in duck lives au, is he there during the final season? i forgor. but how useful would he be against the Delta people? how capable is my boy duck (sorry if this has been asked before oop)
He is in the final season!!!
He would be pretty useful against the Delta. His drive to protect Clem and AJ (and eventually the Ericson kids) makes him a force to be reckoned with (he's got the combined protectiveness of Kat and Kenny, this guy will NOT stop until his loved ones are safe). He definitely puts his own life on the line a bit too much for them but it's a risk he's willing to take to ensure their safety
I feel like he'd be extra angry towards Lilly. He'd probably bring up Larry a lot too. I wanna do a drawing of him in a cell (when Lilly is talking to Clem) of him shouting at her "If you wanna follow in your father's footsteps so bad let me drop a damn saltlick on your skull" or something like that
I thought it was a fun parallel between Kenny and Larry, and, Duck and Lilly. Their dads against each other and now it's the children!!
Does anyone else think about the New Frontier-Delta war from The Final Season?
Of course, it's never actually named as such, but it's implied that The New Frontier is the group Delta's at war with, when Abel specifically names Richmond. But, they never mention how long it had been going on for, but it's implied that it's been going on for years, with Delta 'recruiting' anyone they could find.
Clementine even describes Richmond as a 'war zone', and it's implied the Fort McCarroll/McCarroll Ranch was attacked by the Delta, when Eddie and Helen both said they wouldn't let Clem 'take' AJ, which is the MO of the Delta, and since McCarroll Ranch was a Satellite of the New Frontier.
Now, the time between ANF and TFS about three years, with AJ being around two/three-ish in ANF and five in TFS, so for arguments sake, we'll say the Delta/New Frontier war has been going on for about four or five. And four/five years before TFS the New Frontier was raiding and razing other communities (one of which being Wellington but that's just a head canon), meaning Delta was attacked first.
It's implied that the Delta are losing the war, hence the 'recruiting' practices being employed. Delta went from a, presumably, peaceful community to an aggressive force taking anyone they find and indoctrinating them into fanatically following them and killing anyone who showed any form of extended resistance.
They could've probably brought Ericson's Boarding School into their fold peacefully, possibly by making it a satellite community. Instead, they decided to try and take them by force.
The victim became the monster, and that's why I love The Final Season.
if I were to make a twdg fanfic of life after the events of the final season, who would you want to see as a villain? more of the Delta, or a new group?
Violet still waits for her moment to end. For everything around her to disappear and for the shoreline of her friend’s voice to return to her. That maybe she’d reunite with those she cared about. Maybe with Tenn or Brody...hoping that it’d be quick and not in this regretful stance she finds herself in now. As the sounds around her escape and simply become nothing but ringing. She’s confused, almost daring herself to open her eyes.
But a voice shouts out again, and she blinks them open on realization.
“Violet, give me your fucking hand, now!” Clementine yells, keeping her death grip on the blonde’s wrist as she finally gets wind of what’s happening. Not wasting any more seconds believing she’s going to die or plummet down the lengths of the skyscraper. Not thinking about what or who she’d see and who she’d miss.
She wasn’t going to fucking die after that.
She rips her other arm up, feeling the grip of Sophie and Clementine pulling her up as quickly and as tightly as they can before she realizes she’s back on the ground, and the once glass gap behind them is now nothing but a steep drop for them to worry about. Shaking momentarily as Sophie places a hand on her shoulder, worriedly glancing at her friend.
“What the hell happened?!”
“I blanked out I think...I...I just- I don’t know.”
“You can not do that again, Vi. We almost lost you!”
“I know! I know...I just-“
“Just what?”
“I thought I was dying! I didn’t realize someone had caught me…” she mumbles, looking over to Clementine as the girl has her arms crossed, glancing to the piles of shattered glass around them that had yet to take the plummet.. Enough noise to gain the attention of walkers, sure, but they were too high up for them even get near them.
“Looks like we won’t be going back here anytime soon.” Clementine says, turning around as she heads for the entrance to a hallway the previous collisions of rocks had blocked. Leaving a startled Sophie and Violet to get up on their feet, and quickly.
“Are you sure you’re alright, Vi?”
“My ass almost fell a hundred feet, but I’m good. Let’s just find out where she’s going before she actually leaves us for dead.”
