Chapitre 5: Beset on All Sides
I awoke to the wonderful sight and feeling of two gorgeous girls laying naked beside me. I think it was the movement of Carley here in bed in particular that awoke me.
"Mm, morning."
"Morning Carley."
She pecked me on the lips. "How're you feeling mayor?"
"Damn, I guess everyone wants to call me that now."
"Why shouldn't they?" Carley asked quietly with a chuckle.
Maggie stirred in her sleep, her bare back moving when she turned over, moving on the pillow next to me.
"I don't think we should wake her up."
"Why not?" Carley traced my chest with my hand, kissing me.
"Are you hungry? I can cook something for us."
"Nah." she whispered. "I think I'm fine having a nice sausage for breakfast."
I hissed quietly with pleasure when Carley stroked my morning wood.
"Oh," I felt my erection within Carley's hand. "Looks like it's already ready."
Carley began to blow me, and when my fully erect cock got into her mouth, I spoke softly.
"I think I wanna put it inside you."
"Mm." Carley released my prick from her mouth and replied. "I'm still a bit sore from last night. Just come in my mouth if you need to."
And that I did, fuck me, it felt and looked so good to have her blow me.
It was times like these when I should've taken the Gamer's offer on having perfect orgasm control. I wonder if that trait was still lying around somewhere in my [Status].
"Hey, I'm gonna-"
"Ew, that's a bit salty." I held back a groan when I came in Carley's mouth, her naked breasts jiggling slightly when she rose up and jerked me off. I felt the rest of my cum spray out all over my stomach.
Eventually, Carley's stroking of my cock slowed down, she wiped me down with a nearby towel.
Carley then curled up beside me. "How was that?"
"Amazing."
"Glad to hear it." I felt her press her lips against my neck, cuddling up beside me.
I saw that the sun had already risen through my bedroom window.
"Sorry about this." I grunted slightly when I stood up, drawing up my clothes from next to my bed.
"Where are you going?"
"You called me mayor right? Well, I better start acting like one, got a town to run."
The reporter raised an eyebrow. "Just gonna leave us here like this?"
"Unfortunately."
I didn't look twice when I got dressed and felt ready to start the day.
When I stepped out into the hall, I whistled up Donnie and he came running. The dog was so loyal and well trained he was already carrying my gun belt and revolver in hand.
"Thanks boy." I rubbed his head.
I looked around a bit as I walked downstairs.
Macon City hall was actually untouched when my group cleared out the town. There wasn't much worth looting when the outbreak happened, except for some historical paintings and a bunch of paperwork. So there wasn't a whole lot to do when I moved in.
I considered knocking on the 'Telecommunications' room Macon City Hall used to have for IT and other purposes before the Outbreak. It was currently Doug's office, he lived and slept there to constantly receive and give out broadcasts.
I decided to let him sleep, Doug was a good worker, not much to bother him with.
Then, I walked out through the main lobby of Macon City hall, a lush entrance with marble flooring and a big wide wooden mahogany desk.
Outside, people were just starting the day.
Lily was preparing one group out for daily scavenging, and Glenn the other group.
Patricia and a few others were helping prepare breakfast.
"Morning Marcus."
I looked up and to my left, Kenny was just talking to Otis, his rifle slung over his shoulder.
"Kenny." I replied simply. "Anything interesting happen last night?"
"All quiet." he reported, starting to move on.
I walked a bit further down the street and took a small look at the settlement we'd built.
Macon was in a sorry state when we found it, and the Telltale video game only portrayed a portion of it. Lee's old family convenience store was in a part of town we'd sectioned off when there wasn't any building worth looting or using for storage or residence.
It was just an empty part of town that lied on our eastern side now.
The rest was what amounted to Macon sectioned off on the north, south, and west. The main highway that led to Atlanta was blocked in several sections, but we still used large wooden doors braced by two cars to prevent direct attacks from bandits or Infected.
The west and south were equally fortified as well, in fact, there was an entire group of people whose jobs it was, monitored by Shawn Greene's buddy Chet, a survivor who'd popped up and had a background in construction.
I took my rations at the wooden table Patricia had, a simple soup of beans and potatoes.
