𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗫𝗢𝗡𝗦

𝑿𝑪𝑽𝑰. 𝑨𝒅𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

"It's full-on batshit."-
Magna
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
-Chapter Summary:-
As the group escapes the humans masked as walkers, they make their way back to Hilltop, one of their own scratched and taking one of the masked humans as a hostage for answers. Everything back at Hilltop seems dark and grim with Jesus's death and newly discovered foes, but a newly found gift sheds some light on the situation.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
-Chapter ninety six; Adaptation-

———

TAYLOR

SWEAT DRIPPED DOWN HER FORE-
head as Taylor aimed her crossbow around the foggy cemetery, trying to spot any of those people under the walker masks.

In all her nine years through the apocalypse, she had never seen anyone do that until these freaks showed up and killed Jesus.

They were still whispering to one another, the sounds flowing through the air, "You die now.".

Dog continued barking as thunder and lighting ripped through the sky, more walkers or those masked freaks making their way up to them.

Maybe it was both; but that was their trick.

They blended in with the walkers, moved like them and disguised as them so they could confuse their prey and pick them off one by one.

Maybe they were the same ones guiding the horde...

"Go. Now." Michonne said to Yumiko, Magna, Aaron, and Eugene in a sharp, hushed whisper.

Daryl nudged Taylor's shoulder, gesturing back to Hailey, Autumn, and Abe, still crying about Jesus as they stood behind Becca, "Get 'em outta here. Me, Michonne, an' Becca got this.".

"I'm not leaving you guys here." She protested, shooting down one of the masked freaks, as she saw a knife in their hand.

"Jus' go!" He demanded, "They need ta' get outta here.".

Reluctantly, Taylor threw her crossbow's strap over her shoulder as she rushed up to the three kids, ushering them out the gate behind Yumiko, Magna, and Eugene while Daryl and Aaron grabbed Jesus's lifeless body, Becca and Michonne holding off the walkers and masked freaks.

As the two woman ran up, they failed to notice one of them coming up behind them, a blade in their hand, but Yumiko shot them square in the head with her bow.

"C'mon! Let's go!" Daryl shouted to the two woman, and they all escaped out of the cemetery and passed the gate, him locking it behind them as they rushed off away from the walkers and masked freaks.

———

THE GROUP WAS KEEPING A
steady pace as they headed back for the horses, Dog rushing ahead in front as Taylor and Becca walked behind Magna and Yumiko with the kids.

"Who the hell would do this? Even think about doing this?" Yumiko spat, handing the walker mask she was holding to Magna.

"I suspect some vessel filled with a chunky salsa of abnormal impulses and metastasized rage." Eugene replied as Michonne helped him walk.