Normani's POV
Everyone leaves with their assigned person of Andrew's group as Dinah, Ally, and I walk off with Melissa towards a building.
"This is where all our supplies are. Food, water, medical, even weapons, ammo," Melissa explains.
"Do you need help identifying exactly what kind of medicines you all have?" Ally asks.
"That will be so helpful," Melissa says.
"I can help with weapons if you need help with that," Dinah says.
"I know my way around weapons but I'm probably no expert like you," Melissa says.
"Let's just say my boss gave us weapon classes," Dinah says.
"I'll go with you," Melissa says.
"I'll jotting down food and water," I said.
"And me the medical as I said," Ally says.
Ally and I go off in the same direction as Dinah and Melissa go to the weaponry part of the building.
Halfway through us jotting down the name of supplies and how much there is of it, I turn to Ally.
"Hey Ally, can I ask you a question?" I ask hopefully.
"Of course. What's up?" Ally turns to look at me, pushing her glasses more up her nose.
"I... Uh... Does Dinah like girls?" I ask.
Ally looks at me wide-eyed until she starts laughing making my eyebrows furrow in confusion.
"What's so funny?" I ask.
"I'm sorry but is that even a question? Dinah is the gayest motherfucker I have ever met in my whole life even more than Lauren, Camila, Harry, and Louis," Ally says. Her laughter dies down as she continues to jot down supplies. "But I don't know if she's looking for a relationship. This whole apocalypse has her scared that she can lose someone so easily. But maybe the right person can change her opinion on that," Ally says, smiling brightly at me.
We fall silent as we continue with our task, some part of me having hope that maybe I can have a chance with Dinah.
Louis's POV
I wipe away the sweat on my forehead as I dig out a small hole and plant some seeds in then pile the dirt back on top as Halsey waters the spot.
"So what do you think of her so far?" Halsey whispers.
We both look over to see Cohan a couple of feet away who's picking ready tomatoes.
"She isn't so bad. This place isn't so bad. But I depend on Lauren so much. I don't care if Andrew is the leader of this community, Lauren will remain as mine and if Andrew tries to take that away then it's gonna start a hella war," I said.
"Lauren is still our leader. We just comply with Andrew by calling him our governor because he gave us a safe place to stay," Halsey says.
"Hey, how is the planting going?" Cohan walks over to us with a smile on her face.
"Good! I've never farmed before but maybe I'll get there," I said.
"Let's keep going then," Cohan moves her short hair to the side.
Gerald's POV
"Let me get this straight, you all teach children how to fight and use weapons?" I ask Chandler.
"Yes. I'm a teenager myself and I had to learn the hard way. I lost my family and then Andrew took me in. We go way back. He sorta became my father," Chandler says.
"You and these kids need to be children. You guys don't need to be out there fighting undead y'all need to for example sneak alcohol into y'all's rooms, at least the teenagers," Zayn says.
"Don't listen to him. Zayn is a troublemaker," I said to Chandler.
"Hey, I like that but after years of fighting zombies. I've come used to it, I prefer it like that," Chandler says.
"Your a cool kid Chandler you know that?" Zayn says.
"Thank you," Chandler smiles softly.
We finally get to the building as we enter right after Chandler does.
Immediately, I see so many kids, some are teenagers but others look like they're younger than 10 years old.
"Okay this isn't right," I whisper to Zayn.
"I know. Some of them aren't even 10 years old and they are teaching them... This," Zayn frowns.
"I honestly don't know how to feel about this place but... This right here... I wanna go and cut Andrew's head off," I whisper.
"I'll do it if the boss orders it," Zayn says.
"Alright let's get going," Chandler walks over to us.
He hands us each a blunt knife as we follow him to where the teens and children are lined up.
"Okay, teens, children, we will start yet once again with another session but this time I have two other teachers. Please welcome Zayn and Gerald," Chandler says.
He motions towards us as the teens and children clap while we wave at them forcing smiles onto our faces.
Colson's POV
Norman stops the car beside the road where it meets the woods as we all get out.
"Alright. You two know how to hunt right?" Norman asks us.
"I do. I know so much about the woods," I said.
"Oh shit. That's cool. I do too," Norman says.
"I don't know how to shoot but my dad taught me how to cut an animal properly," Shawn says.
"There's a certain way?" Norman asks.
"Of course there is. Especially if you want it to taste even better," Shawn says.
"Yeah, can we get going? I think I spotted deer prints," I said.
Norman and I take the lead as I keep my eyes down on the tracks and Norman's eyes are up, seeing if he can spot the deer.
"There," Norman whispers.
We all duck down as up ahead in a clearing, the deer stands there, eating grass.
"You shoot or I?" I ask Norman.
"You have the rifle," Norman says.
I nod and raise the rifle slowly, careful not to make any sort of noise as I look into the scope, aiming the rifle right where the heart of the animal is.