Sophie nods, helping violet off the ground as the two jog towards the doorway. Met with an old coffee room as items as scattered. The tiles grayed and dulled as they were cracked beyond belief. Old and new dust blocking the usual light as it still flowed within similar to snowfall. Only letting a very opaque light shine through and off the bits of tile scattered across the room.
Violet’s attention was turned to the wooden desk. Now full of bullet holes, scratches, and other damages she couldn’t quick make out from the coffee supplies —well I expired, scattered and broken across the rest of them.
“Damn...I miss coffee...even the smell.” She mutters, wishing she could at least get a remembrance of that if she couldn’t have the actual drink itself. Instead only getting that same murky smell of the old metals around her, along with the dust and the water that flooded the subway as long as she remembered seeing it.
“If that was what we came here for, I’d cry.” Sophie adds, looking through the old packets as she starts to get confused over some of the flavors. “Though the spice of pumpkin doesn’t sound that great.”
“Really? You don’t like pumpkin?”
“I like the look of them, doesn’t mean I’d eat it.”
“Oh…” Violet shrugs, turning just as Sophie adds something else.
“I remember that Halloween by the way, don’t even try and escape it.”
Dammit Violet cringes at the memory. Knowing she’d been a bit too eager to go and look at the jack-o-lanterns and other pumpkins and practically became the equivalent of a starving dog looking for food when she’d found out about what was inside of them.
She’d never admit it, but it tasted pretty good.
She was as happy as can be in her small scarecrow outfit. Her parents? Not so much. And her friends still haven’t let her live it down.
“I’m surprised you remember, considering everything that’s happened.”
“When they first took me and Minnie to the Delta we were given journals. Everyone wrote in them since that’s what basically kept them sane. I of course, wrote all the stories I could remember. I even still have it in my bag if you’d ever like to read some of them.”
“I might take you up on that, Sophie.” She smiles, though her curiosity is brought to what Clementine might’ve written within it. If she had a journal for herself and wasn’t a soldier anymore — though Violet was unsure if she was actually sane, maybe she could find out more about her.
She definitely had to remember that for later.
“What are we looking for, anyway?” Sophie asks, peaking over one of the nearby shelves as she looks towards Clementine. Noticing the girl wasn’t near the exact pair of shelving from before. Knowing her curiosity might bring her into more trouble, the redhead puts a hand near her holster. Peering her eyes as she tries to listen for anything going wrong around them. And giving a knowing glance towards Violet a the girl did the same, pulling out a cleaver just in case.
“Clem? Where’d you go?” Violet calls out, wondering if she was being too loud or obnoxious and that it had just sealed their fates. But with a dead silence ringing around them, neither girl really knew what to do except to continue on forward.
They pass by a similarly damaged hallway, finally seeing Clementine’s figure standing at the edge of a doorway. Her head tilted gently to the side as she looks into a room that is currently off view from the other two. Curiously glancing as the small light pours in through the side, casting a warm glow onto half her side, showing the sleeve-torn demon jacket and the white hoodie that shows beneath, lingering its sleeves at the base of her palms as Clementine doesn’t even turn to register the other two had come close to her. Her curious stance almost confusing to the two girls, as it’s almost peaceful.
Definitely not something they would have expected out of Clementine, even if they had known her for a short time.
“What is it?” Violet asks, putting her cleaver away as she lingers closer to the doorway. Watching as Clementine doesn’t stop her, still staring forward with a lingering expression that was definitely not fear or horror. Almost like it was just a simple sight.
Something that was nice and nostalgic.
Only that certainly wasn’t that way for Violet as she turns her head, nearly jumping back at the sight as Sophie quickly runs up too, not as silent in her shock as the blonde had been.
“What in the actual fuck!”
“Jesus…I know you said there’d be a dead guy up here but not...not like this shit!”
Clementine stares forward as her casted eyes darken in the realization of what it was. Looking to Sophie expectantly, almost as if she’d expected her to act more calm over such a sight.
Though she had escaped long before Clementine had. Almost giving her hope that maybe she’d return to her roots as well.
Clementine glances back to the sight in front of her. Towards the man she’d chased out and shot, looking now as it seemed to do more damage than she might’ve expected had it not been for the butcher knife at the man’s hand.
Meaning he’d done it to himself.
