"Take watch. Eyes open, head down."

Jungkook looked up from analysing his scraped hands and turned to look at Rick. The leader ordered Maggie, handing her a gun and offering her a nod before walking past her. He passed by the cells, glancing into all of them as he addressed the rest of the group, "The fields are filled with walkers, I didn't see any snipers out there but we'll keep Maggie on watch."

Jungkook straightened out, pushing away from the stairs to look over his shoulder at Daryl. The two nodded at each other as Daryl stopped next to him, watching Rick when he finally joined them.

"I'll get in the guard tower, take out half them walkers, give these guys a chance to fix the fence." Daryl said, placing his hands on his hips as he spoke with Rick.

"I'll help." Jungkook immediately volunteered, bitting his lip to try and stop himself from smiling. He was quite excited to spend time with Daryl, he had missed hunting together.

Daryl looked at him and nodded, much to Jungkook's relief, only for Kook's ghost of a smile to slip from his face when a deep voice filled the air between them, "Or use some cars to put the bus in place."

Jungkook's head swung around to look at Taehyung and his face immediately dropped into a look of annoyance. He huffed with an eye roll, pursuing his lips to stop himself from spitting an insult at him. Jungkook didn't know why, but everything about Taehyung aggravated him. The way he carried himself- like he was the reason sun rose in the mornings and set in the night, the way he spoke through his confident smile- like his every word was laced with cold and it was a blessing for you to even hear his voice, and the way he looked at you- like he could see right through you and knew exactly who you were.

"We can't access the field without burning through our bullets." Hershel spoke up, shifting his grip on his crutches. Jungkook ran his tongue over his bottom lip before sinking his teeth into it, he eyed Taehyung with a look of distaste before finally turning his eyes away from him.

Glenn sighed, clenching his jaw and pressing his hand against his face, "So we're trapped in here. There's barely any food or ammo."

"We've survived before, we'll be alright." Jungkook said, crossing his arms over his chest and blowing a strand of his hair out of his face.

"That's when it was just us." Glenn snapped, pressing his lips together and shoving his fingers towards the ground to make his point.

Jungkook huffed out a bitter laugh, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. His hair fell into his face as he turned to face Glenn, "You're acting like none of us died." He sneered with hostility, making the group fall silent.

"You know what I'm talking about- the snake in the nest." Glenn grumbled, eyes narrowing as he spared a glance towards Merle's direction.

"Man, we gonna go through this again?" Daryl turned towards Glenn, walking up to him, "Look, Merle's staying here. He's with us now." Daryl huffed at Glenn, shoving a finger into his chest, making him take a step back, "Get used to it."

"Hey."

"All y'all." Daryl spat, shooting his glare towards everyone before turning around and marching up the stairs to the second floor.

Jungkook frowned as he looked after him before releasing a sight and turning back around to face the group. His eyes connected with Taehyung's, who was standing on the opposite side of him, and he quickly came to a realisation that the other was observing him. Jungkook's face grew cold and his eyes narrowed before he scoffed in Taehyung's face and turned away from him, missing the smirk that appeared on Taehyung's face.

"Seriously, Rick, I don't think Merle living here is really gonna fly." Glenn continued, stepping closer to Rick and lowering his voice. Jungkook shut his eyes and punched the bridge of his nose, lowering his head and shaking it in annoyance.

"I can't kick him out."

"I wouldn't ask you to live with Shane after he tried to kill you." Glenn snapped back immediately, raising his voice slightly.

"Wait what?" Taehyung's eyes widened and he straightened out, eyes connecting with Rick's, "Shane tried to kill you?"

Taehyung couldn't believe what he was hearing, he remembered the day that he went to the police station and met Rick. Shane had felt bad that he was staying in the station for two days, so he brought him food, clothes, a blanket and even a teddy bear. Taehyung was grateful for the help and that Shane had made him more comfortable, even if he only had to stay for a few more hours. And, now, after hearing that Shane had tried to kill Rick- his best friend, he was left in a state of disbelief and puzzlement.

