You had just found out from Kayla that Clementine and Gabe had kissed. You were flooded with anger and rage. Towards Gabe albeit. You knew Clem wouldn't even think about doing something like that to you. Especially after the conversation the two of you had at the coffee shop earlier that day. So you knew it happened against her will.
"Woah, Y/N. Calm down man. We can take care of this. Alright?" Cedric said, trying to calm you down. It didn't work. You just growled even more.
"Y/N?" Kayla cooed with worry.
"IM GONNA KILL HIM!" You shouted with pure rage. AJ's door then swung opened. He ran into the room full of worry.
"What's going on? Why are you mad, Y/N?" AJ asked with concern. At this point you were trying your absolute best not to lose control, as Clem taught you to have more self control. You weren't quite in your berserk state. Your eyes were still the same. But you were damn close.
You then dashed out of the apartment and outside with incredible speed to look for Gabe.
[Kayla's POV]
"Wait, Y/N!" Cedric shouted to him as he ran out.
"Dammit. You, what's your name?" Cedric asked you.
"Uhh, Kayla." You nervously replied, still a little shaken up from Y/N's fit of rage.
"Where did you see them last?" He asked.
"Uhh, they were in an alley between the old bakery and a post office. It was near the park I think." You explained.
"Get all of your friends together and head to the alley. I'll go after him and try to make sure he doesn't do anything he'll regret." Cedric ordered to you before running out after Y/N. You looked down with worry.
"What happened?" AJ asked you.
"Well, AJ. I saw Clem and Gabe in an alley. He was kissing her, or she was kissing him? I couldn't tell. He had her pinned to the wall though." You explained.
"What? Why? Her and Y/N love each other." AJ asked with anger.
"I don't know, AJ. I heard that he still has a crush on her. Maybe he did it against her will. Or maybe he talked her into it. I don't know. Let's go get the others and find them." You replied, grabbing his hand and running out of the apartment.
[Flashback to moments prior. Clem's POV]
You had just finished helping Kate with coming up with a name for her and Javi's baby, as well as helping her set up a room for the baby. You were now walking back home, with Gabe accompanying you.
"You know, you didn't have to come with me. I know my way back." You explained to Gabe.
"I know, just wanted to make sure you got back safe." Gabe replied.
"I can take care of myself." You exclaimed.
"I'm sure you can. I just wanted to come with." Gabe responded, defensively.
"Whatever." You shot back, looking away from him.
"Look, I know you probably don't like me very much. But I'm being completely honest when I say, I missed you, Clem." Gabe explained, looking over to you. You just rolled your eyes in response.
"Look, Gabe. I don't know what you're trying to pull here. But it's not gonna work, so just drop it." You replied with annoyance. The two of you started walking past an old bakery and post office. You noticed Gabe looking strangely around. You noticed that no one was around.
"What's your problem?" You asked him with worry. He then grabbed your hand and pulled you into the alley next to you.
"What the fuck!" You shouted with shock. Once in the alleyway, Gabe spoke up.
"Please, Clem. I just want to talk." Gabe pleaded to you.
"The fuck is this, Gabe?! What are you pulling?" You asked with anger.
"I just want to talk. Listen, I really like you, Clem. Always have. I know you're with Y/N, but I really want you to know how I feel." Gabe explained to you.
"Yeah, I fucking know, Gabe. It's quite obvious. And yes, I am with Y/N, and I love him with all my heart. So I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to deal with that. I don't care if you like me, because I don't feel the same way back. Now leave me alone. I'm going home, to the love of my life." You replied with anger and impatience, straitened your jacket and turning around.
"Please, Clem!" Gabe shouted before grabbing your arm and pinning you to the wall.
"The fuck, Gabe!" You shouted. He then quickly leaned in and kissed you, against your will. You were trying to break free, but he had you pinned pretty good. Unbeknownst to you, Kayla was watching from behind the corner. She then ran away to go tell Y/N what she saw. You then kneed Gabe in the nuts, pushing him off of you. You then sent a mean right hook to his face, knocking him on his ass.
"WHAT THE HELL, GABE!" You shouted with pure rage.
