StoreTyler - Baton Rouge - Scarlett/Jacob
Finally allowing himself to relax, Tyler let out a strained breath and rested his arms against the back of the couch. He nodded at Scarlet when she expressed her appreciation. "None of us know one another, but we're going to change that." He said it for her, but he also meant it for himself. He was still unsure about Adam and Liam, but Tyler realised he was just going to have to grin and bear it for now. "Oh, and--" Tyler looked toward Elyse. "Scarlett is looking for her sister."
Tina had taken a spot next to Elyse, and this news perked her attention. "Really?" she asked, turning to Scarlett. "We don't see too many people come around here. Adam and Elyse were the last two to come around."
Elyse had her eyes close, nodding. "Tell us about your sister," she said. "Maybe I'll have seen her. When were you two last together?"
When Jacob approached Tyler, he stepped off to the side to let those on the couch talk amongst themselves. Jacob wanted to talk, it seemed, and he sounded concerned. Tyler nodded to him and turned to Jace, who had joined the others by the couch. "Mind if we check out that bathroom downstairs?" he asked.
Jace looked up and squinted in their direction, as if he was scrutinizing them. "... That's fine, just don't exit the bar, whatever you do. It's dangerous."
Thanking him, Tyler led Jacob back downstairs. They moved to the front of the bar, where a couple of stools still stood intact. Tyler took a seat on one and began leaning over the counter. "I hope they don't keep booze stashed around," he mumbled. He then let out a sigh and rested his arms on the counter. "What did you want to talk about? Is it about your cell phone?" Tyler tried to look amused; Tried to be friendly. "Or is it about the group upstairs? I'd like to hear your thoughts on both, you know."
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Shannon - Cabin - Emma/Rob/Finch
James hugged Rob despite the presence of the gun in his hand. "Is Emma here?!" he asked excitedly. "What about Valentina?!"
Shannon stood at the end of the hall with her hands raised, but began to lower them at the sight of Rob. Danny stepped up beside her, scowling at him. Shannon found herself breaking into uncontrollable laughter. "Boyfriend?" she said incredulously. "No, no... that's not... No." Danny rolled his eyes at this, as she expected, and stepped past her. He proceeded down the hall, barely containing himself as he pushed past Rob. Shannon smiled. "That kind of thing gets him going, don't worry about it."
It turned out Danny was heading for a stash at the back of the cabin, where some guns and supplies were stored in an electronic safe. "Luke figured out the pass one day," he explained to them once they had gathered. "So we removed the fucking useless cash inside and put our own stuff in there for emergencies. I don't feel right taking it now, but I think we need it more than they do." After that was settled, Danny got to work collecting wood for the fireplace. Shannon asked James, who was dejected to learn Valentina was still missing, to go help him. Both the boy and Danny didn't like the idea, but she knew they'd comply if she was the one asking.
That night, they enjoyed a fire in peace, though Danny suggested they block the front door in case something decided to push it down. Beyond that, their night was relatively quiet. They even got to enjoy a nice meal thanks to the supplies in the safe.
Outpost
It only took about thirty minutes for Myriah's cabin to burn completely and fourty-five minutes for Enrique's. Content that the fire would not spread further, many of the community's citizens stood huddled a safe distance from the fires. Some were crying over the loss of life that was a certainty at this point. Myriah could not be found, so everyone knew she had to have been sleeping in her cabin at the time of the fire. As for Amanda, Enrique's confirmation that she was inside made the situation further grim. Soon, even the watchers on the wall were watching the fire in hypnotised awe, unaware of any other events that may have been going on at the time.
It wasn't until a few new screams erupted from across Outpost that everyone was alerted to the new threat inside their walls-- Biters. The gates had been left open, allowing a herd that was attracted by the light of the fire into the community. The scouts that were still left worked quickly to arm themselves and take on the biters, but the situation turned dire as citizens scattered in fear, spreading the biters out across Outpost. Amongst the scattered fighting, Lucas and Chris managed to gather a small group to assault the gate so that they could at least close it, but they were met with heavy resistance outside the scouts cabins. Elliot, certainly never allowed to fight with the scouts in a regular situation, grabbed a rifle off of dead scout and joined in on the fighting.
James hugged Rob despite the presence of the gun in his hand. "Is Emma here?!" he asked excitedly. "What about Valentina?!"
Shannon stood at the end of the hall with her hands raised, but began to lower them at the sight of Rob. Danny stepped up beside her, scowling at him. Shannon found herself breaking into uncontrollable laughter. "Boyfriend?" she said incredulously. "No, no... that's not... No." Danny rolled his eyes at this, as she expected, and stepped past her. He proceeded down the hall, barely containing himself as he pushed past Rob. Shannon smiled. "That kind of thing gets him going, don't worry about it."
It turned out Danny was heading for a stash at the back of the cabin, where some guns and supplies were stored in an electronic safe. "Luke figured out the pass one day," he explained to them once they had gathered. "So we removed the fucking useless cash inside and put our own stuff in there for emergencies. I don't feel right taking it now, but I think we need it more than they do." After that was settled, Danny got to work collecting wood for the fireplace. Shannon asked James, who was dejected to learn Valentina was still missing, to go help him. Both the boy and Danny didn't like the idea, but she knew they'd comply if she was the one asking.
That night, they enjoyed a fire in peace, though Danny suggested they block the front door in case something decided to push it down. Beyond that, their night was relatively quiet. They even got to enjoy a nice meal thanks to the supplies in the safe.
Outpost
It only took about thirty minutes for Myriah's cabin to burn completely and fourty-five minutes for Enrique's. Content that the fire would not spread further, many of the community's citizens stood huddled a safe distance from the fires. Some were crying over the loss of life that was a certainty at this point. Myriah could not be found, so everyone knew she had to have been sleeping in her cabin at the time of the fire. As for Amanda, Enrique's confirmation that she was inside made the situation further grim. Soon, even the watchers on the wall were watching the fire in hypnotised awe, unaware of any other events that may have been going on at the time.
It wasn't until a few new screams erupted from across Outpost that everyone was alerted to the new threat inside their walls-- Biters. The gates had been left open, allowing a herd that was attracted by the light of the fire into the community. The scouts that were still left worked quickly to arm themselves and take on the biters, but the situation turned dire as citizens scattered in fear, spreading the biters out across Outpost. Amongst the scattered fighting, Lucas and Chris managed to gather a small group to assault the gate so that they could at least close it, but they were met with heavy resistance outside the scouts cabins. Elliot, certainly never allowed to fight with the scouts in a regular situation, grabbed a rifle off of dead scout and joined in on the fighting.
Reposting/Updating
Tyler - Baton Rouge
He sprinted fast, practically jumping over any small body of water. The ground here was almost like a small marshland, causing Tyler to almost trip over himself once or twice, but he managed to right himself each time without spilling Katie or her small companion. There were rustles in the bushes as he ran, but surely that was just the others running through as well. He heard Adam call from somewhere beyond the grass, "I knew it! There's a patrol coming around! Hurry, guys!" That news didn't do much to help, as Tyler imagined everyone was running as fast as they could. There was a growl at Tyler's right and he nearly stumbled over a walker laying on its stomach. He jumped away from as it reached its hand out to grab him, but it was too tangled in the grass and buried in the soft ground to move much at all. He assured Katie that they were okay, and they finally broke free of the field.
Adam and George were waiting at the other side. "I told you it was fine in there!" Adam said, but Tyler barely listened. They waited the few precious seconds it took for the others to come out the other side and ran quickly across the street. Adam commanded the group to duck into a hunting store and led everyone to crouch low behind the counter. Tyler took a look around the store as he got into place and found it was completely bare, though the walls were painted with large black X's. From their position behind the counter, they could just see a large truck pass by the store's front windows. The vehicle appeared modified, sporting metal and spikes that increased its bulk and ferocity. After the vehicle passed, Adam waited a minute before standing to his feet.
"They do patrols often a round sunset. Sucks to be us." He made his way around the counter, but Tyler stood up and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"No," he commanded, pulling roughly on Adam's arm. Adam's brow furrowed and he looked toward the others. Tyler continued anyway, saying, "We're not going anywhere until you tell us more about this group."
"I, uh, we don't really have time--"
"We already risked our lives avoiding them. We have time."
Adam made an annoyed grunt and pulled away from Tyler. "Fine, fine, okay? Tremblay, they, um... Those biters they got chained up, that's not all they use them for. They use them like watch dogs all over the place. It's like... some of them keep as pets even, or something. It's fucking weird, man. They got a hold over this city, and they live all over Mid City South-- But, that's not all. They're always doing patrols throughout the city, killing biters or-or taking them for their stock." Adam let out a shaky breath and shook his head. "You guys... are lucky. New people travelling through the city-- They tend to be killed by the patrols. All of you, you should be happy you ran into me."
George considered this and tapped on the counter. "Okay, but how is your group still alive then?"
Adam's voice caught in his throat. He looked wide-eyed at everyone. "I... my group was in the area before they came into power. We leave them alone and they leave us alone. They used to be two groups who were at each other's throats, but they were brought together by a man named Tremblay, or something." He held up his hands. "Seriously, I don't know all the details! I got here after this all happened! All I know now is that he runs them all, but both groups got their own leaders." Adam licked his lips and went silent, apparently finished with his explanation. "Just... They're bad news, and you guys would be better off with us."
Tyler sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, thank you, Adam."
Adam clapped his hands together. "Look, no problem! I'm just trying to help." He then moved toward the front door and held it open. "After you guys," he said.
They pushed on down the road and came to a more business focused sector of the city. Small shops and stores lined the streets in accompany with a couple of apartment buildings. At a bar with both its front door and the sign above the door shot out, Adam led the group inside and to the back of the building. Tyler expressed confusion at where they were, but Adam revealed a door that opened to a staircase leading upwards. At the top of the stairs was a door, which Adam eagerly knocked on. An asian girl opened the door, practically jumping out of her skin at the sight of everyone. Adam quickly spoke up, saying, "Tina, I found these people wandering around the city. I couldn't leave them out there."
