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   Taehyung was sick of seeing the rusty tracks, the only relief he had was that he was reunited with Rick, Michonne and Carl. The five of them were exhausted after walking the entire day and a part of Taehyung was eager to reach Terminus because he'd finally be off the road but another part of him was terrified. The feeling stemmed from the realization that reaching Terminus would mean confirming whether Jungkook was dead or alive. He knew that the chances of him surviving were small and was aware that he wouldn't see Jungkook there but actually having a confirmation would break him.

As they walked, they saw a torn-down sign lying beneath a blanket of leaves. Taehyung brushed the leaves away with his boot, revealing the word terminus written on it, "We're getting close." Daryl murmured after seeing the sign, "Be there before sundown."

They looked up and peered into the distance as if their eyes could pierce through the foliage and see the building, "How should we do this?" Taehyung spoke up, glancing over at Rick for guidance, "Just walk in through the front door?" He questioned with a quirked brow, showing his doubt.

Rick's nose twitched in disagreement and chin nudged into the direction of the forest, "We head through the woods, we don't know who they are." The group agreed with that and broke away from the trail by stepping down the tracks and trickling into the woods.

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When the sun was low in the sky, they stumbled upon a metal fence. Vines and ivies crawled through the wires, shielding what was hiding beyond it. The group stepped forward with Rick grabbing one of the vines and tugging it off to the side, revealing a large brick building. The windows were boarded shut and in big, bold letters the name 'Terminus' was spray painted below the windows. Unmoving traincarts were decaying next to the building and a fence wrapped around it. It had a large courtyard, mostly consisting of concrete ground and overgrown weeds growing through the cracks. There wasn't a person in sight and Taehyung could only wonder how this place was still standing without guards surveying the area.

"We all spread out, watch for a while, see what we see and get ready." Rick untangled his fingers from the fence as he whispered his instructions, "We all stay close." Taehyung hummed in agreement, following after Daryl when the man leaned his crossbow against his shoulder and started walking away. Distantly, he heard Rick speak to Carl, "You want to stick with me?"

"It's all right." Carl denied the offer and trailed after Michonne with Rick's eyes lingering on the boy's back.

Taehyung tried to ignore the interaction but he had noticed Carl's quietness and the way he looked at Rick after yesterday. He wondered if the boy was scared of him after he had witnessed his father rip someone's throat out with his teeth but decided that it wasn't his place to address this. He noticed that Michonne and Carl had grown closer, and were currently walking off by themselves, so he just left it to her to comfort the boy and see what the issue was. He knew Michonne would be the best person to have this talk with - the woman having comforted Taehyung in his darkest moments in life.

Taehyung sped up his step until he was walking by Daryl's side. He tilted his head to the side to take in the extent of Daryl's injuries. The man had a blue eye, a bloody scratch mark on the start of his brow, and more bruises on his cheek and throat.

"The blood on your brow makes it look like you're sad, sort of like one of those sad cartoon characters, it's kind of funny." Taehyung gestured at Daryl's brow, earning himself a sound that resembled an amused scoff.

"Well, look who's talking, lookin' like you went ten rounds with a can of spray paint."

Rick snorted from behind them, Taehyung's eyes flickered over his shoulder to squint at the leader but Rick merely smirked in return, "Did I win at least?" He played along, causing Daryl to roll his eyes over his face to observe his bruises.

"No."

Taehyung's lips twitched and a huffed laugh tumbled past his lips, "Fair enough." There was a moment of silence in which Taehyung's smile slipped and his face grew more serious before he uttered, "You were right, you know." He elaborated when he saw the smear of confusion on Daryl's face, "Staying with that group, we wouldn't have found the others if we had left like I said we should."

Daryl's face scrunched with a scowl, revealing that he didn't believe Taehyung's words, prompting the latter to continue speaking, "They would've tracked them down regardless whether we were there or not, at least with us being there, all of us got out alive."

"He's right." Rick spoke up from behind them, coming to a halt and forcing the two to twist around and face him, "It's good that you were there." He finished before gesturing down at the spot by the tree, "This could be a good place." And then Rick was pulling out his pocket-size shovel and bending down to start digging.

Taehyung watched on with a trickle of confusion filling his belly, "A good spot for what exactly?" He wondered out loud, looking over at Daryl to make sure he wasn't the only clueless one in the situation. He wasn't.

Rick didn't stop digging as he explained his actions, "We're gonna leave the weapon bag here." He wiped the sweat off his brow, "Just in case."

Taehyung's brows pinched and lips pressed into a thin line, "If the place isn't good, shouldn't we have as many weapons as possible?"