"Clem, please. I- I'm sorry. Holy, shit. I don't know what came over me." Gabe replied, struggling to get on his feet.
"Fuck you! You just kissed me, against my will. Knowing full well that my boyfriend is the strongest man in the world. When I tell him what you did, you better hope he doesn't kill you." You said, walking away, wiping your lips in disgust. Gabe then grabbed your arm again, keeping you from leaving.
"Clem, please." Gabe desperately pleaded.
"Let go of me, you piece of shit!" You shouted, trying to pull away from him. He seemed to be over the edge. It seems that your comment, angered him.
"Please don't tell him, I'm sorry." He replied pulling on your arm harder.
"Too bad. Now let go!" You shouted back, trying to kick his face. Your foot connected with his face, but he kept his grip on your arm.
[Cedric's POV]
You tried following Y/N out of the apartment. But he was already gone.
"Man he's fast." You commented. You then decided to go fetch Javi. You ran to his apartment and knocked on his door.
After a few moments, he answered.
"Cedric? What're you doing here this late?" Javi asked you, seeming tired.
"Sorry, Javi. But something bad just happened." You replied.
"What? What happened?" He asked with concern.
"I was chatting with Y/N at his place when Kayla came by and told us she saw Gabe kissing Clem." You explained.
"What?! Oh no." He responded with shock.
"Y/N stormed out to find him. He is not happy." You explained.
"Shit, he'll kill him. God Dammit, Gabe." Javi cursed before grabbing a jacket.
"C'mon, we've got to find them first." Javi said. You nodded before the both of you ran out of the apartment to find Clem and Gabe. Once outside, you ran into Kayla and AJ and saw that their friends were with them.
"You looking for them too?" Scott asked Javi.
"Yeah. We're looking for them." Javi replied.
"This is bad. If Y/N finds Gabe. Well, he won't kill him, but he'll hurt him for sure." Kirk said.
"Then let's hurry." You replied with urgency.
"Last I saw them, they were in an ally between an old bakery and post office." Kayla explained.
"I know the way, I've had fights in that alley. Follow me." You replied. Once there, you saw that Gabe had a grip on Clem's arm as she tried to get him off of her.
"What the fuck?" You questioned with shock.
"Gabe!" Javi shouted.
"Get the hell off of her, kid!" Scott shouted to him as well.
"GAAAAAAABE!" You heard someone shout from behind you all. You all turned your heads slowly to see Y/N standing there menacingly, under a streetlight.
"Shit." Javi commented.
"Rahhhh!" Y/N screamed before charging past all of you. Towards Gabe.
[Y/N's POV]
You had just arrived to an alley and saw everyone standing there. You looked past them to see Gabe grabbing Clementine's arm.
"GAAAAAAAB!" You shouted with anger and rage. Everyone then looked back at you with worry.
"Shit." Javi commented.
"Rahhhh!" You shouted before charging at Gabe. He looked over at you with shock and fear before you grabbed him by his neck and slammed him into a nearby dumpster, causing it to cave inward.
"Gahhh!" Gabe shouted in pain.
"YOU MOTHER FUCKER! YOU'RE DEAD!" You shouted to him.
"Woah! Y/N, let him go!" Javi shouted to you. You just ignored him.
"Y/N, c'mon man. You're better than this. Put him down." Scott calmly said, walking slowly over to you.
"How dare you touch her. Let alone kiss her. You got a death wish or something?!" You asked him, tightening your grip on his neck. Gabe started gasping for air. He then tried hitting your arm, but you didn't budge.
"Y/N! Please, put him down." Clementine pleaded to you, grabbing your hand. You turned to look at her. She could see the pure rage in your eyes.
"Remember, Y/N. Self control. Don't do anything rash." Clem said, holding your free hand with both of hers.
"But, he-." You replied before she cut you off.
"I know. Know that it was completely against my will. What he did was completely out of line. He... he sexually assaulted me, I know. It was really fucked up. But you can't just kill him over it, okay? We'll find another way to deal with this." Clem explained, walking to your side and placing a hand on your chest.
