The Walking Dead - Among the Ruined [March to Death]

[Damo028]

Imogen - En route to Morgantown - Andrew and group.

Imogen gave the guy a nod when he thanked her, It was something you never hear often any more, Hell it was hard to even tell if such things are meant and sincere any more, But at least he acknowledged her and didn't throw the blonde of the back of the truck or something. Resting her right arm on the side of the truck The man spoke to her once more asking for a name. Guess it wont hurt to have some common ground.
Looking at him in thought for a moment, gauging him, She responded. " Name's Imogen." She paused for a moment. "You said your name is Andrew right? I take it you were scavenging for supplies and caught out by a walker?" Imogen enquired, the conversation would not last long as they neared Morgantown.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Turisa - En route to Morgantown - Jess and group.

Turisa gently placed her arm around Jess comforting the woman as she quietly cried on her shoulder, Jess was confiding in her and she would do what she could for the woman to help calm her nerves and let her know she had some one here for her and Ben. She confessed how tired she was and the former officer knew what Jess was on about and to be honest couldn't blame her. "I know you are honey," She whispered back gently stroking her hair little. "I will be here for you and Ben okay, Don't hesitate if you need me for anything okay." She spoke softly as they were approaching Morgantown.

Imogen/Turisa - Morgantown - Claiborne, Hank, Joe and group.

Well they had finally arrived to what Joe said would be there knew home, It didn't take long for a few to jump out the van and truck, Turisa assured Jess she would be right back as she went over to the side door and opened it for a moment to stretch her legs from the cramped van, Unfortunately shit hit the fan fast. Imogen had jumped out the flat bed of her truck, She did not like this one bit at all, Joe sure might of had good intentions but she could not budge this feeling she had that something bad was a bout to happen, especially with the way the guards were acting. "I don't like where this is going" She mumbled under her breath.

Sure enough the group was starring down the barrels of guns, they had the vantage point and everything, The impressive fire power they had would chew through them if it was decided the group would be hostile, Imogen actually expected considering there earlier altercation, Fear became reality though as this despicable bastard of man pretty much gave them the count of five to leave or he would order his men to open fire on the group! They had a baby for Christ sake but that did not seem to matter to this leader of theirs, God Imogen could just go up there and rip this guys throat out she would, And not hesitate when doing so. It took a few second for both Turisa and Imogen to react, maybe it was the shock that the sicko was actually still counting, Hell the guy Joe that brought them here was in the firing line, What they didn't like what he did?

Even the screaming of Hank telling them to get back was not enough for some it seemed One girl went towards the gate, Was she fucked in the head or something? This guy was about to rain hell down upon them, The guards where no better, they surely had the power to stay no, they had the dam guns!! Imogen resisted the urge to grab her pistol and use what rounds she had left. "Son'ova bitch." She yelled as she took off like it was the start of Daytona and climbed into the flat bed as quick she could and ducked down once in as the bullets rang out causing of sorts of chaos.

Turisa couldn't believe what she was hearing either, If only the day of flashing a police badge would of still meant something and make them think twice of firing, Well it wasn't and did didn't matter right now as the only instinct now was to get in the van pronto and get the hell out of here, Turi was thinking of nothing else other than Jess and Ben right now, "MOVE!!" She screamed as she got who ever needed to get in first before getting herself and shutting the dam door as the shots rang out piercing in through the wind shield, Turi did her best to get over to Jess as it sounded other got in and the van was in motion, Turi was shielding Jess and Ben turning to see what was going on as two bullets hit her chest, she hit the floor of the van fast hitting her head, although it knocked her out, Her bulletproof vest would ultimately save her life, Good job she kept it on her.

 

[C.T.]

Bullets echoed before them as the rifles jerked in the hands of the guards. Floyd's eyes widened as the truck was struck with the speeding copper that pierced straight through Sam's fragile body.

Her head perked up at the sudden piercing sound of gunshots, clear as day cutting though the sound of her sharpening her knife. Her expression shifted from surprise to curiosity before settling on scathing disbelief as she rose out of the seat she had taken after escorting Joselina to the showers and then dragging Riley behind her whether he wished it or not, moving on to give some modicum of privacy to the muzzle enthusiast.

"Oh fuck. Please don't tell me...WHO THE FUCK IS SHOOTING GUNS RIGHT NOW?!" She stomped her way down a hall, clearly heading outside to better locate the shots based off the sound once outside.

"...The gate. Son of a bitch." She cursed with a scowl. A horde had already come through here recently enough, now they sounded like they were going full on Predator jungle mode with this shit. "RILEY, YOU WANNA DRIVE?"

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Krieg​

 

[Hell Hound Woof]

Enrique-Morgantown-Everyone
​

Enrique watched as men on the wall began to appear, these men did not look friendly. They brandished rifles as some of the people got out of the vehicles. Enrique saw how this was going to play out, then he made out the leader. A decently sized man, maybe 40. He was shouting and ordering these men to fire, then the Native American guy started shouting. Then a girl started moving towards the gates. Enrique saw one of the guards aim and aimed his rifle. Enrique heard Hank say for everyone to get the fuck down and get ready to move. Enrique didnt waste any time, he threw his rifle in the truck and slammed his door closed as he moved the stick into reverse.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Enrique said as he heard the shots go off, some shattered his windshield and landed on the hood of the truck. He reached behind him and pulled his pistol from his belt line, firing wildly through the windshield. The vehicle lurched back and sped off. He dropped his pistol and grabbed the wheel. Whipping the vehiclearound after about 50 feet then shifting gears and speeding off. He drove quickly, mildly concerned for the people in the van. That thing was a kill box.

"What the absolute fuck?!" Enrique shouted, "Who the fuck was that?!"

He drove in front of the other vehicle and kept checking back to make sure that no one was following. He saw Imogen and Andrew still in the bed of the truck, he looked back at the people in the cab with him.

"Someone make sure the people in the back arent hit," Enrique said as he looked forward, "Is anyone in here wounded?"
​

 

[Wolverbells]

Scarlett/Alannah - Morgantown Community

"Always getting into trouble." Scarlett muttered as she smiled at Liam and kept walking towards the gym. She assumed that's where she'd find Tyler and Katie, along with the others.

While walking, although she spoke to Liam about how he had been feeling with the whole community situation, Scarlett couldn't help but shake the bad feeling she had after leaving Claiborne's office. The things he told her and the stuff she had to write down made her feel beyond uneasy. She understood it had to be done, but her there was something strange going on. It was a gut feeling.

The pair hadn't gotten halfway down the hall when the clear sounds of gunshots filled the building. Scarlett's first reaction was to pull Liam close and crouch down. Frightened and alert, her blue eyes widened as she scanned the immediate area for any signs of danger. Nothing. All she could see was the medic, Alannah, jog out of one hall way and into the next. There were a couple of frightened yelps and screams, but she guessed it was from the initial shock of hearing the shots. Scarlett wasted little time in grabbing Liam's arm and rushing him towards the gym.

"Tyler?!" Scarlett's voice was frantic as they entered the gym. The others had heard it too. There was an array of emotions and questions which all began to be pointed at her as they were spotted. "Where's Tyler? Jace?" No one was there.

"Gather everyone and head to the furthest corner of the gym. I don't know what's going on but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."
_______________________________________

Alannah had nodded at Clay, trusting that what he had in mind was for the best. "Be careful," she whispered before turning and walking down the hall. She never expected for gun shots to be heard.

There had been a dead silence when Clay went out the doors. Anna was still close enough to hear a muffled shouting which must have been from the others wanting to come in. A woman's voice claiming to have a sister; a man's demanding shouts for someone to get back. That was all she could make out before the barrage of bullets went flying out there. The gun shots sent Anna running down the hall towards Nathan's office. This is why Clay didn't want him out there. Nathan had a kind heart and tended to spare people.

Once she had reached his office, the brunette ignored the guards standing outside and rushed in, her eyes wide as she took deep breaths and shut the door. Tyler was still inside with Katie on his lap. She had interrupted the meeting. A sense of guilt for a fraction of a second made its way into her before she pushed it aside and walked over to Nathan. "I apologize but there's something important." She was speaking to the two men and the little girl as she apologized, but then focused solely on Nathan, walking up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. She knew they must have heard the gun shots already, and they would probably only be more confused by what she had to say.

"Mr. Borden asked for you to stay in here. That he would handle what was going on outside." Her voice was a bit shaky from either running or what she had just heard, but either way, she kept herself composed as she relayed the information to him. "I think we should take them back to the gym. I don't know what's happening but I don't think it's safe for them to be separated."

@Akashi

_______________________________________

Sam - Outside of the community

All she wanted was to see that her sister was fine and well. She had dismissed the man named Matt with a 'yeah I'm fine' and had proceeded to near the gates.

She should've known better.

Scarlett had always told her the same thing over and over again. Even before the outbreak. 'Your pride is going to be the death of you. Pride is a dangerous thing, especially when you have too much of it.'

It was true. She carried herself around like nothing could touch her and she never backed away or looked down if she were to make accidental eye contact. It was the little things that showed her that her sister was right.