Rick ran his tongue over his front teeth and shook his head at Taehyung, only for Jungkook to cut into their conversation.

"How do you know Shane?" He asked warily, eyeing Taehyung from head to toe before looking over at Rick and doing the same to him.

Jungkook was just as confused as Taehyung, he had previously noticed Rick's fondness towards Taehyung, but it didn't make any sense for Rick to feel this way towards a stranger, so he just brushed it off. But after hearing that Taehyung knew Shane, yet the group didn't know him, Jungkook started to wonder- maybe they knew each other from before the apocalypse?

Taehyung sucked in his cheeks and spared Jungkook a small glance, "Doesn't matter." He muttered quietly.

The two continued to stare at each other- Jungkook trying to intimidate him to make him speak, while Taehyung was wondering why the fuck was he staring at him and not looking away. Eventually, the conversation resumed and went back on the correct path, but neither Taehyung or Jungkook looked away from each other.

For Taehyung, it was kind of amusing to watch the bunny boy squint his eyes and glare at him. It was amusing to watch him pursue his lips and stand up straighter to try and come across as more intimidating, only to look adorable. Taehyung wasn't intimidated by Jungkook because while his body was muscular, his face was quite squishy and adorable. He just wanted to reach out and squish his cheeks to make a pout out of his pink lips.

Taehyung finally had enough and he released a husky chuckle, allowing his lips to stretch out into a boxy grin. Jungkook jerked away as if he had been slapped by the reaction and his glare crumbled, being replaced by a look of shock. Jungkook quickly shook his head before whirling around on his heel and marching away.

"Jungkook?" Rick called out after him, eyes following his retreating figure.

Jungkook frowned and allowed his shoulders to slouch as he stomped out of the room, annoyed with Taehyung's reaction, "If Merle staying is what will get Daryl to stay, then he stays!" He called out before leaving everyone's sight.

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   The bright sun shone down on the people of Woodbury, matching the bright smiles on their faces. Yet despite the sunny weather and the grins on the civilian faces, there was a somber tension in the air. The smiles were there to hide the fear and confusion towards the possibility of someone attacking. The polite exchanges and joyful laughs were there to hide the fact that the people of Woodbury were preparing for war.

A calloused hand reached out and slender fingers curled around a red apple. The apple was brought up to a pair of rose coloured lips before they parted to allow a row of white teeth to sink into the red fruit. The sweet nectar of the apple filled the mouth of the curly haired female, making her lips twitch up before she continued to strut down the street, ignoring the glare burning into her back.

In the bible, the apple is a symbol of sin, yet in reality, it all depends on the person holding it- when held in Adam's hand, the apple symbolises sin. But, when Christ is portrayed holding an apple, he represents the Second Adam who brings life. To people of Woodbury, guns seemed similar to apples- it's definition depends on the person carrying it. When in the hand of their enemy, guns are a dangerous weapon that can kill them, but in the hands of their own, it is a tool for fighting for freedom and justice.

Maybe that's why they were so willing to fight in the upcoming war, maybe that's why their hands were filled with guns and minds with sweet promises that they were doing the right thing. But none of them truly comprehended the solemnity of the situation and none of them realised, that guns are guns.

Taking another bite from the juicy apple, Katelyn's eyes dragged along the line of people, that would be fighting against Rick's group. She hummed and nodded in satisfaction before turning away and continuing her way down the street.

The people of Woodbury didn't spare her a glance, but when they did, their eyes were filled with distaste and aggravation. Kate didn't care about the stares she was receiving, too used to the loathing looks to care. But she couldn't deny that the time when she wasn't hated, was better than the present.

Katelyn took the last bite out of her apple before chucking it into the bushes to decompose. She brushed her sticky hands on her jeans, scrunching up her nose when it didn't help the stickiness. Katelyn rolled her eyes and grabbed the door handle of the house in front of her, ripping the door open. She marched into the main house of the town, running up the stairs to the infirmary.

