, hoping those in attendance liked what they saw. "Not a big turn out." Myriah's signing was slow and precise. She had always been a bit of a perfectionist and her signing reflected that, even if Richard and Elliot found it a bit slow. "But once Reggie and his scouts return today, perhaps some of them will be willing to learn as well."

Richard frowned at her. Despite not being deaf himself, Richard had been using sign language for the past twenty years, ever since his parent's learned that their second child had been born deaf. He used sign language in turn, probably knowing that Elliot and Myriah were the only ones in the room who would understand him. "Reggie won't want classes interfering with his training. And no on the wall wants anything to do with this either. Sarah is an attractive woman, so it's no wonder she had more people interested."

That fact had not been lost on Myriah, but she hadn't wanted to admit it. "Please, I promise I will get you more members. Matt said he would help with the classes and Sylar should be able to help as well. Teach what you can to those who are interested and I know more will follow."

Richard didn't look convinced. He turned away from Myriah and began speaking with his class. Myriah saw that as her cue to leave, but she stole a glance toward Elliot before she left the room. For once in a long time, the boy didn't look entirely miserable.

---

Reggie - The Pub - Enrique

Despite getting his scouts up at the first sign of late, Reggie was forced to extend their stay at The Pub when Hazel had been insistent in her desire to cook breakfast for everyone. Equipped with the supplies the scouts gave her yesterday, Hazel had prepared a meal with only minimal help, prompting Jerry to call the girl a miracle worker. Of course, no matter Hazel's prowess in the kitchen, most of the scouts were sapped of their energy due to yesterday's events. The meal was largely eaten in silence.

As the meal was finished, preparations to leave began and Reggie approached Sylar once again. "I've given you the night, but now's the time to decide. You could always join a weeks from now, but our latest operation can't be put off. The gang that shot Meghan will be out for blood and I'll need the best of what Outpost has to offer."

The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

AnnaBeth said
I would really like to continue this :/Life got me down, but I'm back, now.

Awesome. Right now Haywood is under siege by Walkers and all of the civilians (including Shan and Ryder) are holding out in a single apartment building, but walkers have infiltrated the building and civilians are dying.

So... sort of intense!

HellHoundWoof said
So all my tech is stolen again, I'm posting from a phone I stole from my dad. This might be the one chance I have to communicate for some time. I'm basically hostage here.

I'll make sure Enrique follows along, so no worries.

The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

CallaLily180 said
Hey guys, I must tell you now that I am leaving the RP and the site. Use Hazel as an NPC or take her out completely; it doesn't matter much to me.

That's unfortunate to hear :( Maybe we'll see you around someday!

