ã€ŠRE: The Walking Dead [LitRPG]ã€‹


 Prologue & Chapter One - Zombie Outbreak

    ¡°Yeah baby~! Uhmn~!¡±

    Slap! Slap! Slap!

    In a missionary, two bodies are deeply intertwined together on the bed.

    The man repeatedly pounded the black-haired woman under him like there¡¯s no tomorrow, producing that intimate sound between flesh striking against each other.

    ¡°You like that huh!?¡± said the man with excitement and aggressiveness, pinning the woman down with their hands interlocked together as the bed creaked with his every thrust!

    ¡°Yes, more! Give me moaaar!¡±

    The woman¡¯s voice suddenly became coarse, and her head suddenly snapped towards him, revealing a face covered in blood, with missing bits of flesh and a pair of bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    The man screamed in horror as he sat straight up from his bed. He frantically looked around him in his panic. His face and body covered in cold sweat, heaving from the lack of air.

    ¡°S-sh*t, it''s that same dream again and it still won''t let me finish!¡±

    The man cursed as he slowly got down from his bed and made his way over to the window. It had a plastic covering, just enough to protect him from the elements outside.

    He stood there, gazing outside the window as the moonlight shone upon him, revealing the face of a man around his mid to late twenties.

    He¡¯s currently in the middle of an unknown forest, hiding inside a small tree house built on the support of two, hundreds of years old large trees that had become intertwined together.

    Surrounded by a large swath of forest, the sound of crickets and other creatures were echoing throughout the night.

    It¡¯s been two months since the outbreak started.

    It happened one regular night, people were clubbing, making out with each other at the park, out for a late grocery shopping, having a dinner date or peacefully sleeping in their homes when the disaster struck the cities without any warning.

    Dead people suddenly rose from their graves, including those on a wake and started attacking any living thing in their sight!

    Be it a dog, a cat, a rat or most especially, humans!

    No one was spared!

    Those who got attacked and were bitten or scratched, but had managed to escape from them were oblivious that the virus that caused the dead to rise had already infected them.

    It wasn¡¯t long before they noticed that there was something wrong with them, but it was already too late to do anything and like their predecessors before them, they also turned into the man-eating monsters that they feared and attacked the people who were the closest to them without any ounce of mercy.

    Fortunately, amidst the ensuing chaos, a few doomsday preppers or those who had watched too many zombie apocalypse movies were the first ones to arm themselves and started fighting back in excitement as the event that they were preparing for all this time had finally come true!

    It was followed by the local authorities like the policemen and the firemen.

    Before the rest picked up whatever weapons they could find, ranging from knives, baseball bats, iron bars, broken bottles to even rocks!

    But since everything had happened so fast that it felt like everything was already planned in advance, the ensuing chaos that followed felt like it was following a script, a prologue of a story, that is.

    Even as the army finally came and with technology on their side, cities still fell one by one.

    The first ones to go were the poor countries that barely had any standing army, the last ones to fall were the more powerful countries like the United States or the mountainous nations like Bhutan.

    Soon, the remaining troops and survivors that fortified themselves in the cities were eventually overrun and forced to retreat in different directions as the amount of bullets spent and the stored food supplies couldn''t keep up with the growing expenditure.

    Some died during the escape, while the lucky ones are still surviving to this day.

    And I, Michael, is one of those lucky ones, or more accurately speaking, the predecessor of this body.

    ¡°I wonder if there are still others out there?¡± Michael muttered, a hopeful look on his face, before turning around as he eventually went back to bed.

    ¡°I also wonder why I woke up to this unfamiliar world?¡± he muttered with confusion before slowly closing his eyes and going back to sleep.

    The following day.

    Michael slowly walked down the flight of wooden stairs that spun around the tree trunk all the way onto the forest floor.

    The man has a clean face with clear signs of beard and mustache growing, a pair of hunting pants along with a tight fit camouflage shirt.

    His arsenal of weapons is a strapped machete on his waist and a chest holster strapped around his body, containing a pistol.

    ¡°It¡¯s already the 71st day since the outbreak¡± mumbled Michael just as his feet reached the ground, and then he walked over to a table he had made from tree branches and grabbed a wooden cup from a small shelf and filled it with water from a drink dispenserLove this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    He lightly washed his face with it before chugging down the remaining water.

    Following that, Michael collected sticks and branches he had stored from the woodshed, then threw them over to the firepit before starting a fire with a flint.

    He made a simple breakfast from the tomatoes and potatoes he had forage around the camp.

    The structure of his camp is enclosed by a wall in a combination of arm-thick sticks, planks, and a few logs here and there. The wall towered around two meters while securing an area the size comparable to a regular house, enough for three people to live in and maybe more if they discard comfort.

    It was Michael¡¯s little safe haven in this world already filled with a lot of crappy leaders from before, then turned even worse.

    Before devouring his breakfast, similar to the days before, Michael took off his shirt and started stretching his body and joints.

    He got down on the dirt and started working out, starting it with a push-up, a sit-up and finishing it with squats, thirty reps each.

    It was something he had been doing since his arrival into this world.

    Because he believes that a fit body is your default weapon or equipment if you want to survive the apocalypse in the long run.

    Since for obvious reasons, the first ones to go were the fatties during the outbreak.

    With the morning exercise out of the way, Michael had his meal.

    *****

    Michael prepared to go out, armed with a hiking backpack, while strapped with his trustee machete and a pistol, a Glock 17 with 17 rounds and an additional full mag.

    Standing before the gate on the wall, he took a deep breath multiple times to ease his nerves. It took him a while to remove the locks as he made sure that it can¡¯t be easily opened.

    Walking through the gate, Michael had now abandoned the safety of his home as he stepped out.

    Already quite familiar around the area after repeated supply runs, Michael navigated through the forest floor with confidence while remaining cautious around his surroundings.

    As someone who once loved travelling across the world and going on hikes on the nations he visited. He had grown quite adept at foraging edible plants across the forest floor. All thanks to the teachings of the locals who he had hiked with.

    While he was busy picking up wood sorrel, ground ivies and various berries around the area, = he suddenly heard the sound of a branch snapping behind him.

    Snap!

    Quickly spinning around, Michael drew his gun and aimed, but just as he was about to pull the trigger, he paused.

    Standing before him is a man with shaggy, dark brown hair that appears unkempt, and with piercing blue eyes framed by a perpetually scruffy, stubbled face. The man was wearing a sleeveless grey shirt, paired with cargo pants, sturdy boots and armed with a crossbow aimed at him.

    The one thing that really caught Michael¡¯s eyes were the dead squirrels slung over the man¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°No¡­freaking way? Daryl?!¡±

    Michael couldn¡¯t help but let out a cry of surprise when he saw the man standing before him. He wasn¡¯t the only one feeling cofused, the man he called Daryl was also painted with confusion on his face when he heard his name.

    Daryl squinted his eyes, staring at Michael with wariness, ¡°Who are you? How do you know my name?¡±

    ¡°What in the bloody mess is going on?¡± Putting his gun down, Michael just outright ignored him as he suddenly started mumbling to himself, his left hand on his chin, looking down.

    ¡°Dammit, not only am I stuck in the United States, I¡¯m actually inside the world of a TV Series. Is this world even real? Maybe I¡¯m actually in a coma and this is all inside my head?¡± Such thoughts and actions just made Michael even more confused and looking more like a crazy person while mumbling to himself.

    Twack

    An arrow was shot near his feet before he heard Daryl yelling at him. ¡°Hey! Stop talking to yourself! Who are you?!¡±

    Michael was unfazed by the threat, though it did bring him back to the reality of the situation he¡¯s in.

    He realized he f*cked up when he randomly blurted out the man¡¯s name. So he quickly racked his brain and made up a story that at least sounded believable, for him that is. ¡°I¡¯m Michael. I had a brief encounter with your brother during his biker days before all this shit went down.¡±

    Believing him somewhat, Daryl¡¯s guarded expression slightly eased and his crossbow, though he lowered it, is aimed at Michael¡¯s torso, a progress still.

    ¡°You know my brother? But then how do you know me? I don¡¯t remember meeting you¡±

    ¡®Well, I didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d actually believe that. Isn¡¯t he a naive one?¡¯

    Michael chuckled and thought of another white lie. ¡°He would mention you from time to time. He even showed me a photo of you once before, that¡¯s why I immediately recognized you¡±

    Daryl stared at him, trying to process his words. Though he still looked somewhat unsure if he should fully believe him or not, he decided to fully ease the hostility by further lowering his weapon. ¡°I never knew Merle carried a photo of me. That doesn¡¯t sound like him at all¡±

    Michael let out a light snort. ¡°Yeah, such a huge contrast to his tough guy appearance he portrays to people. That dude..he loves his younger brother¡±

    This time, he wasn¡¯t lying. He knew that despite Merle''s rough exterior and often harsh treatment, he genuinely loves his younger brother, Daryl. Love that is complex and fraught with the baggage of their difficult upbringing.

    ¡®Though that bastard is a jerk, he redeemed himself in the end¡¯

    Daryl looked at Michael, then at the edibles he had foraged on his bag. ¡°You alone?¡±

    Michael sighed and nodded before he resumed plucking off the berries near him. ¡°Yeah, it''s better to move alone, for now¡±

    Daryl just stood there watching him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Being in a large group increases the dangers and risk, being in one tends to create a lot more noise. Attracting both zombies and other human survivor groups, who tend to be hostile. Well, it only applies to groups above fifty people and anything below that number is still somewhat safe, though it still depends on the cohesion of the group and how well they listen to the warnings of their leader¡±

    Feeling that there¡¯s a story behind those words, Daryl couldn¡¯t help but to become curious. ¡°How do you know that? Were you an escapee from the city?¡±

    Michael just smiled at him, but in his mind, he answered him. ¡®No, but I watched the show for quite a while, so I know a thing or two. Though, I¡¯m not sure if those words I said was right since it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve finished watching the show''

    ¡°...¡±

    Rustle! Rustle!

    Following that was an awkward silence between the two. Michael continued foraging with Daryl just watching him. He wanted to say something but kept hesitating.

    Michael saw that and smiled. ¡°You standing there like a statue is creeping me out. So, if you have something to say, just spit it out.¡±

    Daryl started slightly fidgeting. ¡°We have a small group, probably around 15 people or so. They¡¯re camped just two miles from here. Want to come with me?¡±

    Michael turned to him, the question caught him off guard and it took a moment for him to process it and when he did, his mouth broke into a grin. Genuinely happy at the offer.

    ¡°Yeah? But are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Merle would be happy to see a familiar face¡±

    Michael smiled mysteriously at those words.