Clementine stares at his face, how the dead eyes and the part of him that must’ve once been a walker—or close to it, was gone. Enough to show the slightly aging blood that was widely pooled around him as his literal insides were displayed outwards. Cascading in every which way Clementine looked. Almost as if there would be nothing left in his chest at that point as some of them were splayed across one of the nearby cabinets and in his other hand. The smell radiating it was just as bad as the dead that were walking. Enough for the sight to almost resonate something within the girl.
But it did nothing.
“I thought you said he was injured, what the hell did you use on him?” Violet asks, covering her mouth and nose with her sleeve as she still stares at it. Genuinely wishing she wasn't, but it was too much of something that caught her eye to look away, as everywhere else was simply red with blood that reflected some of the old surfaces.
“A gun.”
“Did that gun have explosive ammo or some shit?!” Violet asks, knowing she wouldn’t be surprised if Clementine had said yes or not. But when the girl approaches the dead man, leaving her boots to walk across the bloodstains that immediately cover the bottoms of them, she’s even more confused.
“What the fuck? Just- why.” She says, a loss for words as Clementine isn’t even fazed by it. And Sophie merely watches with slight horror, but also a look that worries Violet.
As if she’s seen this before. Again she wouldn’t be surprised, but it didn’t mean she didn’t worry about what else the two might’ve experienced back at Delta or wherever else they’d been. It was simply the unknown that was terrifying.
“He gutted himself. Enough to cause him to not be able to move as a walker as they basically just...slid out of him.” Clementine shrugs. “Or he got some sort of head injury. I don’t really know it care.”
“Of course you don’t” Violet sighs. “So uh- why exactly did he decide to do this?”
“Beats me. People go a little nutty when they think they’re gonna die. No doubt in hell this guy did too.” She smirks. “Guess it’s a good thing I fell.”
“Right…so uh, now that we found your little gut buddy, we going home or something?”
“Nope. I gotta look for something.” Clementine says, moving her hands towards the extremely bloodied jacket of the man as she pauses, looking over towards Violet and Sophie with a raised brow. “I take it you two don’t wanna help?”
“God no I-“ Violet starts, getting an elbow from Sophie as she mouths something to the girl. Shrugging her shoulders after.
Violet didn’t know what the hell that meant.
“God...just...fine. I don’t know why in the name of fuck we’re doing this but alright.”
Violet cringes as she tries her best to step around the blood. Knowing she had to give up at some point as soon as she hears the apparent splash by it, as well as the cold feeling splattering onto her legs soon after.
“Hate this hate this hate this.” She mumbles, hovering over the body as Clementine begins to check his pockets, rummaging through quickly and with little regard to how disgusting the situation actually is.
“So...what do you need us to do again?”
Clementine doesn’t look up from where she’s checking. “Check his other pockets. He should have something. You’ll know it when you see it.”
“What if it’s something dumb?”
“Just check his fucking pockets.”
Violet sighs again, cringing as she sees the giant hole in the man’s cheek and jaw that reveals the stringy flesh barely keeping it all connected. Darkened in the deep crimson like the rest of his body. Only the sounds as she moves his head are enough to make her simply want to just leave and plummet through the glass again.
She moves one of the top pockets in his jacket, previously hidden by the broken neck that was splayed to the side and full of the dripping blood on top of it. Enough to see a beige paper sitting folded inside as Violet picks it up, her bloodied hands leaving a red thumbprint on it as she does.
“Is this it?” She asks, not getting a verbal answer as Clementine quickly snatched it from her hands. Opening it quickly as her eyes scan through it. Almost like she was rereading it over and over again for memorization. And the way her eyes light up slightly are enough for Sophie to ask out of curiosity again.
Curiosity killed the cat.
“So uh...what is it?”
Clementine glances over to them. Letting out a soft exhale as she stands up again. Still holding it delicately as if she was scared of it. Before finally speaking up.
“Sophie, I take it your remember Delta’s symbol?”
“Well, yeah. You and I both have tattoos on our wrist of it.”
“So this is it then, right? This is real?”
Sophie raises a brow as she is handed the note. Reading some of it aloud carefully and relatively quietly as the words sink in all at the same time.
“Rockingham recruit, report to Teller’s bridge by 0600 of the twentieth of October. Convoy will arrive to pick you and any other recruits there. Stay vigilant, stay with the Delta’s currents.”
Violet looks on confused too the other girls as they widen in their eye contact. Knowing what it necessarily meant, just not what it specifically meant to Clementine herself.
“Why do you need Delta’s note? What are you going to do? Prevent people from going to them?”
