The Archer and The Airship » 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕 «

Chapter Twenty One

  "Rick! What the hell's going on!?" She screeched, elbowing past another rib cage just as Michonne wrapped her arm in an ice cold grip. The look on her face froze Zeppelin in her steps.

"Damn it, Rick! I said stop!" Deanna shouted, her frail hands balled into fists at her sides.

"Or what?" Rick's taunt was echoed by the click of his gun, and an audible gasp sounded from someone next to her.

  "You gonna kick me out? You still don't get it," Rick cried, his chest heaving with shuddered breaths. "None of you do! We know what needs to be done," he continued, wildly waving his gun as he pointed around the group. "And we do it. We're the ones who live! You!" He directed his cries at Deanna now, still struggling to breathe as he pleaded with the people. "You just sit and plan.. hesitate."

  Michonne inched forward, and Zepp mirrored the movement.

  "You pretend like you know when you don't! You wish things weren't what they are," he drawled, tightening the grip on Pete's black and blue throat.

"Well, you wanna live? You want this place to stay standing? Then your way of doing things is done. Things don't get better just because you want them to. Starting right now, we have to live in the real world."

Sweat and blood dripped in a trail from his hairline down his nose as he dipped his head, splashing onto Pete's cheek. "We have to control... who lives here," Rick growled, applying more pressure. 

  "That's never been more clear to me than it is right now." Deanna's shoulders were straight, her chin held high.

  Zepp whirled to face the smaller woman, her fingertips dusting the tip of the dagger she pilfered from Carol's stash. Though Deanna's eyes never strayed from Rick, Zepp could've sworn she saw her tense the moment she gripped the handle.

  "Me?" Rick scoffed a laugh, a wicked smile cracking the drying blood on his face. "Me, you mean.. you mean me!? Your way's gonna destroy this place, it's gonna get people killed, it's already gotten people killed."

  She felt her heart twist and ache at the thought of Tyreese, given up as bait to the walkers by the very community these people wanted them to conform to.

  "I'm not gonna stand by, just let it happen. If you don't fight, you die. I'm not gonna stand by and-"

  His vehement speech was cut short by the thunk of Michonne striking him in the back of the head, his unconscious body loosely falling to the ground. She grabbed the gun out of his limp hand, shoving it into her back waistband.

  Everyone was still, silent. Scared.

Zeppelin toed the edge and then jumped, making the first move as she hurled herself forward to pull Rick up straight against her. Her eyes scanned the crowd, and she couldn't help but notice how the Alexandria people stood to one side, while her group was on the other, and Michonne's feet were planted firmly in the middle.

  "I'll handle it." Three words spoken only to Deanna through gritted teeth as the others looked on, fear still striking their faces. Deanna watched her, her gaze narrowed, then nodded once in response before slowly turning away, linking her arm with Spencer's as she went.

  God damn it.

⤐

  They were quiet at first.

Rick leaned against the porch banister where Zepp was perched, absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the wood. She wanted to let him speak first, but the longer they sat in silence, the more she wanted to scream.