Rick shook his head at that, creating a pile of dirt next to the growing hole, "If they capture us, they'll take our weapons and we-"

"-we might not be able to find 'em, at least this way we'll know exactly where they're at." Daryl finished for Rick after he latched onto his thought process.

Taehyung pondered over it in his head but eventually hummed in agreement. He did worry that these weapons could come in hand if they were attacked, but Rick was right, if this community was big, they'd be captured regardless if they had two guns or a whole bag. It would be for the best if they left them outside, that way they'd ensure that they had a safety net to fall back on. The real problem they had was getting out of Terminus if it turned out to be bad.

Rick continued to dig until there was a square-shaped hole in the ground. He grabbed the blue bag sitting on the ground and squished it into the hole before starting to dump the dirt on top. Taehyung sighed, rolling around his shoulders and shifting from foot to foot, bored of not being able to help. But Rick only had one shovel and didn't look like he wanted help. So, Taehyung pushed himself forward and approached the fence to peek through it. His eyes skimmed over the brick building and empty courtyard.

"Don't you find it weird that there isn't a person in sight?" He wondered out loud with his eyes still glued on the building, trying to find even one person walking by the fences. But it was eerily silent and still, making it seem as if no one was inside, "What if someone attacked them and they're all dead?"

Daryl's rough voice drifted along his ears, "Nah, the fences would be down." He paused before pointing at the empty courtyard, "It would be filled with walkers."

Taehyung sucked in his cheeks but kept watching in hope of seeing someone, he mainly wanted to see someone familiar but anyone would do, "It's weird." He murmured under his breath and squinted his eyes, "It's so quiet and there's no movement, I don't even see guards." He pushed away from the fence and turned his back to Terminus, just in time to see Michonne and Carl walk up to the group. Taehyung briefly observed the boy - noticing how his face was clearer than before and his eyes no longer carried the weight of the past, "No guards could mean stupidity or arrogance." Taehyung offered to the group, earning signs of agreement in return.

"Let's find out which it is." Rick threw the last pile of dirt onto the buried bag before standing up and putting the shovel away. He wiped his hands on his pants and wiped his sweat away before nodding at the fence Taehyung was leaning against, "We'll go through the back door, see what they're hiding."

Rick was the first to climb over, doing it so effortlessly that Taehyung got jealous. The latter followed the leader's example by turning around and slipping his fingers through the gaps. He hoisted his body up with a grunt, ribs aching in protest, but Taehyung pushed through it. He clamped a hand around the top of the fence and pulled himself over until he was sitting on top of it. His eyes skimmed over Terminus once more before he jumped down. He slammed into the ground, stumbling for a moment before catching himself. His knees burned and he had to clutch at his ribs to soothe them.

Taehyung turned around and watched Michonne, Carl and Daryl climb over. Rick had his gun out already and Taehyung was quick to pull his own out, grip tight as they ventured into the area. Daryl took the lead with Michonne following behind him, Taehyung made sure Carl was in the middle of the group and Rick chose to stay at the back to watch over all of them.

Taehyung's eyes bounced around with paranoia that someone was hiding around the corner with a sniper. His grip on the gun tightened and their footsteps quickened until they were jogging. They ran around a building and slipped into a small alleyway. It was empty and Taehyung didn't know whether to feel glad or anxious about it.

Rick released a sharp whistle and rushed past them, going for the first red door on their left. It was cracked open and had 'fire exit' written on it. The group followed behind him without any hesitation. Rick grabbed the door handle and looked at Daryl, mouthing a few words Taehyung couldn't decipher before Rick was tugging the door open. Daryl pushed inside with his crossbow raised and Rick continued to hold the door until Taehyung and the others entered.

As soon as they were inside the moldy brick hallway, a female voice bounced off of the walls and filled Taehyung's ears, "Terminus, those who arrive, survive." His eyes flickered down the hallway but it only led to more doors. Taehyung stayed behind Daryl as the man started to stride down the corridor, following the echo of the voice, "Follow the tracks to the point where all lines intersect."

The voice grew louder and clearer with each step until they came across a parted blue, sliding door. Their footsteps slowed and Daryl leaned against the wall next to the door, cautiously peering into the room through the gap, "There are maps at the crossings to help guide you with your journey." Taehyung stepped closer and peered around Daryl to see into the room.

The room was big and open, the windows were drawn shut but the light still seeped in and made it feel light and airy. In the center of the room was an elderly woman sitting at a desk. Her hair was white and clean, her clothes were pristine and washed, not a speck of blood or droplet of sweat in sight. She was wearing headphones as she spoke into the Microphone, "Sanctuary for all, community for all." There were workbenches at the back of the room with paint supplies and the maps they had seen on the road scattered around. Standing over the workbenches were people, both men and women, who were painting these signs.