I take a deep breath to steady my shaking and then pull the trigger.
The sound scares the deer but the bullet is fast enough to pierce through its heart before it can run away as it goes down with a screech.
"Nice shot!" Norman says.
"Let's get it back to the truck before it gets contaminated," I said.
All three of us run out into the clearing as we work together to pick up the deer and carry it back to the truck.
We set it at the back as we tie it so it doesn't move as we close the back.
"Nice job boys," Norman says.
For the first time since I met him, he's smiling and I didn't think he knew what smiling was.
"Thanks," I said.
"Let's get back to Alexandria so we can cut and cook this bad boy up," Norman says.
We all exchange a high five before we get inside the truck and start driving back to Alexandria.
Niall's POV
"Do any of y'all have experience with woodwork?" Steven asks.
We are currently nailing some planks to the wall, you see the wall is made out of steel but then there's wood to help it stay up.
"I have had experiences in the field. To be honest, woodwork is kinda a side hobby," I said.
"And you?" Steven looks at Harry.
"I can nail some planks to the wall but I certainly can't do any extravagant things," Harry says.
"Is there something you want to be done?" I ask Steven.
"Yes, the front gate needs a little more protection. I have the schematics on what we're thinking of building but I'll have to run it by with Andrew," Steven says.
He pulls out a blueprint and lays it out on the cart as we take a look at it.
"Those can work, any undead that somehow happens to come nearby will get stuck. They will walk right into it," I said.
"And then we can kill so easily then discard their bodies," Steven says.
"If the Governor agrees then we should get to work right away," I said.
"I will run it by him when he gets back," Steven says.
He rolls up the blueprints and puts them away as we three return back to our work.
Camila's POV
"Two up ahead," Liam whispers.
"Let's sneak up behind them," Danai says to me, motioning to her katana then to mine.
I nod and we split up as I look down at the ground, being cautious where I step.
"Now!" Danai commands.
I unsheathe my katana as I swing at the undead closes to me as its head slides off its shoulders.
I look over and see that Danai has buried her katana up into the mouth of the undead as she jerks up and the head slices in half.
"Dang," I said.
Liam walks over to me, his mouth dropped in shock. "I don't know if I should praise her or be scared," He whispers.
"I'm between both too," I said.
"Let's keep looking," Danai says.
"Let's remind ourselves and everyone else that we shouldn't cross her," I whisper to Liam.
"Roger that," He says.
Lauren's POV
Andrew piles some wood planks into the back of the truck as I lean against it, watching out for any undead.
"You shouldn't be worried," Andrew speaks.
I turn around to look at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?" I ask.
Andrew closes the back of the truck as he walks over to me. "You're worried I will take your leadership over your people," He says.
"How did you know?" I ask.
"Guess I've just been in that kind of situation before," Andrew says.
"So you don't want to take my leadership away?" I ask.
"No. There's a reason why I let you guys keep all of your supplies. You can stay as a leader to them but as long as you don't cross my rules, everything will go by smoothly," Andrew says.
"I... I don't know what to say, Andrew," I said.
"Just say thank you Andrew I owe you," He says.
"I will never-"
"I'm joking with you," Andrew says.
"You didn't seem like-"
"I know," Andrew smiles. He looks down at the list in his hands and puts it in his pocket. "We can do the supply run tomorrow," Andrew says.
"Why not today?" I ask.
"Because you have impressed me so much today. Maybe next test I will send you and a small group of your people on the supply run," Andrew says.
"You trust us that much that you will allow us to do that all alone?" I raise an eyebrow.
"You. I trust you," Andrew says.
"This is suspicious. I have a feeling that you know me from somewhere. And not because I'm known as the leader of the Empire," I said.
"You probably don't recognize me," Andrew says.
"Should I?" My face scrunches up in confusion.
"Your parents. Do you remember the man your parents took you and your siblings to, to take care of y'all while your father got help with his addiction," Andrew says.
I furrow my eyebrows, it's such a distant memory but I do remember that time.
My father was a drunk but gladly he didn't abuse any of us, he was never the violent kind but more like the absent kind, one day my mom threaten him that if he didn't change she will take me and my siblings away and he will never see us again but the man that they took us to, I was never able to remember him but I looked up to him, everything I am he shaped me into it. In a way he became like a second father to me, he was the reason I was able to get into the military which was my long time dream, he pushed me as far as he could without pushing me over the edge and I thank him for the way he created me but I couldn't thank him face to face because I don't remember him and when my parents took me and my siblings back because my dad was freed of his addiction, we moved and I never saw him again.
"How do you know about that?" I ask Andrew.
"Look at me real closely, Lauren," Andrew says.
I bite my lower lip in thought as I stare at him closely trying to put his features onto a face I could have seen before.
"I'm the man Lauren. The one who shaped you into who you are today," Andrew says.
From the little features, I remember from the man, I imagine them on Andrew's, and even though they are older, they match.