The girl's mouth fell open and she slowly nodded. "Okay..." She stepped aside and held the door open so that everyone could shuffle inside. As Tyler passed by her, he found her to be rather short, almost short enough to be a teenager. However, something told him she was older than that. She and Adam led the group down the short hall and to the right, where a living room was in place. It was a clean space, with a ring of couches facing the wall to their right. Strangely, the wall was painted with a half-finished mural of all kinds of things-- Flowers, space ships, animals, buildings-- and a high definition television was pushed off to the side so that it was propped up against a window. Half of the room was a kitchen, and a dining room table and kitchen counters were in this area. Two men sat there, talking amongst each other, while an elderly woman sat nestled into the living room couch. All three turned to the group with varying looks of awe and confusion.
"So, everyone..." Tina stepped into the middle of the room and shrugged. "Adam has brought friends."
George quickly stepped forward and held his hand out to the closest person available, the elderly woman. "I'm George," he said. "It's so nice to see other people." The woman smiled graciously and took his hand. "This is Tyler," he continued, pointing. He introduced everyone in turn except for Scarlett, who hadn't a chance to introduce herself up to this point. Once their introductions were out of the way, Adam began naming off his own group. "Tina," he said, pointing to the girl that let them inside. "Elyse," referring to the elderly woman. "Jace," referring to the older man at the table who Tyler guessed was in his thirties. "And Caleb," finally referring to the other male, who easily was about a decade younger.
Once introductions and greetings were out of the way, the two groups were left awkwardly standing amongst each other. Tina smiled at everyone before taking Adam by the arm. "We need to talk for a sec'," she said, pulling him into one of the side rooms. Tyler then chose to step forward and mention that they had a cat with them. "... And after dragging it across the city, I don't think it's doing well."
Elyse commented on the cat being lovely, but neither she or Jace seemed sure what to do with it. Caleb left the kitchen area to kneel in front of Katie so that he could get a good look at the cat. "Does the cat have a name?" he asked in a slight southern drawl. "Let's try feeding it with the supplies we have, okay?" He smiled a bit cautiously and offered to take Katie by the hand.
Tyler cleared his throat and mentioned the oral syringe. This got Jace's attention, who stood up and made his way for the second side room. "We have those. Let me go check." In the brief glance Tyler got of the room, it appeared to be a bedroom.
"Well, Adam told me everything that happened," Tina said, entering back into the living room. "He's right, you know. You guys will have to stay with us. It's safer that way." She pointed behind them toward the entrance hallway. "Keep going right and you'll find the bathroom and a room we're using to keep supplies. We don't have plumbing, obviously, but we have water so you can wash. Use the downstairs bathroom in the bar if you guys need to relieve yourselves." She scrunched up her face in disgust. "We rotate turns on keeping it clean, so keep that in mind."
"We have a garden out back," Elyse said, almost dreamily. "We've made up a greenhouse."
Tina nodded. "Yep, and we have more than enough supplies for all of you. Food, medicine... If you all help out, we should be able to maintain it." She then pointed to the two side rooms. "Those are bedrooms. We use both, but there's room to fit more. You guys can sleep in the living room if you want, but the living room has to stay clean, all right?"
Jace then returned with the syringe and handed it to Katie. "Here you go, kid." Caleb smirked at this and gestured for Katie to follow him to the kitchen cupboards. Jace stood where he was and looked between the group and Tina. "Tina give you the run down?" he asked. "You guys are welcome to stay with us, don't worry."
He sprinted fast, practically jumping over any small body of water. The ground here was almost like a small marshland, causing Tyler to almost trip over himself once or twice, but he managed to right himself each time without spilling Katie or her small companion. There were rustles in the bushes as he ran, but surely that was just the others running through as well. He heard Adam call from somewhere beyond the grass, "I knew it! There's a patrol coming around! Hurry, guys!" That news didn't do much to help, as Tyler imagined everyone was running as fast as they could. There was a growl at Tyler's right and he nearly stumbled over a walker laying on its stomach. He jumped away from as it reached its hand out to grab him, but it was too tangled in the grass and buried in the soft ground to move much at all. He assured Katie that they were okay, and they finally broke free of the field.
Adam and George were waiting at the other side. "I told you it was fine in there!" Adam said, but Tyler barely listened. They waited the few precious seconds it took for the others to come out the other side and ran quickly across the street. Adam commanded the group to duck into a hunting store and led everyone to crouch low behind the counter. Tyler took a look around the store as he got into place and found it was completely bare, though the walls were painted with large black X's. From their position behind the counter, they could just see a large truck pass by the store's front windows. The vehicle appeared modified, sporting metal and spikes that increased its bulk and ferocity. After the vehicle passed, Adam waited a minute before standing to his feet.
"They do patrols often a round sunset. Sucks to be us." He made his way around the counter, but Tyler stood up and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"No," he commanded, pulling roughly on Adam's arm. Adam's brow furrowed and he looked toward the others. Tyler continued anyway, saying, "We're not going anywhere until you tell us more about this group."
"I, uh, we don't really have time--"
"We already risked our lives avoiding them. We have time."
Adam made an annoyed grunt and pulled away from Tyler. "Fine, fine, okay? Tremblay, they, um... Those biters they got chained up, that's not all they use them for. They use them like watch dogs all over the place. It's like... some of them keep as pets even, or something. It's fucking weird, man. They got a hold over this city, and they live all over Mid City South-- But, that's not all. They're always doing patrols throughout the city, killing biters or-or taking them for their stock." Adam let out a shaky breath and shook his head. "You guys... are lucky. New people travelling through the city-- They tend to be killed by the patrols. All of you, you should be happy you ran into me."
George considered this and tapped on the counter. "Okay, but how is your group still alive then?"
Adam's voice caught in his throat. He looked wide-eyed at everyone. "I... my group was in the area before they came into power. We leave them alone and they leave us alone. They used to be two groups who were at each other's throats, but they were brought together by a man named Tremblay, or something." He held up his hands. "Seriously, I don't know all the details! I got here after this all happened! All I know now is that he runs them all, but both groups got their own leaders." Adam licked his lips and went silent, apparently finished with his explanation. "Just... They're bad news, and you guys would be better off with us."
Tyler sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, thank you, Adam."
Adam clapped his hands together. "Look, no problem! I'm just trying to help." He then moved toward the front door and held it open. "After you guys," he said.
They pushed on down the road and came to a more business focused sector of the city. Small shops and stores lined the streets in accompany with a couple of apartment buildings. At a bar with both its front door and the sign above the door shot out, Adam led the group inside and to the back of the building. Tyler expressed confusion at where they were, but Adam revealed a door that opened to a staircase leading upwards. At the top of the stairs was a door, which Adam eagerly knocked on. An asian girl opened the door, practically jumping out of her skin at the sight of everyone. Adam quickly spoke up, saying, "Tina, I found these people wandering around the city. I couldn't leave them out there."
The girl's mouth fell open and she slowly nodded. "Okay..." She stepped aside and held the door open so that everyone could shuffle inside. As Tyler passed by her, he found her to be rather short, almost short enough to be a teenager. However, something told him she was older than that. She and Adam led the group down the short hall and to the right, where a living room was in place. It was a clean space, with a ring of couches facing the wall to their right. Strangely, the wall was painted with a half-finished mural of all kinds of things-- Flowers, space ships, animals, buildings-- and a high definition television was pushed off to the side so that it was propped up against a window. Half of the room was a kitchen, and a dining room table and kitchen counters were in this area. Two men sat there, talking amongst each other, while an elderly woman sat nestled into the living room couch. All three turned to the group with varying looks of awe and confusion.
"So, everyone..." Tina stepped into the middle of the room and shrugged. "Adam has brought friends."
George quickly stepped forward and held his hand out to the closest person available, the elderly woman. "I'm George," he said. "It's so nice to see other people." The woman smiled graciously and took his hand. "This is Tyler," he continued, pointing. He introduced everyone in turn except for Scarlett, who hadn't a chance to introduce herself up to this point. Once their introductions were out of the way, Adam began naming off his own group. "Tina," he said, pointing to the girl that let them inside. "Elyse," referring to the elderly woman. "Jace," referring to the older man at the table who Tyler guessed was in his thirties. "And Caleb," finally referring to the other male, who easily was about a decade younger.
Once introductions and greetings were out of the way, the two groups were left awkwardly standing amongst each other. Tina smiled at everyone before taking Adam by the arm. "We need to talk for a sec'," she said, pulling him into one of the side rooms. Tyler then chose to step forward and mention that they had a cat with them. "... And after dragging it across the city, I don't think it's doing well."
Elyse commented on the cat being lovely, but neither she or Jace seemed sure what to do with it. Caleb left the kitchen area to kneel in front of Katie so that he could get a good look at the cat. "Does the cat have a name?" he asked in a slight southern drawl. "Let's try feeding it with the supplies we have, okay?" He smiled a bit cautiously and offered to take Katie by the hand.
Tyler cleared his throat and mentioned the oral syringe. This got Jace's attention, who stood up and made his way for the second side room. "We have those. Let me go check." In the brief glance Tyler got of the room, it appeared to be a bedroom.
"Well, Adam told me everything that happened," Tina said, entering back into the living room. "He's right, you know. You guys will have to stay with us. It's safer that way." She pointed behind them toward the entrance hallway. "Keep going right and you'll find the bathroom and a room we're using to keep supplies. We don't have plumbing, obviously, but we have water so you can wash. Use the downstairs bathroom in the bar if you guys need to relieve yourselves." She scrunched up her face in disgust. "We rotate turns on keeping it clean, so keep that in mind."