"Those who arrive survive." The elderly woman continued to speak and none of the people at the workbenches noticed as the group silently trickled into the room. Taehyung observed them with some mistrust and tried to find anything suspicious but they were just painting the signs and seemed harmless. He didn't know how to proceed or what to think, "Terminus, Sanctuary for all, community for all. Those who-"

"Hello."

Rick's voice echoed through the room, followed by his footsteps as he sauntered forward with so much confidence it felt like he ruled this place. Taehyung's eyes widened at his mannerisms, wondering if the man had drunk something before heading inside.

The air in the room stilled and the people froze, looking up at Rick in surprise. The woman pulled her headphones off her head, staring at them with caution and a hint of fear. Taehyung brushed her off and moved along with the group until they were standing by her desk, all forming a straight line and facing the people at the workbenches.

"Hello." Rick repeated when no one said or did anything, his voice echoed in the room and only caused another wave of tension to sweep through it.

Taehyung surveyed them when no one said anything, they looked clean and well-maintained, and didn't seem like they carried guns either. It left him reeling with surprise that this place was still standing. Were they unaware of the type of people that were out there? Or were they hiding something that could answer why they weren't cautious.

One of the men with shaggy hair, brown pants, and a grey button-up sucked in a deep breath, "Well, I bet Albert was on perimeter watch." Annoyance bled into the man's voice as he threw his paintbrush onto the table and took a few steps closer to them, "You here to rob us?" Despite his words, the man remained calm and mostly irritated that they had slipped in.

"No." Rick called out across the room, he rolled his lips together before approaching, "We wanted to see you before you saw us." Rick explained as he shoved his gun into its holster.

The man's lips pressed into a tense smile and he nodded his head, "Makes sense." He glanced at the people behind him before walking closer to them with ease visible in his steps, "Usually we do this where the tracks meet." He cleared his throat and spread his arms open, "Welcome to Terminus!"

Taehyung's face scrunched at the theatrics and eyes pierced into the woman standing behind one of the benches. She wore a scarf around her neck and immediately sent him an awkward smile when they made eye contact. Taehyung turned away to focus on the man, he lowered his gun until his hand lay limp by his side - the others having already done that when Rick had put away his gun.

"I'm Gareth." The dramatic undertone in Gareth's voice was washed away by something more calm and serious, "Looks like you've been on the road for a good bit."

Rick didn't blink or look away from Gareth, not even for a moment, "We have." He stated gruffly with his eyes squinted and brows raised in what seemed to be suspicion. There was a brief pause before Rick introduced them with a nod of his head, "Rick. That's Carl, Daryl, Taehyung, Michonne."

Gareth's eyes flickered between them with each roll of a name off Rick's tongue. When the leader was done, Gareth lifted his arm to give them a small wave and a quirk of his lips. No one responded or even moved to return the gesture, Taehyung's eyes even grew colder.

Gareth's arm dropped and silence followed. The latter eyed them again - face masked and indifferent. And the very next second, his face lit up and he stepped forward with some enthusiasm, "You're nervous, I get it! We were all the same way." He lazily strolled towards them and Taehyung's eyes dropped to his hips to check for a gun. No gun. Interesting for him to be so relaxed when facing complete strangers and having no weapons on him.

"We came here for sanctuary." Gareth was standing right in front of Rick by now, being scrutinized under the Leader's sharp eyes, "That's what you're here for?" He asked with a bounce of his eyes towards the rest of them before settling on Rick.

"Yes." Rick muttered, staring at him without blinking and not a drop of emotion in his face.

"Good, you found it." Gareth nodded and twisted around to call out to one of the guy's behind him, "Hey, Alex." A smiling man with curly hair and a beard started approaching them while Gareth continued to speak, "This isn't as pretty as the front. We got nothing to hide but the welcome wagon is a whole lot nicer." Gareth answered the question that was brewing in the back of Taehyung's mind, making him clamp his parted lips shut and swallow his words.

Truthfully, Taehyung didn't know what to feel or think. He wanted to trust these people and be a part of their community, be off the road and be safe. He wanted that for the others as well. These people also didn't seem threatening, they greeted them and wore smiles, some were nervous and awkward but it wasn't unusual to see. Another part of him was wary of the unusual kindness, especially after what happened last night. In the end, he wanted to hope that this place was good and that in one of the buildings, the rest of their people were waiting for them.

