The Cataclysm {Rick Grimes x Male! Oc}

Chapter 22: Admitting the Truth

"Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up." Daryl called as he walked further into camp.

Shane, T-Dog, Rick and Arthur approached the unsuspecting man with purpose in their step. "Hey, Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you." Shane said, wanting to get the unavoidable fight over with.

The archer stopped in confusion. "About what?" Never before had he been spoken to for anything other than survival.

"About Merle. There was a-- There was a problem in Atlanta." He then paused, unsure on how to properly phrase the truth.

When seeing everyone's expressions, the truth was thought to be known. "He dead?"

With a moment of hesitation, Shane finally answered. "We're not sure."

It was the absolute and most wrong answer that could have been given. Daryl walked closer with familiar anger beginning to flourish within him. "He either is or he ain't!" he practically snarled.

Rick then walked forward, gaining attention on him. "No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it."

He then looked at him with rage fueled confusion. "And who are you?" Daryl demanded to know.

"Rick Grimes. Arthur's husband." he answered without hesitation, ready to deal with this man in any manner necessary. He didn't care if he was judged for his choice in love. That was the last worry on his mind.

"You got something you want to tell me, Rick faggot Grimes?" he snarked in return, wanting to truth fast.

There was no intimidation tactic this archer had that could make the cop back down in any fashion. "Your brother was a danger to us all. So he was handcuffed to a roof, hooked to a piece of metal. He's still there." he then explained, leaving out all unnecessary details that had come about.

Daryl stepped away in disbelief. "Hold on. Let me process this." the dam holding back the rest of his rage breaking quickly. "You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof, and you left him there?!" Unable to comprehend how to even think properly, Daryl decided to act on impulse. 

He first threw his multitude of squirrels at him. Then, before he could commence his attack, both Shane and Arthur prevented his assault. Though, by the end of the swift kerfuffle, Arthur had him on the ground in a firm, unbreakable, yet still breathable chokehold. He had already seen the hunter's knife on his hip, making the restraint on him different from a regular hold. "You'd best let me go!" Daryl yelled angrily.

"Not going to happen." Arthur calmly replied, still holding him back from physical freedom.

After a few seconds, Rick knelt down to be on the restrained man's level. "I'd like to have a calm discussion on the topic. Do you think we can manage that?"

When they received no immediate response to indicate violence, Arthur released him. "What we did was not on a whim. Your brother does not work and play well with others." Rick said seriously, knowing that Daryl was indeed listening.

T-Dog then stepped forward after setting down the firewood he'd collected. "It's not their fault. I had the key. I dropped it." he admitted with honest shame.

"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl asked aggressively.

He made sure to maintain eye contact. "Well, I dropped it in a drain."

Daryl scoffed as he retained his incredibly hurt emotions on instinct and got to his feet. "If it's supposed to make me feel better, it don't." he growled as he went to walk away.

"Maybe this will. Look, I chained the door to the roof-- So the geeks couldn't get at him-- with a padlock." T-Dog went on, not wanting anything to be hidden.