CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO || A LIAR'S SERVE

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The shouting, the fighting. it all stopped. everyone stared up at Eugene trying to fathom the words that had just escaped the man's lips, Anger instantly radiated throughout the group. all eyes locked on Eugene as they waited for an explanation; "I'm not a scientist! I lied. I don't know how to stop it."

"you what??" Alex spat getting up, an unseen anger radiating from her as she surged forward, her expression one of utter betrayal. she'd left Rick, Carl and Judith to protect a liar. Betrayal and disbelief burnt her veins as Glenn grabbed her arm stopping her in her tracks. silence returned to the group as they stared at Eugene in disbelief, trying to understand fully.

A shaky breath slipped past Alex's lips, Josh. They'd put him in danger for what? she'd put Glenn, and Sam in danger for nothing? left her family for nothing? the hot burn of betrayal that flowed through her veins was uncontrollable. Escaping Glenn's grasp. she surged forward. her clenched fist colliding with the man's chin. her anger uncontrollable. 

"Alex!" Both Glenn and Sam almost instantly tore her away as Eugene stumbled back. Steadying himself from force of Alex's punch. Pain etched his features. his hand cupping his sore face. Alex's anger radiated as the two men gripped her shoulders pulling her away. Shrugging the men off her she raised her hands in defeat: "Alright. alright."

"no he is a scientist I've seen the things you can do" Rosita defended denial coursing through her veins, she didn't want to believe it. they'd been Eugene's puppets. they'd protected him thinking he was the world's last hope... but he wasn't he was just a sad coward of a man. loyal people take things personally because they know they never would've done that...

"I just know things" Eugene huffed as everyone stared. Sam stood beside Alex, his heart racing. fists clenched by his sides. fighting the urge to take over what Alex had done and beat the shit out of Eugene. his veins were hot with rage. after everything they'd done for him. 

"you just 'know things'?" Glenn questioned from beside Alex, hurt evident in his voice. Alex's eyes flickered to Eli. Silent. He was silent. disbelief coursed through his veins. almost a year. a year of protecting a liar. 

"I know I'm smarter than most people, I know I'm a very good liar. and I know I need to go to DC." Eugene answered avoiding direct eye contact with Glenn as he cradled his own chin feeling sorry for himself. A scoff slipped past Glenn's lips as his eyes darted to Josh who stood staring at Eugene a sarcastic comment on the tip of his tongue. 

"why?" Maggie questioned from beside Eli. A cloud of betrayal and hurt loomed over the group as Josh spoke up with a scoff: "Not even a survivor. how am I at 13 braver than you?"

"Because I do believe locale holds the strongest possibility for survival, and I wanted to survive. if I could cheat some people into taking me there. well, I just reasoned id be doing them a solid too considering the state of the world." Eugene reasoned as the final wave of disbelief washed over the group, Abraham lowered himself to the floor, and Glenn pinched the bridge of his nose as Alex and Sam shared a distasteful look. 

"people died trying to get you here" Rosita scoffed hurt creeping through her veins as she stared at Eugene with a blank expression of disbelief clouding her features. she'd trusted him. Sam stepped forward rage consuming him as he spat: "And you put every single one of us in danger. a kid. you could've killed a kid."

"I'm aware of that. you see I lost my nerve as we grew closer. for I am a coward" Eugene's voice wavered tears pooling in Rosita's eyes as she tried coming to terms with what she was hearing. it was almost as if the world had stopped moving. it wasn't just the betrayal of his lie. it was the false hope he'd installed within everyone only to crush it, turning whatever hopes they'd started to imagine for the future into dust. 

"again, I am smarter than you-" Eugene stared his eyes darting to Eugene as he began starting to convince them not to leave him yet Abraham cut him off. Abraham's fist violently connecting with Eugene's face. Eugene flew back from the force. Abraham didn't let up. charging toward him again. his fist flying toward Eugene's face. Glenn, Tara and Eli rushed toward the altercation trying to de-escalate yet Alex and Sam stayed put. why would they help him?

"Get off him" Glenn warned pulling Abraham back. Abraham fought against Glenn an almost animalistic roar escaping his lips as he threw another solid punch for Eugene's face. Glenn tore Abraham away as Eugene fell to the floor almost lifeless. Glenn pushed Abraham away, fighting against each other until Abraham gave up. Tara, Maggie and Eli rushed toward an unconscious Eugene splayed out on the floor, Blood pouring from the man's face from Abraham's assault. 

*****

"bad news for great JMS. We just scraped the bottom of the water barrel" Tara sighed as Glenn approached her, Alex sat on the side of the truck, her eyebrows furrowed noticing the more than confused expression on Glenn's face.

"What is... whats Great JMS?" he questioned looking down at the water bottles Tara had lined up each with a letter written on the cap that read 'Great JMS'. Alex got up approaching her husband trying to get a better look at what he was looking down at. 

"us. our group name. solidarity. band of brothers. thinking of getting it tattooed on my knuckles" Tara sighed as she picked up two of the bottles labelled 'A' and 'G' before handing them to Alex and Glenn. Alex sighed, unsure how to react, her mind still processing what had happened with Eugene. Her mind raced with thoughts... after all of this. what if now she couldn't find Rick again... her Luck had to run out eventually...