“Not exactly.” Clementine shakes her head. Her hands clenched into fists as she walks back and forth. Rubbing her hand at the bandage still on her head before turning to them again. “I’m getting my revenge.”
“Wait what-“
“Lilly is going to die. And that’s a promise.” Clementine tells them. Her face darkening in seriousness as Violet feels a shiver down her spine. “And I’m going to be the one to kill her.”
Violet and Sophie simply stare at the girl in concern and skepticism—and a bit of fear, as she makes that promise to them. While Violet’s never met the woman herself it sounds damn hard to kill someone within a terrifying community such as Delta. And by the look on Sophie’s face it certainly seems that she’s feeling the exact same way.
“Clementine are you sure that’s a good idea?” The redhead asks, wary of their distance suddenly as she glances between the gutted body of the man on the floor and to the brunette again. Remembering what she’d done the past night and what she must’ve been capable of. “I don’t think Lilly-“
“You don't have to worry about that. I find my way back to Lilly’s little false promises and lies...and you two will get to see Minerva again. Maybe even bring her back home.”
The two girls freeze at that. Their breaths hitching among the cold air to the point where it almost stings at their lips, their faces contorting into a mixture of worry and hope. The turmoil inside of them lurching in their stomachs as they didn’t know what to say.
It all sounded like a suicide mission...but if they could see Minnie again…
“I thought Minnie was still with them?” Sophie grumbles, crossing her arms as she looks off to the side. Knowing that she can’t hold up this much hope. Not even for her own sister. “You said it yourself, she didn’t seem to ever want to leave..and I doubt she would if we all arrived there anyway.”
“I never said you had to go with.” Clementine tells them, leaning against one of the cracked pillars nearby as her nails absentmindedly scrape some of the small bits and chunks away. Her eyes moving to look between the girls. “I’m saying if you want that chance again...this might be your last one.”
“This might just be a suicide mission. Not just for you- but for us as well.”
“At this point? I don’t really give a shit of what happens to me, Violet. What I’m saying is that if you two aren’t there? Not only will Minerva disappear if I kill Lilly, but if she gets in my way and tries to stop me? I can’t promise anything.”
Sophie’s glare deepens as she steps further in the room. Watching Clementine with caution as she grits her teeth, knowing she has to choose her words carefully. “If you lay a hand on her-”
“That’s only if she tries to kill me. If she’s still loyal to the Delta? She’s as bad as the rest of them. But I’m not going to waste my time to be some damn savior and bring her back when I have Lilly and the rest of the Delta to deal with. If you really want a chance to stop her? I recommend you come with. Convince her that Delta is not the group she should be staying with.”
The girls are silent as Clementine’s eyes stare at the tumultuous blonde in front of her. The both of them knowing what she was actually meaning by those words. Even more so as her next simply confirm it.
“Violet especially. If Minerva is still mad at me and Sophie--which is highly possible, Violet is our best shot.”
“If you’re insinuating she’s going with you alone…that isn’t happening. It’s my sister and my friend going along with you. I’m not letting her do it alone.”
“Wasn’t insinuating that. If anything you will be our best bet. But I don’t think I can bring the others along.”
Violet quickly shakes her head, her brows furrowed in confusion and slight anger as she tries to piece it all together. Knowing her own answer and opinion on it were fully conflicting. “The fuck? Why not?! They can’t just-”
“It’ll get far more attention from not only those bandits, but Delta will think something’s up. They’ll know that something is wrong. Your friends will be in far more danger on the road to them than they will back here in the city. Trust me. There’s a lot less hiding places than there is here. And you’ve already got caught once.”
“But you saved us! What are they going to do if they get caught again?!” Violet asks, pacing around the room now as she thinks of the two guys at Clementine’s apartment. Knowing they’re probably worried sick--and will be when we’re gone!”
“That’s why I’ll leave them with some of my gear. My shotgun and one of my pistols, along with all the food there. Everything in that apartment except for what’s in my backpack will belong to them. Period. Even the map with the layout of the subway, marked with the non-flooded areas if they really need to run to it for safety. They’ll be fine if they made it this far out and in the world. Even I know that.”
“Just- fuck I don’t want to leave them. They’ve been with us through everything…” Violet mumbles, biting on one of her nails as Clementine gently shakes her head. Almost as if she knows what being in that sort of situation was like.
Maybe she did know…
“If you want to protect them? You’ll tell them to stay here in the city. There’ll be ways to know they’re safe. Trust me.”