"Let him go, babe. You're so much better than this and you know it." She cooed to you. You took one last deep breath before exhaling and letting go of Gabe. He fell to the ground and clutched his neck in pain. Javi then ran up to Gabe.
"I'm sorry, Clem. I... almost lost control, again." You apologized, looking to the ground, glumly. Clementine raised your head by your chin and stared into your eyes.
"It's okay. I don't blame you for being mad. After he kissed me, I kneed him in the nuts and gave him and good punch to the face. That way you don't have to beat on him. Now, let's go talk, okay?" She asked you, cupping your cheek.
"Alright. I'm good now. Thanks, babe. You always know how to keep me calm." You replied with a smile. She smiled back before pecking your lips.
"That's my dork." She replied before looking down at Gabe with disdain.
"Hope you learned your lesson. Stay the hell away from me from here on out. Or I'll have Y\N put you in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. Sorry Javi, but he deserved everything." Clementine explained to him.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Clem. You too, Y/N. Gabe was way over the line. What the fuck were you thinking, Gabe?!" Javi asked Gabe. Gabe didn't respond. You and Clem then walked over to the others.
"Fuck you, Y/N." Gabe cursed to you. Something snapped in you and you launched over to him and sent a powerful straight kick to his abdomen, sending him flying into another nearby dumpster. Trash and dust flew everywhere after the impact. Clem and Javi just face palmed in response. Gabe just laid there, not being able to stand.
"I don't want you within 100 fucking yards of her, got it?! From here on out, she has a restraining order on you!" You shouted over to Gabe who simply looked up to you with fear. It's as if he could feel your anger. Like the air around had become thicker and more toxic.
"GOT IT?!" You asked again. Gabe simply nodded his head before Javi walked over to him and helped him up.
"Kirk, help Javi take him to the hospital and help their doctor patch him up." You ordered to Kirk.
"Yes sir." Kirk responded, walking over to Gabe and slinging his arm around his shoulder.
"Sorry Javi. I understand if you're mad at me." You apologized.
"It's alright, Y/N. I understand. Just... go on back home and cool off. Come see me tomorrow morning." Javi replied. You nodded before walking back to Clem.
"I uhhh... didn't kill him." You remarked with a weak smile. She shook her head before hugging you.
"No, you didn't." She replied.
"You gonna be alright?" Scott asked you and her.
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" AJ asked Clem.
"No, kiddo. I'm fine." Clem replied to him.
"I'll be alright, Scott. You all should head back to your apartments. I'll see you tomorrow." You suggested to them. Scott, Kirk, and Kayla started walking away, before you called out to Kayla.
"Kayla?" You called to her. She turned to look at you.
"Yeah?" She replied.
"Thank you for letting me know about tonight. But, why didn't you try to help her?" You asked Kayla.
"Wait, you saw what happened?" Clem asked Kayla.
"I only saw the kiss. I didn't think anything else would happen. I'm sorry." Kayla apologetically replied.
"*Sigh* Its fine, Kayla. But next time someone seems I'm trouble, try and help out, okay?" Clem explained to her.
"S-sure. See you later." Kayla replied before walking away.
"I thought Y/N would be mad and possibly break up with Clem after I told him. But that didn't happen. They're too loyal to each other. Dammit." Kayla cursed.
Cedric then walked up to you, Clem, and AJ.
"You alright, man?" Cedric asked.
"Yeah, still kinda pissed. But I'm good. Thanks for trying to help. Honestly, if not for Clem here, I probably would've really hurt Gabe. Even more than I did with that kick I gave him. He definitely has a few broken ribs. He'll be out of commission for a bit." You explained, rubbing your eyes with disappointment.
"I wouldn't sweat it man. He had it coming." Cedric replied. He then looked over to Clem.
"Hi, Clem." Cedric greeted her.
"Cedric." Clementine coldly replied, still upset with him about the night prior.
"Yeah, I uhhh... deserve that. Look, I'm sorry about the way I acted last night. It was completely wrong and stupid of me. For some dumb reason, I was trying to impress my friends." Cedric genuinely apologized. Clem glared at him for a bit before responding.
