𝙴𝙿𝙸𝚂𝙾𝙳𝙴 𝙵𝙸𝙵𝚃𝚈-𝙾𝙽𝙴 - 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚆𝙰𝚃𝙲𝙷
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝙼𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐
After spending the night in the car, Madelyn, Daryl, Rick, Michonne and Carl all went back to walking on the track, on their way to Terminus. Rick spotted a sign on the floor which had Terminus written on it.
"We're getting close." Daryl said, his hand gripped firmly in Madelyn's. They were scared of losing each other again, of getting separated again. "Be there before sundown."
"Now we head through the woods." Rick said. "We don't know who they are."
"All right." Daryl said before everyone carried on walking. They walked through the woods where they saw walls with wooden spikes as well as a metal fence. They looked inside and saw a building with the word, Terminus, written in big letters.
"We all spread out. Watch for a while, see what we see, and get ready." Rick said. "We all stay close."
Michonne and Carl went to have a look around the area as well as Daryl and Madelyn. When they both came back, they saw Rick with a bag of weapons. "What are you doing?" Madelyn asked as she saw him put the bag into a hole in the ground.
"Just in case we need to run." Rick said, getting a nod from both Daryl and Madelyn before he buried the bag. Everyone then climbed over the fence and kept their weapons out as they walked inside. They found a door and went inside, their weapons still drawn.
They heard a sound and found a room where a woman was speaking into an intercom. "There are maps at the crossings to help guide you with your journey. Sanctuary for all, community for all. Those who arrive survive-"
"Hello." Rick said, making the woman look up as well as grabbing everyone one else's attention.
"Well, I bet Albert is on perimeter watch." A man said. "You here to rob us?"
"No. We wanted to see you before you saw us." Rick said.
"Makes sense." The man said before approaching the group. "Usually we do this where the tracks meet. Welcome to Terminus. I'm Gareth. Looks like you've been on the road for a good bit."
"We have. I'm Rick. That's Carl, Madelyn, Michonne and Daryl." Rick said. No-one said anything as Gareth waved.
"You're nervous. I get it. We were all the same way." Gareth said. "We came here for sanctuary. That what you here for?"
"Yes." Rick said.
"Good. You found it." Gareth said. "Hey, Alex. This isn't as pretty as the front. We got nothing to hide but the welcome waggon is a whole lot nicer. Alex will take you, ask you a few questions. But first, we need to see everyone's weapons. If you could just lay them down in front of you."
Everyone looked at Rick who nodded. "All right." Rick said as everyone took their weapons out and placed them on the floor.
"I'm sure you understand." Gareth said.
"Yes I do." Rick said. Everyone searched the group and once they were happy, they stepped back.
"Just so you know, we aren't those kind of people but we aren't stupid, either." Gareth said. "And you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid. As long as everyone's clear on that, we shouldn't have any problems. Just solutions."
Everyone was then given their weapons back and followed Alex out of the room and outside. "So, how long has this place been here?" Daryl asked.
"Since almost the start." Alex said. "When all the camps got overrun, people started finding this place. I think it was instinct, you know? Follow a path. Some folks were heading to the coast, others out west or up north, but they all wound up here."
"Hi." A woman said as they approached her making burgers. "Heard you came in the back door. Smart. You'll fight right in."
"Hey, Mary, would you fix each of these folks a plate for me?" Alex asked as everyone looked around. It seemed like a decent place. Safe as well as secure.
"Why do you do it?" Michonne asked. "Why do you let people in?"
"The more people become a part of us, we get stronger." Alex said. "That's why we put up the signs, invite people in."
Madelyn looked around more and tilted her head in confusion when she saw a man wearing a black protective gear. She recognised it. That was Glenn's riot gear. He had worn it when the group went to the Big Spot. Madelyn looked at Rick who looked back at her. He seemed to have also recognised the gear. Was Glenn here?
Rick went over to Alex and pulled his gun out before holding Alex. Everyone else in the group also got their weapons out. Something was wrong. Madelyn was starting to catch on but Rick seemed to have figured it out. "Where the hell did you get this watch?" Rick asked, looking at Hershel's watch that he had given to Glenn. How did Alex have it?
"You want answers, you want anything else, you get 'em when you put down the gun." Alex said.
"I see your man on the roof with a sniper rifle." Rick said. "How good's his aim? Where'd you get the watch?"
"Don't do anything!" Alex said to the sniper. "You want to listen to me. There's a lot of us."
"Where did you get the watch?" Rick asked.
"I got it off of a dead one." Alex said. "I didn't think they'd need it."
"What about the riot gear, the poncho?" Rick asked.
"Got the riot gear off a dead cop." Gareth said as he approached. "Found the poncho on a clothesline."
"Gareth, we can wait." Alex said.
"Shut up, Alex." Gareth said.
"You talk to me." Rick said to Gareth.
"What's there left to say?" Gareth asked Rick. "You don't trust us anymore. Rick, what do you want?"
"Where are our people?" Rick asked.
"You didn't answer the question." Gareth said before everyone opened fire. The group started running, trying to avoid the gunfire as much as they possibly could. They made it to some sort of garage where Daryl found a gate. They couldn't get through so they went through another door and ran back outside, avoiding the gunfire. Everyone followed Daryl where they heard a woman crying for help from a metal container.
"What the hell?" Daryl asked.
"Help us!" The woman cried.
"What?" Madelyn asked.
"Keep going! We have to move." Rick said as they all started running again. They then made it to a room that was lit with a bunch of candles.
"What the hell is this place?" Daryl asked.
"Are they worshipping Satan or some weird shit like that?" Madelyn asked.
"These people, I don't think they're trying to kill us." Michonne said.
"No, they were aiming at our feet." Rick said before spotting a door. "There."
Everyone went towards the door but it closed. They found another door and quickly left through there. The group were outside yet again, avoiding gunfire when they were faced with a bunch of gunmen in front of them as well as on the roof. They were surrounded.
"Drop your weapons! Now!" The man on the roof said. Everyone sighed and dropped their weapons. There was nothing they could do. Daryl quickly looked over at Madelyn to see if she was okay. She was.
"Ringleader." Gareth said to Rick. "Go to your left. The train car, go. You do what we say, the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies and you end up in there anyway."
Rick looked at Carl and went to the train car. "Now the archer." Gareth said, making Daryl follow Rick. "Lady archer, you next." Madelyn then followed Daryl. "Now the samurai." Michonne then followed Madelyn.
Once everyone got to the door except for Carl, Gareth spoke again. "Stand at the door, ringleader, archer, lady archer, samurai, in that order." Everyone stood in a line, one behind the other.
"My son." Rick said.
"Go, kid." Gareth said and Carl quickly ran to the group. "Ringleader, open the door and go in."
"I'll go in with him." Rick said, referring to Carl.
"Don't make us kill him now." Gareth said. Rick climbed up the steps to the train car and opened the door before walking inside, followed by Daryl, Madelyn, Michonne and Carl. The door then closed.
"What the hell are we going to do?" Madelyn asked.
"Mads?" The group heard, making them turn around and see Glenn, Maggie, Sasha, Bob and four other people they didn't know.
"Glenn." Madelyn said, hugging him tight. "Oh my god, you're all alive."
"You're here." Rick said before looking at the other people that they didn't know.
"They're our friends." Maggie said. "They helped save us."
"Well, now they're friends of ours." Daryl said.
"For however long that'll be." The red haired man said.
"No." Rick said. "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out."
"Find out what?" The red haired man asked.
"They're screwing with the wrong people."