“But it isn’t guaranteed.” Sophie points out. Obvious that she’d already made her decision, but it wasn’t exactly hers to begin with as she looks back to the blonde. Playing more of a devil’s advocate if anything.
“Nothing here is. But their chances will be better. They’re survivors. Just like you. But you don’t even have to go to begin with. You can stay back if you’re that worried about them,”
“Just- we need to find Minerva too. Or else she’s as good as dead. Even if she already is...we need closure. It’s been too long.” The redhead mutters. Leaning back against her own pillar as she hauls herself up to sit on it. Looking back down to the green eyed girl as she awaits her decision.
“How long do you think we’ll be gone?”
“All depends on us, and how Lilly and the Delta might’ve changed. Otherwise? We’ll come back here...if you get her. I just wouldn’t if I was going by myself knowing how Minerva can be.”
“Violet-” Sophie turns to her friend. “This is our only chance. And without that? We’re leaving her behind. Just like before...I can’t force you but...I’m asking you. Please do this. Aasim and Louis will be fine. They’ve got Chairles and her guns and places to hide. They’ll stay out of danger-”
“I know!” She yells, quickly correcting herself as she takes a deep and shaky breath. “I know. It’ll be hard...but I think we’ll have to do it.” She mumbled, knowing the others heard her by their sudden looks of attentiveness. “Let’s do this.”
“Good. One less thing for me to worry about. With you two, I might have a lower chance of being at knifepoint by Minerva. I’ll just have to worry about my own finding Lilly’s throat.”
Violet scratches at her own neck at those words, opening her mouth to ask Clementine why she was so dead-set on killing Lilly and going back to the Delta instead of spending her time within the freedom she had. When she’s cut off. Not by a sound she hears.
But one Clementine does. Enough for the brunette to place her palm over Violet’s mouth. Getting a tight grip on the blonde for her to be silent as Sophie catches on almost immediately, taking place near the side of a way as she tries to listen in as well.
“Sounded like footsteps.” Clementine whispers, whisking Violet off to the adjoining wall with her as she slowly retracts her hand, keeping a finger to her own mouth to signify for Violet to be completely silent. And as if the force of her grip on her mouth wasn’t enough, the look in the amber eyes certainly was.
Violet listens to something--trying to make out a sound that isn’t her own beating heart as she looks to the body--the gutted one that’d left trails of blood there. Enough for Violet to also remember that Clementine initially said it was a group of people. Not just one singular man.
Were they hiding out here the whole time?
It certainly didn’t take long for Violet to figure out that the answer was a resounding yes as a shrill voice echoes and bounces off the walls into their room.
“You monsters! I know you’re the ones who killed Jeremy! Ol’ Stephenson pulled out his own guts because of you freaks! And now I’m gonna make sure that you’re all gonna do the same thing!”
It’s quick to reveal their hiding place as a wave of bullets fly into the room. Hitting the walls and window in front of them as it sends pieces and shards back in every direction from both concrete and glass. And all Violet can look at is how one of them hits the body--Jeremy, somehow sending more blood to splatter across the cracked tile floor, even as her hearing rings as more bullets fly through the room, she barely notices the harsh grip on her arm once more as Clementine starts running--then sprinting, towards the now open window.
“Run! Now!”
“Wait- what the fuck are you doing?!” Violet yells, bracing herself as Clementine sends her and the blonde flying outside of it--with Sophie hot on their heels, as they are fast to land on a nearby rooftop harshly. Stunned at the feeling of the tough brick their bodies hit as the girls catch their breaths.
But only for a second.
The remaining man is quick to make it to the window, not jumping out after the girls but rather raising his automatic rifle once more. His glare enough to pierce through the already broken glass as he shouts something incomprehensible. Preparing to fire at the teenagers once more.
“Follow me!” Clementine yells to them, beginning to sprint across the rooftop as her companions are quick to follow. Letting their feet take them as quickly as possible as their hearts pound in their chest. Doing anything Clementine does so long as it’ll ensure they make it out of this situation. Even as Clementine jumps once more, landing across an adjacent rooftop.
But Violet doesn’t mind the gap. Closing her eyes as she and Sophie both leap across it as well, continuing their hard sprints as soon as a single foot hits the adjoining roof as they still hear gunshots in the distance.
Luckily none that are too close.