The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

Reggie - The Pub - Enrique/Hazel/Nicolas/Sylar

Reggie stared at Enrique momentarily. He wanted Enrique to think he was neutral on the idea. "The key word there being help. That's not to say we couldn't use a guy like you. Outpost is lacking in men with prior experience. They're a soft group, too caught up in the luxuries we've provided them." As everyone shuffled into the kitchen, Reggie pointedly stayed in the hallway with Enrique. "... If you have to rough some of them up, then so be it. Just don't make a big show of it. The council probably won't like what I have in mind for the scouts." With that, Reggie followed into the kitchen while everyone waited for the return of Jerry.

~~~

Hours had passed and the street outside was barely visible under moonlight. The group had buried their dead friend and disposed of the corpses of the gang members before coming inside to enjoy a meal Hazel had surprisingly prepared all on her own. Now, Hazel was in the process of handing out room keys while Reggie pulled his scouts to the side of the kitchen, Thomas, Bex, and Enrique included. "We've lost someone today," Reggie said, looking into the eyes of each and every one of his men. "It's not a new experience for us, but it is one that I can't stand for any longer. The other council members have not seen what we go through every time we leave those walls. We risk our lives to give our community what is little more than gifts. We give and we give yet none of them understand. They think we aren't as necessary as their comfort. While they've allowed us to expand our group today, who knows when they will vote against me to give us the shaft? From this day on, we forget what the council thinks and become a true fighting force that loses no men."

Reggie reached out and gave the men standing beside him- Phon and Luke- a squeeze on the shoulder. "Never forget Ben. I'd like a moment of silence." Reggie closed his eyes, and he trusted the scouts to do the same. He knew Myriah would not like the idea of the scouts seeking out this gang, but it was for the ultimate good. They not only had an obligation to Outpost, but an obligation to Hazel and her hotel. This gang- these raiders- had to be taken down. Besides, what did Myriah know? What did any of them know? All they had to show for their leadership was discord and mutiny. Reggie knew how to lead and knew what was necessary. "You're all free to rest now. Talk to the girl if you're confused where you're sleeping."

As the scouts began to split off, Luke turned to Reggie. "I was talking to the guy who that gang was tracking," he said. "Said his name was Nicolas and that he was just looking for a place to stay. I was thinking we take him back to Outpost."

Reggie nodded his consent. "And talk to the girl about leaving her a radio. It'd be nice if we could use this place as a new outpost." Luke nodded and walked away, leaving Reggie to seek out Sylar. When he eventually found the man, Reggie gave him a sympathetic look. "I hear Meghan'll be all right. She's going to be bedridden for a while, but Hazel said she'll watch her as long as she needs it..." Reggie gave a long pause, examining the look on Sylar's face. "I imagine you might want to stay with her, and that's all right, but my men and I have to leave tomorrow morning... I felt now was a good time to tell you that I wanted you to join the scouts. I was impressed today." Reggie smiled, hoping Sylar would at least consider the offer.

---

Myriah - Outpost/Counsellor Cottage - Matt

Myriah brightened. "That's wonderful! We only have Richard for sign language and Sarah for French. I was thinking of asking Sylar to help as well, but..." Myriah nodded. "Well, anyway, would you be willing to teach? You could always try assisting? I'm sure Richard and Sarah will have their hands full." If things continued the way they were, that was undoubtedly not going to be true, but Myriah could dream.

"I just want to foster a true community. A place where all of us can feel important and safe."

A Town on the Edge of Nowhere

I'm sorry if the stalker resembles some other creature out there! I swear I am completely unaware of there being any.

Name: Daniel "Danny" Heidecker

Appearance

Gender: Male

Age: 24

Occupation: McDonalds Employee

Place of Residence: Bellevue, Nebraska

Bio: Of his family, Danny really only developed a bond with his younger sister, Joscelyn. He was never quite on the same level as his mother and father, who always seemed to want Danny to be something he wasn't. He was just never as smart as they wanted him to be it seemed. In some attempt to impress his parents, Danny started getting into sports when he got into high school, taking a particular interest in basketball and MMA. Through this, Danny found it easy to get friends. Still, in his senior year, Danny started to find himself closing off from most of the people he knew. The only person who was exempt from this sudden behavior was Danny's best friend, Shannon.