Every moment after she nearly reached the gate seemed to have passed in blinding speed. She could clearly hear a man's voice and a warning that sounded more like a threat. Sam tried reasoning but it was to no avail. Even after telling the armed guards that her sister was behind the walls, they didn't listen. Through out her arguing, Sam ignored the countdown, ignored Hank yelling, denying the possibility of anyone shooting someone that wasn't even holding a weapon up to defend themselves.

She was wrong.

The distinctive sound of the first bullet being fired rang clearly in Sam's ears. With the adrenaline coursing through her veins for that short moment, she could feel the heat of the bullets as they pierced her skin and tore through the soft tissue. She could smell the burned powder and hear every single bullet that whooshed past her. Samantha had always feared that her death would come slowly and agonizing. The possibility of her being eaten alive by the walkers far outnumbered the possibility of her being shot to death.

Her pride had gotten the best of her but it was what kept her alive and going. Even when she was abducted by the group of men and raped and tortured, the blonde never backed down nor showed any signs of giving up.

Before hitting the floor, Samantha had already felt her lungs rupture and the liquid begin to fill them. The blood rose through her body until she began to cough it up. Even though she was technically drowning to death, Sam was grateful that this was the way she'd go. It might've not of been as quickly or painless as she wanted, but it was a more 'normal' way. That was until she felt, for the tiniest fraction of a second, the burning feeling of a bullet touching the right side of her forehead; immediately causing everything to go black all at once.

With an audible thud, the lifeless body of Samantha hit the concrete pavement. Blood quickly began to pool around her, coming out from the many open bullet wounds that now covered her body.
___________________________________________

Aubrey - Outside of the community - The group

"Holy shit."

Aubrey's mind barely had enough time to acknowledge everything that was happening. At that moment all that she knew was that they were being shot at, and someone was at the gates with not enough time to get back to the vehicles.

Being of a slim body frame came at an advantage today. Aubrey quickly ducked into the foot space and laid her upper body on the seat. "She got shot! She's been shot!" Her shrill voice cracked as she looked up at Enrique who was busy trying to get the hell away from the gates. Although she had spent the past months doing exactly what the guards had just done to them, the teenager still couldn't believe it. She had never been on this side of it. She had never experienced such brutality being inflicted on her.

Once they were far enough from the gates to where the bullets were no longer a threat, Aubrey looked around but did not come out from hiding. "Has anyone been hit in here? We have to go back for the blonde.."

 

[Krieg]

Joselina - Morgantown Showers - Mel / Riley

The trip to the showers had been relatively short, much to Joselina's pleasure. Odd looks and glares faced her, knowing she was but an outsider to this settlement, a dangerous one at that. Her muzzled mask and scarred body proved to be foreboding, the woman no stranger to human strife and bloodshed. With muscles firm yet wavering, her body thinning, the woman craved for food, yet the cleanse the dirt off seemed more appealing to her. Looking back at Mel and Riley, almost with the gaze of a reluctant child departing from her parents, Joselina slipped alone into the showers.

As to be expected, rustic flooring and shattered glass greeted the psychopath's eyes. Locking the door behind her, the woman stared at herself longingly through one of the less damaged mirrors. With hands travelling up her bare arms, the Hispanic gently stripped herself down, making her way to the showers themselves. All the while, she couldn't help but look down upon her shattered, broken frame. Everything from scars running down her thighs, the curves in her torso, the tattoos thrown randomly about, the most prominent one being of angelic wings stemming from her upper back and hugging her shoulder-blades.

She felt horrible as the water washed against her tanned skin, shivering against it, choosing to take a cold shower. Grime and blood washed from her form, yet the scars, the scars never left her. Covering herself and her body giving an aura of anxiety, her left hand traced itself along her midriff, the skin shifted a sickening ebony color. With those of a keen eye, the blackness was artificial, a'ye, caused by some demented branding. Even though she could not see the words accurately, they rung in her mind, played like a symphony of the phantoms. Again and again, it played, over and over, until Joselina couldn't help but choke them outwards from the confines of her muzzle.

"Bitch..."

Her hands shot upwards, grabbing the sides of her head, pulling at her stoic hair tied into a ponytail. Whispers of the perverted rang, soon shifting into glorious screams, retribution ending all of their lives short. Justice was a rarity in a lawless land, but Joselina had sought it at any foreseeable price, once of which was her own sanity. Bashing against the white walls, resisting the urge to scream, the sullied wildly thrashed and hissed, unable to contain her boiling fury any longer. Shutting the waters off, the nude woman kicked open her door, wildly clawing at herself as some rite of self-punishment. Throwing herself upon a sink, Joselina's mouth open, the bitch tugging at her iconic mask. However, despite this, the screams were but muffled, the bitch's agony hidden under that emotionless, bloodied mask.

"AHHHHH!!! FUCK ME!!! FUUUC-!!!"

Bang

Gunshot.Screams.Not mine

She froze, standing up her own turmoil, the accursed pulling up her trousers, pausing, growing eerily silent.

Men.Women.Children

She threw on her tanktop, frantically searching around the kitchen sink, blinded by her unwavering fury and morals

Children.Children.Mika

Her gaze set upon the teddy bear, the last remnant of Mika, strapping it to her waistline, running her fingers against the tattered cloth

No.No.NONONONONO

---

Morgantown - Approaching Outside

Adrenaline, blood, adrenaline, lights, people, fear, shock, metal.

Joselina's world became a blur, storming through the corridors and hallways of Morgantown. Like a rabid dog lost in a maze, she sprinted ahead with an unnerving savage nature. Dripping wet with both the water of the shower and the sweat of her body, the lanky, tall Hispanic made her way presumably past Riley and Mel. A gaze of bloodlust was written on the woman's eyes, fueled by the memories of the past and hearing the screams and loud whirl of a van distinctively.

She did not know what happen, hell, she was running on an assumption truth be told. But, this sounded all too familiar to her, so much so that it invoked such a violent reaction. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow, and for Joselina, the seeds of dissent had been sown shut. Banging against the walls, acting as an almost alarm for those that didn't hear, Joselina's barbaric voice rung out, erratic and fueled by deranged bravery.

"The skineaters come! The skineaters come!"

Heading towards the front doors, they would be promptly barged open, her shoulder pressing against the steel. Still sprinting towards the front entrance, Joselina paused, putting her hands upon her knees, foolishly using a majority of her energy arriving as fast as she could. Clenching her free right hand into a fist, Joselina stood out in the open, the brigantine staring from a mild distance at the events that occurred near the front entrance in judging silence.

The calm before the storm.

@C.T. @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Akashi @Atomyk @Wolverbells @-QT- @Lady Myst @Rithas @Morgantown​

 

[Akashi]

Nathan - Morgantown Community - Claiborne, Tyler, Alannah, Others
​

The radio went silent as his little conversation with Tyler was continued. Before he could give a respond in anyway, he heard gunshots from outside the school. Standing up from the chair he pulled up his radio. "This is Nathan. Heard gunshots outside. What's going on?!" He asked, as his eyes glanced from the radio and to Tyler and his kid. A few seconds went by and there was no response. The gunshots eventually subsided, as he repeated his question again in the radio.

No answer. His expression became worried. "More walkers?!" He whispered to himself. Concentrating on what just happened, it felt as if the noise came from where their gates were. "Joe!" He almost exclaimed, but before he could act, the door to his office opened. "Alannah.. What.. Whats going on?" He could obviously see that something had gone wrong. His grip on the radio was ever so tightly, as she spoke, telling him to stay put.

"Are there more? More of the walkers?" The first thing he assumed was the obvious. The undead, perhaps some individuals from the horde last night was still around. Even so, he was still too curious and worried.

"What is going on? I should be out there, helping.." He said. Alannah was definetely hiding something, or wasn't telling him the whole truth. His questioned expression did not waver any second as she mentioned the gym and taking Tyler and his kid there.

He did not give her a response, but her relationship with Claiborne was also quite tight, perhaps even more than her relationship with Nathan. What was she hiding. Seconds passed, before he ignored her request, walking past her, opening up the door in quite the hurry after pulling up his gun. 'What the hell is going on!?" The same question ran through his mind over and over again, as he ran through the hallway, towards the exit. The people in the community were afraid.

The guard outside Nathan's office stayed put. If anything he would leave the escorting to Alannah and the guard. Running faster and faster, he pushed open the door, as he started to jog and eventually stop. He noticed Claiborne, and a couple of guards, with their guns still pointing towards the fence. Glancing around, he noticed a van and a truck driving away, and a corpse just outside the gates. "What happened here.. Clay?" He asked, taking a few more steps forward.

The guards were silent, not one word escaped their mind. Not waiting for an answer, he jogged passed the guards who eventually lowered their guns since the threat was gone, or ran away. Standing by the fence he noticed the face, the familiar face. She looked exactly like Scarlett, nor was her body a corpse. If anything, she was not the undead. Nathan noticed no gun or any sort of weapon around the body either. As his vacant hand had grasped the fence, as tight as possible, he stood there all quiet.