"Sorry, I'm just trying to think of something else you know..." Tara sighed her attempt to bring some positivity to the group failing as Glenn and Alex took their water bottles. Glenn nodded offering Tara a small smile, His hand falling to the small of Alex's back. As Alex unscrewed the lid of her bottle she caught a glimpse of Maggie making her way toward the group.

The woman had been with Eli while the medic was assessing the injuries Abraham had inflicted on the fake scientist. Sam, Rosita and Josh made their way over to the group hoping Eugene was well enough they could make a move. 

"Anything?" Sam questioned as he re-joined the group, his eyes glued to Maggie as she shook her head: "Moving him could make him worse"

"what'll make him better?" Rosita questioned, despite her anger she still cared for Eugene, she'd trusted him, she cared about him, they were friends. and that couldn't disappear in seconds. at least not in what the world had become. 

"waking up... Eli's worried if he doesn't..." Maggie couldn't find the words to finish her sentence as she bit her lip, Rosita turned her eyes flickering back to Abraham. what all of this could possibly mean for them...

"we'll figure it out" Sam responded unsure who he was trying to convince. Alex's eyes fell to the floor anxiety pooling within her stomach. After everything they'd survived, after the prison. She'd split from her family because of a liar. her heart skipped a beat as she couldn't rid her mind of the possibility she might never see her family again. then came the plans for a run, they needed water. 

"ya'll go. I'll stay here with Josh, Eugene and Eli. Make sure Abraham doesn't go off" Maggie Offered, her eyes flickering between the people stood in front of her, Alex nodded remembering the conversation she'd had with Eli earlier in the day.

"you sure?" Alex asked as she stood with Glenn. the couple, Tara, Rosita, and Sam wanting to search the surrounding area for any supplies that could possibly come in hand. The group knew standing around wasn't helpful at all. they couldn't keep waiting. Waiting brimmed their stomachs with unease. 

"I am" Maggie nodded holding eye contact with the other brunette. Alex nodded wanting Maggie to be okay while the group were away. yet she knew she would be. Alex trusted Eli with everyone. 

**

"stay there guys. there's nothing for you in Washington" Tara sighed as the group walked past a few walkers trapped against the floor by a fallen tree. Tara's joke being ignored by most of the group only earning a sigh from Rosita: "That's not funny"

"It's not, not, not funny" Tara scoffed her second attempt at bringing some positivity to the group failing yet again, a small smile tugged at Sam's lips as he shook his head: "It was kinda funny"

"Hey, I get that we're all dealing with things in different ways..." Glenn stated before being interrupted, Alex watched him walk ahead. the day she'd first met him flashing before her eyes. he'd changed so much, he'd been through so much, and yet he still radiated the same kindness. sure he was different but underneath all the trauma was a boy whose life had been torn away.

"Listen, I don't know what to do without DC anymore. but I'm not dealing with it. I'm over it. i just want him to be okay. Eugene wasn't strong. he isn't fast, he doesn't know how to use a weapon. trust hurts but he's useless. he had one skill that kept him living, are we supposed to be mad at him cause he used it?" Alex scoffed at Tara's words in disbelief she was actually defending him. Alex wanted him to be okay too. But that didn't mean she had to kiss his ass. 

"yeah. yeah, we are. Josh, Carl they're kids and they adapted. they learned how to survive. they didn't lie and manipulate people into believing there was a chance of getting our old lives back" Alex scoffed the words dripping from her tongue like poison. She could keep going. Anger still radiated through her and it wasn't something she could help. 

"damn right," Glenn huffed as he walked ahead, A could of anger following the group as silence returned.  they ventured further into the forest, tension lingered in the air. stress consuming the group from what had happened. Alex ran a hand through her hair, things could never just be easy. no matter how hard she tried things would always blow up and there was nothing she could do about it. 

Glenn stopped in his tracks as he caught a glimpse of water shimmering in the sun, A river. A sigh of relief escaped his lips, his eyes flickered back to Alex as he nodded toward the river. She stepped forward catching up with her husband they walked toward the river the rest of the group following close behind. Glenn took the bottle Tara had given him earlier and unscrewed the cap. crouching by the edge of the water he filled the bottle, Alex's hand gently falling to his shoulder. 

"perfect" Glenn huffed sarcastically as he pulled the bottle from the water. glancing at the bottle the water that had filled it tinted brown. Dirt and bacteria swirled around in the bottle as Glenn sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. Alex gently rubbed his shoulder the stress that lingered over them growing harder to bare as she spoke up: "Think it's any clearer upstream?"

"probably not. let's see" Rosita spoke the ribbing of fabric filled the group's ears as they turned to Rosita. Glenn handed her the bottle a proud smile on Rosita's face as she began making a water filter.  Alex took Glenn's hand as he got up, Sam's eyes flickered to the couple watching their fingers intertwine, shaking his head to rid himself of his thoughts he turned back to Rosita. 

"so you just build a water filter in like a minute huh?" Tara smiled as the water started dripping through the fabric Rosita had torn from her shirt to make the filter. Sam's focus on the water slowly dripping as he attempted to focus his mind, a sense of shame washing over him as he scratched at the growing stubble on his chin. 

"Eugene taught me. it takes a while but then it'll be clear then we can boil it." Rosita explained as the group settled around her for a moment. Sam crouching beside Tara his eyes still glued to the water droplets. 

***

a/n- writer's block is kicking my ass rn sorry guys. But anyway please don't be a silent reader I love reading all your comments they motivate me so much. I really hope you're enjoying this story. I am so so excited for whats to come and to see what you all think.