The closer she got to the door, the louder the voices inside the room became. Katelyn stood in front of the door, her fingers reaching up to try and flatten her curly hair. But no matter how much she tried to comb out the tangled strands, her curls only bounced back into place.

A sigh escaped her lips before Katelyn's hand curled around the door handle and she pulled the door open. The conversation ceased as she slid through the door with a bright smile on her face,

"Hello!" Katelyn greeted the group, her lips forced up and her eyes jumping from a person to a person. She took in the new group before her eyes connected with the governor's, "I'm Katelyn, but everyone calls me Kate." She introduced herself, placing a hand on her chest and giving them a small bow.

A dark skinned man stepped forward, his lips tugging up into a polite smile before he gesturing towards his group, "I'm Tyreese, that's Sasha, Allen, and Ben."

"They've been to the prison." Governor spoke up, placing his hand on his hips.

"Oh?" Katelyn's brows rose as she took a step forward, chewing on the inside of her cheek. After they had attacked the prison, Katelyn's mind was filled with images of what had happened after she tried to leave the prison. She remembered the feeling of terror and shock as an unknown person launched himself into the back of the truck and ripped Roman out of it. Katelyn had stopped and wanted to turn around, but after seeing the condition Roman was in, and the unknown Male advancing on him, she decided to leave him behind. It wasn't because of fear, but rather because she didn't care for him to go back for him.

"We went in for shelter." Katelyn's eyes snapped over to Sasha, the two stared at each other before the latter looked over at the governor, "We lost Allen's wife. This guy Rick showed up all of a sudden and chased us out." Sasha muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the hospital bed behind her.

"You need help with these guys? We're in." Allen stepped forward, grip tightening around the plastic cup in his hands.

Katelyn hummed with a smile, crossing her arms over her chest and pushing out her hip. She eyed the group again before looking at the governor- the two making eye contact, "Well, then, no. We, Uhm..."

"That would be amazing, we appreciate all the help we could get." Kate cut him off before he could finish, sharing nods and forced smiles with the rest. She didn't even entertain the idea that these people, that she was speaking to, could be dead after this was all over. All that mattered to her was the fact that they had more men than Rick's group had. Katelyn didn't even know why it was so important to kill the group, or why they didn't leave them alone, all that matter to her was that she had a purpose to live for a few more days.

"Thank you." Tyreese murmured with a grateful nod, ignoring the look The governor sent Katelyn, "Whatever we gotta do to earn our keep."

"Were you inside the prison, can you describe the layout?" Milton asked, pushing his glasses further up his nose and pulling out his notepad. Milton is a resident of Woodbury and one of the Governor's most trusted allies, he works as a researcher and scientist.

Katelyn and Milton never interacted or got along, maybe because of how different their views on things were. While Milton tried to find a cure for the infected by trying to bring back their memories, Katelyn chose to adapt to the new way of life. Most people in the town didn't like her, because she refused to dwell on how the world used to be by pretending everything was okay, and, instead, showed everyone how things are in reality. Katelyn often got in trouble for marching through the town covered in walker blood. The reason? She was scaring people with reality.

Tyreese exhaled softly, shifting on his feet and nodding, "It was pretty confusing, but I can try."

Katelyn opened her mouth to speak, only for the governor to place his hand on her shoulder and squeeze tightly. She swallowed thickly, mouth falling shut and eyes snapping up to him as he spoke through a smile, "You get your rest, we can talk about it tomorrow. As I say, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like, but you take the night and talk it over." The governor sent them a charming smile, guiding Katelyn out of the room and walking after them, "Goodnight." He murmured before shutting the door.

As soon as the door was shut, the hand on Katelyn's shoulder tightened to the point of bruising. A hiss left her lips and her hand shot up to grab the governor's wrist, only for her hand to get smacked away before she was dragged down the hallway. Katelyn's eyes grew large as she scrambled after the governor's fast steps, trying to keep up with him.