"Did she.. Did she pull a gun towards you?" Nathan asked, his expression quite serious. Placing his gun behind his back, hiding it with underneath his shirt, he repeated. "I asked.. Did she attack you first?!" Formulating his question in a bit more obvious way, he noticed that the guards did not look him straight into the eyes. They were ashamed. It was written all over their faces.

His eyes glanced over at Claiborne, before he approached one of the guards, though hastily. Grabbing one of them from the neck he pushed them all the way back to a wall. "Who the fuck was it?" Nathan did have an idea about who it may have been. If anything, Claiborne would be the one to resort to something like that. He thought about Joe and possible the baby. If the guy brought a group back with him, then the baby was perhaps one of them. The guard, afraid and panicked, finally answered.

"I-.. It wa... Mr. Bonder told us to shoot.. I.." Not giving the man a chance to complete his sentence, even if he was stuttering, he let go of his neck, allowing him to breath more easily. The other guard was quiet. Nathan gazed straight at Claiborne, not uttering a single word for seconds. "You bastard!" As he started to slowly walk towards the guy, he started to run faster, almost yelling, before he tackled him down on the ground.

Landing a few punches on him, straight to his face, he spoke up. "What about Joe!?.. The baby?!" Landing a few more punches, he grabbed Claiborne from the collar, pulling him slightly up. Yes the man was old and perhaps the wisest of them all, but one thing was that in a ground and pound fight, he wouldn't stand a chance against Nathan. "Why did you kill her?! Why did you have them shoot at Joe!?" As the guards came rushing, they pulled Nathan away.

Albeit hesitant, he took a few steps away, turning his back to Clay, walking in a circle before pointing his finger at the man. "Did you ever consider that there may have been more of them out there?.. What will you do now? Hunt them down? Hunt Joe down?..." Taking a pause, he continued. Nathan was not done. "Did you ever CONSIDER the consequences of your actions, Clay... Did you!?!?!" If there were more, they may retaliate, they may make their community a war zone. The kids, his unborn child. Claiborne did not only make things worse for himself. He put the entire community in jeopardy.

@Atomyk @Wolverbells @-QT- @Josh M @Lady Myst

 

[Hell Hound Woof]

Enrique-The Truck-Aubrey, Jon, Hank, Floyd, Others
​

Enrique listened to Aubrey speaking from the space beneath the seat, it was surprising that she could even fit down there. He checked his side mirror to see that the van was still following. He made turned his blinker on to indicate a left for whoever had control of the van. He turned left then continued for a bit. He turned on his right blinker, turned right and continued on.

"The blonde is dead, nobody in these days survives that many shots..." He said this and recalled his experience in the tunnels, when Tyler and Bex had found him. He had received buckshot in the shoulder, shot twice in the leg and beaten. Bex hadnt crossed Enrique's mind in some time, or Tyler. Bex had been a good man, misguided like Enrique but a good man nonetheless.

"Aubrey, remember what you said earlier," Enrique said glancing at her, "You said you could kill me, you dont think you're a bad person for that. That was me with a fucking rifle! Those bastards? They opened fire on people who were just looking for some peace, and they didnt warn us but 5 seconds before."

Enrique looked at Hank through his rear-view and made sure he was still conscious.

"We're going back but first we're gonna get a plan. That plan will make sure we get in there, and it had better include killing that dick on the wall that was counting."

Enrique was pissed. He hated running, it wasnt something he was used to. He would rather have fought but it didnt matter now, Enrique had fired some shots. His itch was scratched for now. But he knew in his heart he was going back, and he was gonna kill some of those men. The men that lacked the spine to speak with people who had not threatened them. Enrique recalled the day he found out about Tyler, the day he'd killed allot of Outpost and Haywood men. That woman that had Tyler's daughter. That was the day he lost Bex, the day he lost track of Tyler, the day that rocked his mind. He remembered how warm he was that day, the blood that was on his face. Then he recalled the bloody face of Sylar, that day had made him happy. The day he avenged Amanda. He remembered hearing Sylar call him out, then the puddle of his skull that was left at the end.

"But if we are going back Aubrey you gotta mellow out and harden the fuck up." Enrique said his tone growing darker. Enrique kept his eyes on the road and turned on his blinker again turning left and continuing on. He brought himself back to the situation at hand and looked at Aubrey, flashing a reassuring smile.

"Hank, whats the plan?" Enrique said looking back at him.​

 

[Wolverbells]

Alannah - Morgantown Community - Tyler/Katie

"Nathan? Nathan! No! You have to stay ins.." Alannah watched as the man walked right past her and straight out into the hall. She sighed in frustration, anger and worry building up inside her. She quickly reached down to her lower abdomen and took a few deep breaths. Stress, anger, and being constantly worried couldn't do good for the baby.

Anna had forgotten Tyler and his daughter sat right across from her. Her eyes fluttered open as she turned towards them. "Oh. Um. Let's take you guys back to your group. I'll make sure Nathan knows." She gave them a warm smile before walking over to the door and opening it for them. Surprisingly the guard was still standing outside of Nathan's office, which truly shocked Anna. "What are you doing here?! Go after him!" The man attempted to reason with the medic, muttering but a few times before Anna stopped him again, raising her voice a little, "GO!" She jabbed her finger, pointing down the hall and watched the man jog over to the entrance of the building. Once he was a ways down, the woman once again turned to Tyler, but this time smiling with a bit of chagrin, "I'm sorry. I just worry about Nathan when things like this happen."

@Atomyk
_______________________________________________

Aubrey - The Truck - Enrique/Hank/others

Aubrey stayed quiet as she listened to Enrique.

He was right.

After everything she had been through and everything she had done; this could not be what broke her. It took her a few more minutes to get her thoughts together before she snapped out of her transfixed state. She managed to squeeze herself back out of the foot space and back onto the passenger side seat, which caused her to question how she slipped down there so easily. "I lost it for a second, back there. I'm human, I can't be the fucking man of steel all the time." Her tone was sarcastic as she added the small joke to reassure the man driving.

"They're aware and on high alert right now. For the rest of today. If thing one is in there.." She realized that only she called the twins thing one and thing two, so she quickly corrected herself. "Um, I mean, if the other sister is in there. Scarlett? Don't you think she'll do something about it?" Aubrey looked over at Hank and quieted down as soon as she made eye contact with the man.

 

[Josh M]

Redhawk- Van- Turisa, Heather Jess, Ben, others.



After driving for a good bit, It all started to sink in. He knew Nathan would never do this. It had to be all Clay's idea. He was a man who though every situation was a nail to be hammered. No compromise. As the pain from Joe's wounds finally overrides his adrenaline, pure rage should on the man's face. That fucking nut job! Joe would then start yelling out loud, mostly to himself


"Clay, You son of bitch! I'mma gut you like a fucking fish! How could you!? After everything I've done!? Fuck you! FUCK YOU!"


Suddenly he stopped. Now it was just sadness. Joe wasn't crying, but he was broken. He would then ask a general question the ladies in the van.

"Fuck. They're going to kill me, aren't they? Hank and Floyd? They're going to kill me, and they have every reason to. I just was trying to do the right thing. Be the good guy. Fuck. You can't be good anymore, can you?"


It was then silent, Joe just drove


@Atomyk @Damo028 @Lady Myst @ anyone

 

[Rithas]

Matt - The Truck - Aubrey/Hank/Jon/Others

As the (presumed) leader counted down, Matt could only slowly get back in the truck and watch as Samantha ignored all the shouting by either side to get back. He could only watch as her body was torn apart by bullet fire. Keeping down as much as possible, glass shattering around him. They sped off as fast as they could. Her dead body left there.

She had ignored everything to try and find her sister again. What an idiot. People who make such idiotic decisions almost deserve to die. Matt would of scoffed if he wasn't surrounded by people who were actually troubled by her death. So he just made a face of worry.

He listened to Enrique, who in his mind was a raving lunatic who had killed so many because someone had told him to. Fun when he's taking orders from you, but now in the truck. Matt could only clench his fists in anger as the man spoke, he was going to get them all killed.

"Or," Matt said calmly. "We could not go back to the people who just shot an unarmed woman dead. Let not get us all fucking killed shall we?" He had enough of this. "There's no point in going back in some foolish revenge mission. Let us not forget that you all clamoured to come here because surprise surprise, you wanted to join a place with way more supplies then us! Which they do! There is no way in which most if not all of us die!"