"*Sigh* Y/N said he saw something in you and knew you weren't a bad guy. And I kinda see it too. Just don't be going around and acting like that again, or we'll have problems." Clementine replied.
"I won't. I won't act stupid like that anymore. You have my word. So, we cool?" Cedric asked her.
"Yeah, we're cool." Clementine replied with a smile, offering Cedric her hand. He smiled back and shook hand with Clem before looking to you.
"Gotta say, it feels good to be in both of your good graces now. I need to apologize to my friends tomorrow as well. I've been kind of a dick to them lately. You really changed me, Y\N. After just one fight." Cedric explained with a chuckle.
"Guess that's another power I have." You jokingly replied.
"I guess so. Well, it was good chatting with you tonight. I gotta get back home, make sure my little sister's in bed. Feel free to stop by later tomorrow. I'd like to talk more. Later." Cedric replied before placing his hands in his pockets and walking off.
"We should do the same. Helping Kate today was actually difficult. I'm beat." Clementine explains with a yawn.
"So you were actually helping her today. Gabe didn't lie about that." You replied.
"No, he didn't. But enough about him. Let's go." Clementine responded.
"Are you going to see Cedric again tomorrow?" AJ asked you as you all started walking back to your apartment.
"Actually, I feel like he'll come to us tomorrow. He's pretty cool AJ. What do you think about him?" You asked AJ.
"Well, I like him more now that he apologized to all of us. He's nice now. And his hair is so cool." AJ replied with enthusiasm.
"Yeah, his hair is pretty cool. But not as cool as yours." You said, messing with AJ's Afro.
"Hehe, stop it." AJ giggled, trying to swat your hand away.
After you arrived at your apartment, you took off your running shoes that you got from Javi recently and set them by the door. You then walked to the kitchen and saw that Cedric left his jacket and his case of beer.
"Don't think he would mind if I kept the beer." You said while pulling out a bottle and opening it.
"Ugh, more beer? That's all you." Clementine said.
"It's an acquired taste, just like Scott said. You gotta drink more of it for it to get better." You replied before taking a sip.
"Mhm. Not happening." She replied.
"Suit yourself." You responded before setting your beer down, walking over to her and hugging her from behind.
"What do you think Javi wants to talk to me tomorrow about?" You asked her. She hugged your arms that were hugging her from behind.
"Probably about what to do with Gabe. I mean, he's gonna be out for a bit. So Javi might want you to fill in for whatever work Gabe had to do." Clementine replied, quite cleverly.
"Shit, I didn't even think about that. Oh well. If it needs done then I'll do it." You responded, kissing her neck. She moaned with pleasure before responding.
"I know you will. Your just nice like that." Clem said before turning to you and wrapping her arms around your neck.
"You know. You and AJ have both stopped me from chocking someone to death." You remarked.
"Oh, I guess so. AJ stopped you from choking Louis and I stopped you today with Gabe." Clem replied.
"That's right. You two are the chains that hold back the worst side of me." You glumly explained. Clem then cupped your cheek.
"Hey, you'll overcome that side of you someday. You've been getting better with it for a while now." Clementine replied, caressing your cheek.
"Thanks. I've been trying." You said. She then planted her lips onto your in a passionate kiss. This lasted for about 10 seconds before she broke it.
"Don't be ashamed of it, babe. You can't help it." Clem explained before breaking the hug and walking to AJ's room to put him to bed. You smiled before grabbing your beer and taking a sip. You then walked over to the window and gazed at the city under the moonlight. You thought to yourself about the future. Your future, with your friends, with your new friends, and with Clem and AJ.
"I want to end this war as quick as possible. That way I can finally settle down, with Clem and start a family together. I'm sure AJ would love to be an older brother." You thought, watching people's lights shutting off in the homes and apartments of Richmond, meaning people were turning in for the night. You decided to do the same and walked into your room. Clementine entered shortly after you and climbed in bed with you. The both of you shared a goodnight kiss before drifting off to sleep.
[Next morning]
You were up pretty early today. The time was about 7:06 and you were in the kitchen, grabbing a granola bar from the cabinet.