The pair had met in grade school and developed their friendship over time. It eventually got the point that Danny would spend more time at Shannon's than his own house. He enjoyed being around her parents far more than his own. It had been often whispered and joked about that Danny and Shannon were a couple, though truthfully their friendship had always been purely platonic.

For reasons known only to Danny, he had started acting out at home. He was never quite on good terms with his parents, but never to the degree of actively yelling at them. For a while, Danny's home life was a mess. When he realized this was negatively impacting his relationship with his sister as well, he started making plans to move out and live with Shannon's family. After a major falling out with his parents, Danny was quick to finalize the move. He lived with Shannon and her family for about a year, keeping in contact with only his sister.

At 18, Shannon and Danny planned to move out of the state of New York and live together while they went to school. This would never happen, as Shannon died in a road accident that summer. Danny was plunged into depression as a result. Unable to stick to the plans he had made with Shannon and unable to look her parents in the eye, Danny moved to Nebraska to live with an internet friend of his. Danny would continue to tell himself that he'd go to school there instead, but time continued to pass and Danny continued to waste away. His friend eventually kicked him out, forcing Danny to find his own apartment and sustain a living off of minimum wage.

At 23, Danny reached out to his sister, who he hadn't spoken to in a few years. The pair caught up, though Danny didn't have much to say about his own life. The conversation took a strange turn when Joscelyn mentioned having a strange stalker. "Well, it's not quite a stalker," she had said. "More of something weird following me around." Joscelyn went on to say that it was too weird for even her to believe herself and that after she told her parents, she agreed when they decided to put her through therapy. When Danny asked what she thought had been following her, she said that it had been masked people. Always a different person, sometimes a different mask.

Half a year later, Danny got his first glimpse of an elderly man wearing a strange white mask. The man had been staring at him from outside Danny's apartment window, the frowning mask tilted to stare at Danny in the eyes. Though when Danny blinked, the man was gone. These sightings continued for a few months, always with a different person wearing a plain white mask with a basic expression. Danny was too stubborn to think it was anything more than his mind playing tricks on him for a while, but it eventually got to the point where he couldn't deny what was happening.

Out of desperation, Danny contacted his sister and told her he was seeing the masked people as well. Joscelyn was at first freaked out and told Danny that she was finally moving on from that. Danny told her that he needed to see her right away. When she continued to to say no, Danny said that it had recently been his birthday and so he would be seeing her for that reason if it made her feel any better. "Mom and dad won't let you inside the house," she had said, but Danny simply told her that he wasn't visiting to see them.

Not wanting to put down money on a plane ticket, Danny decided driving would be best, even if the potential costs exceeded flying. He could always figure out some way to make money along the way, he reasoned. It was a misguided adventure at heart, but one that eventually brought him to Rainey, Iowa.

The Stalker

Name: Danny has a few names in his head for this entity. Sometimes "Sam". Sometimes "Stanley", based on the main character from The Mask. Sometimes "Drama", based on the masks themselves.

Appearance: A human being of random gender and age, whose face is obscured by a plain white mask not unlike the stereotypical masks linked with drama. These masks depict a range of basic human expressions, (such as fear, anger, happiness, sadness, etc.) though have no holes for the wearer's eyes/nose/mouth, the expression being only painted on in black. In addition, the mask seemingly has no strap or strings attached to it to hold it on to the individual's face.

During times Danny has seen the stalker, the person and their clothing never change, but occasionally the mask's expression will change if Danny ever looks away or blinks.

The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

Bex - The Pub - Sylar/Meghan

Bex sat in the bed next to Ben's, his arms crossed and his eyes examining the deceased boy. Luke had been the one to make sure he wouldn't turn. Ben had been young-- about as young as the girls that had been delivered by Haywood. Bex couldn't fathom what kind of future awaited them when it felt like the younger generation was the one dying out first. Perhaps no future awaited them at all and that all they were doing was biding their time until the entire human race was extinct. In a twisted way, that had been what Tyler wanted to avoid, but even Tyler's hopes for the future were dashed the day Haywood attacked.