Matt let a sincere look and tone come over him. "Yes, Samantha died. You could say murdered in cold blood if that makes you feel better. But, that doesn't change the fact that we are still alive. So I say we book it the fuck out of this place. Go any other direction. There's bound to be other places to go to. There always is. That place is a death trap and you know it" He spoke to all of them, He had seen many people go out to rescue something. And unsurprisingly, they all get killed

 

[Atomyk]

Jon - The Van - Joe/Heather/Jess/Turisa/Floyd/Abram

Jon had still been in the truck when he first heard the shouting. It hadn't alarmed him like it should have, the man having just assumed that any argument that was starting would not turn to violence. Adjusting his pack straps after making sure his belongings were in order, Jon stepped out of the truck only to find one of Morgantown's leaders ordering them back to the vehicles. He stood there for a moment, frozen dumbly in place like a few others. The turn of events were so sudden and so unlike what Jon had expected. Joe had been so sure that everything would be okay... had he lied to them? Had he just been naive? It wasn't until Hank started yelling for everyone to get back inside that Jon started walking backward. The closest vehicle to him was the van, so Jon climbed into that one without thinking much on the amount of people already inside. H practically slammed himself against the front seats to see through to the gate beyond. He watched as Sam stepped closer and closer to the gates, the count down to her eventual death echoing around him.

Jon had to close his eyes when it happened. His blood ran cold as the sound of gunfire seemed to scream. He stayed in that position, frozen in place until the van jerked forward and sent him falling on to his back. He stayed there, thinking he was safe, but he could still hear gunfire raining down upon them. Glass shattering from the front of the van made him throw his arms over his face, but thankfully the vehicle continued to move. He heard screaming from Jess above him, his heart dropping at the thought that her baby had been hit. Turisa's
name was called out, and Joe was yelling up in front, but Jon could barely move enough to ascertain the situation.

Rolling over on to his stomach, Jon growled as a foot slammed into his face, jerking him to the side. It was not their fault, he knew, but he could already feel blood running down his face. With the van shaking erratically and more people accidentally hitting him, Jon curled up into a ball to protect himself. It wasn't until he felt a gentle hand on his arm that he looked up from his cocoon, his eyes meeting Alison's. He could see that her mouth was open as if she was trying to speak, a large red stain emblazoned on her chest. Alison had a hand over it, but it was obvious that nothing was going to stop her internal bleeding.

Squirming around the others, Jon managed to get on to his knees and take Alison's outstretched hand. The light of her eyes seemed to be dimming, the woman quickly choking on the blood filling her lungs. Tears stung at the big man's eyes as he realized he was watching his last connection to Baton Rouge and Tremblay die before him. He pulled Alison down into a hug and whispered her name, feeling her go limp as he held her.

@Josh M @Lady Myst @Damo028

---
​

Elliot - Natchez - Rob/Reese/Fan

What Fan didn't seem to realize was that her words literally fell on deaf ears, no matter how closely she spoke them. Knowing the feeling of a gun against his back, Elliot was at least able to discern that someone was speaking behind him. He had no way to hear what he or she was saying, so to be safe, he decided to just drop his gun and hold his hands into the air. He felt his pulse quickening, the feeling of the gun against his back causing his entire body to feel uneasy. He didn't want to die, not like Richard, but he didn't want to be someone's captive again. His entire life had lacked control, and Elliot almost believed that dying would be better than further giving up what little he had gained all over again.

The man he'd been aiming at jumped up dramatically, yelling so fast that Elliot had no hope of reading what he was trying to say. He seemed confused and erratic, as if he was not in league with whoever was lurking behind Elliot. Though he was unsure what to make of this, he knew this was just going to end badly if none of them could communicate with him. He felt a pain in his chest at even having to do so, but Elliot knew he'd have to speak out loud. "You have to... let me see your lips," he managed to say, eyes closed. He bit down on his lip and tried to not let himself grow panicked in this discomforting situation.

@Josh M @C.T. @Rithas

---​

Tyler - Morgantown - Alannah - Scarlett/Katie/Liam/Aiden/Kerry/John

Guns. Tyler knew them well. Katie squirmed in his lap as gunfire echoed from outside the school. Alannah or whatever her name was walked in to tell Nathan to stay, but the man bolted without heeding her words. The door of the office slammed against the wall before resting with the door wide open. Tyler watched as others were moving quickly to the front of the school, but he stayed still. No one out there was his concern, and it seemed to him Katie was safest right here in his arms.

He looked to Alannah, who was talking to a guard standing outside the room, and felt the sudden urge to smile at her. There was something amusing to be found in all this. Something about his arrival bringing about the breakdown of a community... It was almost like clockwork. He managed to put down the urge, looking evenly at Alannah as she turned back to him. There was a lot he felt he could say, but he wasn't sure any of it would have mattered. He didn't need this drama or these politics affecting Katie, but these people were looking to be more volatile than he'd at first imagined. He decided not to antagonize the nurse and simply followed her out of the room and toward the gymnasium, holding Katie's hand as they went.

Stacey ran into them at the end of the hall, looking about ready to break down herself. She fidgeted nervously, looking past them and toward Nathan's office. "W-Where's Nathan?" she stammered, looking up at Alannah. "That new girl Mel brought in just ran past us and she looked... totally... I heard her screaming as she ran outside, and the bullets and the yelling and I just don't know what to even think--"

"Nathan went outside and we're being taken back to the gymnasium," Tyler said, being short with the girl. He had no interest in standing out here in the hall while this girl babbled, even if Alannah was the one in authority here. Stacey looked surprised he'd even spoken, looking a him in wonder a moment. Running a hand through her brown hair, the girl seemed to shake herself alert.

"Okay, I can take you. Alannah, I, uh... I don't know." She walked off then, moving slowly at first before picking up her pace down the hall. Tyler followed her, eager to get back to the gymnasium. The gunfire died out by the time Stacey stepped him and Katie through the doors, but that didn't seem to stop the girl's fidgeting. Apparently not knowing what else to do with herself, Stacey decided to stand by the doors and watch Tyler as he moved to join the others in the corner of the gym. Becca smiled at Katie and knelt down next to the girl to ask her if she was okay.

Adam practically stomped up to him, his face looking red. "What the fuck's going on, man?" he asked, though Tyler ignored him, looking over his shoulder to eye the group.

"Where's Scarlett?" he asked calmly. The others moved so that she could step forward, Tyler allowing himself a smile upon seeing her. "How did your talk with Clay go?" Looking over his shoulder, Tyler spied Stacey, wondering how easy it would be to overpower her.

Adam grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to look at him, but Caleb quickly stepped forward to move between them. "Adam, please calm down," he said, obviously trying not to sound annoyed. Adam at least decided to back off. Looking to Tyler, Caleb then said, "Any idea what's happening?"

"Someone's doing some firing out at the front gate." Tyler paused, scratching at his neck. He wondered if the others were thinking the same as him. "It can't be walkers, due to how everyone seems to be acting. Clay's 'handling' it, whatever that means. Look..." Tyler reached down and rubbed at his leg, wondering if he'd have to live with the pain for the rest of his life, however long that was. It could be very short, depending how things here went down.

"Something's gone wrong, that much is for sure. I'm not going to make a call without the rest of you, because I would need you no matter what we do. If you all think that this situation is something we should extract ourselves from, we are not going to get a better time than now to try and leave. Otherwise, we'll just stay here and wait it out."

"Oh, jesus christ," Jace moaned, an expression of disgust apparent on his face. Looking at the others, Tyler could tell some of them were also immediately rejecting the idea, but a few others seemed unsure. Some like Noah were hardly his friend, but Tyler knew they would all have to consider what he was saying.

"You two as well. You're a part of this as much as us now," Tyler said, pointing to John and Kerry.

@Wolverbells @Lady Myst @ResistingTheEnlightened @Rithas​

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Her head perked up at the sudden piercing sound of gunshots, clear as day cutting though the sound of her sharpening her knife. Her expression shifted from surprise to curiosity before settling on scathing disbelief as she rose out of the seat she had taken after escorting Joselina to the showers and then dragging Riley behind her whether he wished it or not, moving on to give some modicum of privacy to the muzzle enthusiast.

"Oh fuck. Please don't tell me...WHO THE FUCK IS SHOOTING GUNS RIGHT NOW?!" She stomped her way down a hall, clearly heading outside to better locate the shots based off the sound once outside.

"...The gate. Son of a bitch." She cursed with a scowl. A horde had already come through here recently enough, now they sounded like they were going full on Predator jungle mode with this shit. "RILEY, YOU WANNA DRIVE?"

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Krieg​

Riley/Vincent-Morgantown-Mel, Joselina.

Riley stared blankly as Joselina demanded to be lead to the showers. Nowadays, it was practically silly to get flustered over something as trivial as leading a girl to where she could clean all the gunk and grime off herself. But Riley still didn't see it as his place to be the one to lead her there. Mainly because he liked how messy she looked. It was a sign of how long she managed to survive out here in this fucked up place that used to be called home at one point. But if she wanted to erase it then that was on her. So watching as Mel lead her off to the showers, Riley headed off himself. Mel was one of the few people here who Riley saw more than just being 'useful.' He might have even gone as far as to consider her a friend. However teasingly judgmental of his bandanna she might be.

As he walked off however, he would have noticed one of their number walking around with an interesting mask clipped to his belt loop. Certainly seemed a lot more interesting than his bandana. Something he'd bought a long time ago, even before he got sent away to juvie. But this was far more elaborate. Riley's hand slowly reached out to grasp it only for the mask's owner to glance over at the teen in confusion.