"Guess they stocked the apartments with snacks for people. That's nice." You said before eating the granola bar. Clem and AJ were still asleep so you decided to let them sleep in. You walked over to the window and looked out to the street. All the sudden, you see Cedric wearing some sports apparel, running on the street.
"Up early and training. Good." You thought. You then looked to your running shoes and grinned.
"Think I'll join him." You thought before walking over to your shoes.
[Cedric's POV]
You were out enjoying an early morning Jog, like you usually do. All the sudden, you hear quick footsteps behind you. You turn your head to see Y/N coming in hot.
"Coming through." He said before he zoomed past you. You just grinned and shook your head.
You were only about halfway through your lap before Y/N started approaching again.
"Are you serious?" You thought with shock.
"Coming through." Y/N said again, lapping you.
"Shut up, man." You replied, continuing to run. This happened about 4 more times before the 5th was approaching.
Again, you heard Y/N approaching behind you. He didn't look tired, whatsoever.
"I swear to god, Y/N!" You shouted to him, knowing what was coming.
"Coming through." Y/N said again.
"God Dammit!" You shouted as he lapped you again. You then tried to run faster after him, but lost your breath and your pacing after you turned the corner. He was already almost down the road by the time you turned it. You stopped and held your hands to the back of your head, trying to catch your breath. You then went over to sit on a bench at the park. Shortly after, you saw Y/N approaching.
"C'mon man. I lapped you like 7 times." Y/N teased with a cheeky grin.
"Man... you're... insane." You replied, trying to catch your breath. Y/N on the other hand, didn't seem out of breath in the slightest.
You and him shared a laugh before he spoke up.
"You run every morning?" He asked.
"Try to. Around the same time every day. Y'know, if I'm ever in a situation where I need to run from a shit tone of walkers, I want to be ready." You explained.
"Guess so. Unless you're me. Then you just pile drive through them." He jokingly replied.
Well... I'm not a super human." You responded, standing up from the bench.
"By the way, you left your jacket and beer at my place yesterday." Y/N said.
"Yeah, I know. I was gonna stop by and pick my jacket up after my run. You can keep the beer." You replied.
"I'll walk with you over then." Y/N said before the two of you walked over to his apartment.
"We start recruiting today by the way. For The Battle Hardened. Have you thought about my offer from last night?" Y/N asked you.
"I uhhh, I need to think about it. I'll talk about it with my sister. But honestly, I just don't know, man." You responded.
"That's fine, take your time. You don't have to accept it. I'm not pressuring you to it. I just think you'd be great as one of our soldiers. Hell, you're already skilled. Though I haven't seen you in a battle. But the same goes for all the potential recruits today." Y/N explained.
"I'm not saying I don't want to. I just don't know if I'm ready to start a whole new life like that, especially with my little sister." You replied.
"I completely understand. Take your time." He responded. The two of you then approached his complex and entered it. You then walked up to his apartment and he opened the door. The two of you walked inside and saw Clementine up.
"Morning, babe." Y/N greeted her.
"Oh, hey. I was wondering where you were. Uhh, hey Cedric." Clementine greeted you.
"Sup." You greeted back.
"We were out for an early run." Y/N explained to her.
"Yeah, more like you lapped me 7 times before I could even get three laps in." You jokingly replied.
"Yeah, that sounds like Y/N." Clementine commented.
"Guilty." Y/N replied before grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge.
"Want one?" He offered to you.
"Sure." You replied before he threw you a water bottle.
"So, you helping Y/N recruit people today? He told me about it." You asked Clem.
"Yep. I know I'm not technically Battle Hardened, but he's my boyfriend so I'm helping him." Clementine replied, smiling at Y\N.
"And I appreciate it." Y/N replied, pecking her cheek.
"That's nice of you. Uhh, well I better get going. Gotta make sure my sister is ready for school." You said before grabbing your jacket and putting it on.
"I'll catch ya later." You farewelled them before leaving their apartment.
[Y/N's POV]
"I really hope he considers my offer." You said.
"What offer?" Clem asked.
"I asked him if he wanted to join The Battle Hardened. He said he'd think about it, since he has his little sister to look after. But we used to house children back at base, so hopefully that'll help with his decision." You explained.