Alex reached them and stopped by Gareth's side, offering them a smile that could either be considered awkward or eager to get to know them, "Alex will take you, ask you a few questions." Gareth explained, causing Alex to send them a quick wave and a beam, "But, uh, first..." Gareth trailed off with some hesitance, "we need to see everyone's weapons. If you could just lay them down in front of you."

Alex's smile faltered into a nervous frown and he carefully watched their reactions to that. Taehyung's first instinct was to tilt his head and look at Rick for guidance. He didn't trust his own judgment at the moment because he felt like his desire to see who was here, if Jungkook was, clouded his vision. If there was something wrong, Rick would've sniffed it out like a hound because his son was with him and he wouldn't let anything slide.

Taehyung noticed that the others were also looking at Rick and the Leader was staring back at them. There was a tense pause in which no one moved or said anything. The silence lasted for a good bit before being broken when Rick gave them a nod, "Alright." Rick pulled out his gun and placed it on the ground in front of him, prompting the rest to follow his lead.

"I'm sure you understand." Gareth commented with the barest tint of sympathy.

Rick looked up at him, still crouching down and removing his weapons, "Yes, I do."

Taehyung lowered his gun against the floor before removing the strap with the throwing knives from around his thigh. He then pulled out the dagger strapped to his hip and placed it on the floor. When all of them had stood up, Gareth instructed them to open their arms for a pat down. Taehyung huffed out a slow breath and lifted his arms, keeping a careful eye on Gareth when he started patting down Rick, only to have his attention ripped away when Alex approached him for a pat down.

Alex patted along his sides, causing a flash of pain to zip through Taehyung's body from him pressing against his bruised ribs. Alex looked up at him with a grin, "I'd hate to see the other guy." He joked about the bruises coloring Taehyung's cheek, only to have Taehyung's eyes sharpen and lip curl into a sneer.

"You would." Rick responded with some finality before Taehyung could open his mouth to cut into him. Alex nodded and moved on to pat down Daryl, then Carl. While he was patting down the boy, he looked at him and asked, "They deserve it?"

"Yes."

Everyone's eyes snapped to Carl when the steel words left his lips. His face was shrouded in darkness and his eyes were harsh as he stared back at Alex whose smile had faltered. Gareth cleared his throat, "Just so you know, we aren't those kind of people, but we aren't stupid either. And you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid." His lips twitched and head bobbed in a nod, "As long as everyone's clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems. Just solutions."

Taehyung nodded with a hum, his eyes following Alex when he started patting Michonne down. The two made eye contact - Taehyung trying to ask her what she was thinking of the situation. Before she could answer, Alex was reaching down to take hold of her Katana. Taehyung stiffened and Michonne jumped in alarm, only for Alex to offer the weapon back to her. Michonne's face dropped and eyes narrowed, she cautiously took the Katana out of his hand.

Alex tried to reach for Taehyung's knives and gun, only for him to snatch the weapons himself. Alex jumped in slight alarm but quickly offered him a smile and stepped back, allowing them to grab the weapons on their own. Taehyung didn't look away from them as he locked the strap of throwing knives around his thigh and pocketed his gun.

When all the guns were back in their possession, Alex smiled and waved them over, "Follow me."

The group followed Alex across the room until they reached another door. Alex pushed it open and left the building with the others trailing after them. Taehyung stepped out after Carl, leaving Rick to walk behind the group. Tae surveyed the small path between buildings. On one side was a fence without a lock, it seemed to be the front entrance where people usually came in from, while on the other end was a small courtyard. There was a woman cooking something at a stall with a stove, the scent drifted through the air and Taehyung could detect it as meat.

"So, how long has this place been here?" Daryl questioned Alex, slightly more relaxed than before.

Alex peered at them over his shoulder, "Since almost the start. When all the camps got overrun, people started finding this place. I think it was instinct, you know?" He explained with a shrug, leading them into the open courtyard, "Follow the path. Some folks were heading to the coast, others out west or up north, but they all wound up here."

Taehyung quirked a brow and voiced his thoughts as he observed the area, "You haven't had any problems with a group?" There were picnic tables with chairs and umbrellas, and a sandbox of growing plants and vegetables in the middle.

Shadows latched onto Alex's face, causing his features to darken, "There was one group." He mumbled so quietly it was difficult to hear him and before Taehyung could ask more, Alex perked back up and gestured around with a wave of his hand, "But as you can see; still standing."