"Hey there! You're...Riley, right? One of the scouts who goes and gets the food that we need to survive! Any particular reason you're reaching towards my belt?"

Riley tilted his head before glancing down and noticing that his hand had gotten close enough to touch the mask. He'd seen this man around before now that he finally got a good look at him. It was Vincent something or another. Riley personally didn't have much of a problem with him. But he had heard stories of how he often annoyed people with factoids about Quentin Tarantino films and such. It'd been quite a long time since he sat down and watched a movie but Riley thought From Dusk Til Dawn was okay.

"Saw your mask. Thought it looked nice."

Vincent's eyebrows shot up as he realized what Riley meant. Glancing down he'd unhook the mask from his belt loop and watched it tumble to the ground. "Whoops! Didn't mean for that to happen but yeah, pretty good looking ain't it? Actually a legitimate prop straight off the set from the Stab films! Was looking through the stuff that I brought with me and found it laying there. Did you know that I used to have a car that looked just like the one from Death Proof? Damn thing broke down before I got here but man, did I love that car!"

Riley liked scary movies and had more trivia of them than he knew what to do with. But his experiences in life often left that information bottled up inside him. Which given that Vincent needed little prompting to go on another spiel about his car might have been for the better. Speaking of which, whether or not the story with the car was true, this mask didn't look like it had been used in any official movie. The plastic over the mouth had been chipped away and the covering over the eyes seemed torn up. But yet it still seemed so enticing.

"..Can I have it? I know it might mean a lot. But I'd take good care of it and all." Riley finally asked to which Vincent placed a hand to his chin in thought. This was (supposedly) a big-time prop he was giving away! Sure, that didn't mean much when you risked being torn apart and being eaten alive by those who were once dead. But maybe if he lived to see the end of this and when civilization started getting back up on it's feet he could embark this knowledge onto those who might have desired to know what the movies of old were like. He could go on great lengths about Tarantino and not have to worry about people brushing him off or telling him to shut up!

"...Vincent? Can I have the mask or not?"

"O-Oh! Sure! Just, uh I want you to make me a promise. If you're gonna hang on to this mask then I want you to take good care of it. Clean it if it gets blood from those shamblers on it. If you spill a drink on it, wipe it off. All in all real simple stuff, right?" Vincent then placed a hand atop Riley's shoulder and leaned in.

"I want you to never lose this mask. Because even if I don't make it out of this nightmare we're all going through? That mask you're carrying will be a little piece of me that survives. I know it might come off as weird but you understand?"

Riley supposed he wasn't in any real position of power to go and call someone else weird. Given that he had walked all the way back to his home to get some specific clothes and a bandanna. Well that and he saw the face of the bully who had tormented him on the face of every shambler. He supposed Vincent might not have been completely one hundred percent sane given his need to state movie trivia and such constantly. But the attachment to a material item was something he could understand.

"...I'll not let it leave my sight."

Vincent shot the teen a smile before making his way off. He only had Riley's word to go on. But somehow he knew that the kid wouldn't let the mask come to harm. Besides, meant one last thing he had to risk losing forever if he were to bite the big one. Least with this kid, he had someone like Mel looking out for him. He and the mask would make it out of this mess just fine.

Having been left alone with the mask, Riley glanced down at it. It really just seemed like a mask any joe smoe could have bought at a costume store. Maybe if there was one nearby Morgantown, he'd find one in there as well. Vincent probably lied to people before this mess about the authenticity of the mask. Probably to get attention or the like? Whatever the case, he made a promise that he wouldn't let this mask come to harm and so he wouldn't. Something would have to be done with the strands hanging off the side. If a shambler got too close, it could grab one of them and pull Riley's head down and get a nice juicy bite out of his neck.

Glancing around to see if anyone else was nearby, he noticed Mel was busy sharpening her knives and the others were doing who knew what? Perfect timing for him to go and try this thing out. Making his way to the showers as well, he'd go in the unoccupied one and pulling his bandanna over his head, he'd tuck it away in his pocket. That piece of fabric had been with him through thick and through thin. Saved him from emoting when it wasn't really necessary at least. He liked to keep stuff like that on the inside.

But now was the time to try on something new and maybe with a few adjustments, it could become just as good as his bandanna. Slipping it over his head, he'd pull it down the rest of the way. Felt comfortable at least and not too restricting. Couldn't afford to have that in the heat of the moment. You stop to catch your breath because the mask is hot/restricting. Shambler sneaks up on you and bites, dead. The eyeholes also didn't seem that bad once you had the mask adjusted firmly.

He wasn't prepared for what came next. The sound of animalistic thrashing around. What had he and Mel actually brought back to the group? He had admired how she took care of the shambler, taking off it's lower jaw and how she was showered in it's viscera as a result. But there was clearly more to her than what they could see on the outside and Riley wasn't sure if he ever wanted to be on the receiving end of it. Waiting until Joselina had made her way off, Riley poked his head out with mask still on. Glancing over to where a mirror may have been, he'd pull out his trusty socket wrench and lugged it over his shoulder.

The sight could have come off looking incredibly goofy and unnecessary to the random passerby. It certainly wouldn't have had any intimidation factor on the shamblers who wouldn't be able to tell a mask apart from any other piece of fabric they had to tear through to get the food they desired. But it made Riley feel comfortable and in the end that's all that really mattered to him. Just as the bandanna had fulfilled that purpose beforehand, the mask would now serve as a new 'security blanket' of sorts for the scout. Pleased with the display, he was alarmed at the sound of a gun-shot ringing out. Had a horde broken through their defenses? Were bandits pillaging the community? Whatever caused the firearm to go off, it warranted an investigation and almost as if on cue, Riley was yanked along as soon as he exited the showers by his partner.

"...Want to get to the bottom of this. Guns shouldn't be fired unless absolutely necessary. Brings too much attention otherwise.." He'd grunt behind the mask as he decided to take up Mel on her offer to let him drive. Time to see what what had warranted the gun-shot..

@C.T. @Krieg @Akashi @Atomyk @Wolverbells @-QT- @Lady Myst @Rithas @Morgantown​

 

[Rithas]

Kerry - Morgantown - Tyler/Katie/Scarlett/Aiden/Liam

As the sudden gunfire echoed through the whole building, Kerry seemed to only react with a mild concern. Judging by the reactions of the community itself. It seemed this was something more them just a few undead who had shambled too close. He watched carefully as the people sorted about, a little bit panicked.

Kerry did notice that a lot of them flocked to Tyler, although some of them seemed to hate his guts. He still had that weird aura of leadership. One that Kerry did not fail to notice. Listening to what he had to say, Kerry let out a faint sigh.

"We should, you know" He announced. Garnering some eyes on him. Kerry eyes could only show distaste with all of them. "Have you seen this? Put them under any amount of pressure and they panic. We won't live long here." Kerry kept up a faint frown.

Aiden coming behind him, "We should give them a chance. We're safe here!"

Kerry could only sneer, "Are we? I think we both know that we weren't signing forums just for the sake of it. They clearly have something very wrong here. Plus-" Kerry tapped him on the chest. "Don't you have your friends. You know, the ones you've been with for what seems like eternity. The ones you would call family? I think we both know the fire out there wasn't just undead. For all we know this place could of fired upon your friends. They could be lying dead outside and you would just stay here and do nothing?" Gently pushing Aiden back for emphasis. Aiden could only return a somewhat guilty look.

 

[-QT-]

Hank//Floyd//Abram - On the Road Again - Jon, Enrique, Aubrey, Imogen, Joe and Others

The bullets and screams had concluded, but the panic continued as the road seemed to be never-ending. The Hispanic driver would not stop speaking, desiring to return to get his revenge - acting as though he had been part of this group from the beginning, friendly, too close. Sweat ran down Hank's face as the sun pierced the glass and burned the glands of his cheek. He wiped away with his right forearm in attempt to remove the grease that made him itch. His eyes slanted right and noticed Floyd had also escaped unscathed, but had been impacted by the death of Samantha - noted by his noticeable silence. It was a relief to find everyone in the truck alive and running though, but an uncertainty remained as to what their next step would be.

Enrique then broke Hank's silence by directing him a question. Though as Hank found himself prepared to answer, smoke formed under their vehicle's hood. The dark cloud puffed and huffed, making visibility dim. The engine made strange noises as the vehicle slowed down all by itself. The sound of the motor cranking and shifting once again turned the tides against them.

"Stop here," Hank ordered Enrique, putting a hand to the man's shoulder to get his attention. He signaled the van to stop as he quickly exited the truck - seeing Joe in the driver's seat. Floyd also opened the door and slowly climbed out, his head turning upwards to take a deep breath before he faced the van with malice intent. His eyes irritated with displeasure at the sight of Joe. Then he made his way to him.............

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Claiborne Bonder - Morgantown - Nathan and Guards

The buzzing in his ears threw him for a loop as his head struck the ground upon being tackled. His cloth seemed to attract the sod beneath him as he attempted to roll off to the side. Clay managed to block off a couple of the punches with his shoulder, but most managed to get through. He wasn't fighting back because he knew people watched from their windows, he could see their frightened faces. Anyhow, fortunately for him the guards prevented Nathan from causing further damage to his physique. The older gentleman got on all fours before pushing himself back on his boots, brushing off the dirt he gathered in their short tussle.