"What was that?" He hissed once they reached the end of the hall before spinning around to face her. His tall frame loomed over her smaller one and the fact that she was cornered into a wall, made Katelyn feel even smaller and more vulnerable.

"Wh..what?" Katelyn muttered, hand massaging her sore shoulder and face scrunching up. Her eyes dashed towards Milton, who was hovering behind the governor, looking at them with wide eyes full of fright. Milton gave her a shrug, making her exhaled softly and look back up at the governor.

Katelyn cowered away when Governor's face darkened and he took a step closer to her. Fear pumped through her hear and made her throat dry out, only for her to gasp when the governor's hand shot out and he grabbed her by her throat, slamming her into the wall behind her. Kate flinched and pressed herself into the wall behind her as he leaned down and tightened his hold around her throat.

"Don't forget your place, we are not equal, don't ever think that middling with my business and cutting me off is acceptable." The governor spat, his breath brushing against Kate's face and a droplet of spit landing on her cheek, making her flinch back, "You follow my orders and my lead, you don't do or say anything that I never told you to say. Understand?" His hand tightened around her neck, making Kate squeeze her eyes shut and nod her head frantically. Her hands flew up to his wrist and she tried to pull his hand away, only for him to sneer and tighten his hold.

"I...I think it's enough." Milton whispered under his breath, eyes darting between them and fingers clutching the notebook to his chest.

The governor ignored him and pulled Kate away from the wall before slamming her against it harder than before. A whimper left her trembling lips before she blinked away the tears of fear in her eyes and quickly stuttered, "I understand...I understand!"

The governor's hand lingered on her throat for a while longer before his fingers slowly uncurled, "Stupid girl." He hissed, fixing his shirt before turning around and marching away.

Kate's back remained pressed against the wall and her eyes were glued to the ground until she heard the governor leave the house. The door slammed shut, making her flinch before she pushed off of the wall and rubbed her aching throat.

"Are you..." Milton trailed off warily, not knowing how to approach the situation.

"Don't." Kate snapped, eyes jumping up towards Milton. Her face had hardened and grown more hostile, trying to hide the remaining hints of fear from the encounter with the governor, "Just don't." She huffed, turned around and marching away as if nothing happened.

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

  A harsh breeze ruffled through the forest, shaking the branches of the trees and twirling around the falling leaves. A heavy boot slammed against the leaf covered ground, crushing them under the weight before the boot lifted off of the ground and the person continued to walk forward.

The heavy footsteps mixed together with the sound of another pair of light footsteps and the sound of soft pants. A buff arm hoisted the black bags higher onto the person's shoulders before reaching out to push away the branches in front of him.

The branches parted, only to reveal a sigh of cars blocking the view of high walls wrapping around the town of Woodbury. The person's lips stretched out into a wide grin, revealing his rotten teeth and his chipped front tooth. His head swung around to look at the other male hovering behind him and he sent the dark skinned Male a wide grin.

The two men stepped out from the forest and manoeuvred around the cars, eyeing the metal walls surrounding the town.

"Stop right there!"

The two men stopped walked and looked up at the wall, noticing four people standing on top of it, pointing their guns down at them. The larger male's smile only increased before he released a gruff chuckle and shifted on his feet.

"It's alright!" He called out, slowly grabbing the bags of supplies on his shoulders and dropping them down to the ground with a thud, "We don't mean any harm, we have supplies and shit!" The male called out, one hand going up in surrender, while the other gestures towards the quiet male behind him. The people on the wall glanced at each other, murmuring quiet whispers between them before their attention was captured by the large Male bellow, "I'm Kolten!" He chuckled, grin widening as he eyed the four and slowly lowered his hands back to his sides, "I want to talk to the one in charge!"

⋘ ──── ∗ ⋅◈⋅ ∗ ──── ⋙

I'm starting a new book.

~Benikru