"Really? I guess I'm not surprised." Clem replied.
"Maybe he'll show up later while we're recruiting. I'd love to have him aboard." You said.
"He also asked if I could train him to be a better fighter. So, expect me to be hanging with him more often. Now, I've gotta go see Javi. See you later, babe." You said while hugging her and pecking her lips.
"Don't take too long." She replied with a seductive grin.
"Wouldn't dream of it." You responded with a wink. You went to your room and changed into your usual attire, excluding your armor and weapons. You then left your apartment and walked down to Javi's complex. Once you went to his apartment number, you knocked on the door. A few moments later, Kate answered the door.
"Morning, Y/N. How're you doing with... you know?" Kate asked, presumably about the events from the night prior.
"I'm still angry with Gabe. I just can't believe he would do something like that to Clem. Knowing that I'm her boyfriend especially." You replied, gritting your teeth.
"I can't imagine the extent of how you felt. Javi said that you knocked him pretty hard into a dumpster. I don't blame you though. What Gabe did, was way over the line." Kate assured you.
"Thanks Kate. Speaking of Javi, is he here?" You asked her.
"Yeah, come on in." Kate replied, letting you inside. You walked in and waited for Kate to get Javi. She walked into her room and came back out with him.
"Hey, Y/N." Javi greeted you, seeming very tired.
"Hey, Javi. You alright?" You asked with concern.
"Yeah I just... *Sigh* I had a really heated conversation last night with Gabe after he was patched up and... I just couldn't sleep after it." Javi explained.
"Sorry to hear that. Is he uhhh... alright?" You asked with a blank expression.
"Not really. But I don't blame you. He's really angry right now. At me, Clementine, and you, of course." Javi explained.
"I thought he would be. But I don't care. I don't want him anywhere near Clem. Or AJ for that matter." You replied with a serious tone.
"I completely understand, Y/N." Kate replied.
"I'll make sure he stays away from you three from here on out. And if he somehow does try and involve himself with you guys. Well, I'm sure you can handle it at that point." Javi explains.
"Oh trust me, I'll be keeping tabs on him to make sure that doesn't happen." You replied.
"Alright. Well, I wanted to talk to you about what to do with him being out of commission. He did have a job here. And now that he's unable to do that job, we need a replacement." Javi explained.
"Makes sense. What was his job?" You asked.
"Well there's a few. Sometimes he'd have guard duty, and other times he'd have barrier maintenance." Javi replied.
"Well, I'm pretty good with fortifications, so I could handle the maintenance. Scott can take guard duty until Gabe is back on his feet. When do you need us to cover those spots?" You asked Javi.
"They should be fine for today. Could you guys fill in sometime tomorrow?" Javi asked.
"No problem. We have to start recruiting today anyway. So we'll need as much time for that as possible." You explained.
"Good luck with that. I hope some of our citizens will be willing to join you guys." Javi replied with a smile.
"I'm sure there are some soldiers out there. I'll catch you later." You replied before walking over to the door.
"Oh and, Javi?" You called to him.
"Yeah?" He replied.
"You should think about setting up patrols at night. So that another incident like last night doesn't happen again. Agreed?" You asked him.
"Yeah, sure. That uhh... probably should've already have been a thing." He replied. You nodded before walking out of his complex.
[Times skip, Cedric's POV]
You were on your way to the school to pick up Nia. Usually the teacher does it because you both live so close to each other. But you decided to do it today. You approached the school and walked in. It wasn't a legitimate school, just an old building that was refurbished into a school. Inside you saw many children sitting at some desks while the teacher, Miss Weathers, was wrapping up her class for the day.
"Alright kids, that'll be it for today. Oh! H-hi there, Cedric. What do I owe this pleasure?" Miss Weathers asked you, flirtatiously. She'd been hitting on you ever since you started bringing Nia to the school. She was pretty young for a teacher, about 24 years old. She was also kinda pretty too. Short blond hair that was parted in the middle and fell to her ears, dark hazel eyes, sun kissed skin and a pretty nice body. But too old for you.