He reached into his pocket in search of a cigar, but found none causing him to become a little uneasy. He scratched the side of his right eyebrow and bit his bottom lip a few times before meeting Nathan's eyes with his own. His back hunched down a little as he got comfortable in his stance, his agitated state diminishing as relaxation kicked in.

"He ain't lyin you know? That boy there," Clay started, pointing at the guard that initially gave him up. The man feared being pinpointed and was surely right to be. He had put himself in odds with a forceful titan unafraid of going the distance.

"I ordered them to shoot, yes I did. And I do not regret my decision. See, boy here forgot to inform you the more salient part of our encounter. He did not mention that we were fired at first. Now ain't that right?" he asked with eyes burning like the devil's.

The guard stood there for a second without answer. He looked at his comrade - the other guard who fired - and feared what would happen if he didn't say what Clay wanted him to say. The other guard nodded at him once as to tell him to go on and say what he had to say.

"I.........They.....Yeah. The-they shot at us first. That girl shot as us Nathan. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't want to shoot her, but I had to," he lied. It was like being eaten from the inside knowing his actions were only justified by their leader alone. It was dreadful for Carlos - that was his name - to have acted in such way under pressure, but Clay's sole essence gave him that satanic push.

The other guard - Philip - nodded in agreement, following the lying trend. From the start he knew Claiborne's decision to act was right. The man(Claiborne) seemed to have the power to chose who lived and who died and he wanted to be on that man's side. Therefore, he spoke up on his commandant's behalf.

"Yeah. They shot at us first. We were hesitant to act since Joe was out there, but we had no choice. Those people were savages. Were not sure if Joe was held captive, but it didn't seem that way. He wasn't held at gunpoint or tied up in any way. I think he was with them. Maybe that's why he was so persistent to go get them? To bring them back and take over."

Claiborne took a couple steps towards Nathan, but still left space between them. It had been a heated moment and he didn't want to get tackled yet again.

"I handled the situation accordingly. I took action against those who attempted to break our walls. I apologize that you are incapable of bearing such bloodshed, but it was necessary. It was our head against theirs. I protect our people, it is my duty as much as it is yours. If you had been out here, you might have been injured and thus I asked sweet Alannah to ensure you remain indoors."

Claiborne took a step closed now being face to face with his seeming counterpart.

"One of us has to stay alive Nathan. Better you than me."

Turning around, Claiborne looked at the dead body outside the gates. It lay there in peace, not reanimating since it's head was already pierced by bullets. He felt absolutely no remorse for killing her, he was merely protecting his creed and putting in effect future plans.

"I'll give her a proper burial for she was still a human being," Clay finished as he started back towards the school. He walked with hands in his coat pockets and his hat firmly on his head again. As he got to the entrance doors he returned to face the others.

"We'll have to reinforce our security immediately, this cannot happen again," Then his body vanished into the dark corridors of Morgantown. He answered only half of Nathan's questions, for he didn't feel any of them adequate. Nathan feared too much, which is the opposite of what Claiborne had been trying to teach him. They were the ones that are supposed to implement the fear, not vice versa. But Nathan was too logical and all about statistics. He was far too passive and didn't mask himself very well.

Carlos then turned to Nathan with regret-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't supposed to go down this way," he said softly, heading towards the gates to help Philip get the body.

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Hank//Floyd//Abram - On the Road Again - Jon, Enrique, Aubrey, Imogen, Joe and Others

The sound of his fist plummeting Joe's face had Hank silent. He stood there watching Floyd engrave his knuckles into the poor fool's skull. Abram remained in the van, staring dead at Hank - wanting to do something, but not acting on his own. Deep inside Abram also blamed Joe for Samantha's cruel and painful death. Joe didn't even fight back, just took the beating as though his self-conscious also knew he deserved it. But sooner than later, Abram could no longer bare the punishment that was being inflicted on Joe. Despite the baseball star's size, he body lurched under that of Floyd's.

"Stop Floyd!" Abram yelled out, holding the man back and shoving him off of Joe. The black man had become fixated on protecting the bastard that he stood in between two powerhouse players in order to protect him. He was still unsure if it was out of pity or righteousness, but remained there in large stature like a wall.

During Battle(Flashback)
​

"Is everyone okay?!" Abram asked out loud, not getting a response from any of the people in the back. Jess handled Joe's wounds while he got them out of the firefight, wrapping a small bandage around his grazed arm. Abram couldn't find the will power to look at Joe at the moment, more concerned with his more formidable crew members. He saw Jon dealing with Alison, blood spurting out of her body - a sign that she would not be with them for much longer. Abram's nose cringed at the fact he was unable to do anything for Samantha, feeling the downpour of emotions tackle him like a defensive football player. Everyone else seemed to be alright though - as alright as they could be in their current situation. The team didn't even have the time to mourn Sam's death. She was just left to rot behind their tire tracks.

After everything had become rather calm, Joe started to curse himself. Abram couldn't hear him - maybe because he was lost in his own trend of thoughts - but he could definitely spot how his body was responding to the events that unfolded. The man beat himself up and was most likely petrified of the events that were upcoming. Abram had been informed that Joe was the one who informed them about the camp and it was his initial idea to take them there. Unfortunately things obviously didn't go the way he planned.

"Calm down. Just follow suit and we'll make it out of this in one piece," he stated, trying to calm Joe's nerves. He made sure nobody was following them as he gripped his rifle tighter. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time - hold one's weapon ready that is.

"I hope." He thought to himself.
​

Current Time
​

"I know......what he did. I know what happened back there, but we cannot do this. I blame him too, but if we kill him now, we're as good as those animals!" Abram claimed, trying to save Joe from Hank and the others that looked upon him as the fault for Samantha's murder.

He understood that in a very strange way the culprit and even felt anger and blame towards the man, but evidently, Abram could not wrongfully condemn him to death. He was fired upon too by his own people. If blame was to be targeted, it had to be put on those at Morgantown's gates.

"You alright?" Hank asked Floyd before the redneck could continue walking away from Joe. He simply nodded at Hank then furthered.

"Is everyone in the van safe?" Hank asked Abram, slowly making his way towards them. Abram made sure Hank went around Joe and didn't try anything swift. Hank gave Joe this frightening radiant stare before fixating them on Abram. Without a word, he forgot about them and moved into the van to find Jon applying pressure on Alison's fatal wound. He didn't speak to him, just focused on Jess, Heather and Turisa, nodding at them to ensure they were safe.

"I need you," he then said to Jessalyn, helping her out of the van and away from the bloodshed. Hank pointed at Floyd who was now decently far away from everyone else, just standing there with weighted shoulders.

"Help him get back on his feet. Try talking to him. He needs someone right now," Hank instructed the young female before giving her a slight directional press in Floyd's direction. Everyone now seemed to be looking at Hank. Everyone stood there, completed or not, but they were there. The spotlight seemed to fall on him though he didn't ask for it. But it was his time to speak.

"This..........This that happened today is no more. I am done listening to people, to advice," Hank started, looking at Joe and Abram as he targeted that last part at them.

"People die, we get that, it's part of this world now. But what we do, what we do can prevent it. We have to make the right choices, the right decisions in order to survive. As you can see the people out there already know this, but some of you are living in a fantasy world. Y'all are living in the old world where everyone is good. It's not like that and I tried to tell ya'll, but no one would listen! Y'all were too fixated on the good stuff, but no more. From now on, we do things my way. You don't like it, you can go. Go! Go right now, see where that gets you," he continued, pausing to witness nobody leaving.

"Get ready to move out. Let's try to fix this thing."​

 

[Josh M]

Joe- On the Road Again - Hank, Floyd Jon, Enrique, Aubrey, Imogen, Jess, Abrham and Others


It had been a long day. Joe just sat, listening to Hank. His face, bruised, bloodied, just wreaked. He couldn't' blame Hank and Floyd. During the beating, it took every inch of willpower just to suck it up. He knew he could fight back, and do damage to Floyd, but that wouldn't solve anything. Hank said he was done "taking advice", and " you can't be good anymore Good". As much it hurt Joe, maybe he was right. No, Joe shook his head. You can find a balance. You have to. The group began to move, but to where? Joe knew the area. He also knew Lia's old fallout shelter was near by! Lia was probably there. He would walk in front of Jon and Jess, before calling to Hank.



"Hank, I know you're not taking advice anymore, so I'm just going to say I know of a safe space near. We're a quick walk from it. It's an old fall out shelter. It still has food and water their. Your group could rest and work out a plan ther. It's more than big enough for everyone"



Key word, "Your group." Joe was smart enough to know he wasn't one of them. However, he hoped Hank would realize Joe knows this area. However, Joe wasn't even sure he was going to stay, yet. Still, he had to help.