    ¡®Hmmm, if this is the episode where he¡¯s making his way back to the camp, then I don¡¯t think we would see each other soon. I just didn¡¯t expect that we would be camped out not far from each other. A result of constantly forgetting to check the maps carefully¡¯

    Though he already knew what might unfold later, Michael didn¡¯t show it on his face and acted oblivious to it. ¡°Familiar face huh? That¡¯d be great. Do you mind if we head back to my camp first and pack my supplies?¡±

    Daryl shrugged. ¡°Sure, why not. Lead the way¡±

 Chapter Two - Meeting the Cast

    With Michael leading the way, the two slowly made their way back to his camp where he meticulously packed up the must have necessary essentials, like a couple of small packs of laundry detergent, body soaps, shampoos, deodorants and spices like peppers and salts, all placed in one backpack.

    Michael then packed some change of clothes, mostly underwear and a skillet hanging on his backpack before picking up a small gun maintenance kit from inside his tree house.

    He walked over to Daryl and handed him the backpack containing the body essentials. ¡°Here¡±

    Daryl was looking around the camp before taking the bag from Michael and donned it on his back. Daryl was awed at the sight around him. ¡°You built all these?¡±

    Smiling, Michael nodded. ¡°This walled area? Yes, but the tree house? No, it was already here when I stumbled upon this place¡±

    ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t have all day¡±

    Michael took one last look around his camp for one last time. The sanctuary which... has kept him safe for many days. Michael smiled and with a whisper. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be leaving now¡±

    Walking out the gate with a jerry can on his hand, Daryl was there to greet him. ¡°You done?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go¡±

    This time, Daryl led the way with Michael following closely behind him.

    At their backs were the lonely silhouette of Michael¡¯s now former home. Its gate was left ajar, something Micheal deliberately left, so that like him, someone else who would also stumble upon this place by chance, would easily be able to get inside and keep themselves safe for another day.

    Halfway through the trek, Daryl suddenly spotted something on the forest floor and slowly approached it.

    Michael also paused in his tracks and watched him. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Daryl didn¡¯t immediately answer him. He examined the thing he saw on the ground. ¡°Food, deer tracks. Probably the one I¡¯ve been tracking for miles before I stumbled on you¡±

    Michael thought of something. ¡°How many?¡±

    ¡°Just one. Come on, it¡¯s this way¡± Daryl gestured, and the two men carefully followed after the tracks.

    ¡®It seems this is the deer scene on the show¡¯ Michael thought while closely following behind Daryl.

    It didn¡¯t take long before the two spotted their prey, drinking from a small stream. Daryl slowly crouched down behind a tree and loaded his crossbow while Michael just watched him from a distance.

    There was at least fifty meters of distance between him and the deer.

    Michael took a quick look around their surroundings before turning his attention back at the scene ahead.

    Daryl took a moment to aim..before letting the arrow loose.

    Twak!

    He had tried to aim for the neck, but instead, the arrow flew and struck the deer¡¯s side, between the rib cage and its shoulder.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Kyakakak!

    Startled, the deer let out a scream of pain as it staggered forward. It then bolted across the stream and fled!

    ¡°Son of bitch! Let¡¯s go!¡± Daryl was a little ashamed and angered that he had actually missed and immediately went after the deer. He reloaded while moving while Michael closely followed after him and kept a close eye on their surroundings in case of a sneaking zombie.

    Daryl shot another two arrows on the deer. All two landed on its rear end, but it remained stubborn and resilient as it kept fleeing from them.

    ¡°Damn deer,¡± Daryl cursed as he spat on the ground. ¡°The only good news is that it fled towards the direction of the camp. Let¡¯s hope there¡¯s no walker nearby when it drops, or else all of this is would just turn out to be a waste of energy¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so. It has been a while since I¡¯ve had meat and I¡¯ve been thinking about it after you mentioned you were tracking a deer¡± Michael smiled. He was praying, in hopes that the event that would unfold sometime later wouldn¡¯t happen since he¡¯s really craving meat today, like a lot.

    ¡®Please, please! Meeting Daryl is already a huge deviation from the story. At least extend it until we reach the place where the deer would drop dead¡¯

    Daryl plucked off a berry along the trek and turned to Michael. ¡°The camp is just ahead¡±

    Kyaaaa!

    Daryl had just uttered those words when a distant, blood-curdling scream of a woman echoed through the trees, and it sent shivers down their spines. Daryl and Michael exchanged a look and made haste ahead.

    ¡®No! My meat! Bloody prick!¡¯

    Michael, on the other hand, was screaming and cursing inside, and the target of his cursing? Only the man himself knows.

    Daryl and Michael emerged from behind a large and rocky boulder. Where they were greeted by several familiar faces.

    ¡°Damn it Daryl¡± The man who had aimed his shotgun at them heaved a sigh of relief. Before turning his attention to the new face behind Daryl. ¡°Where¡¯d you get this guy?¡±

    ¡°Son of a bitch! That¡¯s my deer!¡±

    Daryl was about to answer, but then he noticed the state of the deer they had been tracking since earlier and let out a curse!

    ¡°Look at it. All gnawed on by this¡­filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!¡± Daryl slowly walked over towards the walker and started kicking it in anger as he cursed.

    Then the oldest man among them chimed in. ¡°Calm down, son. That¡¯s not helping¡±

    Already feeling agitated, Daryl walked up to the man¡¯s face. ¡°What do you know about it, old man? Why don¡¯t you take that stupid hat and go back to On Golden Pond?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been tracking this deer for miles.¡± Daryl turned around and walked over to the deer and started yanking off the arrows stuck on its body.

    While all this was happening, Michael just quietly stood on the side, with this mysterious look on his face.

    ¡®Damn, now this is what you would call a first-class seat! If I remember this right, the one with the shotgun is Shane, that old man is Dale, and that¡¯s Rick and Glen with the pipes. Sorry Mexican dude, I don¡¯t remember your name, and this guy beside me..hmmm. he¡¯s Jim. Those two blondes, I think they¡¯re Amy and Andrea. Dang, they¡¯re hot! My hormones acting up, must be because it has been a while since I¡¯ve seen a woman¡¯

    ¡°Geez, was gonna drag it back to camp and cook us up some venison.¡±

    ¡°What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?¡± Daryl suggested, but instead of asking his group, he actually turned towards Michael, clearly asking for his input. A minor deviation from the story.

    Slightly caught off guard, Michael pointed at himself. ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you. I¡¯m looking at you¡± Darly grunted, a little annoyed.

    Michael looked around and saw their stares that were full of wariness mixed with curiosity. ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea. I would not risk that. Animals don¡¯t turn, but contaminated ones can turn us into one them¡±

    Letting out an annoyed snort. Daryl looked on regretfully at the deer. ¡°That¡¯s a damn shame then. Ohh, good thing I got some squirrels, about a dozen or so. That will have to do¡±

    ¡°Oh god!¡±

    The decapitated head of the walker suddenly moved. Disgusting the Harrison sisters that they quickly walked away from the scene.

    In a humorous tone, Daryl fired off his crossbow at the head. ¡°Come on people. What the hell?¡±

    Twak!

    ¡°It¡¯s gotta be the brain.¡± Pulling out the arrow from the head, Daryl slightly retreated to the side, and then looked at them. ¡°Don¡¯t you all know nothing?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move on from that. Who is this guy you came with?¡± Shane gestured towards Michael.

    Startled, Daryly quickly turned towards Michael and let out a chuckle. ¡°Dang, I almost forgot you were here¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s Michael. I met him while I was tracking this deer. He said he¡¯s a friend of my brother so I brought him with me. Where is he anyway?¡± Finishing up with the introductions and suddenly thinking of his brother, Daryl quickly left them for camp, while Rick looked on, mulling over.

    ¡°Sup?¡± Michael smiled, and he immediately noticed their now unfriendly gazes directed at him. He realized then that he had completely neglected one very important detail.

    ¡®I completely forgot that these people don¡¯t like Merle. Now, I¡¯m painted in the same light as him. He ain¡¯t even here, but he sure can still cause some trouble to other people¡¯

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going after Daryl. Nice meeting you all.¡± Michael smiled and gave them a nod before he hurriedly walked past them and went after Daryl.

    ¡°Damn. I thought we¡¯d finally have some little peace with Merle gone, but another one shows up!¡± Initially looking friendly and smiling at Michael. Now, the Mexican dude was a little annoyed at the arrival of the newcomer.

    ¡°...¡±

    Not one of them said anything. They just slowly made their way back to camp in silence.

    ¡°What? I know you guys were thinking the same.¡± Feeling slightly awkward, the Mexican dude let out a nervous chuckle and followed after them last.

 Chapter Three - Walker Assault and A Major Deviation

    ¡°Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out of here!¡± Daryl called out arriving at the camp and ahead of him are the rest of the survivors gossiping under the shade of the RV.

    ¡°I got us some squirrels! Let¡¯s stew ''em up.¡±

    ¡°Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you¡± Daryl had carefully placed his crossbow down by a log and when started making his way over to the RV, Shane suddenly called out to him.

    Daryl slowly paused in his tracks, and he turned around to face Shane. ¡°About what?¡±

    Shane hurriedly walked past him and paused. He turned around to face Daryl with one of his hands on his waist. ¡°About your brother, there was a¡­there was a problem with Atlanta¡±

    ¡®Oh shoot, it¡¯s happening. This one is a crucial scene¡¯ Like the rest of the survivors, Michael decided to just look on near the Jeep. He had no plans to interfere as he also had his own plans when he decided to follow Daryl back to his camp.

    ¡®But where¡¯s Carol? I don¡¯t see her. I remember the women are pretty much inseparable during the beginning of the series¡¯

    Feeling the slight tension in the air, Daryl already had a feeling about what Shane is about to tell him. ¡°Is he dead?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not sure¡± Shane couldn¡¯t give him a straight answer since he¡¯s also uncertain about the man¡¯s fate.

    Shane¡¯s answer just made Daryl agitated, and he raised his voice at him. ¡°It¡¯s either he is or he ain''t!¡±

    ¡°No easy way to say this, so I¡¯ll just say it¡± Rick didn¡¯t like the way Shane was beating around the bush. So he immediately walked over towards them and chimed in.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Rick Grimes¡±

    Daryl stared straight at him and with sarcasm in his tone. ¡°Rick Grimes~ you got something you want to tell me?¡±

    In all seriousness, Rick also stared back. ¡°Your brother is a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He¡¯s still there¡±

    Michael then spotted T-Dog walking back to camp with a pile of firewood in his arms before turning his attention back to the arguing two.

    Agitated by his words, Dary started pacing back and forth. ¡°So let me process this. You¡¯re saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡± Rick looked away in guilt.

    ¡°Ohh, it¡¯s coming¡± Michael mumbled while covering the smile that¡¯s leaking to show with his hand.

    There was a short silence between that, when from out of nowhere. Daryl, who has now clearly reached his boiling point, angrily hurled the squirrels he hunted at Rick and was about to throw a punch when Shane tackled him to the ground.