"Just picking up Nia today. Ready Nia?" You asked your little sis.
"Yeah! Let's go." Nia replied, grabbing her things and walking over to you. You then shot a glare at that Justin kid, the one who tried to kiss Nia. He looked at you with fear before looking away.
"Hey, Cedric?" Miss Weathers called to you.
"Yeah, Miss Weathers?" You replied.
"Please, just call me Sarah. And, I was wondering if you were free tonight?" Sarah asked.
"Oh, actually I have something going on with a friend. Sorry." You replied, apologetically.
"Oh, okay." She responded with a hint of sadness.
"Maybe some other night. Have a good day." You farewelled her before walking out of the school with Nia. The two of you then started walking home.
"Why does Miss Weathers keep talking to you like that?" Nia asked you.
"Well, uhh. I couldn't tell ya." You lied.
"Who's your friend you have something going on with?" She asked.
"Remember that guy I told you about? Y/N?" You asked her.
"Mhm. The really strong guy, right?" She asked.
"Yeah. He uhh... asked me if I wanted to join his military. And he said if I do, I can help take back their old outpost in West Virginia. And if we do that, you could live there with me. Make new friends, have a new home, we'd probably have a nicer home, Nia. What do you think?" You asked her.
"What? Really? A nicer home? But, I don't know. I kinda like it here." Nia replied.
"Me too, Nia. But leaving to live with The Battle Hardened doesn't mean we still can't come back and visit. I know you have some friends here, and so do I. But this could be a welcome change. I won't join if you don't want me to. But, if you are alright with it, we'll go to their recruiting setup tonight." You explained.
"Hmm... well, I do like making new friends. And it would be nice to have a better home. Will you be helping people?" Nia asked.
"I will. Y/N explained how The Battle Hardened's role is to protect and serve the people in need." You replied.
"Then... then I think you should join. It sounds like a good thing to do." Nia replied. You smiled and nodded in response.
"Alright then. We'll stop by later tonight then." You said. The two of you then arrived home and walked in.
"Oooo, can I make a poster for them to help with their recruiting?" Nia asked.
"Sure thing. I think Y/N would really appreciate that." You replied with a smile. She jumped up and down before running to her room. You chuckled before walking to the kitchen and grabbing some water.
"Think I'll lay off on the beer tonight." You thought.
[Time skip, Y/N's POV]
You and all of the others were outside with some chairs, some propaganda, and a desk. On the desk was some Battle Hardened fliers with you in your Reaper armor, pointing to the viewer while holding your old colt. The flier read 'Join The Battle Hardened. Help us protect and serve those in need.' You smiled, remembering the first day these were issued, so many years ago.
"I can't believe you kept these, guys." You said to Scott and Kirk.
"Well, never knew when we might need them." Scott replied.
"And here we are, about to use them again. It feels like the old days." Kirk said with a smile.
"Yeah, sure does." You replied, reminiscing.
"Alright you old vets. Let's get this thing going." Clementine teased to you and the boys.
"Hey!" You all simultaneously replied, pretending to be offended. Clem giggled in response before AJ tugged on her jacket.
"What does that mean? Vet." AJ asked.
"Oh, it's an abbreviation for veteran. A veteran being a soldier who's had lots of experience in the military. Though it technically means a previous soldier. As far as I'm concerned, we're all still serving, Clem." You remarked with sass.
"I was just teasing." She replied, rolling her eyes. You then set up the posters that you and AJ made together. You then laid out a clipboard with paper on it for people to sign up.
"Want to fight for a great cause?! Such as protecting innocence? Helping end this war so we can all live in peace? If so, consider joining us, The Battle Hardened! Help us reclaim our once strong presence in the world so that we can bring peace and Justice, once again!" You shouted to the people roaming the streets, trying to attract their attention. This only gained you some weird looks from people before they kept going about their day.
"Okay, this might be harder than I thought." You said.
"Maybe we aren't making a big enough impression. Is there anything else we can do?" Kayla asked.
"I might have an idea." You heard someone say in front of you. You turned your head to see Cedric with his little sister.
"Hey! You stopped by." You said with excitement.