They stopped in front of the elderly woman cooking at the stall. Her auburn hair was pulled together into a messy braid with some strands falling over her shoulders. She looked up from the slices of meat on the stove to greet them, "Hi." She uttered with some hesitance, "Heard you came in through the back door, smart." She looked back at the meat to roll it over, revealing that one side was crispy brown, "You'll fit right in here."

Alex nodded in agreement and eyed the group with a smile, "Hey, Mary, would you fix each of these folks a plate for me?" He asked the woman, earning himself a small hum.

Taehyung cleared his throat and stepped forward, "In the last few days, has anyone else come here?" He felt like his heart was in his throat from all the anticipation to hear the answer.

Alex seemed to ponder over it before offering an answer, "There's people coming all the time, some came during that time, why? Are you looking for anyone?" He shot back his own questions.

"Yeah." Taehyung breathed, "An Asian guy, around 20 years old, his name's Jungkook." He could feel the others turn to look at him after hearing the description but all Taehyung did was stare at Alex. He was preparing himself internally, worried to hear the answer.

Alex's face scrunched in deep thought and eyes hazed over as he tried to remember a person like that, "I don't think I've heard someone with that name." Taehyung's face fell and chest squeezed, causing Alex to jump forward, "But, hey, maybe I'm wrong. Mary will fix you a plate, you can eat, then I have to interview each of you and after that, I can take you to the main room. That's where everyone usually stays in, maybe you'll find your guy in there."

Taehyung felt too dejected to even give a nod and a thanks, so he settled on a weak hum. Michonne chewed on her lip, observing the sadness leaking into Taehyung's face, and tried to pull the attention off of him by speaking, "Why do you do it, why do you take people in?" She voiced the first question on her mind.

"The more people become a part of us, we get stronger." Alex spoke just as Mary plopped the first slices of meat onto a plate. Alex reached out and took the paper plate, offering it to Carl, "That's why we put up the signs, invite people in, it's how we survive." He took the next plate and extended it to Taehyung, "Here."

Taehyung took the plate and stared at the meat, it looked crispy and juicy. Taehyung felt saliva gather in his mouth and belly perk up at the scent, "Hey, I'm not really hungry, can I just do the interview? I just wanna see-"

Taehyung was cut off when Rick marched past them and smacked the plate out of Alex's hands. He grabbed the man and threw him around until his back was to Rick's chest. The Leader ripped something out of Alex's pocket and dug a gun into his neck. Taehyung's mind was reeling with shock and confusion as he watched the scene unfold yet he still tugged his own gun out and pointed it up at the woman behind the stove without hesitation.

"Hey, woah, no!" Alex stuttered through a shout, struggling against Rick.

Taehyung was confused about what had triggered the leader to react and just hoped that Rick knew what he was doing.

The answer came when Rick hissed through his teeth, "Where the hell did you get this watch?" Taehyung looked over to see the watch in question and realization dawned on him when he saw Hershel's pocket watch - the one he had given to Glenn, the one that Glenn would never give away to a stranger.

Taehyung felt his heart drop and fall out of his chest. Their people were here and they were prisoners, he hoped they weren't hurt or killed, "Where the hell did you get this watch?" Rick gritted again when he didn't get a reply.

"You want answers? You want anything else? You get 'em when you put down the gun!" Alex pushed out, his voice trembling with fear and his arms lifting in surrender.

Taehyung scoffed under his breath, "Yeah, right." And let his eyes dance from person to person. The people who once sat at the tables had all stood up and were looking back at them, some even had their weapons raised and aimed.

Rick twisted Alex around and looked up at the building, "I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle, how good's his aim?" The leader taunted before hissing through his teeth, "Where'd you get the watch?"

Taehyung's jaw snapped shut and he exhaled a sharp breath when no one answered. He twisted around, pointing his gun from person to person and glancing up at the rooftops in search of snipers, "Where'd you get the watch?" Rick shouted behind him.

"Don't do anything!" Alex shouted up at the sniper, probably worried he's gonna get killed, "I have this, you just put it down!" The man with the sniper pulled his gun back and rested it against the edge of the room, making Alex lower his voice into a shaky whisper, "You wanna listen to me, there's a lot of us."

A pang of confusion waved over Taehyung because it felt like the panic in Alex's voice was for theatrical reasons and he wasn't really scared. As if he wanted to have the gun lowered to make them feel like they were in control, while twenty more snipers shot them dead.

Taehyung's pinched brows made his face scrunch into a scowl as he listened to Rick sneer, "Where did you get the watch?"

"I got it off of a dead one!" Alex spat out in a panic, "I didn't think he'd need it."

Taehyung snapped his head around, if that was true, Glenn was dead but there's no way the people here would've found his body. The only way they'd actually get the watch off of a dead walker, was if Glenn was killed here.