"We have a garden out back," Elyse said, almost dreamily. "We've made up a greenhouse."
Tina nodded. "Yep, and we have more than enough supplies for all of you. Food, medicine... If you all help out, we should be able to maintain it." She then pointed to the two side rooms. "Those are bedrooms. We use both, but there's room to fit more. You guys can sleep in the living room if you want, but the living room has to stay clean, all right?"
Jace then returned with the syringe and handed it to Katie. "Here you go, kid." Caleb smirked at this and gestured for Katie to follow him to the kitchen cupboards. Jace stood where he was and looked between the group and Tina. "Tina give you the run down?" he asked. "You guys are welcome to stay with us, don't worry."
Myriah - Outpost - Fire
She sat in her cabin, alone. She could spot the sun setting if she positioned herself by the window right. She was desperately trying to take her mind off the events of today and all of the horrible mistakes she made in such a short span of time. The council members had been unable to come to a unanimous decision regarding anyone's guilt, but enough screaming and shouting had gone on to put everyone on edge. Citizens were already talking about her, she knew. With all of the council members wearing their emotions on their sleeves, everyone knew something was up. Matt-- Or perhaps even Isaac-- had probably started telling people their side of the story, planting the seeds she knew would come. It didn't matter that a few people were talking about Enrique as well, that anyone was starting to believe she had betrayed them all was a major blow to her character.
Everyone was still on edge about Samantha. About Reggie. They would be out for blood.
She wouldn't have much time to fix this, if that was even possible. She had people who would think the best of her no matter what she did, but it wouldn't amount to much. She was thankful Rudy had left when he did to miss all of this nonsense.
A knock at the door set Myriah's heart racing. She stood up sharply and gripped the edge of her seat, her mind racing at the possibilities. It could be someone waiting to chew her out, or--or possibly--
"No, no. Calm down." She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She waited until her heart pumped at a normal rate before cautiously walking over to the front door and opening it. The person knocking turned out to be Michael, who stared at her a moment, before suddenly rushing her. Myriah screamed out, but the man put a hand over her mouth and silenced her. Her adrenaline soared all over again and she roughly shoved against him, but she found it was like pushing against a brick wall. She kicked out with her feet and ineffectually hit Michael in the shins, who started shoving her around as a response. He managed to pull her close to the front door so that he could close it before pushing her against the wall a second time.
"Just stop," he said, his French accent sounding thicker than usual. "I have not come to hurt you." He said this with slight amusement, and Myriah glared daggers at him. She tried to bite at his hand, but he manoeuvred it under her jaw instead. She grunted and groaned, but still Michael would not relent. "Oh, Myriah, I honestly thought you had died. Jonas seemed so sure of himself, at the time." He stared into her eyes and squeezed at her jaw. "I had grown tired of Outpost. It was not the place for me. I was in the area on some... business, and I decided to see how the old place was doing."
She continued to relent, even though exhaustion was already starting to bring her down. For all her effort and strength, she hadn't managed to do a thing. "You got your second chance, Myriah, but I don't think it will last you much longer. I just wanted to let you know that. You got your hands dirty so clumsily, after all. Like you said, you are not very cut out for being a leader." He let go of her now, and all she could manage to do was shakily lean back against the wall. She placed her hands behind her, unwilling to slip to the ground in front of this man. "I have been around the block, so to speak, and you're probably one of the worst, even. If you plan on continuing this, I suggest you lock your door tightly from now on."
Michael turned to leave, shaking his head. "Unbelievable. Not even worth my time." He left the cabin after that, closing the door softly behind him. Myriah felt her strength give away and she finally fell to the floor, her glasses bouncing off her face once again and her hair falling into her eyes. She hugged herself and sobbed.
***
It was later that evening when a spark was ignited. It caught hold of one of the cabin's out of sight from the watchers on the wall. It grew quickly, growing into a rapid and blazing fire that overtook the cabin. Thankfully, the cabin was largely isolated from the others, but that still didn't mean the others were safe. The wind managed to carry debris far enough to set fire to a second cabin, this one dangerously closer to others. People became aware of the fire soon after the second cabin caught fire, crowding around the source and becoming fearful of what was happening. A contingency was not in place for a fire, as Outpost had never suffered a massive one before. Now two cabins were ablaze, and the people of Outpost were scrambling to prevent it from spreading further.
Rhonda instantly knew the first cabin to be Myriah's, and she screamed over everyone for someone to save her. Unfortunately, by the time she and the others had gathered, Myriah's cabin was too far gone. The second cabin was not so dangerous, so a group of scouts ran inside to save the occupants...
She sat in her cabin, alone. She could spot the sun setting if she positioned herself by the window right. She was desperately trying to take her mind off the events of today and all of the horrible mistakes she made in such a short span of time. The council members had been unable to come to a unanimous decision regarding anyone's guilt, but enough screaming and shouting had gone on to put everyone on edge. Citizens were already talking about her, she knew. With all of the council members wearing their emotions on their sleeves, everyone knew something was up. Matt-- Or perhaps even Isaac-- had probably started telling people their side of the story, planting the seeds she knew would come. It didn't matter that a few people were talking about Enrique as well, that anyone was starting to believe she had betrayed them all was a major blow to her character.
Everyone was still on edge about Samantha. About Reggie. They would be out for blood.
She wouldn't have much time to fix this, if that was even possible. She had people who would think the best of her no matter what she did, but it wouldn't amount to much. She was thankful Rudy had left when he did to miss all of this nonsense.
A knock at the door set Myriah's heart racing. She stood up sharply and gripped the edge of her seat, her mind racing at the possibilities. It could be someone waiting to chew her out, or--or possibly--
"No, no. Calm down." She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. She waited until her heart pumped at a normal rate before cautiously walking over to the front door and opening it. The person knocking turned out to be Michael, who stared at her a moment, before suddenly rushing her. Myriah screamed out, but the man put a hand over her mouth and silenced her. Her adrenaline soared all over again and she roughly shoved against him, but she found it was like pushing against a brick wall. She kicked out with her feet and ineffectually hit Michael in the shins, who started shoving her around as a response. He managed to pull her close to the front door so that he could close it before pushing her against the wall a second time.
"Just stop," he said, his French accent sounding thicker than usual. "I have not come to hurt you." He said this with slight amusement, and Myriah glared daggers at him. She tried to bite at his hand, but he manoeuvred it under her jaw instead. She grunted and groaned, but still Michael would not relent. "Oh, Myriah, I honestly thought you had died. Jonas seemed so sure of himself, at the time." He stared into her eyes and squeezed at her jaw. "I had grown tired of Outpost. It was not the place for me. I was in the area on some... business, and I decided to see how the old place was doing."
She continued to relent, even though exhaustion was already starting to bring her down. For all her effort and strength, she hadn't managed to do a thing. "You got your second chance, Myriah, but I don't think it will last you much longer. I just wanted to let you know that. You got your hands dirty so clumsily, after all. Like you said, you are not very cut out for being a leader." He let go of her now, and all she could manage to do was shakily lean back against the wall. She placed her hands behind her, unwilling to slip to the ground in front of this man. "I have been around the block, so to speak, and you're probably one of the worst, even. If you plan on continuing this, I suggest you lock your door tightly from now on."
Michael turned to leave, shaking his head. "Unbelievable. Not even worth my time." He left the cabin after that, closing the door softly behind him. Myriah felt her strength give away and she finally fell to the floor, her glasses bouncing off her face once again and her hair falling into her eyes. She hugged herself and sobbed.
***
It was later that evening when a spark was ignited. It caught hold of one of the cabin's out of sight from the watchers on the wall. It grew quickly, growing into a rapid and blazing fire that overtook the cabin. Thankfully, the cabin was largely isolated from the others, but that still didn't mean the others were safe. The wind managed to carry debris far enough to set fire to a second cabin, this one dangerously closer to others. People became aware of the fire soon after the second cabin caught fire, crowding around the source and becoming fearful of what was happening. A contingency was not in place for a fire, as Outpost had never suffered a massive one before. Now two cabins were ablaze, and the people of Outpost were scrambling to prevent it from spreading further.
Rhonda instantly knew the first cabin to be Myriah's, and she screamed over everyone for someone to save her. Unfortunately, by the time she and the others had gathered, Myriah's cabin was too far gone. The second cabin was not so dangerous, so a group of scouts ran inside to save the occupants...
Tyler - Baton Rouge - Scarlett/Liam/Katie/Jacob
"I don't know who you really are Tyler," echoed in his head. While it could be said none of them knew each other, Jacob's words resonated with Tyler. Adam, the dumbshit, had blurted out Thomas when they ran into each other, and Tyler knew either Jacob or George had to be thinking about it. Tyler considered the idea of playing off the event as some fevered mistake from the junkie, but Tyler had no idea if Adam was willing to play along. At least it wasn't so bad; As far as Adam knew, Thomas had just been the nice guy who had become the leader of the scouts. Of course, that was the entire reason Adam left in the first place, so Tyler couldn't be sure how the man felt about him or not.
It was nice to see most of the group wanting to stick by him, though Tyler knew it was only because he had a daughter. A family man was stereotypically a good man, after all. Tyler could barely contain his laughter at that. When Katie expressed her desire to eat, Tyler knew he'd have to make the tough decision here. "Okay... Okay." Tyler muttered to himself for a moment before placing a hand on Katie's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Katie. We'll get food, and I think... we'll go with you, Adam."
The guy let out a cheer. "Awesome! Stick by me everybody--"
"But, wait," Tyler said, standing up and letting out a heavy breath. "Before we all start travelling together, I think I need to address something." Adam looked confused and Tyler resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I've met Adam before. In New Orleans. I was using a different name then, because... Well, for a lot of different reasons. I thought I lost my daughter and I... was depressed. But I've been reunited with her and now I'm here, with all of you. My name is Tyler. I haven't intended to deceive anyone." Whether they all believed that or not, it was all Tyler could come up with. Hopefully it would be enough.