@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Lady Myst @Atomyk @Wolverbells @Rithas @HellHoundWoof

 

[Lady Myst]

Katie - Morgantown - Tyler

The gunshots took all of the defiant attitude out of Katie. She buried her face against her father, having flashbacks of Haywood, seeing Lauren's face exploding in her mind once again.
Then people were running and yelling. Something about people outside. When her daddy talked about them Katie realized they meant the people they had been traveling with before : Floyd and Scarlett's sister and...

"Daddy?" Katie asked fearfully. "What about Scarlett's sister? What about the lady with the baby? Did they hurt them?"

--------------

Jessalyn - Van - Hank, Floyd, Joe, Jon, Heather, Abram, Turisa, Others

Jess had to look away as Floyd beat Joe. It was so brutal, the sound of fist against flesh making her sick. She cuddled Ben close, keeping his eyes away from the violence before him. This was not what she wanted to teach him, beating someone out of anger. Someone who was not even fighting back.
She wanted to say something, to stop them, but she was afraid. For the first time, she was afraid of Floyd...

As if in answer to her prayers Abram stepped forward to stop the beating. She thanked God that Floyd listened. Heather dug through her bag to see what she could do for Joe's injuries, while Hank called Jess over from the van saying he needed her to talk to Floyd.
Jess swallowed. "I'll do what I can..." she said and handed Ben to Abram, knowing the baby would be fine with someone he knew for at least a few minutes.

She approached slowly, not sure what she could say. There was no way to fix the situation, especially now that one of their own had been murdered in cold blood.
"Floyd?" She said hesitantly. "I'm... so sorry about Samantha. She didn't deserve that. I didn't know her that well, and that is my fault, I should have gotten to know her better, but I know she was your friend."

She waited a few minutes, then slowly, sudden movement would not be good, hugged him from behind. "I'm sorry."

His anger had to come from grief. Samantha had been his friend. Maybe more then that, but the thought hurt so she pushed it away.
"We need you right now," she said in her soothing voice, like she used when Ben was upset. "Okay? We need you. I need you. We have to figure out what to do, where to go. I trust you as I always have to keep me and Ben safe."

She laid her head against his back. "I'm sorry about what Heather said. She's been prodding me for a few days now, feeding my insecurities that you were tired of me. But no matter what, you are a good man. You've proven that time and again. You are a good man."
As she said it, she couldn't help but wonder if she was trying to convince him or herself. Floyd had changed. Somehow, while they were separated, he had changed. He was harder, more angry, quicker to give in to that anger. And Jessalyn was scared.

What if the Floyd she had fallen in love with was gone?

 

[C.T.]

Riley/Vincent-Morgantown-Mel, Joselina.

Riley stared blankly as Joselina demanded to be lead to the showers. Nowadays, it was practically silly to get flustered over something as trivial as leading a girl to where she could clean all the gunk and grime off herself. But Riley still didn't see it as his place to be the one to lead her there. Mainly because he liked how messy she looked. It was a sign of how long she managed to survive out here in this fucked up place that used to be called home at one point. But if she wanted to erase it then that was on her. So watching as Mel lead her off to the showers, Riley headed off himself. Mel was one of the few people here who Riley saw more than just being 'useful.' He might have even gone as far as to consider her a friend. However teasingly judgmental of his bandanna she might be.

As he walked off however, he would have noticed one of their number walking around with an interesting mask clipped to his belt loop. Certainly seemed a lot more interesting than his bandana. Something he'd bought a long time ago, even before he got sent away to juvie. But this was far more elaborate. Riley's hand slowly reached out to grasp it only for the mask's owner to glance over at the teen in confusion.

"Hey there! You're...Riley, right? One of the scouts who goes and gets the food that we need to survive! Any particular reason you're reaching towards my belt?"

Riley tilted his head before glancing down and noticing that his hand had gotten close enough to touch the mask. He'd seen this man around before now that he finally got a good look at him. It was Vincent something or another. Riley personally didn't have much of a problem with him. But he had heard stories of how he often annoyed people with factoids about Quentin Tarantino films and such. It'd been quite a long time since he sat down and watched a movie but Riley thought From Dusk Til Dawn was okay.

"Saw your mask. Thought it looked nice."

Vincent's eyebrows shot up as he realized what Riley meant. Glancing down he'd unhook the mask from his belt loop and watched it tumble to the ground. "Whoops! Didn't mean for that to happen but yeah, pretty good looking ain't it? Actually a legitimate prop straight off the set from the Stab films! Was looking through the stuff that I brought with me and found it laying there. Did you know that I used to have a car that looked just like the one from Death Proof? Damn thing broke down before I got here but man, did I love that car!"

Riley liked scary movies and had more trivia of them than he knew what to do with. But his experiences in life often left that information bottled up inside him. Which given that Vincent needed little prompting to go on another spiel about his car might have been for the better. Speaking of which, whether or not the story with the car was true, this mask didn't look like it had been used in any official movie. The plastic over the mouth had been chipped away and the covering over the eyes seemed torn up. But yet it still seemed so enticing.

"..Can I have it? I know it might mean a lot. But I'd take good care of it and all." Riley finally asked to which Vincent placed a hand to his chin in thought. This was (supposedly) a big-time prop he was giving away! Sure, that didn't mean much when you risked being torn apart and being eaten alive by those who were once dead. But maybe if he lived to see the end of this and when civilization started getting back up on it's feet he could embark this knowledge onto those who might have desired to know what the movies of old were like. He could go on great lengths about Tarantino and not have to worry about people brushing him off or telling him to shut up!

"...Vincent? Can I have the mask or not?"

"O-Oh! Sure! Just, uh I want you to make me a promise. If you're gonna hang on to this mask then I want you to take good care of it. Clean it if it gets blood from those shamblers on it. If you spill a drink on it, wipe it off. All in all real simple stuff, right?" Vincent then placed a hand atop Riley's shoulder and leaned in.

"I want you to never lose this mask. Because even if I don't make it out of this nightmare we're all going through? That mask you're carrying will be a little piece of me that survives. I know it might come off as weird but you understand?"

Riley supposed he wasn't in any real position of power to go and call someone else weird. Given that he had walked all the way back to his home to get some specific clothes and a bandanna. Well that and he saw the face of the bully who had tormented him on the face of every shambler. He supposed Vincent might not have been completely one hundred percent sane given his need to state movie trivia and such constantly. But the attachment to a material item was something he could understand.

"...I'll not let it leave my sight."

Vincent shot the teen a smile before making his way off. He only had Riley's word to go on. But somehow he knew that the kid wouldn't let the mask come to harm. Besides, meant one last thing he had to risk losing forever if he were to bite the big one. Least with this kid, he had someone like Mel looking out for him. He and the mask would make it out of this mess just fine.

Having been left alone with the mask, Riley glanced down at it. It really just seemed like a mask any joe smoe could have bought at a costume store. Maybe if there was one nearby Morgantown, he'd find one in there as well. Vincent probably lied to people before this mess about the authenticity of the mask. Probably to get attention or the like? Whatever the case, he made a promise that he wouldn't let this mask come to harm and so he wouldn't. Something would have to be done with the strands hanging off the side. If a shambler got too close, it could grab one of them and pull Riley's head down and get a nice juicy bite out of his neck.

Glancing around to see if anyone else was nearby, he noticed Mel was busy sharpening her knives and the others were doing who knew what? Perfect timing for him to go and try this thing out. Making his way to the showers as well, he'd go in the unoccupied one and pulling his bandanna over his head, he'd tuck it away in his pocket. That piece of fabric had been with him through thick and through thin. Saved him from emoting when it wasn't really necessary at least. He liked to keep stuff like that on the inside.

But now was the time to try on something new and maybe with a few adjustments, it could become just as good as his bandanna. Slipping it over his head, he'd pull it down the rest of the way. Felt comfortable at least and not too restricting. Couldn't afford to have that in the heat of the moment. You stop to catch your breath because the mask is hot/restricting. Shambler sneaks up on you and bites, dead. The eyeholes also didn't seem that bad once you had the mask adjusted firmly.

He wasn't prepared for what came next. The sound of animalistic thrashing around. What had he and Mel actually brought back to the group? He had admired how she took care of the shambler, taking off it's lower jaw and how she was showered in it's viscera as a result. But there was clearly more to her than what they could see on the outside and Riley wasn't sure if he ever wanted to be on the receiving end of it. Waiting until Joselina had made her way off, Riley poked his head out with mask still on. Glancing over to where a mirror may have been, he'd pull out his trusty socket wrench and lugged it over his shoulder.

The sight could have come off looking incredibly goofy and unnecessary to the random passerby. It certainly wouldn't have had any intimidation factor on the shamblers who wouldn't be able to tell a mask apart from any other piece of fabric they had to tear through to get the food they desired. But it made Riley feel comfortable and in the end that's all that really mattered to him. Just as the bandanna had fulfilled that purpose beforehand, the mask would now serve as a new 'security blanket' of sorts for the scout. Pleased with the display, he was alarmed at the sound of a gun-shot ringing out. Had a horde broken through their defenses? Were bandits pillaging the community? Whatever caused the firearm to go off, it warranted an investigation and almost as if on cue, Riley was yanked along as soon as he exited the showers by his partner.

