damnation → the walking dead ⁴

[ 020 ] where the sky touches the sea.

DAMNATION.

chapter twenty, where the sky
touches the sea.
[ season seven, episode fifteen ]

FOR THEO BLAKE FORGIVENESS is a hard thing to grasp. No matter how much he wants to forgive Cole, he can't. Not after the hurtful things Cole said to him, not after he picked Kathleen over his own found brother.

And for Cole Tanner apologizing is a hard thing to grasp. He wants to apologize but he can't bring himself to face Theo. Not after he picked Kathleen over him.

Despite the tear in their relationship, Theo and Cole have no time to sew it back together. No matter how much they wish they could, there's no time. Because in true Rick Grimes fashion, they're going many miles away to a place Tara called Oceanside to take their guns.

It's time to make their stand against the Saviors.

Odessa told her father what happened in the Kingdom, about the boy named Benjamin. He was shot and died surrounded by the people who loved him. But the person who loved him most wasn't there, and maybe that's a good thing. Henry didn't deserve to see his brother die, and it a good thing he didn't.

The Kingdom will join their fight in one way or another. Because it's not just Alexandria and the Hilltop's fight anymore. It's also the Kingdom's.

They use boats to cross bodies of water. They trudge through sopping wet marshlands. As Aaron rows across the muddy water, Cole looks over at Odessa and asks, "what are you doing out here, Des?"

Her eyes move to him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you doing out here? I know things have been— I know your hallucinations are bad and I know you don't want to hurt anyone else. So what're you doing?" He asks.

He watches as her eyes harden and her jaw ticks. Her shoulders square. "You don't know anything, Cole. I never said I didn't want to hurt people."

He frowns. When did Odessa become this broken, ruthless killer? He doesn't know. He wishes he did so he could help her.

She turns on her heel and walks away from him.

When they reach the outer forest of the community, everyone gets in their positions. 

Michonne and Theo both go up a tree. Without Sasha, it's all up to Theo to be the best sharpshooter they have. And Michonne is slowly becoming a good one, too. Together, the mother and son can take over the world.

Theo steadies his gun on the branch.

Tara goes into Oceanside.

And then the waiting game begins.

Odessa and Carl stand side by side on one side of the clearing. Tobin and Gabriel are with them on this side of the clearing. Everyone else is scattered through the woods as they wait for Tara.

Time ticks by.

Odessa grows impatient.

She looks over her shoulder, back at Tobin. She quietly asks, "how much longer?"

He glances down at his watch, "three minutes."

Those three minutes feel like three hours.

And in those minutes, Tara does not return. Rick gives the signal to Cole. He nods. Then he ignites the bombs they put in place.

Theo readies his rifle. As soon as he sees the two women running towards the arsenal, he fires three warning shots at their feet. They both stop in their tracks and scan the trees.