Thankfully, Adam responded positively to the news. "Look, man. Reggie was a good dude and I was pissed that he died. There's no issues here. If you wanna be called Tyler, then that's what I'll call you." Tyler nodded and expressed his appreciation.
George shrugged. "It's fine with me, but I think we should really hurry." He turned to Adam. "Take us to this illusive group."
Adam nodded and quickly jogged away, leaving little time for the group to follow after him. They travelled in a criss-cross manner, going deeper into the city than Tyler expected. They spotted a couple of walkers here and there, but Adam opted to sneak by them than open fire. At the corner of Pickett and Perkins, they encountered an odd sight; From their left, an undead individual stood chained to each utility pole on the side of the road for as long as they could see. Adam paused at this sight, but didn't look particularly surprised to see it. In fact, he started leading the group across the street without comment, but George spoke up to stop him. "Hey, what's the deal with all the walkers?"
Adam stopped and hesitated on an answer. "They, uh..." He shook his head. "Just stay away from them. They're a warning."
Tyler wasn't sure he liked how vague Adam was being. In fact, this was probably the biggest clue indicating what Tyler feared. "A warning for what?" Tyler asked, trying to hurry Adam along.
Adam nodded toward the undead. "North of Highway ten is Tremblay territory. You guys don't want to go around there. Thankfully, my group are on the outskirts." He then moved completely across the street and gestured for the group to follow. He then looked guilty. "I guess I should have said something sooner. We're going to have to cut behind this building and through the bush. I'd hate to be seen by their patrols, especially with all of you."
Whatever this Tremblay group was, they sounded like Tyler had feared. A raider group, one that probably controlled most of the city. That they had run into such a low amount of walkers on the street indicated someone was regularly clearing them out. The backpacks of supplies and the gutted buildings... this city had some history, and they were walking straight into it.
Adam led the group behind the parking lot and stopped at a large field of tall grass that towered over everybody. He took a step toward it and listened for a sound. "... Okay. We'll lose sight in there, so everybody just run as fast as you can and book it across the street on the other side."
"What?" George blurted out. "This sounds like a really dumb idea."
Adam pointed his gun into the grass. "I've done this before. You're faster than anything in there, okay? Just hold on to the kids." Without waiting for anyone to comply, Adam ran into the grass and disappeared. Tyler exchanged a worried glance with George.
"... I guess I'm going for it," George said, plunging inside. Silence.
Tyler had little interest in bringing Katie in there, but the sky was already bleeding red from the setting sun. He wasn't sure he wanted to risk the patrols at all, if Adam was so freaked out by them. "One of you hold on to Liam," Tyler said, lifting Katie so that she was sitting on his shoulders. "And you hold on to that cat." Without a second thought, he went for it and ran into the grass, The long blades slapped at his face and the ground sunk under his feet slightly with every step he took, but everything seemed relatively calm otherwise. "Just keep holding on!" he grunted, his hands squeezing around Katie's legs.
"I don't know who you really are Tyler," echoed in his head. While it could be said none of them knew each other, Jacob's words resonated with Tyler. Adam, the dumbshit, had blurted out Thomas when they ran into each other, and Tyler knew either Jacob or George had to be thinking about it. Tyler considered the idea of playing off the event as some fevered mistake from the junkie, but Tyler had no idea if Adam was willing to play along. At least it wasn't so bad; As far as Adam knew, Thomas had just been the nice guy who had become the leader of the scouts. Of course, that was the entire reason Adam left in the first place, so Tyler couldn't be sure how the man felt about him or not.
It was nice to see most of the group wanting to stick by him, though Tyler knew it was only because he had a daughter. A family man was stereotypically a good man, after all. Tyler could barely contain his laughter at that. When Katie expressed her desire to eat, Tyler knew he'd have to make the tough decision here. "Okay... Okay." Tyler muttered to himself for a moment before placing a hand on Katie's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Katie. We'll get food, and I think... we'll go with you, Adam."
The guy let out a cheer. "Awesome! Stick by me everybody--"
"But, wait," Tyler said, standing up and letting out a heavy breath. "Before we all start travelling together, I think I need to address something." Adam looked confused and Tyler resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I've met Adam before. In New Orleans. I was using a different name then, because... Well, for a lot of different reasons. I thought I lost my daughter and I... was depressed. But I've been reunited with her and now I'm here, with all of you. My name is Tyler. I haven't intended to deceive anyone." Whether they all believed that or not, it was all Tyler could come up with. Hopefully it would be enough.
Thankfully, Adam responded positively to the news. "Look, man. Reggie was a good dude and I was pissed that he died. There's no issues here. If you wanna be called Tyler, then that's what I'll call you." Tyler nodded and expressed his appreciation.
George shrugged. "It's fine with me, but I think we should really hurry." He turned to Adam. "Take us to this illusive group."
Adam nodded and quickly jogged away, leaving little time for the group to follow after him. They travelled in a criss-cross manner, going deeper into the city than Tyler expected. They spotted a couple of walkers here and there, but Adam opted to sneak by them than open fire. At the corner of Pickett and Perkins, they encountered an odd sight; From their left, an undead individual stood chained to each utility pole on the side of the road for as long as they could see. Adam paused at this sight, but didn't look particularly surprised to see it. In fact, he started leading the group across the street without comment, but George spoke up to stop him. "Hey, what's the deal with all the walkers?"
Adam stopped and hesitated on an answer. "They, uh..." He shook his head. "Just stay away from them. They're a warning."
Tyler wasn't sure he liked how vague Adam was being. In fact, this was probably the biggest clue indicating what Tyler feared. "A warning for what?" Tyler asked, trying to hurry Adam along.
Adam nodded toward the undead. "North of Highway ten is Tremblay territory. You guys don't want to go around there. Thankfully, my group are on the outskirts." He then moved completely across the street and gestured for the group to follow. He then looked guilty. "I guess I should have said something sooner. We're going to have to cut behind this building and through the bush. I'd hate to be seen by their patrols, especially with all of you."
Whatever this Tremblay group was, they sounded like Tyler had feared. A raider group, one that probably controlled most of the city. That they had run into such a low amount of walkers on the street indicated someone was regularly clearing them out. The backpacks of supplies and the gutted buildings... this city had some history, and they were walking straight into it.
Adam led the group behind the parking lot and stopped at a large field of tall grass that towered over everybody. He took a step toward it and listened for a sound. "... Okay. We'll lose sight in there, so everybody just run as fast as you can and book it across the street on the other side."
"What?" George blurted out. "This sounds like a really dumb idea."
Adam pointed his gun into the grass. "I've done this before. You're faster than anything in there, okay? Just hold on to the kids." Without waiting for anyone to comply, Adam ran into the grass and disappeared. Tyler exchanged a worried glance with George.
"... I guess I'm going for it," George said, plunging inside. Silence.
Tyler had little interest in bringing Katie in there, but the sky was already bleeding red from the setting sun. He wasn't sure he wanted to risk the patrols at all, if Adam was so freaked out by them. "One of you hold on to Liam," Tyler said, lifting Katie so that she was sitting on his shoulders. "And you hold on to that cat." Without a second thought, he went for it and ran into the grass, The long blades slapped at his face and the ground sunk under his feet slightly with every step he took, but everything seemed relatively calm otherwise. "Just keep holding on!" he grunted, his hands squeezing around Katie's legs.
Myriah - Outpost - Alex/Council
She stared at him for a good long moment, examining his face. She was trying to determine if he was lying, or perhaps just being coy with her. She was sure something had happened to Rudy and it was entirely possible Alex was the man behind it. She didn't know him well enough to say either way, but perhaps his coming to meet her was all she needed to know. That he specifically mentioned Rudy meeting someone he knew and that Rudy had desired to tell Myriah that it was his own free will... Well, perhaps she had nothing to worry about after all.
She hadn't spoken for long enough to probably make the moment feel awkward, so Myriah quickly looked down at her hands and nodded. "Thank you for telling me this," she said. "It means a lot to me." She stood now, looking more relaxed as she stepped over to one of the bookcases. "He'll be all right, I believe." Despite her relief at Rudy's safety, she felt a growing worry rise up and gnaw at her. She'd panicked and gotten Rhonda up in arms over nothing, and now there would certainly be consequences for her actions. She knew panicking all over again would get her nowhere, but she felt her heart start to beat fast and faster anyway. Still staring at the bookcase, Myriah said, "I don't know if you've spoken with Enrique yet, but I've heard he's in a bad mood today. I guess with Rudy gone, someone will need to report to Enrique instead."
She wrapped her arms around herself and let out a shaky breath. "But thank you again, Alex. I need to go see to something." She proceeded to contain herself long enough to let Alex out the door before leaving the cabin herself so that she could talk to Rhonda. She tried to help it, but she practically sprinted into the administration building, frightening a few people who saw her.
She saw Randy exiting the office and waved him down. He stared at her confusedly as she approached him. "I was just coming to see you," he said, scratching at his neck. "Rhonda has asked everyone to meet in the deliberation room."
It was like a punch to the gut. She was too late. "Is she-Is she in there now? Did she say what the meeting's for?"
Randy shrugged nonchalantly. "She's in there. Don't know what it's about, but she says it's serious." He started pulling away, gesturing for her to follow. "You coming? You know how Rhonda can get."
Oh, I know, she thought. She knew all too well.