“What the fuck what the fuck what the fuck!” Violet yells as she turns her head, following the girls as they hop rooftops over and over. Slowing realizing they’re being lowered from the shorter buildings as they continue to hop down rather than across them.
“Just keep going! We’re almost there!”
“Didn’t realize we were going to be doing some fucking freerunning, Clementine!” Sophie pants. “Is this your way of getting out after that damn glass shattered?”
“Yes.” She tells them, as if it’s obvious. Her attention building back to what’s in front of them. “But right now isn’t the time to talk about this so keep fucking running!”
Violet does exactly as she says, knowing this is certainly not any sort of time to argue before the brunette makes a short jump, almost looking as if she wasn’t going to make it. That the leap to the apparent brick and cracked building ahead was simply too far.
“Clementine!-” Violet yelled, sprinting as if she’s preparing to catch her arm, but the sound as Clementine slips from her view quickly becomes apparent what’s happening, as does the sight of the brunette sliding down a tin roof. Echoing out into the overgrown cityscape as the others are quick to follow. Listening to the sounds of them also hitting the tin siding as it screeches within each inch they slide at a quickening speed. Barely enough for them to register the ground coming into view.
Clementine lets out a huff as she hits the ground. The partially flooded floor splashing up at her ankles as she’s sure to bend her knees upon landing. Watching as the other two are quick to join her--albeit not so gracefully.
The redhead stumbles through the water as soon as she hits the bottom. The splashes becoming deeper as her steps become more vertical than angled before she regains her balance, not quick enough to realize Violet was quick behind her, though not even enough for her to register the ground before as she’s quick to fall over on her elbows. Sending bits of water in every direction with a loud splash.
“You alright?” Sophie asks her, helping the blonde up as she’s quick to attempt to hide her smirk, though it fails as Violet spits out some of the old water she’d unfortunately caught in her mouth.
“Fuck. That.” She breathes out, wiping the leaves and moss off her face and body as she looks at her half-soaked self. Cringing at the feeling of the other leaves that'd stuck to her body and went inside her shirt. Scraping at her already sore muscles and pounding heart.
“Well. That was...something.” Clementine jokes, looking back and to the skyscraper as the window if far out of view. Whereas the man who was shooting at them must’ve been gone as well. “Do you two always attract the attention of crazed men with guns?”
“No, not usually.” Violet rolls her eyes. “Thought that was more of your type of thing considering the only ones we’ve encountered was when you were just nearby as well. Unless you count Marlon for that matter.”
“Marlon?”
Sophie places a hand up to Violet as she decided it’s probably best for her to explain--primarily because of the sulking look on Violet’s face as soon as she remembers the name she’d literally just mentioned.
“He’s the reason me and Minnie were sent to the Delta. Traded us to protect everyone else.”
“Oh...sounds shitty.”
“It was, but it didn’t exactly end well for him either.”
“I think you’re forgetting the fact that he didn’t protect us. The dumbass basically made a deal with the devil and the raiders killed him the next time they came along. We all moved after that and ran into Sophie along the way...came to this damned city and, well...here we are.”
“Quite the journey if I do say so myself.” Clementine quips, looking past some of the flooded waters as she steps into a nearby and slightly heightened abandoned building to wipe off some of the murky water that’d seeped into her boots. The thick smell of old and rotting wood quickly filling her senses as the others follow suite.
“What about you? With the way you’re acting I bet you’ve got a longer one.” Sophie smirks, her curiosity showing through again as she knows she definitely wouldn’t be getting the full answer.
“Definitely for another day. Bit too much to recollect if you ask me.” She sighs, leaning her feet up on the side of a couch as she sits down. Letting herself relax. “Besides, I think we should rest a little bit. We still got a bit to walk through before we catch up to your other friends--and right after we tell them everything, we’re out of here.”
“Oh…” Violet mumbles somberly, moving her sleeves up to prevent the soaking wet piece of clothing to cling to her arms as she finds a chair as well, curling up within it as she lets herself fall deeper into the comfort of it. “I guess that’s a good idea.”
“Trust me.” Clementine says, moving her bandage up slightly before placing her hat over her face. “You’ll want as much sleep as you can get, though I bet you already know that considering the shit we’ve all probably been through.”
“Yeah...I guess so…” The blonde mumbles once more, looking over as Sophie's already fallen asleep on a couch. A light snore emitting from her as the room falls into a peaceful bliss. Though her heart hurts at the thought of leaving her friends--she knows it can’t be for too long. That they’d return.