"...Want to get to the bottom of this. Guns shouldn't be fired unless absolutely necessary. Brings too much attention otherwise.." He'd grunt behind the mask as he decided to take up Mel on her offer to let him drive. Time to see what what had warranted the gun-shot..

@C.T. @Krieg @Akashi @Atomyk @Wolverbells @-QT- @Lady Myst @Rithas @Morgantown​

Mel - Morgantown - Riley, Nathan and guards

It was only when Mel was finally in the car's passenger seat that she spared a quick glance to Riley, gaze quickly snapping away to the general sound of the gunfire hotspot...and then slowly returning to Riley in a double take. Eyes a little wider than usual as she rested her stare on that mask. It was almost...familiar. :| She blinked. "That's not your usual. What's the occasion huh? Halloween's still more than a half year away. Not that it fucking matters since nobody celebrates that shit anymore anyways. Still...where the fuck did you get that thing? Did you nab it out of the showers when you were skulking around like a creepy little kid?" She questioned only half seriously with a raised eyebrow, before rolling down the window and pulling herself out halfway. Her legs dangling above the passenger seat as she sat on the door frame itself and arms resting on the car's roof as they cruised by. Once they arrived near the gates, she hopped down and jogged up to the guards themselves.​

Carlos then turned to Nathan with regret-filled eyes.

"I'm sorry, it wasn't supposed to go down this way," he said softly, heading towards the gates to help Philip get the body.

​

"What the hell wasn't supposed to go down this way? Who the fucking hell was shooting up here? Why and at who were they firing? Answers if you don't mind." She shot out in one rapid breath, pointing right at Carlos the gateguard. "The dead body sure as hell can wait, it ain't going nowhere right now."

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Akashi @-QT-​

 

[Wolverbells]

Scarlett - Morgantown Gym - Tyler/Katie/Liam/Others

Although Scarlett was being asked a million and one questions, she managed to keep them all at bay until Tyler got to the gym. The blonde sighed of relief as she saw him over others shoulders.

"It wasn't too good." Scarlett answered his question quietly as she neared him, reaching out for Katie before standing next to the man and his daughter. "We can talk about the meetings later.." She was interrupted quickly by Adam, grabbing Tyler and demanding to be the center of attention. 'Is he going through fucking withdrawals?' She thought as she glared at him. Luckily, Tyler seemed to have been more preoccupied with all the other questions. He answered many of Scarlett's own question when speaking to the others, so the young woman kept quiet for the most part.

"Would they let us leave though? They have our weapons and they're armed. I don't think leaving now would be the right move." Scarlett kept her voice soft and quiet, only letting Tyler hear rather than the whole group.


____________________________

Alannah - Morgantown Community - Clay

"Oh, okay?" Alannah was confused as to what exactly was happening, but she let Tyler and Katie be taken back to the gym. She, on the other hand, made her way back to the entrance.

A multitude of scenarios ran through her head as she wondered what had happened. Since Nathan had left the office, there had been no more gun shots, which should've helped the woman to calm down, but it didn't. "Clay?" She was in the main hall now, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the man before her, searching for blood. Non on his clothing, but his face told another story. "Clay!" Her voice was now a bit more frantic as she picked up the pace to meet him. "Jesus Christ. Let's go to your office. I'll get you cleaned up."

He didn't necessarily need any 'cleaning up'. There were just a few cuts, maybe minor bruising, yet she still urged him. Once they were in his office, Anna shut the door and crossed her arms, watching him get his own little first aid kit out. "You're fine. Your face is fine," she stated. "Just wash it with water, and it'll be fine. I need to know what happened out there." Her voice wasn't the frightened one of before. Worried, yes. Her face portrayed nothing but worry, but she was serious. "Please, Clay."

__________________________

Aubrey - On the Road - Hank/Floyd/Abram/Jess/Heather/Joe/Enrique/others

Aubrey had gone and paced around the vehicles as the redneck snapped and nearly beat Joe's face until it wasn't recognizable. 'Good' she thought, wishing she could do the same. For some reason, she felt the compelling need to do something for Thing 2's death. The other reason was just to satisfy her need for violence. Unfortunately, the big guy separated the ongoing beating. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe. At least that's what she thought up until Joe starting going on about going somewhere else for shelter.

'Even after Hank just said..'

"Jesus fuck, guy!" Aubrey nearly shouted, throwing her hands up with frustration and exasperation. She had just rounded the van and was coming right at the baseball player with her bow in hand. "Did you not just hear him?!" With a flick of her wrist, Aubrey now held the bow near one of the ends and she swung, not too hard, at Joe, swatting him right on the stomach. It shouldn't of hurt him. Just enough for him to get the point. She wanted to do worse just because it was the only way she knew to relieve her frustration.

In fact, she did. After swatting him, the teenager went ahead and drew an arrow from her quiver, quickly setting it and aiming at the tall man.

"Aubrey!"

Who had called her name, she didn't know, but it was enough to stop her. "He wants no advice." Her voice was a bit more defeated as she lowered her weapon and went back to pacing.

 

[Chewy Rabbits]

Mel - Morgantown - Riley, Nathan and guards

It was only when Mel was finally in the car's passenger seat that she spared a quick glance to Riley, gaze quickly snapping away to the general sound of the gunfire hotspot...and then slowly returning to Riley in a double take. Eyes a little wider than usual as she rested her stare on that mask. It was almost...familiar. :| She blinked. "That's not your usual. What's the occasion huh? Halloween's still more than a half year away. Not that it fucking matters since nobody celebrates that shit anymore anyways. Still...where the fuck did you get that thing? Did you nab it out of the showers when you were skulking around like a creepy little kid?" She questioned only half seriously with a raised eyebrow, before rolling down the window and pulling herself out halfway. Her legs dangling above the passenger seat as she sat on the door frame itself and arms resting on the car's roof as they cruised by. Once they arrived near the gates, she hopped down and jogged up to the guards themselves.​

"What the hell wasn't supposed to go down this way? Who the fucking hell was shooting up here? Why and at who were they firing? Answers if you don't mind." She shot out in one rapid breath, pointing right at Carlos the gateguard. "The dead body sure as hell can wait, it ain't going nowhere right now."

@TheSpringwoodSlasher @Akashi @-QT-​

Riley-Morgantown-Mel/Joselina, Nathan and Guards

Riley had kept his eyes on the road for the most part, only deviating when Mel addressed his mask. Keeping a hand on the wheel, he'd pull the mask off and placed it on the dashboard so it'd be staring right at him.

"Halloween..? Been so long since I had one. Guess you can say I'm making up for lost time." He'd say somewhat jokingly before he raised an eyebrow at the mention of the showers. Well, no surprise Mel had seen him lurking around in there. She dragged him away as soon as he got out of there. Probably thought it was to try and catch a peek at Joselina. But it couldn't have been farther from the truth. He hadn't seen her while he tried his mask on. Given the freak-out she had while he was in there, that might have been for the best.

"Got it from Vincent. The one who doesn't stop talking about Tarantino. Asked if I could take it off his hands and so he gave it to me. Supposed to be a movie mask. Looks like a dollar store one. But I like it."

Once they finally arrived Riley left the engine running and slipped his mask back on. Because couldn't too long without something obscuring his face. Just in case things somehow went south and more people got shot. Like that unfortunate corpse laying over there. Might have been better for Mel to do the talking for the two of them. She did have a position as leader after all and she knew how to raise her voice when necessary. Something he could have taken a cue from her on. But for now, he'd simply lean over the side with his wrench drawn in his other hand. No bullies were gonna hurt Mel or even think of doing it.

@C.T. @Q.T. @Krieg @Akashi ​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Lia - Fallout Shelter - Nobody

"Close your eyes and get some rest," the blonde whispered, running her hand over the coat of her dog, Renegade. The dog whined, his head on her lap and eyes looking up at her. "Don't give me that look, they would've slowed us down anyhow..." Lia leaned her back against one of the walls of the shelter, relieved she had managed to make it there. The structure saved her life yet again, protecting her from the hoard.

Earlier, when Lia ran into the hoard of walkers, she was pretty sure she lost Becky and the other kid who had been trailing her. She didn't care about some stranger ending up as walker food, but Becky--

"God, she was annoying. I'm so glad she's gone. If I would've tried to help her she would've slowed me down," Lia thought, gritting her teeth.

Renegade whined again, as if sensing the underlying pain Lia was holding back. The girl didn't know how to handle it, so she shoved it down and channeled it with anger. It was better than way. Lia didn't like to cry over the dead. If she did, lord knows she would've been crying all the time. There were just way too many dead people around these days.

Gritting her teeth again, Lia shoved Renegade's head off her lap. "Stop whining. I don't care that Becky is gone. She was annoying as hell, okay? We're better off alone." Lia paused to pull her knees up to her chest and rest her head atop them. "We never should've left this shelter in the first place..."

@Josh M​