TWDG//

TWENTY-FOUR

"Clementine?" Cian asks, walking out of a nearby room. "Are you okay? That was quick."
I wipe the tear from my eye. "I'm fine." Cian opens her mouth to question, but shuts it again.
"Let's go. I've gotten some supplies." She lifts a stuffed duffel bag in her hand slightly. "Let's get it out of here before anyone sees it." I nod, and compose myself, following. As we walk, I realise that the halls have empty.
"Where is everyone?" I ask. "There were so many people here before?"
"It's mid afternoon, everyone is probably at the meat hall beside the Left building. For lunch." Cian answers.
The mention of lunch makes my stomach twist.
I shouldn't have pushed AJ to see my ways. He thinks I'm wrong, but really, I'm just trying to save him.
But maybe he's right.
"Do people in the cage get food?" I ask.
"Not really. I doubt you'll be getting any now." Cian nods ahead. "We just have to get out of here as soon as possible."
I sigh.
"Clementine, are you okay?" Cian asks. "I mean, I barely know you. The only two things I know is your name, and that you have a son."
"He's a surrogate." I correct.
"Surrogate?" Cian asks. "Sorry, but what does that mean?"
I chuckle. "It means AJ is my son, but he's someone else's biological child."
"Oh." Cian shakes her head. "I still had so much to learn before the walkers came."
"How old were you?" I ask.
"I was twelve. I'm...what? Twenty-two this year. So weird." She answers, shaking her head. "How about you?"
"I was eight."
"That's too fucking young." Cian answers. "Anyway, I was...I was asking how you were. How are you?"
"I'm..." I shrug, and pinch the bridge of my nose. "I'm losing it."
"How?" Cian asks. "You seem all tough on the outside."
"That's because I have to be. No emotions or whatever. It's the apocalypse." I say.
"Emotions?" Cian laughs. "Gavin told me you had a few "Emotions" for that girl. What's her name? Violet?"
"Yeah. She's...my girlfriend." I answer awkwardly.
"So that rule doesn't apply to everybody." Cian says as we walk outside toward the cage.
"Did it apply to you?" I ask. Cian stares away.
"No." She says. "I met a boy. About two years into the apocalypse."
"He's gone, isn't he?" I ask, grieving for her.
"Yeah." Cian shrugs. "I've bet you lost people in the apocalypse."
"Sure have." I say as we approach the cage.
"We're here." Cian says. "Here, take this." I grab the duffel bag from her hands, the weight weighing my arm down.
"Thanks." I smile.
"I'll send Javi to tell AJ the code." Cian nods. "And everyone stay safe." She says to the people through the walls of the cage.
I walk inside, and am instantly hugged by Violet.
"Vi!" I exclaim into her shoulder.
"Are you okay, Clem?" Gabe asks, appearing beside me, forcing Violet to pull away. She gives him a frown.
"I'm fine." I say. "AJ...he's going through some stuff."
"Because he shot Gunner?" Gavin asks.
"No, I don't think he cares about that at all." I say, sitting down against the mattresses, Violet sitting down next to me. "You were right, he did get offered to be a solider. I tried explaining to him that bad people were dominating him, but he wouldn't listen."
"Did you tell him the plan?" Ruby asks.
"You guys didn't want me to, right?" I ask.
"No." Omar says.
"He wouldn't listen?" Violet asks. "What, did he say something?"
"Yeah." I answer.
"What did he say?" Gabe asks.
I look away. "I really don't want to talk about it, if that's okay."
"Sure, Clem." Javi says. "That's okay. Cian said I gotta go up and tell AJ a code, that maybe he'll understand."
"And if he doesn't?" I ask.
"He will. He'll go with Cian." Gavin says. "Cian can be trusted, okay?"
"Okay." I said.
Soon, Lawson comes to the gate.
"Javi, Jerome wants you to take AJ to the weaponry room at the hall. You know where that is, we fucking showed you. And then, you will go to R3. " He opened the gate, and grabs Javi by the shoulder.
"Fuck, Lawson, slack off" Javi tries to shake his grip.
"Hey, stop that!" Gabe jumps up.
"Gabe, it's okay" Javi says, and stops struggling. "Just take me already."
Gabe frowns as Javi and Lawson walk off into the distance, Lawson's gun to the back of Javi's head.
...
"They'll be fine." Violet says, resting next to me. The sun drops as Javi returns.
"Did he understand?" I ask, standing up.
"Yeah, but..." Javi sighed. "AJ already seemed to know that we were planning something."
"Of course he did." I scowled. "You told him."
"You can't trust your own son?" Javi asks.
"Of course I do" I say, standing up. "In fact, just a little too much."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Javi shakes his head.
I frown. "God, you know what I mean! I've trusted him enough to put a bullet in anyone's head. I've messed him up."
"You haven't." Ruby shakes his head.
"Then what have I done?" I ask, turning to Ruby. "I definitely haven't done any good."
"What do you mean?" Javi asks. "The kid can protect himself, Clem. Sure, maybe he needs to control his finger, but that hasn't messed him up."
I sigh. "So many people died for him to be a monster."
Silence.
"I'm right." I said. "AJ thinks I'm wrong. Sure. But I'm right about that."
"AJ feels bad for whatever he said to you." Javi said. "But he can apologise to your face tonight. It's close. We might be getting out."
I cross my arms. "What if we don't? We die?"
"Maybe." Violet says. "But god, if we don't try, we'll just turn into more of a monster than you think AJ is."
I frown. "You're right."
"I know I am." Violet says. "Now can we all have some more positivity?"
"You're right." Aasim says. "How about something cliche like 'We can do this'?"
"Yeah" Gabe says, putting his arm around my waist. I squirm out of his grab.
"Uh, yeah." I say, catching Violet's annoyed stare. "Uh, We can do this!"
"We can do this." Gavin nods. "Yeah,we fucking can!"