    ¡°Oof!¡±

    Though unsuccessful with his first attempt, Daryl quickly drew his knife as T-Dog yelled at them. ¡°Watch the knife!¡±

    ¡°Graah!¡± Daryl angrily lunged at Rick with the knife. Rick immediately dodged, but the second time Daryl came at him, Rick skillfully caught his hand and both him and Shane quickly restrained the enraged Daryl.

    Shane placed him in a headlock while Rick quickly disarmed the knife from his hand.

    ¡°You¡¯d better let me go!¡±

    ¡°Nah, I think it''s better if I don¡¯t¡± Keeping the chokehold on, Shane replied with a slight humorous tone in his voice when Michael noticed the man looking in his direction.

    ¡®He probably thinks I would interfere¡¯

    ¡°Damn it, chokehold¡¯s illegal!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you can file a complaint later if you want¡± Shane slowly forced Daryl to sit down on the ground. ¡°Come on man, We¡¯ll keep this up all day¡±

    Obviously, the ensuing events that followed was Rick and T-Dog slowly explaining to Daryl the events that took place at Atlanta while they were there, and followed by Lori being that selfish bitch again because she didn¡¯t want her husband to help Daryl rescue his brother.

    *****

    ¡°Why would you risk your life for a douchebag like Merle Dixon?¡± Shane was feeling irate at Rick¡¯s decision to rescue Merle after he had just got back to his family.

    ¡°Hey, choose your words more carefully¡± Daryl warned.

    ¡°No, I did. Douchebag¡¯s what I meant, that Merle Dixon¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re coming right?¡± Daryl ignored him and went over to Michael, who¡¯s by his truck.

    Michael smiled and shook his head before pointing at Rick and the others. ¡°No, I think you guys have enough muscle to rescue your brother.¡±

    Rick had just guilt-tripped Glen into joining him with T-Dog volunteering after.

    Shane was mad. ¡°You¡¯re putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that Rick. I mean, you saw that walker. It was here. It was in the camp.¡±

    Shane eventually relented when the topic of guns was brought up and Rick was also able to convince his wife after he told her why it is important for him to go back to the city.

    The walkie-talkie, the only means of communication he has with Morgan.

    *****

    Shane looked perplexed while holding four bullets of Rick¡¯s python. ¡°Well..four men, four rounds. What are the odds huh?¡±

    After another short talk between them, the group of four then started their drive back to the city on the very same truck they escaped from before.

    While that was happening, Michael had started walking around the camp and making small talk to the survivors he would be sticking with in the long run.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re Carol? You¡­you¡¯re young¡± When Michael found out that she turned out to be a younger version of her instead of the one Melissa McBride auditioned for, he was shocked.

    ¡®What the hell? The comics and TV series put together? I¡¯m suddenly feeling a little uncertain about my future.¡¯ This revelation made him a little uncomfortable since he has little knowledge about the events following the comic series.

    ¡°Y-yeah. Why? Do I look older than my age?¡±

    ¡°No. Anyway, good meeting you¡± Michael smiled before quickly walking away. He doesn¡¯t want to deal with her right now. He made his way over towards Dale and exchanged some small talk with him. He did the same with the rest of the survivors, especially the major characters as he wanted to be acquainted with them.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Though guarded at first, they became a little friendlier towards him when they realized that he seemed at least nicer than his friend, Merle. Most especially when he distributed the body essentials from the bag he had brought with him. Which also contained a few antibiotics, painkillers, antiseptic wipes, and antiviral medications he brought.

    It made the women even happier when they found several tampons on the bag, where they evenly distributed them among themselves.

    With a plan in mind, Michael made his way to the forest and started looking for something and while doing so, he also started clearing the area with his machete.

    It took him several minutes before he finally found what he was looking for, a small cluster of bamboo.

    Michael quickly made his way over and started looking for an appropriate size he had planned in mind, which is a bamboo as thick as a 50-cent piece.

    Satisfied with his haul, Michael made his journey back to camp after he managed to harvest nine of those.

    Trat! Trat! Trat!

    Throwing the bamboos onto the ground, they produced a mix of dull-rattling sound.

    Michael sat on a log and started working on them while the others curiously looked over.

    Driven by their curiosity, the kids at the camp approached him. ¡°What are you making?¡±

    Michael threw a quick glance to Carl and the kids. He ignored them for a moment as he began shaping the bamboo in his hands with a pointed tip. ¡°I¡¯m making a spear. It¡¯s for protection¡±

    ¡°How does it work?¡±

    Michael smiled at that question. He didn¡¯t give them an answer and instead gave them a demonstration after he was done working on the first bamboo. ¡°Let me show you¡±

    He had created a five feet long bamboo spear.

    ¡°Whoa! That¡¯s so cool!¡±

    Michael wielded the spear like a skilled martial artist, aweing the kids with his masterful display of his skill.

    ¡°Remember, a spear is one of the oldest tools and weapons in human history. Aside from guns, they are our most effective tool against the zombies, walkers, geeks or whatever you want to call them. Spears are most notable for the additional reach they offer. Where you can strike your enemies from a safe distance. Hold them tight like this, then thrust forward like this! Make sure to aim at the head, that¡¯s the weakest spot of the walkers. Strike them on their heads and they quickly drop dead. Everyone understood?¡±

    ¡°Yesss!¡±

    Michael smiled and immediately shooed them away. ¡°Now move along, I¡¯m busy.¡±

    Dale, while keeping a look-out of the camp on top of his RV, was also watching the short demonstration. ¡°Damn, how come I¡¯ve never thought of doing that?¡±

    In no time, Michael successfully crafted nine bamboo spears and quickly placed all of them in an open area where he could sun dry them.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough time to dry them, but a little increase in firmness is enough. Just to tide over tonight¡¯s attack¡± Michael mumbled.

    That¡¯s right, Michael plans to interfere in tonight''s incident. That¡¯s why he went out looking for bamboo earlier. He plans to arm the women and give them a short lesson on how to properly use it, for what¡¯s to come tonight.

    ¡®I know this won¡¯t save everyone, but It would at least lessen the casualties. I need to save as many survivors as I can since having manpower in the long run would prove beneficial to the group¡¯ Michael contradicted the words he said to Daryl beforehand. His earlier advice is most suitable for a nomadic group, but since this group would eventually create a community of their own. They need all the hands they can get, and there¡¯s also safety in numbers which is a huge advantage.

    Night fell.

    The group gathered around the campfire while having a feast on the fishes that the Harrison sisters had caught earlier today. They chattered on the subject about why Dale keeps checking his watch everyday.

    Unawares, the group didn¡¯t even notice Michael disappearing somewhere around the camp.

    Dale laughed along with them and then shared a saying. ¡°I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my father¡¯s before me. I give it to you, not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it for a moment, now and then, and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it.¡±

    There was a short silence following after, as the survivors pondered on the words that Dale shared while exchanging looks with each other.

    ¡°You are so weird.¡± Amy looked at Dale with a small shake of her head. Which elicited chuckles from the people around them.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    Amy took a sip of her drink and slowly stood up. ¡°I have to go pee. Geez, you try to be discreet around here¡±

    Her words, eliciting another bout of chuckles among them.

    Amy came out of the RV and paused by the door. ¡°Guys, where¡¯s the extra toilet paper?¡±

    While the group feasted and enjoyed each other¡¯s company by the campfire. They had completely failed to remember that the world had become¡­

    A Zombie Apocalypse!

    ¡°Kyaaa!¡± Amy screamed! A walker suddenly emerged from the side and grabbed her arm!

    The walker was about to dig in when something suddenly flew out from somewhere out in the dark and lodged itself on the walker¡¯s head!

    Thwack! Thud!

    ¡°Get back into the RV and close the door behind you!¡± Michael, who had just been lurking in the dark immediately came out and started shouting at Amy and the others. ¡°Walkers! Pick up the bamboo spears near you!¡±

    The people by the campfire heard Amy screaming, and they were just in time to witness something sharp striking the walker¡¯s head and dropping dead to the side. Amy quickly picked herself up and was quick to heed Michael¡¯s word. She gave her sister one last look before she hastily entered the RV and closed the door behind her as walkers swarmed from the other side of the RV and towards the campfire where the others were.

    ¡°Kyaaa!¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡±

    The women started screaming as they all stood up in panic while securing the kids within the safety of their bodies.

    ¡°Lori, get him down!¡± Shane yelled, cocking his shotgun and started firing multiple shots.

    Splat!

    ¡°The bamboo spears! Use them!¡± Michael yelled again while taking down a walker with a strike from his machete.

    ¡°B-bamboo spear! I got them! What now!¡±

    By the grace of the god, the women calmed themselves and finally registered Michael shouting from somewhere in the camp and hurriedly picked up the bamboo spears near them.

    ¡°Aim at the head, then strike forward!¡±

    Lori, the relieved Andrea, Carol, Miranda and the other women in the camp quickly picked up the bamboo spears they were given earlier today. It wasn¡¯t only them, some of the men had also been inclined to craft their own spears when they witnessed Michael giving the women a special lesson and also joined in the defense.

    The presence of the weapon in their hands surprisingly calmed them fast and they were able to assess the situation around them clearly with a calm head.

    Michael made his way towards them while yelling. ¡°Remember your lesson earlier today! Circle formation with the kids in the center! Quick!¡±

    He was slightly rattled. Michael had noticed something amiss.

    ¡®S-shit! Why do I feel like there¡¯s more zombies than the ones shown on the show before?!¡¯

    He didn¡¯t mind the numbers, but he¡¯s worried about the following casualties because of this deviation.

    ¡®Is it because I saved Amy?¡¯

    On the other hand, Rick and his group are currently making haste to ascend the hill when the sound of multiple gunshots rang in the distance and had them pausing in their tracks.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry!¡±

    ¡°Graahh!¡± Michael had just dispatched a walker when another suddenly sneaked up from behind him. He quickly crouched down and threw a leg sweep. Throwing the walker off of its feet and falling down on its back.

    Thud!

    ¡°Grrraah!¡±

    ¡°Sneaky bastard.¡± Michael cursed as he drew his pistol and shot the walker on the head.

    Bang!

    Due to Michael¡¯s intervention for tonight¡¯s event, the chaotic scene that was supposed to happen on the show didn¡¯t take place.

    And with the women keeping a tight formation together, it became manageable for Shane and the others to take down the walkers with relative ease. Since they didn¡¯t have to divide their attention protecting the women and kids.

    Obliviously, even with the women taking up arms, their situation remains dire as a few of the women still made the mistake of not striking the walkers in their head.

    Shane yelled at one of the men who had strayed a little too far from them while directing the women to slowly move closer to the RV. ¡°Morales, work up here!¡±

    ¡°You smelly bastard!¡± Michael picked up a spear lying on the ground and threw it towards one of the walkers like it was some kind of a javelin.