Bex wasn't sure what was up with Haywood, anyway. Clearly the people found out what their leader was doing and retaliated, but Haywood had been drunk on revenge, the attack having been little more than a slaughter. Very few of the captured women had been saved. They and the children they carried were reduced to little more than walker food. It seemed to Bex that if Tyler was evil, then so was Haywood, no matter who had taken over as leader. He could only hope that the girl, Emma, had found herself a better place than that.

A gunshot from down the hall snapped Bex to attention. He looked over at Luke, who gave him a side-eye look in return. They both knew the obvious had happened. Bex was about to ask if they should check it out when-- SLAM! --a man burst into the room carrying a younger girl. "Sylar-" Luke began, but he was interrupted as the man suddenly spilled forth panicked words.

"I need your help," the man, Sylar, said. "I don't know what to do." Then he turned and brought the girl into another room, Luke and Bex deciding to follow after him. "Please, don't let her die..."

Luke stepped into the room and gave the girl a quick look over. "You know we don't have a doctor. We'll try our best for Meghan, but..."

Bex crossed his arms. "No doctor? But what if any of you got hurt? Look what happened today."

Luke looked frustrated as he rubbed at his forehead. "We had a guy, but he died recently. I just... I'll tell Reggie what's happened." With that, Luke left to head down the hall.

---

Rudy - The Pub - Enrique/Sylar/Meghan

Thomas wiped at his eyes. "I'm sorry for getting emotional. It's just been so hard since I lost her. I've done my best keeping it to myself, however..." Thomas stood up and let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry for stepping on your toes, Reggie. However you want to handle this gang, it's up to you." Rudy turned to look at Reggie, who had his eyes closed for whatever reason. Perhaps he hadn't liked the sight of Thomas crying.

"These men should be dealt with, but not out of revenge. They present a threat for future scouting missions and we can not tolerate that. Besides, they may find out what we've done and where we come from. Then they become a threat to Outpost." Reggie opened his eyes and looked around the room, his eyes eventually focusing on Enrique. "What we'll do is head back to Outpost tomorrow and come up with a plan of action. We need to gather our new recruits and train them. I'd like to have you three as well, as you have proved to me today you are competent men."

Thomas smiled at this and held out his hand. "Thank you, Reggie. I'd love to join and I'm sure my boys would as well. Isn't that right, Enrique?" Reggie shook Thomas' hand in return. Great. Rudy wasn't sure he liked the idea of Enrique joining. The guy was an asshole, Rudy just knew it.

Luke stepped into the room then, paying little attention to the dead man on the floor. "Reggie, we have another issue." He pulled Reggie outside and the other men followed after them, no one wanting to stand around the dead body. Rudy watched Luke whisper into Reggie's ear, but the sight of Sylar at the end of the hall caught his attention... He was distraught, to say the least.

"Phon, come with me," Reggie said, turning away from Luke. Without a word to anyone else, Reggie brought Phon to the room at the end of the hall. After a moment, Reggie stepped out and, upon seeing the look on Sylar's face, closed the door behind him. "Phon's the best we got for now. If he needs anything, he'll come tell us." Reggie then waved everyone into the kitchen. "Come on and sit down, everyone. We need to wait for Jerry and the others."

---

Myriah - Outpost/Counsellor Cottage - Matt

Myriah's smile wavered slightly, but she managed to keep it up nonetheless. When Matt was finished, she gestured for him to step into the next room. "Come sit down. I'm the only one in at the moment." The room was a recreation room of sorts, though clearly focused on more relaxed activities. Myriah sat down at a table with multiple chess boards left largely in disarray. To their left was a pair of bookcases, containing books from when the cottage was still a place for camp counsellors.

"I believe the system is working as intended," Myriah said evenly. "The council is intended so multiple people can give their personal perspectives, but we can't give everyone what they want. We can only do one thing at a time, Matt. The council needs to come to a majority occasionally so Outpost can keep running." Myriah placed her hands on the table and laced them together. Her smile broadened. "If one man happens to have a charming way with words, then that's how it is. Just be happy that he isn't our sole leader and that we even have a council at all."

Myriah didn't necessarily disagree with Matt, but she was largely content with how Outpost was run. Even if Reggie had ideas that clashed with her own, there was nothing that could be done if others happened to agree with him. She couldn't interfere with the system just to satisfy the desires of the few. That, to her, was ultimately wrong. Maybe it was a poor choice, but Myriah had always been content with her choices. "Maybe we should talk about the language lessons," she said. "Do you have a second language?"