"Yeah. I think I'm ready for a new life right about now. So is Nia. I also want to help end this war. I hate the fact that Nia is being forced to grow up in it. Count me in." Cedric said with pride.
"Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about. I knew you would join us." You replied with a smile. You then fist bumped him before looking down to his sister.
"Is this your sister?" You asked him.
"Yeah. Nia, this is Y/N. The really strong guy." Cedric replied.
"The really strong guy?" You questioned. Cedric just shrugged in response.
"It's good to meet you Nia. Are you excited for your big bro to be a soldier?" You asked her.
"Yeah! As long as he helps people." She replied.
"Trust me, he'll be helping a lot of people. What are those?" You asked, pointing to some signs in her arm.
"They're signs I made to help you tonight." Nia replied.
"Aww, that's so sweet of you Nia. I'm sure they'll really help." Clementine assured her with a cute smile.
"Wow, you're really pretty." Nia complimented Clementine. Clem had a shocked expression as she held her heart in response.
"Thank you, Nia. You're very pretty too." Clem replied. You then wrapped your arm around Clem and rested your head on top of hers.
"Yeah, I got really lucky with her." You said with a grin.
"Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?" She asked you and Clem.
"We sure are." Clementine replied.
"Can I see those posters you made?" You asked Nia.
"Sure!" Nia replied with excitement, handing you the posters. You looked at her artwork and smiled.
"You're just like AJ here. He loves to draw." You said while AJ walked over to look.
"These are so good, Nia. Come look at the ones I made." AJ said while ushering Nia over to look at his drawings.
"So, you said you had an idea to attract people's attention?" You asked Cedric.
"Yeah, let's see. Let me sign my name first." Cedric replied before grabbing the pen and signing his name on the clipboard.
"So, let's try this." Cedric said before continuing.
"DO YOU WANT TO BE A BADASS SOLDIER?! DO YOU WANT TO TAKE DOWN THE ENEMY COMMUNITIES THAT THREATEN OUR HOME?! THEN JOIN THE BATTLE HARDENED! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!" Cedric shouted as loud as he could. Surprisingly, this caused some people to come over and grab some fliers. But that was it.
"Wow, way to go, Mr aggressive. You managed to possible scare off all of Richmond." You said, sarcastically.
"Hey! At least people actually came over that time. I don't see you doing anything." Cedric defensively replied.
[Small time skip]
The recruiting continued for another hour and you only gained a few members.
"What the hell! This is ridiculous. We've only gotten 3 names on our list. What is wrong with these people?" You asked with frustration.
"Y/N, calm down. Maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow." Clementine replied, trying to calm you down.
"Yeah, sir. Maybe it's just an off day today. I'm sure if we try again tomorrow after everybody's had some rest, maybe they'll be more interested." Kirk assured you.
"*Sign* Maybe you're right. I guess we'll pick this up to-." You replied before the ringing of a bell interrupted you.
"We've got a breach!" One of the guards shouted. The citizens started panicking in response.
"Breach on the east wall. We've got walkers flooding in!" Another guard shouted. You all looked over to the east wall and saw that one of the wall structures had been toppled over. Tons of walkers were making there way in, trying to attack the citizens in that area.
"Holy shit." Cedric commented in shock.
"T-there's so many." Kayla said with fear.
"How did that even happen?" Scott questioned.
"Pull yourselves together. This could be a good thing." You responded.
"A good thing? What do you mean?" Clementine asked with uncertainty.
"We could use this as an opportunity." You replied. The others just stared at you, skeptically, waiting for you to continue.
"To show these people what The Battle Hardened are made of." You added, looking back to the others and grinning confidently.
A/N:
Sorry for not killing Gabe. I don't think Javi would've appreciated that lmao. I hope you all enjoyed that little Winter Soldier reference I slipped in with Cedric and Y/N running. You know, from the scene when Cap and Falcon first met? On your left! Anyways, how do you think Y/N and the others will handle the breach? Will we see Cedric get involved? Will Kayla keep trying to split Clem and Y/N apart? Or will she finally give up? Stay tuned to find out in chapter 39. Thanks for reading as always. Hope you enjoyed.