***
She and Randy entered the deliberation room to find just about everyone already there. She looked around briefly and found that Matt was missing-- It was a strange day when she considered that to be a bad thing. She quickly walked up to Rhonda and pulled her to the side. "Rhonda, what are you--"
The woman held up her hands. "Wait, wait, I know what you're going to say, but this is something we need to do. That man is a bad seed. They both are. Everyone will know the truth, all right?" She smiled at her, but Myriah felt like screaming. She wasn't ready for this. It was too soon. She'd thought Rudy missing meant that her life was in immediate danger and so she had stupidly acted too soon. Now things were going to escalate beyond her control, and Myriah didn't want to think what would happen to her and to Outpost.
"Rhonda, you're moving too soon. We need time to think this all through--"
The woman began to puff out, her agitation rising. She was too angry to listen at this point. Myriah had launched her like a rocket and now she was going to come crashing down on all of them. "I know you're scared. Just sit down, honey, and I'll handle it." Defeated, Myriah sat down in the circle of desks with the others. She found them all looking at her curiously, though Isaac strangely looked angry. It couldn't mean anything good.
Rhonda took her place and quickly got the meeting started. "Welcome, everyone. I'm afraid to say I couldn't prepare snacks for this meeting, but the matter we discuss today is gravely serious." She paused momentarily before choosing to stand. "It concerns a fellow member of our council, Matt, and a man currently within our scouts, Enrique. I have reason to believe that one of them-- likely both of them-- had a hand in the murder of our dear Samantha."
The room exploded. The floodgates had been opened, and Myriah felt like someone was suddenly gripping at her head. Everyone was thoroughly confused at this declaration when they believed the matter had been solved. Eventually, Sylar stood up and called everyone to order so that Rhonda could continue. She thanked him before continuing, her face set into a grim frown. "Immediately concerning is the fact that, today, Enrique threatened the lives of not just Myriah, but myself and the people of Outpost. Myriah came to me earlier today and said that Enrique had threatened her. After I confronted him on the matter, he grew angry and threatened me as well. He is a temperamental man who does not have our community's best interests at heart."
Randy cleared his throat. "He did come with that man, Thomas. We can't deny that. Their actions resulted in the deaths of far too many people. Those could have been my boys out there."
Isaac looked already done with all of this. "He stated that he was manipulated by that man just as we were," he said. "And he has given us no reason to doubt him. Until today, apparently."
"Not apparently," Rhonda said, her hands balling into fists. "You know us! Myriah and I have been with Outpost since the very beginning!"
"So why threaten Myriah today?" Isaac asked. "Unprovoked? Did you say anything to upset him, Myriah?" He looked at her accusingly and Myriah felt herself shrink under his gaze. She swallowed and nodded shyly, for she really had nothing to say.
"He threatened her because she was nearing the truth," Rhonda rebutted. "Enrique was a close friend of that man... and it was Matt who spoke highest of Enrique when he returned. It was Matt who approved of the plan to attack that other community and it was Matt that led us all to finding Reggie guilty of Samantha's murder."
Sarah looked a bit shell-shocked, but she managed to speak up. "Rhonda... I believe you when you say Enrique threatened you, but the only connection between him and Samantha is conjecture." She said the last word slowly, as if she was making sure she was using it right as she said it.
"But he fit Myriah's description!" Rhonda cried. "It all fits! If we just question him--"
"Frankly, this is ridiculous." Isaac stood up now and stared Rhonda down. "And it's a poor attempt at throwing guilt off of yourself, Myriah." She felt another blow to her gut. Her eyes went wide as Isaac turned to her, hate behind his gaze. He knew, she realised. Matt had gotten to him. Rhonda and the others began to cry out about this second declaration, but Isaac drowned them out by raising his voice. "I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, Myriah! I never would have believed you were capable of that, but this farce just proves it." He spoke to everyone now, his hands raised animatedly. "Myriah had a hand in the mutiny, everyone. She didn't want to be our leader any more, so she came up with the plan. It went wrong and Jonas tried to kill her, but Myriah tried to manipulate us. Matt found out, and now she's trying to silence him."
More upset outcries. Myriah couldn't do a thing but stare at Isaac, her mouth stuck agape. "Myriah's name wasn't in the journal!" yelled Randy.
"Reggie's journal only spoke of Jonas," Isaac responded. "A dead man. He wanted to keep the live ones out of it." There were cries that Isaac had no proof of this either, but he only shook his head. "Matt predicted this would happen, so he got proof." Isaac then left his desk to open the door to the hall. Everyone went quiet as he stepped aside and allowed a tall older man into the room.
Sarah suffered a sharp intake of breath. "Michael!"
Isaac went back to his desk, allowing everyone to stare at Michael. "We all believed Michael was partly to blame for the mutiny, as he had gone missing that night. Now he's here today to confess."
Silence enveloped the room again as Michael nodded. "I have been away for some time and I have deliberated during that time how to atone for what I have done. I came back to you all when... had to say something. Though the plan was to pretend a mutiny attempt had taken place, Jonas decided to take it a step too far. I was a coward who ran and allowed him to proceed with his change of plans. I am thankful to hear that Reggie had the nerve to turn on his fellow co-conspirator and stop him." The man then looked straight at Myriah, and she knew it was all over. "And I am sorry, Myriah, for not following our plan to the end."
The room broke out into shrill dialogue once again, but it was all becoming a vague indiscriminate buzz to Myriah. It was all the same. "Lock him up!" Randy cried. "If he's really confessed, lock him up!"
Michael looked defensive to this and Isaac waved Randy off. "Matt and I have promised him that he can leave after this in exchange for his confession. As he had no hand in the murder attempt, we believe this is fair. As for Myriah, we feel--"
"No!" Rhonda yelled. Others echoed her, and the buzzing began anew. It was all entirely useless, Myriah knew. Whether they believed Isaac or not, Matt would not rest until he had planted a seed of doubt in every single person of Outpost. There would be rumours and accusations... soon, Myriah's status would be nothing compared to what it used to be. Even worse, she would have to start looking over her shoulder every time she left her cabin. She lifted her hands to rub at her head and drowned everyone out. Her glasses slipped from her face just like everything else that was slipping away from her.
Shannon - Forest/Cabin - Emma/Rob/Finch
They stepped over fallen branches and trees, dismayed at the state of the forest. James' face grew more concerned the further they went, and Shannon was starting to think the campsite would be missing, having been blown away in the storm. It was disorienting trying to find the tents amongst the carnage, but Danny was the first to see and comment on the broken remains of the fishing line, indicating to Shannon that they were close. After stumbling around a bit more they found the remains of one of the tents stuck in a tree. They pulled it down to find a few blankets, but nothing of much significance. They found the fire pit soon after, but it was all that remained. The second tent had done like Shannon feared and flown far far away.
"Damn," Danny muttered, looking around. "What made you decide to camp out here, anyway?" No one responded to him, both Shannon and James too caught in the fact that their friends were missing. Beside her, James brought a hand to his face and sobbed.
"It's just like Valentina," he said, eyes watering. "Emma's gone too." Shannon moved to hug him, but he roughly shoved her away. "No! This isn't fair!" The boy ran to the edge of the clearing and yelled, "Emma! Rob!" When no one responded, he turned around and shook his head violently. "They're gone! You'll be next and then I'll be alone!"
Danny looked more annoyed than concerned, so Shannon gave him a vexed look, causing him to stare down at his feet. She approached James once again and hugged him despite his physical protests. "It's okay," she cooed. "I'm not leaving you. I'll never abandon you." James only cried as a response. She let him cry into her sweater, still damp from the rain anyway.
"... It'll be dark soon," Danny said from behind her. "We should head back and find a place to spend the night."
She looked behind her and into Danny's eyes. He looked embarrassed, almost uncomfortable. He'd left his home and his friends to be by her side. She still had her close connection with James, but Danny didn't fit into that. She didn't want him to start regretting his decision, for honestly she enjoyed having him around again, even though it would take some time for their friendship to go back to the way it once was. If it even ever did. She detached from James and straightened up to look beyond the line of trees. "I know," she said. "But we have to spend some time looking for Emma. She couldn't have possibly gone far in that."
Danny stepped up beside her and stared at her. "... Okay. We can do that, I guess. We might have run into her back in the city if she had went that way, so..." He let out a sigh. "Fuck, I don't know. Outpost had a few routes into the city, and most of them passed by cabins in the swampland. We could go find one."
She nodded slowly. "Okay. You hear that, James? We're going to look for Emma." The boy nodded, but didn't look confident. She didn't expect him to, after their search for Valentina ended in disaster. Danny led the way, thankfully somewhat knowing the forest due to his time at Outpost. One day she'd have to ask him about it. She was curious about the place her best friend had lived the last few months; What kind of connections did he make their? She knew he was a surly kind of guy, but certainly he had made friends. He'd always been able to make friends, even when he strangely acted so distant with everyone else.
Their walk through the forest was a silent one, with Danny stopping every so often to suddenly switch directions. James followed obediently behind them, sniffling as if he had a cold. The forest was less damaged the further they went, but also increasingly swampy. Danny swore under his breath a couple of times and moved them around bodies of water that they could not pass with what they had on. After Shannon believed they had been walking for about twenty-five minutes, Danny clapped his hands. "Okay, I definitely know where we are now! There's a cabin we used for transitioning into Outpost around here. Shit, it's the only one for miles, so if Emma is anywhere, it'd probably be there." That was if she found it and was safe, Shannon thought. It was just as likely Emma had fallen into a river and drowned.
They found a trail quickly after Danny realised where he was going. They spotted the cabin poking through the trees, looking like a beacon of hope in the setting sun. They stepped on to the porch a minute later and Danny grumbled at the front door. "Someone broke the damn thing again..." They stepped inside and Danny attempted to force it back into place. "There... shouldn't be anyone here," he grunted as he shoved against the door. "Anyone from Outpost, I mean. Since... there was... Fuck! None of the scouts have used this place in a few weeks, as far as I know."