    Splat!

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Michael then emptied his clip on the zombies, taking down several of them.

    Just in time, Rick and the rest of the crew finally arrived with guns blazing. They slowly advanced towards the others while carefully shooting the walkers in their heads. Daryl even used the butt of his shotgun and made a baseball bat out of it.

    Rick fired off his signature Python and yelled with so much emotion that his voice slightly cracked. ¡°Baby! Carl!¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± Carl cried as he ran up to his father and hugged him, while the poor lad Shane looked on with a slight jealousy on his face.

    Michael and the rest of the cavalry cleared up the scene, which the former certainly enjoyed, for one good reason.

    ¡°I¡¯m rich¡± Michael mumbled while looking at something that he had been ignoring up until now.

    [Coins: 347]

 Chapter Four - Distrust

    [Coins: 347]

    [You have gained a Level! Reward: +1 Enhancement]

    Michael had returned to his own tent with a change of clothes while a few others outside carried out double taps on the walkers to make sure they¡¯re really all dead.

    Survivor Information

    Name: Michael [Level 2]

    Age: 29

    Strength: 4

    Agility: 5

    Vitality: 6

    Enhancement(s): 1

    Weapon:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Machete</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Glock 17</li>

    </ul>

    [MODULE LOCKED]

    ¡®It¡¯s still a wonder what¡¯s the use of the Coins. Don¡¯t tell me...there wouldn''t be like Secret Shops or Secret Merchants suddenly popping up around here, right?¡¯ Michael was already used to seeing this System thingamajig, but it always made him wonder about the usage of the coins he obtains every time he kills a zombie.

    ¡°That module locked something, I hope it''s something good¡± Michael mumbled, and with a yawn, he crawled to bed. While ignoring the weird but familiar smell in the air, something he had long gotten used to.

    The following morning.

    Michael woke up to them already moving the bodies into the fire pit they made, and he noticed one glaring detail. ¡®Damn, did they seriously sleep in those dirty clothes?¡¯

    What he didn¡¯t know was that maybe except for him and the kids, the rest never had a wink of sleep last night. They were too paranoid to sleep for fear that another swarm of zombies would raid them.

    Michael came out of his tent and awkwardly greeted them. ¡°Morning everyone¡±

    Rick looked over and responded to him with a nod. The others just casually glanced at him, weary visible on their faces.

    Shane on the other hand gave him a meaningful look, which weirded him out.

    Daryl had just bashed the head of a motionless walker on the ground when he saw Michael emerging from his tent and teased him. ¡°Morning sunshine. It seems like someone had a good night¡¯s sleep¡±

    Michael chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m already used to it. Besides, why are you doing that again?¡±

    Splat!

    ¡°Double tap. Didn¡¯t you teach them that yesterday?¡± Daryl had just bashed another walker¡¯s head while saying those words.

    ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t say you had to triple tap them¡±

    Rick slowly approached him and with a thankful look on his face. ¡°I heard what you did yesterday. I gotta thank you for that. We would have lost more if you didn¡¯t prepare those spears for them¡±

    Michael nodded and was more concerned about something. ¡°How many, how many did we lose last night?¡±

    ¡°Two, a young married couple. They strayed far from the group and tried to flee into the woods.¡± Rick looked a little guilty. He was probably thinking they wouldn¡¯t have died if he didn¡¯t insist on going to the city yesterday.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Michael responded with small, repeated nods. Deep inside? He was feeling thrilled!

    ¡®Only two deaths?! Now that¡¯s an achievement! Though the story from this point on had thoroughly deviated from both the Tv series and the comics. I wonder what¡¯s going to happen from now on. In Andrea''s case, she wouldn¡¯t be feeling suicidal now that her sister is alive or Glen, he certainly wouldn¡¯t be feeling emotional now when the camp only lost two. Specially Daryl, who had a short outburst of anger because he was reminded of Merle who Rick and the others had abandoned and thought that what happened last night was retribution¡¯

    Michael approached Daryl while appearing worried. ¡°What about your brother? Where is he?¡±

    Daryl took a short rest under the shade of the trees when Michael approached him. ¡°He¡¯s gone-¡±

    ¡°Like dead?¡±

    ¡°What? No, he escaped, but I don¡¯t know where he went after he stole our truck¡± Daryl was clearly worried, but he appeared relieved knowing that his brother is still out there and alive.

    Michael tapped his shoulder and with a chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, jerks like him are hard to kill. He¡¯ll live for a long time¡±

    ¡°What? Fuck off man¡± Daryl cursed as he walked off.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m right!¡± Michael laughed.

    Daryl had just left when a feminine voice suddenly echoed from behind him.

    ¡°Hey¡±

    Turning around, Michael saw Andrea standing there.

    ¡°Hey, do you need anything?¡±

    Andrea just smiled and slowly approached him until both of them could already smell each other¡¯s breath.

    ¡°What a-¡±

    Michael¡¯s words were cut short when Andrea suddenly kissed him.

    ¡®What in the actual f*ck?!¡¯

    He was shocked at first, but he immediately responded at Andrea¡¯s advances and turned a simple kiss into a hot and passionate one.

    The exchange of saliva lasted for five seconds, and like Moses parting the Red Sea, their lips finally left each other¡¯s grasp.

    ¡°Wow, what was that for?¡± Michael might have enjoyed it, but he was still bewildered at her action.

    ¡°I saw what you did last night. Thank you for saving my sister. Though that kiss wasn¡¯t to turn out like that¡± Andrea chuckled, not one bit shy about what they just did.

    ¡°I enjoyed it¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess me too¡± Andrea smiled with many meanings.

    ¡°You stink though¡±

    ¡°Ohh you prick!¡±

    The atmosphere was just getting good again and Michael just had to burst it with that snide remark. Andrea was pissed and she aggressively knocked against his shoulder as she walked off.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s one way to end things.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡± Michael turned around and saw Glen standing in an appropriate distance from him. ¡°How long have you been there?¡±

    Glen started walking towards him while wiping his hands with a cloth." Since the beginning, and If I didn¡¯t know any better.¡± He paused just beside Michael and looked at him with a grin. ¡±I thought you two were about to start devouring each other.¡±

    ¡°It would have been better if she did it when the Sun wasn¡¯t around.¡± Michael chuckled and left.

    Glen watched him go. ¡°You wish she did!¡±

    Michael didn¡¯t say anything and just flipped him off.

    ¡°Lucky bastard¡± Glen mumbled, clearly envious.

    Daryl was looking at Michael who had started lending a hand on burning the dead bodies scattered around the camp. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Really? You just got here¡±

    ¡°Shut up. It wasn¡¯t me who started it¡± Michael was starting to feel annoyed, especially when he saw the weird looks the people were throwing at him.

    ¡®What¡¯s wrong with these people? Aren¡¯t they being too nosy?¡¯

    ¡°What about you? Do you fancy anyone here?¡± Michael and Daryl carried a dead zombie and threw it towards the blazing fire and couldn¡¯t help but suddenly become curious.

    Daryl stared at him with a serious look on his face. ¡°No, I don''t have the time to indulge myself into that right now.¡±

    ¡°Are you gay?¡± Michael blurted out from out of nowhere.

    ¡°Man, can you just shut up and help?¡±

    Michael shrugged his shoulders. ¡®Well, you never had sex with someone for over 10 years in the show! That¡¯s not normal at all.¡¯

    He really wanted to say those words, but deemed it''s better to keep those thoughts to himself lest it cause some misunderstandings.

    While the others are busy cleaning up the campsite, Shane has brought Rick into a corner.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Shane gestured towards Michael with his chin. ¡°What do you think about the new guy that Daryl brought?¡±

    Rick watched Michael helping out with Daryl and T-Dog. ¡°I think he¡¯d be an asset to the group. After all, his ideas did help tide over the crisis last night with only minimal casualties. Which could have gotten even worse if it wasn¡¯t for those spears he made for the others.¡±

    Still having suspicions on the guy. Shane added another thing. ¡°I saw how he did last night. There was no hesitation in his actions when he took down those walkers. He¡¯s used to this, and all of his shots were to the head.¡±

    Rick was confused about why Shane is making it sound so wrong. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with that. His skills would make the camp stronger and secure.¡±

    ¡°That sounds great and all. But we don¡¯t know the guy, and let me just add, that guy is no ordinary person with that kind of skill set. I¡¯m thinking he¡¯s military or from another branch that¡¯s even more questionable¡± Shane was starting to feel frustrated when his friend was not getting his point.

    Rick can already see the frustration building on Shane¡¯s face and proposed something that would calm the man¡¯s thoughts. ¡°How about this, we keep a close eye on him. If he¡¯s indeed dangerous like what you¡¯re trying to say, then we¡¯d deal with it when it comes. Yeah?¡±

    In the end, Shane could only relent to him. ¡°Alright, alright. I hear you.¡±

    Rick smiled and gave him a pat on his shoulder before walking away.

    Shane eyed Michael while mumbling to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you and If I have to put you down to make these people safe, then I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do so.¡±

    Feeling the burning stare of someone on his back, Michael looked around and spotted Shane staring at him with a solemn look.

    Michael smiled and responded to him with a nod. ¡®Was it around this time that Shane is starting to lose his shit because of Rick? Don¡¯t tell me that his ill thoughts had instead shifted towards me? Damn, that¡¯s not good. I don¡¯t wanna be the one to take him down.¡¯

 Chapter Five - Whats Next

    ¡°Are you bleeding?¡±

    Jim and Jacqul made their way towards the same dead walker on the ground, When the latter crouched down, she spotted the concentrated bloodstains on his shirt.

    ¡°I just got some on me from the bodies¡± Jim tried to pass it off, though his voice sounded a little too weak.

    Jacqul started to feel a little apprehensive looking at him. ¡°That blood is fresh. Were you bit?¡±

    ¡°No, I got scratched during the attack¡± Bending down, Jim attempted another excuse in hopes that she would just drop the subject.

    Instead, Jacqul slightly raised her voice and slowly stood up away from him. ¡°You got bit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±

    ¡°Then show me!¡± Jacqul shouted, quickly attracting the attention of everyone around them.

    JIm looked up and then around him before whispering. ¡°Don¡¯t tell, please¡±

    She obviously didn¡¯t care about his pleas and immediately yelled for the others to hear her. ¡°A walker got him. A walker bit Jim!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay..¡±

    The men slowly crowded towards them, and Daryl pointed his finger at him with a pickax over his shoulder. ¡°Show it to us.¡±

    Weak and distressed, Jim hurriedly bent down and picked up the shovel from the ground.

    ¡°Jim, put it down. Put it down.¡±

    Shane and the others tried to calm him down, but their actions otherwise said so. T-Dog snuck from behind him and quickly restrained him.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m okay~¡±

    Daryl hurriedly grabbed Jim¡¯s shirt and pulled it up, revealing a freshly bitten wound on the side of his stomach.