The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

So for my latest post, I had to NPC a lot of people. I hope no one minds! I'll change it if anyone has any issues.

The Walking Dead : Among the Ruined - Season 2

Rudy - The Pub - Sylar/Meghan/Nicolas/Hazel/Enrique

It was now or never. They had no more time to wait on Reggie and Enrique looked about ready to jump out there on his own. Rudy pulled the radio to his mouth and said, "It's time. Meghan, cover us as best you can, we're going to be four against seven for a minute." When the girl gave her confirmation, Rudy raced to the front door and put one hand on it. A sudden crippling moment of fear overtook him and Rudy angrily swore to himself. He took a second to calm himself and take a few deep breaths, managing to steel his resolve as Simon stepped up beside him. "We're going for the parked vehicle out front," he said, eyeing Simon. "Enrique and Ben, you two wait a moment for them to turn their attention on us before you head in the opposite direction. You need to get behind the truck further down the road." When the pair nodded, it was go time.

Rudy shoved through the front door and raced toward the parked car. He heard his heart pumping, his feet hitting the pavement, Simon's heavy breathing. Rudy felt like they were being incredibly loud, but somehow the men never heard them. Their attention was likely only on the hotel. Without a word to Rudy, Simon stood up from behind the trunk of the car and fired on the men. As the shouting began, Rudy consciously checked if his safety was on. He had tried to fire many times with it on and now he habitually checked it more often than he probably should. He then poked his body up from behind the car and was greeted with a sight of chaos. One of the men had fallen to the ground and the others were scrambling to retaliate on this ambush. Rudy felt the sting of something miss him at an incredible speed and he gritted his teeth. He managed to fire at a car in the hotel's parking lot, keeping one of the men pinned behind it. As another shot grazed the car Rudy was taking cover behind, he dropped back to the ground.

He looked down the road to see Enrique and Ben already behind cover as well. Strangely, Enrique had the truck's side door open and was milling about inside the front seat. This brought Rudy to a pause as he wondered what the other man was doing. Crash! Glass shattered and rained down upon Rudy. He grunted and pulled his attention away from Enrique to lay down more fire.

"You keep one of those men alive!" Reggie's voice erupted from the radio.

As if to answer, Simon suddenly cried out, "Shit!" and dropped behind the car. Rudy dropped down next to him, worried.

"Did you get hit?"

Simon nodded. "Just my arm. Don't stop on my account!"

Rudy nodded, but his attention was again pulled toward Enrique, who was out of the truck now. With Ben's help, the pair were pushing the truck from its position and further toward the armed men. Rudy stepped over Simon and leaned toward the pair. "What are you doing?!" he yelled. Enrique didn't answer with words, instead letting Ben do all the pushing while he leaned out from behind the truck to fire his gun. Rudy shook his head at the display and took a look back over at the men. The four remaining had the attention on the truck, leaving Rudy a good opportunity to shoot. He guessed he would have to thank Enrique later.

As more shots were exchanged, Ben suddenly lost control of the truck and it moved forward without him. Enrique managed to stay behind the vehicle, but Ben was left without cover. The boy stood helplessly in the middle of the road, like a deer caught in headlights. "Get down, Ben!" Rudy yelled, prompting the boy to do little more than turn toward him. As Rudy repeated himself, a bullet punctured Ben's side and sent him sprawling to the ground. Rudy's eyes went wide in shock, and all he could do was stare.

"Someone...!" the boy yelled weakly, but the sound of the truck slamming into the parked car across the road drowned out his voice. Enrique rushed out from behind the truck and managed to gun the man behind the car down as he was still reeling from the impact. A stray bullet from either Sylar or Meghan caught the last man in the head and all was suddenly silent.

It felt like an eternity before Luke's voice came on the radio. "Luke speaking. We got the guys trying to come in from behind. One of them only has a bullet in the leg, so he's still alive."

Rudy slowly stood to his feet, his eyes still on Ben. The boy was speaking quietly, mumbling. Enrique looked across the street and caught Rudy's eye. There they stood for a moment, before Rudy spoke into the radio. "Rudy speaking. Simon was shot in the arm. Ben is down."

"Reggie speaking. Is Ben okay? Does he need treatment?"

"Ben, uh..." Rudy paused, licking his lips. "I don't think so. You need to get here now, Reggie. We'll need you too, Luke."

Beside him, Simon groaned. "Fucking shit."