God, I really missed steak. Shame it would be a very long time before our cow breeding on St. Johns would allow for fresh beef.
The apocalypse really seemed to have tradeoffs for me. I lost things I never thought I'd have to miss like running water, electricity, and meat. In exchange for a healthy dose of sex and supernatural abilities.
There were some picnic tables spread out on a lawn in front of a large house we put new survivors in until we found better home where everyone ate together.
I watched Lee and Clementine eat, and then, Vernon decided to sit down in front of me.
"You're not going to have breakfast sent up to you in the mayor's office?"
I shook my head, watching him sit down across the table. "You should know by now I don't want to hold myself above anyone else here at all. I get the same rations no matter what."
"It's not just about the rations Marcus, you need to project strength." I began to finish my morning soup as he spoke. "Back in Crawford, no one questioned Director Oberson, the man wasn't seen unless he was giving orders or hidden away. The man needed something, and the world moved for him."
"What a great leader." I deadpanned. "So great that you and the other sick and old people had to flee Savannah as a whole."
"Look, I'm only telling you this because I want to help."
"I appreciate your thoughts, but Doug and Glenn will give all the advice I need."
I pointed my nose towards the picnic tables around the grass, and the people getting breakfast and talking on the park benches set out. "We allow the sick and old, the crippled to come in. Given what you told me about Crawford, and what we now know about Atlanta, and the bikers. I think we might be the only group of survivors who takes care of anyone who isn't a capable adult."
"I'm not saying you're doing anything wrong." Vernon looked around as well, at Kenny, who had come off the wall to enjoy breakfast with his family, and everyone else. "You're protecting many families. But all I'm suggesting is to eat breakfast on your own."
But I wasn't alone. I had two girls sleeping in my room.
That made me think. Maybe I felt like I had to get away from Maggie and Carley? Not that I didn't appreciate what they did for me. It's just not everyday you sleep with two beautiful girls and the next you realize you're in charge of a town of over a hundred survivors of a zombie apocalypse.
"Thank you, Vernon."
He nodded, and left the picnic table.
"Wait."
The old doctor turned slightly.
"I'm going to form an advisory council. You, Hershel, and Doug will be on it. As well as anyone else I deem has the right advice."
Vernon scratched his stubble. "I think that's the right choice."
…
It took until around midday, but Lily returned with the rest of Andrea's group.
Now, it was clear to me that there was no one really left in the entire state of Georgia, alive that is, who wasn't either with the bikers, the military, or with us.
Shane, an ex-cop, Daryl Dixon, a man who spoke mostly in grunts or murmurs, if at all, and the rest of a group I remembered mostly from a TV show had joined Macon, which I called, mostly to myself, the Safe Haven.
Carol's husband was already dead, and a survivor I think was named Morales and his entire family, as well as a couple of others.
I had a map set out, and they all reported to me what they found.
I crossed Augusta, Columbus, and Montgomery out with a large black X. Glenn had enough information from scouting, supply runs, and rescuing survivors to tell me that Macon was basically the only settlement left in Georgia besides Atlanta viable to loot or live in.
"Thanks Glenn."
"The last town we found was already picked clean, unless we need to head out as far as Savannah we're going to have to rely on the supplies we can already make and have. I know you and Doug run numbers for the rations so, just take that into account."
"Sure thing."
I was sitting back in my office, Maggie and Carley were already long gone since it was the afternoon.
Wearing a sleeveless biker outfit, the scraggly survivor who just joined knocked on my door.
"Come in."
Daryl walked forward, I used [Observe] on instinct.
Fuck, his stats were better than anyone else in this whole town.
Daryl was lethal with a knife, crossbow, even his bare hands. This was technically the start of his journey as a survivor and judging by what the Gamer told me, he was better with a crossbow than the majority of people here were with a rifle.
"Hey uh." he said in a low voice. "I need to talk to you."
He appeared to be looking at me strangely, I was used to everyone being surprised they let a nineteen year old run an entire settlement with just a bit of help.
"What is it?"
"You know those rumors about my brother, getting separated from us when we made it outta Atlanta?"
I nodded quietly. "Andrea told me."
"They're true. I know where he is."