    Daryl looked shocked and quickly retreated from him while T-Dog looked disgusted and quickly let him go and also retreated.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, I¡¯m okay..¡±

    Jim weakly repeated while breathing heavily. He looked lost and helpless. The others looked stressed.

    ¡®Crap, I completely forgot about this guy! Ughh, we just lost our main mechanic!¡¯ Michael clenched his fist tightly. He was frustrated as he had completely forgotten to keep a close eye on Jim last night.

    *****

    The group of survivors convened in the center of the camp and Daryl...was just being himself again, looking and sounding a little too aggressive while making a suggestion.

    ¡°I say we put a pickaxe in his head and be done with it.¡±

    Shane looked up and glared at Daryl. ¡°Is that what you want if it were you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d even thank you while you did it.¡± Daryl boldly stated, then he turned to Michael. ¡°What do you think man?¡±

    Michael shrugged with a shake of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. As of now, there¡¯s no cure for the virus. Someone can turn in as little as three minutes. The longest I¡¯ve witnessed was two hours.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Glenn questioned.

    ¡°Well, this is not the first group I¡¯ve been with during my escape from Atlanta.¡± Michael stated the obvious.

    ¡°You guys heard him. Jim can turn any minute now. Leaving him alone could endanger our safety!¡± Daryl looked pissed that he¡¯s not getting his point across.

    On the other hand, Dale looked helpless as he couldn¡¯t help but feel that Daryl was maybe right this time. ¡°I hate to say it, I never thought I would, but maybe Daryl is right. We can¡¯t keep a timebomb with us, we have kids here.¡±

    ¡°Jim is not a monster, Dale, or some rabid dog. He¡¯s sick. A sick man who needs us right now. If we start down that road, where do we draw the line?¡± Rick was starting to feel agitated. He still can¡¯t believe that as a police officer, he had to listen to people talk about murdering a person so openly and casually at that.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Daryl gripped his pickaxe tightly and once again proposed doing the pragmatic way. ¡°The line¡¯s pretty clear. Zero tolerance for walkers, or them to be.¡±

    Rick didn¡¯t agree with his plan and instead proposed another. One he thinks that¡¯s better than Daryl. ¡°What if we can get him help? I heard the CDC was working on a cure.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? Michael just told us that there¡¯s no cure!¡± Rick¡¯s attitude is starting to frustrate Daryl that he couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice.

    ¡°I was listening, but was he with the CDC? No, so Jim¡¯s best chance¡­is the CDC.¡± Rick argued. He¡¯s not stepping back on that.

    ¡°But what if he turns on the way there?¡±

    Feeling the growing tension between the two, Shane quickly chimed in. ¡°Then we put him down. The cure, I heard about that too. I heard a lot of things before the world went to hell, and here we are.¡±

    ¡°What if the CDC is still up and running?¡± Rick remained positive.

    ¡°Man, that is a stretch right there.¡± Shane shook his head.

    Michael just looked on and didn¡¯t offer any more input. Though he did keep a close eye on every single one of them.

    ¡®So, he¡¯s TV series Shane. Unlike the comic series Shane who remained positive that there will soon be military intervention.¡¯

    ¡°Why? If there¡¯s still any government left. Any structure at all, they¡¯d protect the CDC at all costs, wouldn¡¯t they? I think it¡¯s our best shot. Shelter, protection. Everything.¡± Rick was really trying hard to convince them to jump in with his idea, while Daryl looked like he was itching for some action.

    ¡°Okay, Rick, you want those things, alright? We do too, okay? Now, if they exist..if they... exist. They¡¯re at the army base. Fort Benning.¡± Shane can understand where his friend is coming from. So, he brought up a similar idea alongside Rick¡¯s and at least, ignite some hope left to the others. Something to look forward to.

    ¡°But that¡¯s 100 miles away from the opposite direction.¡± Lori said.

    ¡°That is right. But it¡¯s away from the hot zone. Now, listen to me, if that place is still operational. It would be heavily armed. We¡¯ll be safe there.¡± Shane continued with his idea.

    ¡°The military was in the frontline of this thing. They¡¯ve got overrun, we¡¯ve seen all that! The CDC is our best choice and Jim¡¯s only chance.¡± Rick does not support his idea and still thinks that the CDC is the best choice they got. Then he turned towards Michael for his opinion. ¡°What do you think? You¡¯ve seen far worse than any of us here. What do you think is our best course of action right now?¡±

    ¡®Why do these people keep asking for my opinion? Couldn¡¯t you guys just follow your usual script?!¡¯Michael just wanted to observe, to listen and to follow them, and maybe the occasional intervention from time to time. And them constantly asking for his input is starting to get on his nerves.

    But even so, he thought for a moment before giving them an answer that he thinks would satisfy both. ¡°CDC. Fort Benning would attract too much noise, and others would also have the same idea as Shane and would head there. Though, the same goes for CDC too, but it¡¯s closer from here. Less risk¡±

    Michael didn¡¯t want to choose Fort Benning since it would deviate too much from the story, and he¡¯d become clueless on how the story would unfold if they headed to that place. So, choosing CDC is the safest bet.

    Daryl on the other hand, doesn¡¯t really care about these options and prefers fixing the current problem at hand.

    ¡°You guys go look for Aspirin, do what you need to do. Someone needs to have some balls to take care of this damn problem!¡± Darly turned around and charged towards Jim! He was about to make another hole on his body when Rick quickly caught up from behind him and pointed his gun at his head.

    Click!

    ¡°We don¡¯t kill the living.¡±Rick spelled out those words in all seriousness.

    Daryl paused in his tracks and slowly turned around to face him while lowering his weapon, and Shane stood in between Daryl and Jim.

    ¡°That¡¯s funny coming from a man who just pointed a gun to my head.¡±

    ¡°We may disagree on some things, not on this. You put it down. Go on.¡±

    Daryl still doesn¡¯t like Rick, but he eventually relented at Shane¡¯s insistence and walked away.

    ¡°Come with me.¡± Rick quickly went over to Jim and pulled him up.

    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±

    ¡°Somewhere safe.¡±

    JIm let himself get pulled around by Rick, who brought him inside the safety of the RV.

    With all of that out of the way, Michael and the others had now made their way over to an open area where they had dug graves to bury their dead.

    Michael personally offered a short prayer for the departed. The others soon left after that while he decided to stay behind for a moment.

    ¡°Hey¡±

    He turned around and saw Amy standing there and had a bout of Deja vu.

    ¡°Oh hey, what¡¯s up?¡±

    With bashful steps, Amy approached Michael with a smile on her face. He could only watch on as she suddenly kissed him on his cheek, who followed it with a hug.

    ¡°Whoa, alright.¡± Michael carefully hugged her back and gave her back some pats.

    ¡°Thank you."

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome kid¡±

    ¡°You sound like an old man.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, people have mentioned that before.¡±

    The two eventually pulled themselves apart from each other and the two shared a laugh.

    ¡°I saw what you and Andrea did back there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you jealous?¡± Michael chuckled as he teased her.

    Looking at the ground, Amy placed her hands inside her pants back pocket before she raised her head and looked at him. ¡°I guess she beat me to it.¡±

    Michael just smiled and kept mum. There was a short silence between them before Amy eventually walked away, not after giving Michael a forced smile.

    Michael watched her go and mumbled. ¡°Man, lots of horny these days.¡±

    He smelled it, the smell of someone looking for a partner. Not literally smelled it, but Michael was able to perceive how she carried herself, and those emotions behind her eyes. He was familiar with those kinds of eyes. They were the eyes of someone desiring something or someone.

    ¡°I wonder what changes will happen after my intervention. The emotional rollercoaster that they should have felt while burying their dead didn¡¯t occur since we only lost two and wouldn''t produce the desired emotional impact. Now it makes me wonder, will this world try to off me after what I did last night or just let it be? I guess I¡¯ll find out in the coming days.¡±

 Chapter Six - Cruelty of the Doomsday

    After checking up on Jim, Rick and Shane headed into the woods to hunt and clean up walkers that strayed near the camp.

    ¡°I tell you what, these people are not convinced. They still think we are safe here. You know?¡± Shane brought up a conversation that happened earlier this morning.

    ¡°If you still decide to head to CDC. You might be on your own. You really need to reconsider if you want to put your family in that kind of spot.¡± Shane added.

    ¡°I gotta do what¡¯s best for my family.¡± Rick knew the dangers, but he also recognizes that this place, this camp, wouldn''t last long.

    Shane scoffed. ¡°Best for your family? What¡¯s that? Exposing them to all kinds of risks?¡±

    ¡°As opposed to what? Crossing over a hundred miles of hostile territory? And need I remind you that what happened last night has certainly attracted more walkers to this place? We don¡¯t have much time left in our hands. Why can¡¯t you just back me up that CDC is the best option we have right now?¡± Rick thinks that the camp had been compromised and was a little hurt that his best friend doesn¡¯t have the same view as him.

    ¡°Look, I know man. It¡¯s just...I don¡¯t see it. I still think heading to Fort Benning first is better¡± Shane shrugged. He¡¯d rather put his trust that the military is still there, rather than the CDC.

    ¡°Ahh, if it was your family. You¡¯d feel differently.¡±

    Shane slowed down in his steps until he came to a pause. He felt offended by what Rick had said. ¡°What did you say to me?¡±

    Annoyed, he slowly approached Rick while pointing to himself. ¡°I kept them safe, man. I looked after them like they were my own. That¡¯s what I did.¡±

    Rick tried to diffuse the situation. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you mean it? Go on, man. How¡¯d you mean it?¡± Though he did fuck his bestfriend¡¯s wife, but that doesn¡¯t mean Shane doesn¡¯t have the right to be offended now.

    Rick let out a sigh as he also realized his words came out wrong.  ¡°You¡¯re misinterpreting me, man. You¡¯re just hearing it wrong.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You..you know. You know I can never repay that debt, okay?¡±

    It was just getting tense when the sound of branch snapping echoed from somewhere around them.

    Shane and Rick shared a look and conveyed their thoughts with a nod. Both readied their shotguns and circled around the direction from where the sound came from.

    While Rick was carefully investigating the area ahead of him, Shane on the other side had him on his sights. He has this manic look on his face like he was about to do something bad, very bad.

    Click!

    ¡°Now, now, calm down.¡±

    Shane came to his senses when he felt the feeling of something hard pressed on his head. Followed bythe voice of Michael from behind him.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Like a ghost, Dale suddenly emerged from out of nowhere and looked at the two with suspicion.

    ¡°Nothing, brother.¡± Michael looked at Dale and immediately returned his pistol to its holster.

    ¡°Really, you two?¡± Dale stared at them with such intensity that it made them a little uncomfortable.

    Michael just chuckled, and before walking away, he threw Shane a very meaningful look.