James, having managed to calm himself down, became excited at the possibility others were around. He ran down the hall, crying, "Emma! Rob!"
She stared at him for a good long moment, examining his face. She was trying to determine if he was lying, or perhaps just being coy with her. She was sure something had happened to Rudy and it was entirely possible Alex was the man behind it. She didn't know him well enough to say either way, but perhaps his coming to meet her was all she needed to know. That he specifically mentioned Rudy meeting someone he knew and that Rudy had desired to tell Myriah that it was his own free will... Well, perhaps she had nothing to worry about after all.
She hadn't spoken for long enough to probably make the moment feel awkward, so Myriah quickly looked down at her hands and nodded. "Thank you for telling me this," she said. "It means a lot to me." She stood now, looking more relaxed as she stepped over to one of the bookcases. "He'll be all right, I believe." Despite her relief at Rudy's safety, she felt a growing worry rise up and gnaw at her. She'd panicked and gotten Rhonda up in arms over nothing, and now there would certainly be consequences for her actions. She knew panicking all over again would get her nowhere, but she felt her heart start to beat fast and faster anyway. Still staring at the bookcase, Myriah said, "I don't know if you've spoken with Enrique yet, but I've heard he's in a bad mood today. I guess with Rudy gone, someone will need to report to Enrique instead."
She wrapped her arms around herself and let out a shaky breath. "But thank you again, Alex. I need to go see to something." She proceeded to contain herself long enough to let Alex out the door before leaving the cabin herself so that she could talk to Rhonda. She tried to help it, but she practically sprinted into the administration building, frightening a few people who saw her.
She saw Randy exiting the office and waved him down. He stared at her confusedly as she approached him. "I was just coming to see you," he said, scratching at his neck. "Rhonda has asked everyone to meet in the deliberation room."
It was like a punch to the gut. She was too late. "Is she-Is she in there now? Did she say what the meeting's for?"
Randy shrugged nonchalantly. "She's in there. Don't know what it's about, but she says it's serious." He started pulling away, gesturing for her to follow. "You coming? You know how Rhonda can get."
Oh, I know, she thought. She knew all too well.
***
She and Randy entered the deliberation room to find just about everyone already there. She looked around briefly and found that Matt was missing-- It was a strange day when she considered that to be a bad thing. She quickly walked up to Rhonda and pulled her to the side. "Rhonda, what are you--"
The woman held up her hands. "Wait, wait, I know what you're going to say, but this is something we need to do. That man is a bad seed. They both are. Everyone will know the truth, all right?" She smiled at her, but Myriah felt like screaming. She wasn't ready for this. It was too soon. She'd thought Rudy missing meant that her life was in immediate danger and so she had stupidly acted too soon. Now things were going to escalate beyond her control, and Myriah didn't want to think what would happen to her and to Outpost.
"Rhonda, you're moving too soon. We need time to think this all through--"
The woman began to puff out, her agitation rising. She was too angry to listen at this point. Myriah had launched her like a rocket and now she was going to come crashing down on all of them. "I know you're scared. Just sit down, honey, and I'll handle it." Defeated, Myriah sat down in the circle of desks with the others. She found them all looking at her curiously, though Isaac strangely looked angry. It couldn't mean anything good.
Rhonda took her place and quickly got the meeting started. "Welcome, everyone. I'm afraid to say I couldn't prepare snacks for this meeting, but the matter we discuss today is gravely serious." She paused momentarily before choosing to stand. "It concerns a fellow member of our council, Matt, and a man currently within our scouts, Enrique. I have reason to believe that one of them-- likely both of them-- had a hand in the murder of our dear Samantha."
The room exploded. The floodgates had been opened, and Myriah felt like someone was suddenly gripping at her head. Everyone was thoroughly confused at this declaration when they believed the matter had been solved. Eventually, Sylar stood up and called everyone to order so that Rhonda could continue. She thanked him before continuing, her face set into a grim frown. "Immediately concerning is the fact that, today, Enrique threatened the lives of not just Myriah, but myself and the people of Outpost. Myriah came to me earlier today and said that Enrique had threatened her. After I confronted him on the matter, he grew angry and threatened me as well. He is a temperamental man who does not have our community's best interests at heart."
Randy cleared his throat. "He did come with that man, Thomas. We can't deny that. Their actions resulted in the deaths of far too many people. Those could have been my boys out there."
Isaac looked already done with all of this. "He stated that he was manipulated by that man just as we were," he said. "And he has given us no reason to doubt him. Until today, apparently."
"Not apparently," Rhonda said, her hands balling into fists. "You know us! Myriah and I have been with Outpost since the very beginning!"
"So why threaten Myriah today?" Isaac asked. "Unprovoked? Did you say anything to upset him, Myriah?" He looked at her accusingly and Myriah felt herself shrink under his gaze. She swallowed and nodded shyly, for she really had nothing to say.
"He threatened her because she was nearing the truth," Rhonda rebutted. "Enrique was a close friend of that man... and it was Matt who spoke highest of Enrique when he returned. It was Matt who approved of the plan to attack that other community and it was Matt that led us all to finding Reggie guilty of Samantha's murder."
Sarah looked a bit shell-shocked, but she managed to speak up. "Rhonda... I believe you when you say Enrique threatened you, but the only connection between him and Samantha is conjecture." She said the last word slowly, as if she was making sure she was using it right as she said it.
"But he fit Myriah's description!" Rhonda cried. "It all fits! If we just question him--"
"Frankly, this is ridiculous." Isaac stood up now and stared Rhonda down. "And it's a poor attempt at throwing guilt off of yourself, Myriah." She felt another blow to her gut. Her eyes went wide as Isaac turned to her, hate behind his gaze. He knew, she realised. Matt had gotten to him. Rhonda and the others began to cry out about this second declaration, but Isaac drowned them out by raising his voice. "I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, Myriah! I never would have believed you were capable of that, but this farce just proves it." He spoke to everyone now, his hands raised animatedly. "Myriah had a hand in the mutiny, everyone. She didn't want to be our leader any more, so she came up with the plan. It went wrong and Jonas tried to kill her, but Myriah tried to manipulate us. Matt found out, and now she's trying to silence him."
More upset outcries. Myriah couldn't do a thing but stare at Isaac, her mouth stuck agape. "Myriah's name wasn't in the journal!" yelled Randy.
"Reggie's journal only spoke of Jonas," Isaac responded. "A dead man. He wanted to keep the live ones out of it." There were cries that Isaac had no proof of this either, but he only shook his head. "Matt predicted this would happen, so he got proof." Isaac then left his desk to open the door to the hall. Everyone went quiet as he stepped aside and allowed a tall older man into the room.
Sarah suffered a sharp intake of breath. "Michael!"
Isaac went back to his desk, allowing everyone to stare at Michael. "We all believed Michael was partly to blame for the mutiny, as he had gone missing that night. Now he's here today to confess."
Silence enveloped the room again as Michael nodded. "I have been away for some time and I have deliberated during that time how to atone for what I have done. I came back to you all when... had to say something. Though the plan was to pretend a mutiny attempt had taken place, Jonas decided to take it a step too far. I was a coward who ran and allowed him to proceed with his change of plans. I am thankful to hear that Reggie had the nerve to turn on his fellow co-conspirator and stop him." The man then looked straight at Myriah, and she knew it was all over. "And I am sorry, Myriah, for not following our plan to the end."
The room broke out into shrill dialogue once again, but it was all becoming a vague indiscriminate buzz to Myriah. It was all the same. "Lock him up!" Randy cried. "If he's really confessed, lock him up!"
Michael looked defensive to this and Isaac waved Randy off. "Matt and I have promised him that he can leave after this in exchange for his confession. As he had no hand in the murder attempt, we believe this is fair. As for Myriah, we feel--"
"No!" Rhonda yelled. Others echoed her, and the buzzing began anew. It was all entirely useless, Myriah knew. Whether they believed Isaac or not, Matt would not rest until he had planted a seed of doubt in every single person of Outpost. There would be rumours and accusations... soon, Myriah's status would be nothing compared to what it used to be. Even worse, she would have to start looking over her shoulder every time she left her cabin. She lifted her hands to rub at her head and drowned everyone out. Her glasses slipped from her face just like everything else that was slipping away from her.
Shannon - Forest/Cabin - Emma/Rob/Finch
They stepped over fallen branches and trees, dismayed at the state of the forest. James' face grew more concerned the further they went, and Shannon was starting to think the campsite would be missing, having been blown away in the storm. It was disorienting trying to find the tents amongst the carnage, but Danny was the first to see and comment on the broken remains of the fishing line, indicating to Shannon that they were close. After stumbling around a bit more they found the remains of one of the tents stuck in a tree. They pulled it down to find a few blankets, but nothing of much significance. They found the fire pit soon after, but it was all that remained. The second tent had done like Shannon feared and flown far far away.
"Damn," Danny muttered, looking around. "What made you decide to camp out here, anyway?" No one responded to him, both Shannon and James too caught in the fact that their friends were missing. Beside her, James brought a hand to his face and sobbed.
"It's just like Valentina," he said, eyes watering. "Emma's gone too." Shannon moved to hug him, but he roughly shoved her away. "No! This isn't fair!" The boy ran to the edge of the clearing and yelled, "Emma! Rob!" When no one responded, he turned around and shook his head violently. "They're gone! You'll be next and then I'll be alone!"
Danny looked more annoyed than concerned, so Shannon gave him a vexed look, causing him to stare down at his feet. She approached James once again and hugged him despite his physical protests. "It's okay," she cooed. "I'm not leaving you. I'll never abandon you." James only cried as a response. She let him cry into her sweater, still damp from the rain anyway.
"... It'll be dark soon," Danny said from behind her. "We should head back and find a place to spend the night."