I asked the obvious question. "Alright, why do you want me to know this? Do you want me to send people out to go look for him?"
"No, I'm asking you not to."
I was surprised by this, as far as first impressions go. Daryl wasn't making a bad one.
"And why's that?"
"There's a big group a' people a few miles south of here. Three groups of 'em, all around sixty total."
Yes, the biker colonies, the yellow flags on my map.
"My brother's in charge of the biggest one of them. I think they're starting to follow him."
"And how do you know this?"
Daryl shrugged a bit. "He told me."
I appreciated his honesty. "Let me guess, they're not friendly."
"They ain't. They got bikes, almost all of them have guns."
"I don't think they'll be coming here anytime soon."
Daryl shook his head. "Nah."
I looked at him.
"That's not what he told me." explained Daryl. "They know you got food and supplies. And that they outnumber you."
"How'd they get this information?"
"I dunno." said Daryl. "Someone must've been spying on this place from afar."
I sighed. "Thanks for bringing this to my attention."
He only had one request apparently, after a bit of silence.
"Do what you have to do."
Daryl left my office without another word.
…
I had spent one hour thinking over everything.
According to Lori, Rick's execution, and that of dozens of people who the PGU viewed as 'non citizens' was scheduled for about eight days from today.
The resources the PGU had were staggering.
Hundreds of troopers, even a few tanks, and I was still unsure if they had access to firebombs and fighter jets, but given that Atlanta was bombed in the show, I wouldn't be surprised.
As of now, four groups remained in Georgia, the rest of the state basically empty and picked clean of supplies according to my map, which Doug updated daily, and our supply runners also helped with information from outside.
Crawford, the bikers, and Atlanta. None of which were friendly.
The fact that the PGU would kill vital citizens, those necessary for keeping Atlanta alive, meant that it was very likely we were next. Why wouldn't they kill us? Almost a third of our survivors were children, the old, and the sick or disabled, and killed their own citizens without a shred of mercy.
In fact, I had made it supply runner policy to bring back anybody 'fit to be able to run or walk who was not infected.'
The bikers to the south, raiders who had shotguns, machine guns, and a shitton of motorbikes looking to kill anyone who stood in their path.
Basically bandits but with Merle Dixon leading them, a group of almost two hundred people, the majority were armed, that had no interest in mercy of any kind. Similar to the PGU except in training and resources.
After the EXP the Gamer gave me for managing Safe Haven, or, Macon, and the few supply runs I'd helped on here and there, I was now [LV 203].
With the perks I had too, I was twenty times, faster, better, and stronger than the average person with a gun.
I couldn't blaze through Atlanta the way I did the Save Lots bandits. There were trained soldiers everywhere, and if I led a stealth mission, who cares if I took out their leadership or freed prisoners?
What, were the platoons of PGU troopers going to randomly lay down their guns? What morals did they have? They hung the sick and old because they viewed them as 'non citizens.'
I've heard that before.
Macon was stuck with a totalitarian dictatorship to the north, and a large group of bandits to the south.
The bikers were less of a threat, with coordinated attacks, I think I could shoot them out. But it wouldn't be easy, and the casualties we'd take would weaken us even further against Atlanta.
I sighed, leaning back in my chair, taking a deep breath.
Leaving wouldn't be easy. Macon was safe, at least for now, and it would be a herculean task of moving over a hundred people by RV and car out of the state.
Staying and fighting would be even harder.
I walked up to my window, watching Lily and the few others with military experience lead drills in a designated part of the town.
I watched the way they trained, seeing Lily try to shape survivors into soldiers.
I could already tell it wasn't working.
The likes of Ben and Travis were everywhere. Even if they were able to overcome their fear and cowardice, they weren't born fighters. Or at least, it would take a while for them to help defend Macon.
All told, Doug told me maybe sixty of the people in this settlement were capable of holding their own in a fight.
I had no clue what to do. Both the bikers and the army weren't just a giant retailer full of bandits I could just drive up to and blow to pieces.
At least, I needed to be sure of what I was doing first.
…
I found Daryl chewing on some beef jerky he found while sharpening a few stakes people needed for the defenses, sitting on a log by the walls.
"Hey."
Daryl looked up, barely looking at me.