    Realizing that he was caught doing something stupid, Shane was clearly feeling guilty, and he started fidgeting with his gun and letting out nervous chuckles.

    Dale watched Michael walk away, before turning his attention back to Shane and continued to stare at him. He didn¡¯t say anything, but from the way he was looking at Shane. it was obvious that he saw what he was doing before Michael appeared.

    ¡°We were just horsing around.¡± Shane just smiled, then he turned his head towards where Rick is and yelled at him. ¡°Come on, man. It¡¯s just Dale and Michael¡±

    Rick responded with a nod and started making his way over to them.

    When Shane turned back around, Dale was still staring at him. It made him really uncomfortable, but he still acknowledged his presence. ¡°Come on, man, let¡¯s go. There¡¯s nothing out here.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything back, but Dale just watched him as he left.

    Dale and the two former police officers eventually returned to camp. Where they found the others had gathered around the campfire, where Shane saw Michael smiling at him.

    He just looked away, he didn¡¯t dare say anything, much less confronting him about what happened between them. Shane knew he fucked up, even more so that it was the new guy who witnessed his actions. Though he¡¯s not sure about Dale, he has some suspicions.

    Placing his shotgun down, Shane was quick to address the group. ¡±I''ve uhh..I¡¯ve been thinking about Rick¡¯s plan. Now, there are no.. there are no guarantees, but either way, I¡¯ll be the first one to admit that.¡±

    Shane and Rick looked at each other. ¡°I¡¯ve known this man a long time. I trust his instincts. The most important thing here is that we need.. to stay together.¡±

    When Shane mentioned staying together, Morales and his family looked a little guilty.

    ¡°So those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning. Okay?¡±

    Even with the incident that just happened earlier between them, Shane still had the sound mind to ask for Michael¡¯s opinion. ¡°Do you have anything to add?¡±

    Following his words, everyone turned to Michael. This time, everyone has had a change of opinion on Michael. Unconsciously, similar to Rick and Shane, the others had also started to highly consider Michael¡¯s opinion on matters regarding their survival.

    ¡®Damn, I guess the bamboo spear strategy was the MSG to gain their trust.¡¯

    Michael cleared his throat. ¡°Alright., I just want to emphasize what Shane said. It is very important that we stick together. Some of you here are probably already thinking of leaving the group and going off on your own, but that is a bad idea. The zombies aren¡¯t our only enemies, humans too. Do not think it''s the best chance for your family, or you¡¯re only doing it because you want to be with your people. That line of thought is not only gonna get you killed, but also your family.¡± Michael paused, and everyone clearly felt that he was insinuating, directed to a certain someone among them.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Of course, we all want to be with our other families, but is that what¡¯s best for yours right now? Clearly not. So you must continuously remind yourself that even the army wasn¡¯t able to last long. So what makes you think your odds are any better? I don¡¯t want that in the off chance we encounter each other again in the future, you pin the blame on us for your losses because of one stupid decision. Remember, we¡¯re back¡­once again, to our primitive ways. Only the strong survive, the weak die. I think that¡¯s about it for me.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    There was a long silence as they just looked at each other. They realized that his words had once again reminded them of the dangers out there, that the society isn¡¯t the same anymore.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s deep.¡± Gleen, still a little naive, remarked.

    Some of the others slowly left to get ready for tomorrow¡¯s move.

    ¡°So, while you guys are getting ready for tomorrow. I¡¯ll head out of camp and get us a couple more cars. Any volunteers? Preferably someone who knows his way around cars,can drive and knows how to hot wire.¡± Taking the lead at this point, Michael decided he might as well go all the way..for now.

    Despite probably his companion being against it, a young man who thought he had to contribute more to the group, voiced his support. ¡°I¡¯m a Med student, but I know my way around cars. My parents owned an Auto Repair Shop before this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Mechanic, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    ¡®They have another mechanic aside from Jim? How come he was never utilized? Must be because it was a TV show and not like the real world I¡¯m in.¡¯ Michael was a little confused, but he was extremely glad about the new addition.

    ¡®We even have a med-student, that¡¯s good. I guess they never appeared because they died too early in the show¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Seeing that there were no more stepping up, Glenn also volunteered to go.

    ¡°Not you, you stay here with the rest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m coming with you.¡±

    When Andrea also stepped up, Michael looked her way with a dubious expression. He¡¯s just not sure if she can be of help at this time.

    ¡°What? I can keep a lookout.¡±

    In the end, Michael ultimately decided to bring her and not Glenn.

    He went over to T-Dog who was busy packing up his things and tried to borrow his van. ¡°Hey man, can you lend me your van?¡±

    T-Dog turned to look at Michael, then at the three people behind him and the equipment they were bringing.

    Michael had lent his machete to Andrea and the med-student named Cole, carried a hammer on him and lastly, their soon to be new main mechanic, Alan, just carried with him two of the spears that he had personally created.

    ¡°Are you sure about what you¡¯re bringing?¡± T-Dog suddenly feels unsure about this short trip Michael and the rest are taking. Since they looked ill equipped going out for this undertaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re not going far from here. There should be several abandoned cars along the road here, right?¡± Michael knew his concern, but he believes that as long as they don¡¯t stray far off from the camp, the risk is minimal.

    T-Dog shrugged his shoulders and stopped badgering him. ¡°Alright, just give me a minute to pack my things.¡±

    Soon, the group of four left the camp in the church van.

    Just as he had told T-Dog, the group indeed didn¡¯t stray far from the quarry since Michael only planned to drive around the neighborhoods in the area.

    There were abandoned cars along the road, but Michael figured that the others might have already siphoned the fuel from those vehicles and just ignored them.

    Instead, his objective were the houses that had cars abandoned on their driveways or inside their garages.

    Michael drove the van inside a small residential neighborhood and eventually stopped in front of a single story turquoise home with an abandoned old Nissan Armada on the driveway.

    ¡°We¡¯ll start here. Cole, go and see if that Armada can still run, but scout it out first. I don¡¯t want you getting bitten by a walker because you were careless¡± Michael instructed him while getting down the vehicle.

    ¡°I¡¯m on it¡±

    They left the van one by one, and Cole cautiously headed towards the SUV with Alan just behind him with a spear in hand, scanning their surroundings.

    ¡°Check the backseats first before going in. Alan, keep a lookout.¡± Michael reminded them as he and Andrea walked past the two and towards the front door.

    Michael grabbed the doorknob and slightly turned it, and was slightly surprised to see it''s actually open.

    Andrea and him exchanged a look. Michael drew his gun and slowly opened the door. He cautiously stepped foot inside with his gun aimed ahead.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    Michael walked over towards a nearby desk and started knocking on it.

    Puzzled by his actions, Andrea whispered. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Checking for walkers. They¡¯re attracted to sounds.¡± Michael briefly explained. He repeated it multiple times until he was satisfied that there were no other noises inside the house aside from the one he was making.

    ¡°Nothing so far. Let¡¯s split up, but stay cautious. If you encounter a walker, do not hesitate to aim for its head. Got it?¡± Michael cautioned her.

    Andrea nodded before making her way to the kitchen.

    ¡°Wait, if you stumble on a door leading to a possible basement. Do not open it and notify me first.¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡± She still didn¡¯t say a word of reply, she just nodded. She obviously looks tense with the situation.

    ¡°Take a deep breath to calm your nerves. It won¡¯t help being too nervous.¡±

    Vroooom!

    Just then, they heard the sound of a car engine coming from outside.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go out first and see how the car is.¡±

    Thinking that it was a waste of time for both of them to go, Andrea shook her head. ¡°You go on ahead. I¡¯ll just look around here.¡±

    Michael immediately glared at her. ¡°What did I tell you guys earlier at the camp? We stick together. We don¡¯t move alone unless a place is deemed absolutely safe.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Andrea nodded and was given a fright on how serious Michael is right now. After all, she only saw him smiling a lot back at the camp and never really saw him in action except for last night.

    Right at that moment, Cole emerged from the front door and was just in time to hear the end of it.

    ¡°Uhmm, the car¡¯s working. So-¡±

    ¡°How much gas is left on it?¡± Michael quickly cut him off and asked what he was most concerned about.

    ¡°Just half full sir¡± Cole was obviously intimidated as he had become quite stiff.

    Michael nodded and he gave him another instruction. ¡°Head out back. Keep a lookout with Alan. Just in case there are hostile people around here, make sure to stay in between two large objects so anyone can¡¯t easily snipe you. Immediately notify me if there¡¯s trouble outside. Understood?¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± With a crisp answer, Cole quickly left the house.

    ¡°Compared back to when we were at the camp, you¡¯re behaving quite differently now.¡±Andrea was staring at Michael as those words escaped from her lips.

    ¡°There¡¯s a time and place for everything. We¡¯re in hostile territory after all. Come on, let¡¯s resume scouting this place and take whatever valuables this place offers¡±

    Michael and Andrea then split up, the latter still heading to the kitchen while Michael had made his way over to the bedrooms.

    Stopping in front of one of the bedrooms, Michael leaned on the wall and started knocking on the door, keeping an ear out for any movements or noise inside.

    Again, he was only met with silence.

    Michael cautiously entered the room and recognized it was a baby room with how the place was decked out with baby related items.

    In the middle of the room, there was a crib and when he peeked inside. Michael could only close his eyes as his eyelids trembled. Inside..was a bloody mess and he can already imagine the horrifying scene that took place here.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Michael cursed in a low voice as he quickly departed from the room.

    He was already used to the deaths around him, but just imagining the scene of helpless babies getting devoured in their cries of pain just brings him unpleasant feelings.

    Quickly getting rid of those unpleasant thoughts, Michael resumed his search.

 Chapter Seven - Departure

    Andrea and Michael looted the house of every valuables without any problems.

    Their haul from this house was a small first-aid kit, a set of knives, a couple of canned goods, and with one rare find, an old folding trench shovel, left lying on a corner inside a small storage closet in the kitchen.

    ¡°Alright, onto the next one. Alan, drive the Armada with Cole. Stay close and stay sharp.¡±The two men responded with a simple nod before they immediately boarded the vehicle and followed after the van.

    The crew drove around the little neighborhood until Michael spotted something on the side of the road and caught his attention.

    ¡°A police cruiser.¡± Andrea mumbled in anticipation and also got down from the van following Michael.

    The other two soon followed suit after them. Michael didn¡¯t even need to say anything, and they already went on being on the lookout and constantly scanning their surroundings.

    Michael turned towards one of the guys and instructed. ¡°Alan. Get the jerry can on the back of the van and see if you can siphon the fuel out of this guy.¡±

    ¡°On it.¡±

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s a shotgun in the backseat.¡± Andrea called out, which quickly caught Michael¡¯s attention. He pressed his face against the backseat window and indeed spotted the shotgun just quietly lying in there.