She looked behind her and into Danny's eyes. He looked embarrassed, almost uncomfortable. He'd left his home and his friends to be by her side. She still had her close connection with James, but Danny didn't fit into that. She didn't want him to start regretting his decision, for honestly she enjoyed having him around again, even though it would take some time for their friendship to go back to the way it once was. If it even ever did. She detached from James and straightened up to look beyond the line of trees. "I know," she said. "But we have to spend some time looking for Emma. She couldn't have possibly gone far in that."
Danny stepped up beside her and stared at her. "... Okay. We can do that, I guess. We might have run into her back in the city if she had went that way, so..." He let out a sigh. "Fuck, I don't know. Outpost had a few routes into the city, and most of them passed by cabins in the swampland. We could go find one."
She nodded slowly. "Okay. You hear that, James? We're going to look for Emma." The boy nodded, but didn't look confident. She didn't expect him to, after their search for Valentina ended in disaster. Danny led the way, thankfully somewhat knowing the forest due to his time at Outpost. One day she'd have to ask him about it. She was curious about the place her best friend had lived the last few months; What kind of connections did he make their? She knew he was a surly kind of guy, but certainly he had made friends. He'd always been able to make friends, even when he strangely acted so distant with everyone else.
Their walk through the forest was a silent one, with Danny stopping every so often to suddenly switch directions. James followed obediently behind them, sniffling as if he had a cold. The forest was less damaged the further they went, but also increasingly swampy. Danny swore under his breath a couple of times and moved them around bodies of water that they could not pass with what they had on. After Shannon believed they had been walking for about twenty-five minutes, Danny clapped his hands. "Okay, I definitely know where we are now! There's a cabin we used for transitioning into Outpost around here. Shit, it's the only one for miles, so if Emma is anywhere, it'd probably be there." That was if she found it and was safe, Shannon thought. It was just as likely Emma had fallen into a river and drowned.
They found a trail quickly after Danny realised where he was going. They spotted the cabin poking through the trees, looking like a beacon of hope in the setting sun. They stepped on to the porch a minute later and Danny grumbled at the front door. "Someone broke the damn thing again..." They stepped inside and Danny attempted to force it back into place. "There... shouldn't be anyone here," he grunted as he shoved against the door. "Anyone from Outpost, I mean. Since... there was... Fuck! None of the scouts have used this place in a few weeks, as far as I know."
James, having managed to calm himself down, became excited at the possibility others were around. He ran down the hall, crying, "Emma! Rob!"
Tyler - Baton Rouge - Scarlett/Liam/Katie/Jacob
Adam grinned at this and started walking forward, his stride becoming strangely jovial. He practically skipped as he stepped on to the road and turned around to face everyone. All in one motion, he shouldered his rifle and pointed down the road. "Then why don't we all meet with my group, all right?" He shot a look toward Tyler and raised his hands into a shrug. "They're not bad people. There's only five of us and one of them is an elderly woman, for god's sake." Adam looked to everyone in turn, his eyes wide. "Really, they-- They're all nice people. Nicer than me, I promise. We could ask them if they've seen your sister! Your loved ones! We have food, medicine, shelter... and-and it's dangerous to be alone at night around here. The biters, they... They..."
Adam was starting to ramble, so Tyler gestured for him to stop with an outright hand. He then looked toward his daughter and nodded. "Katie and I have been alone for quite some time now, and I know the rest of you probably have been as well. It's ultimately your decision if you go with this guy." He then smiled a bit sadly, walking up to Katie so that he could kneel and look her in the eyes. "I know you're looking out for that cat, so... if you think we should go with Adam, then we'll go." It was the least he could offer, after dragging his poor little girl for miles and miles. Tyler tried to think of some way of getting the help the kitten needed, but he couldn't think of much reliable with the sun so close to setting.
George stepped away from the group and took a place beside Adam. "Well, I know I'm going. I want to meet more people. It'd be nice to have you along, everyone." Adam nodded along with what George was saying, his mouth fixed into a toothy grin.
Adam grinned at this and started walking forward, his stride becoming strangely jovial. He practically skipped as he stepped on to the road and turned around to face everyone. All in one motion, he shouldered his rifle and pointed down the road. "Then why don't we all meet with my group, all right?" He shot a look toward Tyler and raised his hands into a shrug. "They're not bad people. There's only five of us and one of them is an elderly woman, for god's sake." Adam looked to everyone in turn, his eyes wide. "Really, they-- They're all nice people. Nicer than me, I promise. We could ask them if they've seen your sister! Your loved ones! We have food, medicine, shelter... and-and it's dangerous to be alone at night around here. The biters, they... They..."
Adam was starting to ramble, so Tyler gestured for him to stop with an outright hand. He then looked toward his daughter and nodded. "Katie and I have been alone for quite some time now, and I know the rest of you probably have been as well. It's ultimately your decision if you go with this guy." He then smiled a bit sadly, walking up to Katie so that he could kneel and look her in the eyes. "I know you're looking out for that cat, so... if you think we should go with Adam, then we'll go." It was the least he could offer, after dragging his poor little girl for miles and miles. Tyler tried to think of some way of getting the help the kitten needed, but he couldn't think of much reliable with the sun so close to setting.
George stepped away from the group and took a place beside Adam. "Well, I know I'm going. I want to meet more people. It'd be nice to have you along, everyone." Adam nodded along with what George was saying, his mouth fixed into a toothy grin.
Myriah - Outpost - Alex
She opened the door only slightly at first, making sure she got a good look at who was behind it before she allowed them inside. When she saw that it was Alex Clark, she was honestly surprised. She opened the door fully and smiled at him, though it was plain to see her usual clean appearance was rather unkempt. She invited him inside quickly, not wanting to dawdle outside her cabin. She placed him in her "library" of sorts, though really it only contained two bookcases and a chess set. "What brings you around?" she asked, moving around the room in search of something. After a few moments of this, she paused and touched at her head.
"... You were missing. You, and... did everyone make it back all right?" She sat down at the chess table and tried to relax. "Poor Allen lost his life in Sylar's group."
Rhonda - Outpost - Enrique
"That's ridiculous!" she immediately blurt out. Her stance shifted slightly, as if she was puffing out like a blowfish. She puffed out her chest, crossed her arms, and lifted her head slightly to appear ever-so-slightly taller. It was an automatic movement, known by others to indicate that Rhonda was extremely upset and probably going to start berating someone. "Myriah would never threaten anybody! That woman loves this community to death! No matter how much you say you've done, it will never be as much as Myriah has done for us all." She hadn't meant to come here to argue, but she found her cool flying wildly away from her. Distantly, she figured this man would have knocked her teeth out by now if she were a man. "Just to even think about threatening our home...!"
Rhonda suddenly took a step back, trying to calm herself down. She needed to de-attach from this situation before it escalated. "The council will hear everything. I'd think carefully about my actions from now on if I were you." She didn't want to leave just yet-- She wanted to stand tall and get in Enrique's face. Rhonda had never tolerated any attempt to intimidate her, especially not after her first husband. She wanted to argue until the sun set, but she knew that was a foolish idea. "... Goodbye," she muttered, suddenly turning away. Like her word, she made a beeline for the administration building.
Tyler - Baton Rouge - Scarlett/Liam/Katie/Jacob
His interest perked slightly. Did this girl perhaps have a place to be...? Tyler glanced toward Adam, who still looked intoxicated. Whatever group Adam said he had, Tyler wanted to know of the alternatives. "Just passing through?" he asked, looking back toward the girl. "Do you have a group? We... well, most of us were travelling alone before we ended up together, and we need a place to stay... Supplies. If you have a group--"
Perhaps only now paying attention, Adam spoke up. "Wait, I'm taking you guys to my group. We have supplies... Lots of supplies!"
Tyler was growing annoyed at Adam's voice. He was a junkie who'd probably hallucinated this 'group'. "Adam, I'm not taking my daughter to some drug den." Tyler didn't care if Katie asked what that meant later, he wanted Adam to just go away. He stepped up to the boy and leaned into his foul bloodshot face. "You're high," he said, speaking only loud enough for Adam to hear. "I don't know where you got it from, but it doesn't give me much hope for your 'group'."
Adam stepped back from Tyler, looking more confused than scared. He glanced at Katie and mumbled something about not knowing Tyler had a daughter. Tyler moved to grab Adam and repeat what he said, but George stopped him short by loudly clearing his throat. Tyler turned to him with a glare. "Tyler," George said slowly. "You never let the girl speak." He then stepped forward to move between Tyler and Adam. "Do you have a group?" George asked the girl. "Like my friend said, we need a place to be before sundown, so we need to see what options are available to us."
She opened the door only slightly at first, making sure she got a good look at who was behind it before she allowed them inside. When she saw that it was Alex Clark, she was honestly surprised. She opened the door fully and smiled at him, though it was plain to see her usual clean appearance was rather unkempt. She invited him inside quickly, not wanting to dawdle outside her cabin. She placed him in her "library" of sorts, though really it only contained two bookcases and a chess set. "What brings you around?" she asked, moving around the room in search of something. After a few moments of this, she paused and touched at her head.
"... You were missing. You, and... did everyone make it back all right?" She sat down at the chess table and tried to relax. "Poor Allen lost his life in Sylar's group."
Rhonda - Outpost - Enrique
"That's ridiculous!" she immediately blurt out. Her stance shifted slightly, as if she was puffing out like a blowfish. She puffed out her chest, crossed her arms, and lifted her head slightly to appear ever-so-slightly taller. It was an automatic movement, known by others to indicate that Rhonda was extremely upset and probably going to start berating someone. "Myriah would never threaten anybody! That woman loves this community to death! No matter how much you say you've done, it will never be as much as Myriah has done for us all." She hadn't meant to come here to argue, but she found her cool flying wildly away from her. Distantly, she figured this man would have knocked her teeth out by now if she were a man. "Just to even think about threatening our home...!"