But what she didn’t know was if it’d be with Minerva alongside them or not. Something that stays in her mind even as sleep comes to her within the small abandoned building. Keeping her light nap to drift to whatever thoughts she might’ve had upon it.
Summary: The story of what happened the night the twins tried to escape from the Delta.
Read on A03:
Ok, tonight’s the night. It’s now or never, Sophie thought as she peered around the corner. Her knife clinked against the wall as she turned to make sure Minerva was okay. She seemed to be a bit quieter than usual. But it was probably because of the escape tonight.
“Okay, it’s all clear. Come on, Minnie.”
Sophie snuck onto the deck, careful not to make too much sound. One single misstep and this whole plan would be ruined. But she had to get back to Tenn. She missed him so much and was worried for him and the others. Since the raiders had taken her and Minnie, it would only be a matter of time before they got the rest of the kids. Sophie continued to the edge of the boat as it swayed back and forth. She had begun to untie the rowboat when a sudden spike of pain filled her side. Looking down, she saw an arrow sticking from her side. Sophie started to panic. Did they find us? Where are they? She desperately looked around, stopping suddenly when she saw that Minnie’s crossbow was drawn.
“Why, Minnie?”
“It was the only way!” Minnie’s voice cracked as her hands began to shake. “Don’t you see? The only way we survive is if we stay with the Delta.”
“That’s crazy! How can you say that after everything they’ve made us do? The battles we’ve had to fight in. The “examples” that they made of the other recruits. We’ll die if we stay!” Sophie winced as she slid down against the metal bars, blood slowly dripped from her wound. “They’ll take the others. Ruby, Louis, Violet… Tenn. I can’t let that happen. I don’t want them to do what I’ve done.”
“They can make it. We did. But if we run away, we won’t. If we go back now, we can still stay. We can show that we learned from our mistakes.”
“Minnie,” Sophie whispered as tears filled her eyes. “Please.”
“We have to go back. It will work!” Minnie said as she walked towards Sophie. She grabbed Sophie’s arms, dragging her as she continued to tell her that this was the right choice. Sophie didn’t resist. Because of the blood loss she couldn’t. When they finally stood in front of Lilly, Sophie was fading in and out of consciousness.
Lilly stood in front of them with an expression of disappointment.
“After everything we gave you: food, a warm place to sleep at night, a home, and all you had to do was fight to protect it. But instead you turn around and try to run to a place that doesn’t want you anymore. Your friends sold you out, and out of the goodness of my heart I took you in. Now I’m glad you came back, Minerva, and learned from your mistake.” Minerva’s body relaxed as she finally felt a moment of peace.
“But Sophie, you had to be dragged back. As I stand here looking at the two of you I see a good twin and a bad one. Minerva, if you truly wish to be forgiven and come back into the Delta, you have to prove your loyalty.”
“Yessir.”
“Kill Sophie”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Minerva froze before slowly aiming the crossbow toward Sophie’s head, her body shaking as she hesitantly put her finger on the trigger.
“Don’t do this, Minnie! This isn’t who you are.”
Minnie paused putting her crossbow down.
“Sir, can’t you see that Sophie has been through enough? She can still be useful. She can still fight for the Delta.”
“ A commander has no need for a defective soldier. She won’t learn from this, but you will.”
“But...”
“Dorian, if Minerva does not shoot Sophie in ten seconds, then I want you to shoot them both.”
Minnie’s eyes widened in fear as Dorian pointed the gun against her head.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…”
Lilly’s voice faded as Minnie once again aimed her weapon towards her sister’s head. Her eyes filled with sorrow and fear as she desperately tried to figure out what to do.
“Minnie… please.” Sophie pleaded. She felt so hopeless, so desperate as she pulled the trigger.
This was the only way... wasn’t it? Sophie’s body dropped to the ground. Lifeless as the pool of blood filled around her. Lilly scoffed, kicking the body over the side of the boat.
“Traitors don’t deserve proper burials.”
She turned, smiling at Minerva.
“I always knew you were the good twin. Welcome back to the Delta. Your home.”
Sophie’s body consumed Minerva’s mind as she tried to sort out what had happened. She had to have made the wrong choice. No, she made the right choice. She made the sacrifice she needed to show loyalty to the Delta.
Yes, Minerva thought. For the Delta. For my new home.