~~~

They stood around Ben. Rudy, Bex, and Enrique. Jerry had the boy's head in his lap. Ben had died seconds earlier.

I'm sorry, Ben had said. His last words. Rudy had shook his head. There was nothing for Ben to be sorry about. If anything, it was Rudy's fault, for not taking care of the kid. He shouldn't have even been allowed to leave the store. The boy was too green, too unsuited to this environment. Hell, Rudy himself was barely suited to this environment. No wonder Ben died under his care.

"Let me see him," said a voice. Rudy looked up to find Reggie and his group standing off to the side. Bex quietly stepped aside to allow Reggie to see. The men behind him shook their heads at the sight of Ben, his body laying in a pool of blood. Phon took off his cap and held it against his chest. Reggie kneeled down beside the boy, his eyes examining Ben's limp body. "I don't blame any of you," said Reggie. "This was not supposed to happen, and Ben was the newest of us. He was the most inexperienced." Despite his words, the pain behind them was apparent. Reggie cared deeply for his scouts. Taking a deep breath, Reggie placed a hand on Jerry's shoulder. "I'd like to take him back to Outpost, but we can't carry him through the city. I need you to find a proper burial place for him. Somewhere nearby." As Reggie stood, Rudy noticed him looking off to the side. Reggie couldn't stand to look at Ben any longer.

"Where are the others?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Inside," Rudy responded. "Luke's tending to Simon with the people from the hotel. The guy we got alive is inside too."

"Phon, Thomas, and Rudy, you three come with me. The rest of you take care of these bodies. We can't leave them lying dead in the middle of the road." Reggie looked around, his eyes on the end of the street. "Biters might stop by as well. Sylar and Meghan are making some noise to draw them away, but we never assume they aren't lurking."

They fell in line behind Reggie- Thomas, Phon, and Rudy- as he headed into the hotel. Luke met them at the door to the kitchen. "Simon will be fine," he said. "The guy's in the room down the hall." Luke passed Reggie a key. "The girl asked that you avoid making a mess."

They stepped into Room 106 to find a man tied up on the ground at the foot of a bed. His leg was bandaged, but his thighs were tied together and his hands were clasped behind him with duct tape. He stared them down as they entered the room. Reggie closed the door behind them and an uncomfortable silence followed. As the room's windows were boarded up, only a few tiny slits of light entered the room, allowing Rudy to only see the expressions of the men beside him. Phon held a stony face of grim determination, but Thomas looked almost depressed, his face downcast. Reggie sat in a wooden chair in the corner of the room and moved it to face the captured man.

"Who are you?" Reggie asked. Silence. The man looked away from Reggie, his gaze settled on the bathroom door. "Where do you come from?" Once again he was met with silence. Reggie let this continue for a moment before he stood up and dug his foot into the man's hurt leg. He cried out, but still didn't answer. Reggie then brought the chair closer and sat back down, his arm beginning to rest on his rifle.

"Is your name Tyler?" the man suddenly asked.

Reggie furrowed his brow in confusion. "I'd like answers before I give out answers."

The man sneered. "A group of armed men like yourselves... maybe you're Haywood? No..." He squirmed against his binds. "Haywood's not a threat. Not to us. They managed to take out that shit gang leader and made things a whole lot easier for us. If you guys operated in the city, we'd know who you are."

Reggie leaned forward, looking interested. "That's all you are, then. A gang. Your rivals are gone, so you believe you run the show now, is that right?" When he was met with silence, Reggie continued. "Clearly that's untrue, as you are the ones who lost today. Still, you've established yourselves as a threat, so we can't very well ignore you now. If you give us some info to lead us to your friends, you may yet live."

The man squirmed again. "...You serious?"

"I always keep my word."

Another stretch of silence followed. In the dim light, Rudy could see that the man was considering the proposal. "... The art museum. There's about thirty of us, not including the people who died today. We-" BANG!

Thomas stood before the man, a pistol pointing at his head. He had shot him dead. Rudy hadn't even seen him step forward. "What the fuck did you just do?" Reggie exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Phon stepped forward, pulling out his own gun, but Thomas calmly holstered his gun and turned toward Reggie. He was facing away from the windows, so Rudy couldn't see the expression on his face.

"You were going to let this man live?" Thomas asked. "A man who tried to kill your men?"

Reggie's hands balled into fists. "He was going to tell us about his group!"

"The New Orleans Museum of Art. If he meant anything else, he would have been more specific."

"He didn't have to die! I gave this man my word-"

Thomas stepped forward, not allowing Reggie to intimidate him. "That man was evil. Nothing more than some despicable raider." He looked over, giving both Rudy and Phon a pointed look. "Raiders took my daughter from me. Katie." Thomas paused, but eventually a sob escaped him. "Raiders took the most important thing in this world from me. They're evil, Reggie, and I can't allow a single one to live." The man broke down further and sat down on the bed. He began to sob, his hand rubbing at his eyes. The three other men in the room could only stare.