Rhonda suddenly took a step back, trying to calm herself down. She needed to de-attach from this situation before it escalated. "The council will hear everything. I'd think carefully about my actions from now on if I were you." She didn't want to leave just yet-- She wanted to stand tall and get in Enrique's face. Rhonda had never tolerated any attempt to intimidate her, especially not after her first husband. She wanted to argue until the sun set, but she knew that was a foolish idea. "... Goodbye," she muttered, suddenly turning away. Like her word, she made a beeline for the administration building.
Tyler - Baton Rouge - Scarlett/Liam/Katie/Jacob
His interest perked slightly. Did this girl perhaps have a place to be...? Tyler glanced toward Adam, who still looked intoxicated. Whatever group Adam said he had, Tyler wanted to know of the alternatives. "Just passing through?" he asked, looking back toward the girl. "Do you have a group? We... well, most of us were travelling alone before we ended up together, and we need a place to stay... Supplies. If you have a group--"
Perhaps only now paying attention, Adam spoke up. "Wait, I'm taking you guys to my group. We have supplies... Lots of supplies!"
Tyler was growing annoyed at Adam's voice. He was a junkie who'd probably hallucinated this 'group'. "Adam, I'm not taking my daughter to some drug den." Tyler didn't care if Katie asked what that meant later, he wanted Adam to just go away. He stepped up to the boy and leaned into his foul bloodshot face. "You're high," he said, speaking only loud enough for Adam to hear. "I don't know where you got it from, but it doesn't give me much hope for your 'group'."
Adam stepped back from Tyler, looking more confused than scared. He glanced at Katie and mumbled something about not knowing Tyler had a daughter. Tyler moved to grab Adam and repeat what he said, but George stopped him short by loudly clearing his throat. Tyler turned to him with a glare. "Tyler," George said slowly. "You never let the girl speak." He then stepped forward to move between Tyler and Adam. "Do you have a group?" George asked the girl. "Like my friend said, we need a place to be before sundown, so we need to see what options are available to us."
Scouts - Outpost - Alex
Chris couldn't shake the nagging feeling he knew this guy, but he could offer no substantial reason why he couldn't come with them. He looked toward Jamie, who was staring down at the table. "I, uh..." Chris began. He looked up at Michael and shrugged. "Yeah, sure. But we really should get going right away."
Michael smiled and nodded. "Of course. Thank you." He graciously shook Cody's hand, who nervously smiled back. Jamie suddenly stood up and left the kitchen, prompting everyone to awkwardly stand in turn. Chris shared a look with Cody before moving around the table and approaching Hazel. He thanked her for everything she'd done and followed Jamie outside. Cody left next, placing a hand on Hazel's shoulder and directing Michael to head outside. When they were all piled into the car, Hazel waved to them at the front door, happy the rain had finally stopped.
***
The gates of Outpost opened slowly, allowing Cody to drive the car inside. He parked the car next to the other vehicle by the scout's cabins and was met by a small crowd of scouts who had been worried about the group. There was a buzz in the air that turned suddenly dour when Michael exited the vehicle. Some of the scouts stared at him as if they knew him and whispered to each other about his identity. It was then that Chris moved forward and pushed Michael so that he was facing him. "Right, I know you now," he said, practically growling. "You left during the mutiny!"
Michael's hands bunched into fists, his warm demeanour entirely gone. "I did. And?"
Chris looked around briefly. "Well-- You... It was suspicious. And--"
Lucas stepped forward from the group and spoke up. "Chris, to be fair, the council said they didn't know if Michael was to blame." Chris stared at him, unsure what to say to that.
"Then there is no reason for all this," Michael interjected, relaxing slightly. "I left Outpost and decided I wanted to come back. I expected the worst of you to expect this of me, so I was unsure if I should let on..." He looked around at the group and smiled. "But see, such a warm welcome. I thank you all for escorting me here, truly, but I must see the council about my arrival. Surely, I should look into some manner of security for myself."
Michael turned around and left, the group parting to let him go. Jamie, who couldn't have cared less about any of this, nudged Alex. "You should, uh... see Myriah." He still looked upset, for whatever reason. "And if anyone asks, I'm sorry about today."
Tyler - Baton Rouge - Jacob/Liam/Katie/Scarlett
The kid had managed to save himself, though Tyler was too caught up in the onslaught to pay much attention to the event. In fact, all of the adults were busy weaving back and forth around the undead in an attempt to keep distance between them and the monsters. When the group began to thin out and no more fell from the balcony, Adam stepped forward and kicked a walker into the pool. He laughed at this before turning to the others. "Fuck this place! I'm taking you guys back to my group, all right? You gotta protect those kids. Oh, and that cat!"
Quickly, Adam began to run around the pool and toward the fence at the back of the motel. Tyler made no move to follow, but George began to ran forward. He stopped to turn around and face Tyler. "You said we needed more supplies! We should follow him!" Then he was off running before Tyler could make a rebuttal.
Letting out an annoyed grunt, Tyler took Katie's hand. "Looks like we're hopping a fence," he said. He ran with Katie to the aluminium fencing and waved down George who had already hopped to the other side. "Grab her!" Tyler ordered, grabbing Katie-- kitten and all-- and lifting her over the fence. George scooped her into his arms from the other side and Tyler jumped over after her. He made no attempt to stop for Liam, but Jacob was nice enough to help the boy over. Then, they ran across the street toward where Adam had stopped to wait for them. He gave the group a thumbs up before turning the corner down the connecting road.
Then, "Oh, shit!" Adam cried. He aimed his rifle at a girl standing up against the wall, his eyes squinting and his hands shaking.
Tyler moved around Adam and held out his hand to the boy. "Woah, woah," he said, exchanging a look between them. "Cool it, she's defenceless." As the others began to move around the corner to see what was happening, Adam reluctantly lowered his weapon. Tyler let out a sigh and looked at the girl. "Are you okay?" he asked.
Chris couldn't shake the nagging feeling he knew this guy, but he could offer no substantial reason why he couldn't come with them. He looked toward Jamie, who was staring down at the table. "I, uh..." Chris began. He looked up at Michael and shrugged. "Yeah, sure. But we really should get going right away."
Michael smiled and nodded. "Of course. Thank you." He graciously shook Cody's hand, who nervously smiled back. Jamie suddenly stood up and left the kitchen, prompting everyone to awkwardly stand in turn. Chris shared a look with Cody before moving around the table and approaching Hazel. He thanked her for everything she'd done and followed Jamie outside. Cody left next, placing a hand on Hazel's shoulder and directing Michael to head outside. When they were all piled into the car, Hazel waved to them at the front door, happy the rain had finally stopped.
***
The gates of Outpost opened slowly, allowing Cody to drive the car inside. He parked the car next to the other vehicle by the scout's cabins and was met by a small crowd of scouts who had been worried about the group. There was a buzz in the air that turned suddenly dour when Michael exited the vehicle. Some of the scouts stared at him as if they knew him and whispered to each other about his identity. It was then that Chris moved forward and pushed Michael so that he was facing him. "Right, I know you now," he said, practically growling. "You left during the mutiny!"
Michael's hands bunched into fists, his warm demeanour entirely gone. "I did. And?"
Chris looked around briefly. "Well-- You... It was suspicious. And--"
Lucas stepped forward from the group and spoke up. "Chris, to be fair, the council said they didn't know if Michael was to blame." Chris stared at him, unsure what to say to that.
"Then there is no reason for all this," Michael interjected, relaxing slightly. "I left Outpost and decided I wanted to come back. I expected the worst of you to expect this of me, so I was unsure if I should let on..." He looked around at the group and smiled. "But see, such a warm welcome. I thank you all for escorting me here, truly, but I must see the council about my arrival. Surely, I should look into some manner of security for myself."
Michael turned around and left, the group parting to let him go. Jamie, who couldn't have cared less about any of this, nudged Alex. "You should, uh... see Myriah." He still looked upset, for whatever reason. "And if anyone asks, I'm sorry about today."
Tyler - Baton Rouge - Jacob/Liam/Katie/Scarlett
The kid had managed to save himself, though Tyler was too caught up in the onslaught to pay much attention to the event. In fact, all of the adults were busy weaving back and forth around the undead in an attempt to keep distance between them and the monsters. When the group began to thin out and no more fell from the balcony, Adam stepped forward and kicked a walker into the pool. He laughed at this before turning to the others. "Fuck this place! I'm taking you guys back to my group, all right? You gotta protect those kids. Oh, and that cat!"
Quickly, Adam began to run around the pool and toward the fence at the back of the motel. Tyler made no move to follow, but George began to ran forward. He stopped to turn around and face Tyler. "You said we needed more supplies! We should follow him!" Then he was off running before Tyler could make a rebuttal.
Letting out an annoyed grunt, Tyler took Katie's hand. "Looks like we're hopping a fence," he said. He ran with Katie to the aluminium fencing and waved down George who had already hopped to the other side. "Grab her!" Tyler ordered, grabbing Katie-- kitten and all-- and lifting her over the fence. George scooped her into his arms from the other side and Tyler jumped over after her. He made no attempt to stop for Liam, but Jacob was nice enough to help the boy over. Then, they ran across the street toward where Adam had stopped to wait for them. He gave the group a thumbs up before turning the corner down the connecting road.
Then, "Oh, shit!" Adam cried. He aimed his rifle at a girl standing up against the wall, his eyes squinting and his hands shaking.
Tyler moved around Adam and held out his hand to the boy. "Woah, woah," he said, exchanging a look between them. "Cool it, she's defenceless." As the others began to move around the corner to see what was happening, Adam reluctantly lowered his weapon. Tyler let out a sigh and looked at the girl. "Are you okay?" he asked.
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