Rick mockingly nodded his head and whipped Alex around to face one of the men aiming their gun at them, "What about the riot gear?" Taehyung's eyes swung over to the gear and a single thought crossed his mind, prison. Rick then whipped Alex to the side and nodded at one of the women, "The poncho?" Taehyung eyes bounced, Maggie.

Their people were here and it only created a ball of panic and worry in the back of Taehyung's throat.

"Got the riot gear off a dead cop!"

Rick whirled around and Taehyung jerked his head around to see Gareth standing behind them, "Found the poncho on a clothesline." Gareth offered with a careless pull of his shoulders, looking all too calm for the situation he was in.

"Gareth, we can wait." Alex squeezed out.

"Shut up, Alex." Gareth brushed him off.

"You talk to me." Rick rasped, digging the gun deeper into Alex's throat.

"What's there left to say?" Gareth interlocked his fingers and laid them over his stomach, "You don't trust us anymore."

"Gareth-"

"Shut up." Gareth cut Alex off with a swift flick of his hand, he looked like he didn't care whether Alex was killed or not.

"Gareth, please." Alex begged regardless of the clear order to stay quiet.

Gareth still held his hand up, palm open and facing Rick, "It's okay, it's okay." He softened his voice, trying to appease both Alex and Rick, only for his voice to sharpen with his next words, "Rick, what do you want?"

"Where are our people?" Rick gritted, eyes so dark and sharp it felt like the night itself had possessed him.

Gareth's lips tugged into a breezy smile, "You didn't answer the question." And then he shut his hand into a fist.

A raspy grunt tore through Rick's chest as he dragged Alex around, just as a shot rang through the air. A bullet hit Alex in the head and the man fell to the ground. Taehyung pressed his finger on the trigger, shooting at one of the armed men and causing him to scatter. He shot another bullet at the elderly woman and watched her rush into a building.

"Carl, get down, now!" Rick grabbed Carl by the arm and pushed him towards one of the alleyways.

Taehyung looked in the direction of the main entrance and saw a few men with guns blocking it. He shot at them, hitting one in the knee and causing him to tumble to the ground. The other ones started to fire, Taehyung flinched and jumped away in alarm, only to notice that the bullets hit the pavement by their feet or flew over them.

"Go!"

Taehyung felt someone shove him in the back and immediately started running after Carl and Rick. Just as they were about to enter the alleyway, shots rang out and bullets hit the ground in front of them. Taehyung whipped his head up to see a man standing on the roof. The group whirled around and ran back into the courtyard, they rushed past the sandbox with plants and swerved around the tables until they stumbled open another opening.

They were about to run through the alleyway, but more bullets hit the ground by their feet. Taehyung flinched away, feeling a bucket of cold water pour over him at the realization that they were being trapped from all sides. The group stumbled back, eyes flashing in different directions as the bullets kept hitting the ground in front of them. They were pushed towards the open garage door and the group didn't hesitate to run inside.

Taehyung didn't pay attention to the cars in the room because as they ran through the garage, the door on the opposite side of the room was grabbed and rolled shut with a loud bang. Taehyung's footsteps slowed and rough pants fuelled by adrenaline fell over his lip as he tried to find another exit.

"Here!" Daryl called out from behind them, pointing at a barred door leading into another room.

They ran forward, but when Daryl tried to open it, the door remained unmoving. Taehyung pivoted around and saw a black doorway with an 'A' painted onto it, "There!" He called out to the others and sprung forward, slamming into the door with so much force it flew into the wall behind it.

Taehyung was greeted by an open area outside filled with rusty cars and wooden crates. As they were sprinting across the lot, the sound of gunshots echoed through the air and bullets started hitting the ground behind them. Taehyung felt like his feet were on fire and his back was crawling with ants from the thought of getting shot any moment.

Taehyung sprung towards another path to their left, "This way?" He called out in a questioning tone, only for gunshots to greet him as soon as he tried to go that way.

"Get them off B!"

"No, here!" Daryl shouted back and led them on, Taehyung whirled around to follow him, noticing how Rick paused briefly to wait for him and shoot a bullet up at the guy on the roof.

They continued running, or more like stumbling around in search of an exit, and as they ventured forward, they ran past a caged area filled with human remains. The stench knocked Taehyung in the ribs and made bile rise up to his throat, the sight of the pile of torn bodies and flesh was more grueling though. They dashed past the area and swerved around two red containers stacked on top of each other.

"Help!" A voice echoed from inside the container, followed by banging, "Let us out!"