    It was then Alan came back with the jerry can and like a thief, he skillfully opened the fuel cap and began siphoning the fuel from it.

    ¡°Cole, it¡¯s yours.¡±

    Cole nodded and immediately went over to the cruiser, but then he paused and turned to Michael. ¡°It¡¯s open.¡±

    Michael personally took the shotgun and started rummaging inside with Andrea. In addition to the shotgun, they only found a half case full of shotgun shells.

    He looked around them and couldn¡¯t help but think of something that has been bothering him.

    ¡®It¡¯s too quiet. Did someone clear this place or did the zombies gather in one place?¡¯¡¯

    Seeing that Michael had come to a standstill, Andrea grew a little worried and quickly moved close to him. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Come on, one more vehicle then we¡¯re out.¡± Michael pulled Andrea along with him and quickly got inside the van.

    Cole and Alan also hurriedly went back to the Armada when they saw the way Michael was acting. It made them worry. Their vigilance also heightened along with it.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong really?¡±

    Michael quickly got the van running and turned it around from where they came from.

    ¡°It¡¯s too quiet. It¡¯s not a good sign. It¡¯s either¨C well, shit. I knew it was too quiet.¡±

    Turning into a corner, Michael was just about to share his thoughts when he immediately stepped on the brakes of the van.

    There was a small herd of zombies blocking their way out.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s find another way out.¡± Their presence certainly scared her, but Andrea wasn¡¯t overly worried. ¡°Not like this is the only road we saw here.¡±

    Soon, the group safely made their escape from that neighborhood without any more complications.

    At sundown, the group eventually made their way back to camp after going through multiple houses and along the way back, they got a hold of a school bus abandoned on the side of the road.

    ¡°You guys actually got a school bus?¡±

    Arriving at the camp, Glenn was the first one to welcome them, followed by Dale, Rick, then a couple of others.

    ¡°We saw it abandoned on the roadside on our way back here. Good thing Cole and Alan were able to make it run with minimal repairs. Though it¡¯s low on fuel right now, I¡¯m thinking of actually making it our main vehicle alongside Dale¡¯s RV.¡± Michael suggested, but his eyes were mostly on Rick while saying those words.

    ¡®Though it was little weird that we actually came across this one and even got it running¡¯

    ¡°I agree, I think that¡¯s a great idea. The current capacity of our vehicles wouldn¡¯t be able to carry us all for our trip to CDC tomorrow.¡± Dale was elated and immediately agreed on the idea since he knew that their current vehicles wouldn¡¯t be able to accommodate them all including their supplies.

    ¡°We¡¯d also be able to save on fuel. I¡¯d really hate the idea of constantly stopping on the road just to siphon fuel... and in the middle of hostile territory.¡± Glenn was also on board with the idea. He then went inside the bus with Dale and sat in one of the seats there.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Rick smiled at Michael while repeatedly nodding his head. ¡°This is good, this is very good. This will make it easier for us to defend the group. We only need to station two guards on both ends of the bus.¡±

    ¡°We also got a shotgun from a cruiser we stumbled across. I still prefer my Glock, so you decide on how you wanna handle it.¡± Michael handed the shotgun to Rick. It was also a subtle way to tell the guy that he recognizes his leadership over the group.

    ¡®It''s better that I draw the line right now. I don¡¯t want people to assume that I¡¯m also competing for authority over this group. I don¡¯t want this to turn into a triple-threat match between the three of us. Shane and Rick butting heads is already chaotic enough.¡¯

    ¡°Great. I wouldn¡¯t say no to another shotgun.¡±

    ¡°Hey guys! Come on over, dinner¡¯s ready!¡±

    The men then heard Lori shouting by the side of the campfire and made their way over.

    It was already deep into the night. Glenn is on top of the RV keeping watch when Michael is woken up to the sound of someone rustling outside his tent.

    Michael quickly grabbed his gun and sat up. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    ¡°...It¡¯s me, can I come in?¡± There was a short silence before he heard Andrea¡¯s voice from outside the tent.

    ¡°Sure, come in.¡±

    The tent opened up and Andrea carefully moved into the tent.

    She was wearing a loose white tank top paired with a short.

    The pair shared a knowing look. Andrea had a purpose coming to his tent in the middle of the night. Michael quickly figured it out since only someone who is too dense would still be oblivious to what was about to go down.

    Without a word, Michael grabbed Andrea¡¯s head by her hair and kissed her. They exchanged a very passionate one that led to their clothes disappearing one by one.

    After a long while, Michael had once again felt how good it was being inside a woman, and the latter, finally ending her month-long drought.

    Their bout lasted five rounds.

    They soon drifted to sleep with Michael spooning Andrea.

    The following morning, Michael had woken up to see her getting dressed.

    The two smiled at each other. The scenes from last night reminded Michael and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from groping and kneading one of her knockers.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got one naughty hand.¡± Andrea smiled as she started putting her shorts on.

    ¡°Only for one naughty woman.¡± Michael chuckled. He was certainly enjoying the scene happening before his eyes.

    ¡®She was incredibly wet and tight last night. It must have been a while since someone had knocked those doors open.¡¯

    ¡°Wait, we didn¡¯t use rubbers last night.¡± Michael was quickly reminded about something and suddenly felt worried.

    ¡®Damn, I can¡¯t suddenly be having a baby while the group still doesn''t have a secured territory for ourselves.¡¯

    Andrea immediately addressed his worries. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m on the pill. I took some with me with the thought that something like this is bound to happen in the future. That is..If I survived long enough, and I guess I did.¡±

    ¡°So, we gonna do this again?¡±

    Andrea paused, then she turned around to look at Michael and smiled. ¡°When I feel like it.¡±

    Michael mumbled as he watched her leave his tent. ¡°Dang. I really didn¡¯t expect to get laid last night.¡±

    He didn¡¯t immediately get up and instead started pondering about the things that happened so far.

    ¡°Amy¡¯s alive. So Andrea would have a whole new personality going forward. I just don¡¯t know if it was the right choice. Shane, that guy does not like me at all, especially after our last encounter. We also have more survivors now, which means we¡¯ll have more mouths to feed. On the bright side, our numbers would at least intimidate other bands of survivors from doing anything stupid. Progress will also be faster with more hands. The only thing we lack now is experience, weaponry and a stable base of operations.¡±

    Following his thoughts, Michael left his tent and was just in time to join the others.

    ¡°Alright. Everybody listen up. Those of you with CBs, we¡¯re gonna be on channel 40. Let¡¯s keep the chatter down, okay?¡± Shane with Rick by his side addressed the group and looked at each of them one by one.

    ¡°Now, you got a problem, don¡¯t have a CB, can¡¯t get a signal or anything at all. You¡¯re gonna hit your horn one time. That will stop the caravan. Any questions?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re uh¡­¡± Morales looked around him, hesitating. ¡°We¡¯re not going.¡±

    The moment he uttered those words, everyone looked at him. Especially the piercing stares coming from Rick and Shane.

    ¡®Is this shithead serious? Were they even listening to me yesterday?¡¯ Michael looked vexed. He wants Morales and his family to stay since the husband will prove reliable in the long run.

    Amy and Andrea stood beside Michael, and the latter saw the expression on his face and thought of something.

    ¡°...¡±

    There was a short silence before Morales¡¯ wife, Miranda spoke up. ¡°We have family in Birmingham. We want to be with our people.¡±

    ¡°You go on your own. You won''t have anyone to watch your back.¡± Rick looked frustrated while Shane advised them on the dangers ahead.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take the chance. I gotta do what¡¯s best for my family.¡± Morales sounded and looked confident uttering those words.

    ¡°You sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We talked about it. We¡¯re sure.¡±

    Michael wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn¡¯t bother to.

    ¡®I guess some things are just inevitable.¡¯ With those thoughts in mind, Michael returned to his tent and also started packing up since he¡¯s the last one to do so.

    Rick looked at Shane and both shared a knowing look. ¡°Shane.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, alright.¡± Shane immediately agreed as he already knew what was in Rick¡¯s mind.

    Rick rummaged through the gun bag, and they handed Morales another Colt Python and a half box full of bullets. While the two were in agreement to this arrangement, a certain someone was clearly disgruntled about it.

    Daryl grunted while the rest of the survivors started sharing their goodbyes to them. Everyone had worry painted in their faces, uncertain of their future.

    ¡°Channel 40, if you change your minds, alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Rick and Morales shared one last goodbye to each other.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s move out¡±

    The survivors immediately grabbed their remaining things and boarded the bus.

    Soon, the group drove off and began their journey.

    When the caravan reached the main road, Morales and his family separated from the rest and drove off in the opposite direction.

    The caravan was left with Dale¡¯s RV leading the front, followed by the school bus driven by Shane, then T-Dog¡¯s van and lastly, Daryl in his truck.

 Chapter Eight - Panic and Argument

    It hasn¡¯t been that long since they left when the caravan was forced to come to a halt. Dale¡¯s RV had broken down on the road.

    ¡°I told you we¡¯d never get far on that hose. I said I needed the one from the cube track.¡± Dale softly complained to Rick while most of the main group gathered in front of the RV.

    ¡°Can you jerry rig it?¡± Rick was also helpless with the situation.

    ¡°That¡¯s all it''s been so far. It¡¯s more duct tape than hose, and I¡¯m out of duct tape.¡± Dale shook his head as they¡¯re out of things to make a quick fix on the vehicle.

    Rick immediately turned his attention to Cole and Alan who just arrived after hearing what happened. ¡°Any thoughts for a quick fix on this guy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the radiator hose.¡± Dale softly informed them.

    Cole and Alan didn¡¯t immediately give an answer to Rick and instead checked what was wrong with the said hose.

    Alan looked at Rick and shook his head. ¡°We have to change that hose or just something to patch that leak.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying.¡±

    Then Cole remembered something and quickly turned to Alan. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t we find a brand new rescue tape on that Armada we brought back?¡±

    ¡°Right, but Michael took it though.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you guys say anything?¡± Dale complained.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t know you needed it. I¡¯mma go get it.¡± Cole looked at Rick and immediately ran back to the school bus.

    ¡°I see something up ahead. A gas station if we¡¯re lucky.¡± Putting his binoculars down, Shane informed the group.

    Meanwhile, Cole stopped by the bus window where Michael¡¯s seat is located.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the RV?¡± Michael inquired the moment Cole arrived.

    ¡°There¡¯s a large leak on its radiator hose. Do you still have that rescue tape we got from the Armada?¡±

    ¡°You need it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Michael turned his head to Amy who was sitting on the other side of the bus and called out to her. ¡°Amy, can you get that tape on the side pocket of my bag?¡±

    ¡°Here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Cole took the tape from Michael and hurriedly ran back to the RV.

    While the RV was getting a quick repair, and Shane with T-Dog going for a quick supply run ahead. Rick had a short emotional talk with Jim. Where the man eventually told Rick how he wanted to go while he¡¯s still lucid.

