Stepping Away: TWDG (Book Three, Clementine x Fem!Oc)

Thicker Than Water (Part 5) | "They're liars!"

She gestured to a New Frontier soldier who walked forwards, removing a sheet from one side of the stage to reveal the dead body of Badger and I felt my breath get stuck in my throat. A hand squeezed my own, and it immediately started to calm me down, but I couldn’t stop thinking that I had done that. I had killed him because of some stupid words.

Joan: He murdered this man in cold blood! Is this who we want in charge? Someone this reckless!? This cruel!? Not if I have anything to do with it!

Gabe: Can’t believe this is really happening. She’s gonna kill him! She can’t do this to him. He’s kept them safe!

Javier: Try to keep your cool. All of you. Joan’s smart, but we’re smarter. We just have to be careful.

Gabe: We can’t screw this up, Javi.

Emma: And we won’t.

Clementine: It’ll be fine, Gabe. Deep breaths.

There was a slight cough from the stage as Joan caught sight of Javi and the rest of us in the crowd. A glint of malice shone in her eye, a smirk creeping its way onto her face.

Joan: Javier! I’d heard you were planning to crash our little party. Why don’t you come on up here? Show your face to everyone. I’m sure these people would like to hear what you have to say. Don’t make me ask twice!

Javier: Happy to! Been waiting for this all day…

Joan: Then I’ll try not to disappoint you!

We followed Javi through the crowd, confused and glaring faces staring us down, but we all ignored them as we reached the front of the audience. Joan watched us all with a pointed look, her eyes sticking mostly to Javi.

Joan: I had a very interesting conversation with your friend Eleanor last night. Isn’t that right, Eleanor?

I looked through the crowd, seeing the woman’s face in the group of people. She looked slightly embarrassed, but stood tall, nodding firmly.

Eleanor: We did.

Looking at her, she turned her head, making eye contact with me. I stared her down and she looked to the floor, a face full of guilt.

Joan: She said you were coming here to rally the people against me. Convince them that I was no good for Richmond! Don’t know how you thought you were going to pull it off. Considering it’s all of us… against the four of you. But I guess hope springs eternal.

Javier: If you knew what we were coming here to do, why go ahead with this? Why put a noose around my brother’s neck?

Joan: This community deserves justice, and they’re gonna get it one way or the other! Here in Richmond, people who put themselves before the group don’t last long. Bring them out!

She gestured once again at some soldiers on the side of the stage, and more soldiers marched Tripp and Ava out in front of the crowd, making us all widen our eyes in shock.

Tripp: Get away from me!

Ava: You’re making a mistake!

David: Ava!

Clementine: Oh, no…

Emma: Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Gabe: They had them this whole time!

Joan: David wanted to tear this whole place down. He told his people where to find our gun supply, and sure enough, they picked us clean. You really thought you could ride into town and stage a coup? With our own damn weapons? Something like that… I can’t just let it go. You’ve put me in a no-win situation here! So I’m gonna do the same thing to you. Both of them deserve to die for their crimes. However, Javi, I’ll let you spare one of them. Just one.