Taehyung's eyes widened and footsteps slowed for a moment, only for Rick to slam into him and drag him forward, "Keep going!" The leader shouted and Taehyung followed his order, trying to ignore the shouting from the container.

The group ran into a building with another 'A' painted on it and as soon as they entered, they were met with a room filled with candles. Taehyung froze and his arms dropped by his sides at the sight. It looked like a deranged memorial for the dead - hundreds of candles were sitting on shelves and floors, and some were even hung from the ceiling. The creepiest part was the writing on the walls.

Never again.

Never trust.

We first, always.

"These people, I don't think they're trying to kill us." Michonne spoke up, voice revealing her puzzlement.

"No," Rick panted, "They're aiming at our feet."

Taehyung pivoted around to face them, glancing between the group members, "They're leading us somewhere like cattle." And then a sudden thought made him pale, "Wait, did y'all see any animals here?"

Rick's gaze flickered over to him and Michonne fell eerily silent, before any of them could answer, one of the doors in the room slammed shut. They looked at the only other door left and hurried towards it. Daryl flung the door open and they ran outside. Bullets immediately hit the wooden crates in front of them, causing a cloud of dust to form in the air and forcing them to shift direction and run into the open area.

When the dust settled, Taehyung was able to see a fence in front of them. For a second, hope flared in his chest at the sight of the fence and the forest behind it, only for it to get squashed when a line of men jumped up to their feet on the other side of the fence. The group came to a sharp halt, staring back at the guns aimed at them.

Taehyung's chest rose and fell, each exhale containing a sliver of panic. He twisted his aching feet around to face the building and was met with the sight of more people with guns sitting on the roofs. In the center of it, stood Gareth. They were trapped and had no way out, Taehyung mind drifted towards the worst-case scenario and he pondered if this was the end.

Would this really be how he died after everything that's happened? Just gunned down? No battle and no blaze of glory?

Taehyung made eye contact with Michonne and saw the same fear in her eyes. He looked at Daryl and noticed a flash of anger crash into his face. Then at Rick, who was gazing back at Carl with a mixture of anxiety and fury.

"Drop your weapons!" Gareth's voice boomed across the open area, surely attracting walkers, "Now!" He emphasized when no one moved. The group still didn't move. Taehyung's head was filling with different ways this could play out and his heart thudded with anxiety, "Now!"

Taehyung flinched out of his thoughts and witnessed the others drop their weapons with hesitation. Taehyung clamped his jaw shut and carefully unlatched his thigh strap, he threw it at the ground before removing his knife and dagger. He felt exposed and vulnerable without having the weapons, especially in a situation where they were being aimed at and could be killed any second.

"Ringleader, go to your left, the train cart, go!" Gareth shouted the instruction and everyone's eyes flickered towards the red train cart with a big A written on top of it. Rick glanced over but didn't move, causing a tint of satisfaction to bleed into Taehyung's body from the display of defiance.

Gareth seemed irritated by the lack of movement, "You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies and you end up there anyway." Taehyung's face dropped at the words, these people weren't afraid of killing children, they'd do it so easily and without any remorse.

This seemed to piss Rick off even more but he still managed to give Carl a small nod to reassure him before he started dragging his feet towards the train cart. Taehyung's eyes were glued to the leader's, only flickering away when Gareth called out again, "Now the archer!" Taehyung and Daryl made eye contact as the man brushed past him - the latter not bothering to hide the anger he felt towards the situation.

"Now the knife thrower!"

Taehyung rolled his eyes, feeling the weight of the scowl press onto his lips yet he still pivoted around and marched towards the cart after Daryl and Rick. A few steps in and Taehyung heard Gareth's voice yell behind him, "Now the samurai!" Taehyung slowed in his steps to look around, witnessing Michonne's brief hesitation at the fact that Carl would be going last.

Rick had reached the steps of the cart and waited at the bottom for the others to join him. The Leader had his hawk-like eyes trained on each group member as they walked towards him but ultimately settled his gaze on Carl. The seconds ticked by and Gareth remained silent, with each step Taehyung took he felt a feeling of foreboding seep into his aching bones. He could see the same dread in Rick's face and shoulders, yet the leader tried to mask it with a clench of his jaw.

Daryl and Taehyung reached the train card and stood in line, waiting for Michonne and Carl, "Stand at the door : Ringleader, archer, knife thrower, samurai, in that order." Gareth called out just as Michonne reached them and stood behind Taehyung.