    While the group is discussing Jim¡¯s fate, Michael has taken a quick trip into the wooded area where the road runs across.

    Hopefully to forage some edibles if there are any around and if permits, take down some zombies that strayed to the area.

    ¡°When I was all by myself, I would always encounter several zombies even in secluded areas. They would just show up like mushrooms around me, they were practically everywhere. I guess joining the main group, their plot armor must have started rubbing off on me if I¡¯m anywhere near them.¡± Michael was having such absurd thoughts and realizing what made him arrive at that conclusion sent him laughing.

    He didn¡¯t venture far from the road, just a little distance past the tree line.

    Fortunately for humanity, the Earth is still generous since Michael had pretty much lived off of foraging.

    Similar to right now, he was able to harvest large bundles of lamb¡¯s quarters, purslane, several pieces of wild onions and a fistful of wild berries that he just ate.

    ¡°That¡¯s salad for tonight.¡±

    All was peaceful throughout, and Michael eventually made his way back to the caravan without any issue.

    It had been an hour since, and Michael was just in time to witness Rick and the others saying their goodbyes to JIm.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Daryl looked at him.

    Michael pointed at the leaves sticking out from his bag. ¡°Out foraging. Are we leaving JIm here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s what he wants.¡± Daryl nodded; he sound a little sad.

    Michael turned to look at Jim and caught him staring at him. ¡°I guess this is goodbye. Thank you..for surviving this long.¡±

    Jim only answered with a weak smile before he slowly closed his eyes, succumbing to either his wounds or the virus.

    The caravan slowly resumed their journey, with what¡¯s left of Jim overlooking them from the tree he died on.

    From thirty-one people, the caravan is down to twenty-six survivors following Jim¡¯s departure.

    Riding past where they left him, Michael mumbled. ¡°And another one gone¡±

    ¡°You knew about it, didn¡¯t you?¡± Andrea, who had taken the seat beside him, whispered.

    Michael turned his head over to her. ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Morales and his family. The words you said the day before our departure were too coincidental.¡± Andrea smiled with some confidence.

    Michael stared at her for a moment. ¡°Why are you always sticking to me?¡±

    ¡°Not always, most of the time. I just..we just feel safer when we¡¯re around you.¡±

    He was looking at her with his arms crossed. ¡°And the others?¡±

    ¡°Them too, but Rick and Shane would prioritize Lori and Carl¡¯s safety, and Carol has been getting a little too close with Daryl. Glenn..well, he¡¯s just there. Dale on the other hand, he can protect us with that rifle in his hands but given his age. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯d last long, given if the threat is too close, like how that walker almost got Amy.¡±

    Michael chuckled out of amazement when he realized something. ¡°So last night..was that payment for my protection?¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Andrea looked a little uncomfortable now with that being brought up. ¡°Yeah¡­you, you could say that.¡±

    ¡°Well, as long as I¡¯m the only one getting it. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Michael eventually agreed, which put a small smile on her face. Though for a second, Michael thought he saw some stubbornness or maybe reluctance in her eyes.

    ¡®I think her personality is starting to diverge off of the main paths. I better do something about it later.¡¯

    Andrea glanced at Michael from the corner of her eyes. ¡®I¡¯ll do everything to make sure Amy, and I see the end of this shithole. I have a hunch that this guy..would make that possible.¡¯

    If Michael can hear her thoughts, he¡¯d realize that she¡¯s actually not building to become that Andrea he hated to see.

    The journey to CDC remained dull and uninteresting, and they soon arrived at their destination with the sun setting behind them.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    The surrounding of the building was littered with dead lying on the ground, military units left abandoned. There are also the buzzing flies flying around and the rancid smell in the air that assaulted their nostrils.

    Michael stood up and softly addressed the people inside the bus. ¡°Everybody quiet. Talk just enough for the others to hear when we¡¯re outside. If possible, just don¡¯t talk, understand? Now, only bring spare clothes and things easy to carry since I¡¯m sure the CDC has enough supplies to provide for. Also bring your weapons with you, then quietly disembark from the bus.¡±

    The survivors carefully and quietly got their things, mostly backpacks, then quietly made their way out the bus.

    ¡°Hang on.¡±

    Andrea, Amy and Michael were at the very back when the latter suddenly held back Andrea. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Give me the machete.¡±

    Though confused, Andrea still handed it over. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Take my gun instead. Remember, point and shoot, got it?¡± Michael handed his pistol. Though flustered by his actions, Andrea still took it.

    Michael turned to look at Amy. ¡°Stay close to your sister.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±

    Michael didn¡¯t bring much, only the edibles he foraged earlier, some spare clothes and an empty duffel bag.

    The survivors started moving quietly.

    Due to the smell in the air, the people tried to cover their noses, but it barely blocked the rancid smell permeating through the air and some had started coughing. ¡°Alright, keep it down and keep moving.¡±

    With Rick taking the lead, Shane urged and guided the group from the flanks, with Daryl taking the opposite side.

    Michael, on the other hand, stayed close to the rear and watched their backs while looting some of the weapons from the dead soldiers after stabbing their heads. Mostly their sidearms and started stuffing those into the duffel bag.

    [You killed a Zombie! You earned 1 EXP and 1 Gold Coin]

    He¡¯s not worried right now, since he¡¯d tackle that later as he doesn''t have any clue on how well the survivors would listen to him later.

    ¡°Keep it together, come on.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, baby.¡±

    The group peacefully reached the building without any obstruction.

    Rick started pressing something on the wall while Shane and some others tried to forcefully push the shutters up.

    ¡°There¡¯s nobody here.¡±

    Seeing their hopes slowly dashing away, panic was slowly settling into the group, and T-Dog remarks weren''t helping.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back. We still have enough gas to look for a place to stay the night.¡±

    ¡°This is a dead end. There¡¯s nobody left here. Let¡¯s go Rick¡±

    Rick turned his head behind him and reasoned. ¡°Then why are these shutters down?¡±

    ¡°Walkers!¡±

    Daryl¡¯s shout and the appearance of a zombie made it even worse as the kids started sobbing.

    A little surprised, Michael witnessed those who can fight pulling the ones who can¡¯t, behind them. Though their fear still didn¡¯t subside as Michael saw their hands shaking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, stay close to the building.¡± Michael advised and stood in front of them.

    Daryl, taking down the zombie and feeling angry at the situation that Rick had put them through, yelled at him. ¡°You led us into a graveyard!¡± while Glenn repeatedly shushed them to keep it quiet.

    ¡°It was a wrong damn call!¡±

    Shane rushed towards Daryl. He shoved and pointed his finger at him. ¡°Just shut up. You hear me? Just shut up!¡±

    From Daryl, he quickly turned to Rick and expressed his thoughts. ¡°Rick, this is a dead end.¡±

    Carol, not helping, softly cried to them. ¡°Where are we gonna go?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t be here, this close to the city after dark.¡±

    They watched as zombies started getting up and heading towards them, and their numbers slowly grew in size as the seconds passed. Everyone gripped their weapons tight, there were already some that had thoughts of escaping. It was only because they could still feel the tightness of the spears in their hands which made them feel safe and overridden such thoughts.

    Shane was also slightly freaking out and presented Rick with their other option. ¡°Fort Benning, Rick, still an option.¡±

    ¡°On what? We¡¯re running low on food and fuel. That''s a 100-mile journey.¡± Andrea pointed out.

    ¡°A hundred thirty-five to be exact. I checked the map.¡± Glenn remarked.

    The situation was startling to rattle the group, and Lori even raised her voice at them. ¡°Forget Fort Benning. We need answers tonight, now!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go, please Rick!¡±

    Rick tried to calm her and the others down, but he kept insisting. ¡°We¡¯ll think of something.¡±

    Shane tilted his head to the side and made his own decision. ¡°Back to the cars, let¡¯s get out of here!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, please!¡± Lori pleaded to her husband.

    Shane urged the others to move, and the others like Michael had already started to take down several of the zombies who got too near as they slowly trailed along the group.

    Frustrated, Rick was just about to lead the rest when he caught sight of the security camera¡¯s movement. ¡°The camera, it moved.¡±

    ¡°You imagined it.¡±

    ¡°No, it moved!¡± Rick was sure of it and slowly moved towards the camera.

    Shane headed to the rear to once again persuade Rick to go and was just there in time to hear him. ¡°Rick, it¡¯s an automated device. It does that. It¡¯s gears, okay? We need to head out now, the walkers are getting close. Now, come on!¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s got to be someone inside.¡± Rick was unwilling to believe that and stubbornly insisted.

    ¡°Hey, look around you! This place is dead. The walkers are slowly swarming towards us. Listen to me!¡± Shane was frustrated and grabbed Rick by his collar.

    On the other hand, Michael noticed that the main group had stopped following them and quickly called their attention. ¡°Stop! Retreat back to the building and join up with the others!¡±

    ¡°Why?! We¡¯re almost there!¡±

    Splitting a zombie¡¯s head in half, Michael angrily turned around and grabbed Cole¡¯s collar and yelled at him. ¡°Just listen to me! We stick together! Besides, we¡¯d be ill equipped if we all get separated! Now go! Go!¡±

    Obviously, most were reluctant to heed his words and would rather make a run towards their vehicles.

    Thankfully, there were still people among them who were clear with their situation and knew that they wouldn¡¯t survive long without Rick and the others. They also weren''t sure if Michael would be willing to lead them, so they would rather choose the former option.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back for the others. Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°But we¡¯re almost there!¡±

    ¡°No, listen to me. To the building. Now!¡±

    The survivors pulled their reluctant companions back to the building, but not all of them. Three people tried to make a run for it, but as expected, they didn¡¯t even get far when zombies suddenly emerged from behind a Tank and swarmed them.

    ¡®Damn extras should¡¯ve listened.¡¯

    Michael turned to the sisters who had been sticking close to him all this time and urged them to go ahead of him. ¡°Come on you two, let¡¯s go.¡±

    As the swarm of zombies is slowly closing in on them. Michael and the others were just in time to see the shutters opening and shrouding the people at the front in a bright light.

    ¡®Just in time.¡¯

    Michael smiled. He is confident that he can save himself while looking after the two sisters and escape from the situation in hand, but he¡¯s got no confidence in protecting the group with a swarm at their heels. So, the worry in his mind finally eased when the shutters finally opened up.

    ¡®And just in the nick of time, Dr. Jenner.¡¯

    *****

    Update on Status

    Survivor Information

    Name: Michael [Level 2] [EXP: 21 / 200]

    Age: 29

    Strength: 5

    Agility: 5

    Vitality: 6

    Enhancement(s): 0

    Weapon:

    Machete

    Old Folding Trench Shovel

    Coins: 361

    [MODULE LOCKED]

    Notes:

    (5) Peak of Human physique.