TROUBLE [twd]

side by side

"I don't get it," Daryl looks over to Nanami, "What kind of hold this asshole have you two on?"

"Merle was with him longer than I was.." Nanami recalls, "He made me think it was okay to kill other groups. There was this base- these soldiers.. We just went in there and killed them like it was nothing. Took their stuff and left."

Daryl keeps his jog- though he tries to study Nanami's expression. His eyes carried bags of burden from what he'd done, the words only making him look more sick.

"Who knows what he made Merle do for him," Nanami swallows, "But, it was enough to change him."

"We can bring him back," Daryl reassures, "We brought Sakiko back, we can do the same for Merle."

"Sakiko was just afraid. And you did all that- not me. I only made it worse."

"Merle's afraid, too. I know him," Daryl rephrases, "Kiko needs you."

"I need her more," Nanami admits, "She brought me back."

While running, Daryl switches his bow to his other hand to pat Nanami's back, "We all came back. The four of us.. For each other."

--

Sakiko tries to take her deep breaths that Glenn and Hershel had taught her- but it's cut off every time she flinches from a the gunshots.

Her hands claw at the metal of the building, trying to bring herself back to reality where there were dangerous men outside shooting walkers as Merle was beside her shooting the men in secret.

"Come on, kid," Merle urges, "Could use some help here."

Sakiko clenches her fist, forcing that strength to show itself like it did when the prison was overrun with Ryan. Like it did when she let those walkers out to save Daryl and Nanami.

Pulling her gun up, she rests on the window by Merle's side, firing a shot to one of the men- hitting him in the chest.

"Atta, girl," Merle nods, "We got this. Stay with Uncle Merle, yeah?"

Sakiko fires another shot.

--

Nanami reads over the note that was on the ground a few times- his mind wrapping around Merle's message.

"She still went after him," Daryl figures, pointing to the tracks, "They're both out here somewhere."

"We're close," Nanami agrees, shoving the paper in his pocket.

"Come on," Daryl hurries, breaking into another run that Nanami mimics.

--

"Kiko, run!" Merle screams.

Sakiko stumbles backwards as the men shove Merle to the ground.

Her heart was still racing from the shootout that has since stopped once they found them.

"Son of a bitch!" one of the men shouts, kicking Merle in the stomach.

Sakiko drops her gun to the ground, feeling somehow safer without it. She leaps from the doorway, pulling one of her knives out and stabbing the man in the neck from behind. He gurgles on his own blood as she slices, kicking him to the ground.

The other man begins after her only for her to draw her arm back and let the knife soar through the air- hitting the man through the eye.

"Come on!" she shouts, grabbing Merle's arm and trying to pick him up.

Merle coughs, feet sliding as he begins to stand. He makes it to his feet, pushing Sakiko behind him so they stood back to back. Sakiko takes another knife out as Merle lifts his bladed hand.