The group stared back at an unmoving Carl, the boy looked tiny with his scrunched shoulders and hands lying limp by his sides. His eyes were trained on them in anticipation and fear. When no further instructions came and Carl just kept standing there out in the open, completely vulnerable and alone, tension made the air sizzle and burn against Taehyung's skin.

"My son!" Rick shouted with grit when his anxiety bubbled over and could no longer be contained.

There was another pause where Taehyung's mind drifted towards a scenario where Gareth would separate Carl from them as a way to use his him against Rick, only for Gareth to finally yell, "Go, kid." Taehyung watched Carl's shoulders slump in relief before he scurried towards them.

"Ringleader, open the door and go in!" Gareth shouted again.

Rick pushed his tongue against his cheek and yelled back without removing his eyes from Carl, "I'll go in with him!"

"Don't make us kill him now!"

Taehyung's face scrunched in disgust and he had to look away from Carl to hide the expression. Anger was slowly bubbling in his belly and the thought of strangling Gareth was sweeter than before. Rick sucked in his cheeks and huffed a sharp breath before dragging his feet up the stairs and opening the sliding door to the train cart. Rick hesitated for another moment before going inside with a shake of his head.

Daryl followed after him and Taehyung followed Daryl. Their feet hit the ground in small thuds and their faces were covered by shadows as soon as they were inside the cart. Taehyung turned around and watched Michonne enter with Carl entering a minute later. As soon as the boy was inside, Rick curled his arm around him and pulled him further away from the entrance.

They all watched as the door was slid shut, cutting off the sunlight and shrouding them in darkness. A few strips of light slipped into the container but it was barely enough to see. The group huddled towards the side of the cart and as Taehyung was taking a step closer to them, a bang came from the opposite end of the cart.

Taehyung turned around and froze when he saw something move in the shadows. His hand flung down to grab a knife, only for his fingers to be met with nothing. His face dropped, along with his hand, and he could do nothing but stare as someone walked closer until they stepped into the streak of light.

Glenn stared back at them in surprise, approaching them cautiously as if he didn't know if it was truly them, "Rick?" He asked with hesitance.

More people started to step forward, revealing Maggie, Sasha and Bob. Other unfamiliar faces were staring back at them - a girl with short black hair, a burly man with ginger hair and a mustache, a guy with a Mohawk and an explorer outfit, and a girl in shorts and hair tied in two pigtails.

"You're here." Rick murmured, still surprised at seeing them before the emotion was swept away and replaced by something more solid, "You're here." He nodded with steel in his voice.

Taehyung's eyes flickered from face to face, he carefully observed the shadows behind them in hopes of someone hiding among them, but when no Jungkook appeared, Taehyung felt like his soul had been sucked out of his body and chest was crushed under the weight of the world. Still, with the smallest hint of hope present, he dared to crack his lips open and ask, "Is Jungkook here?" He exhaled the question - voice so airy and weak it wouldn't have been heard if the train cart wasn't eerily silent.

Maggie's face scrunched with a scowl and sadness bled into her eyes, Glenn's eyes widened and flickered around their group as if he had been expecting Jungkook to be with them, "No." Glenn stuttered weakly, realization dawning on his face when he realized Jungkook wasn't there.

The same realization was currently kicking at Taehyung's ribs. He exhaled through the pressure on his chest, hoping that with each breath he exhaled, the pain in his chest would lessen. But it only grew sharper until it felt like a dagger was carving a hole into his chest. Taehyung knew that the possibility of Jungkook being alive was slim but actually reaching Terminus and not seeing him here, only confirmed that Jungkook was currently floating at the bottom of a river somewhere. The image of that being the case caused a sharp sting of pain to shoot through his chest.  

While Taehyung was stuck deep in his thoughts, Rick's eyes bounced between the unfamiliar people behind Glenn and Maggie, prompting the woman to say something, "They helped save us." Taehyung blinked, snapping out of his bubble of guilt and grief.

Daryl voiced their acceptance into the group, "Yeah, now they're friends of ours."

"For however long that may be." The man with the ginger hair spoke up, turning away with a huff to walk back to the corner of the cart. Taehyung scowled at that but didn't have a plan or words to argue with him.

"No."

Everyone stopped and snapped their gazes onto Rick. He had spoken with so much conviction that it gathered the room's attention into the palm of his hand, "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out." The Leader's face relaxed and he marched up to the sliding door, trying to peer through the cracks to see outside.

The man with the ginger hair voiced the question on everyone's minds, "Find out what?"

Rick wrenched his eyes away from the door and looked at them, light shone on his face, revealing the flicker of something predatory in his gaze. The next words he uttered, sent a shiver down everyone's spines,

"They're fucking with the wrong people."