"You know what you told me?"
He nodded. "Hm."
"Think you could show me?"
Daryl looked around, a few people had taken note of how the leader of the entire town had asked him for something.
"You uh, know how to ride a bike?"
Not really. I sort of knew how to use a dirtbike, out of the couple we were able to get running.
"More or less."
Daryl sniffed, throwing the stake he was holding into the dirt below him. "Follow me then."
…
I hadn't really driven a car in so long that I actually forgot about the [Action Hero] perk.
Unless I had to pull of some Fast and Furious stunts, I was fine driving a motorcycle.
Daryl had to take some backroads and hills to take me to where he was going.
He pulled out a sawed off shotgun from pack on his Harley, and with one hand blew the head off an Infected that started running towards him from behind a ruined car when we were starting to navigate a roadblock.
"There." Daryl pointed just off road, well towards the west.
We were past the town of Arlington, Georgia. I suspected Daryl didn't question me after the first hour of driving out of relative safety, he rarely spoke enough as it is.
I accelerated my own dirtbike, following him.
…
It only took a few hours, but it appeared that Merle was successful in uniting the biker colonies.
They had occupied the entirety of Fort Gaines, and I had mapped everything I could find along the way. Fort Gaines was about two hours to the southeast of Macon, the roads were quite difficult, but I had evaded what I could to reach it in around half that time if I was really pushing it.
My intel was wrong, as was Daryl's. Merle had more people than I was anticipating initially.
His group was so large that he had two outposts, each manned by around forty people, an old freight depot by Albany, and south of a Columbus, a decently sized warehouse.
Their main settlement occupied what was previously Fort Gaines itself, and was about the size of our town, covered in huge metal walls.
There were big red letters painted in who knows what on the main wall, saying 'KEEP OUT.' These animals had Infected hanging off their walls, bodies strewn about, huge metal spikes everywhere. In the trees nearby, Daryl and I began to count.
"Looks like your brother's got over the twice the numbers we do at the very least. How'd he get this many people?"
"All the biker gangs from Florida and Louisana musta heard what he was up to." he murmured, passing the binoculars to me. "That's what he told me, said they needed a place to stay after everything went to hell."
"And when did you talk to him?" I asked, scanning their defenses.
"Two nights ago. Showed up at our camp in the dead of night, saying he wanted me to come with him."
"Did you tell anyone else?"
He shook his head.
"What?" I was completely shocked.
"You're the first person I knew that could actually help so, that's why."
I saw through my binoculars what must've been the results of a biker raid. A pair of girls had been beaten and tied up, placed on the back of bikes, and driven in through the metal doors. A truck was carrying what likely had been their supplies.
Fuck this place.
So this settlement was the complete opposite of mine. Survivors weren't taken in and fed, they were abused and kidnapped, and whatever food they had was taken.
I wanted to grind my teeth in anger.
But the fact that Daryl refused the only family he had left in order to stay with Shane, Andrea, and Lori spoke volumes about him.
"You have any idea what we're gonna do?" wondered Daryl. "Your folks won't last long if they attack."
"Well, we can bolster our defenses, gather more intel. Our supply runs were starting to trickle down anyway."
"That might work." admitted Daryl. "But for how long?"
Good question.
I started to ask myself. How much longer did I have to keep on killing?
I thought of all the families I was in charge of. Lori and Carl, Lee and Clementine, Katjaa and Duck, among a few others. Innocents, women and children.
These people would kill and abuse them if it meant food and pleasure, frankly, if I killed them, I'd be doing everyone a favor. But this shoot first ask questions later had worked for me until now.
But I was supposed to be a leader. Do whatever I could to keep as many people safe as possible.
I could've killed everyone I came across just like these bikers and taken all their shit. Didn't I owe them even a chance?
The evidence said I shouldn't. But a part of me wanted to at least ask Macon what they wanted to do.
Although, I think Merle would've been fine with me walking in with Daryl at least to talk. But I didn't want to appear that I wanted to be diplomatic and blast them all to hell.
Sure false surrender was a joke of a warcrime compared to what Merle had done, but still. I at least had the honesty to shoot on sight.
I decided to head back. "I think everyone else should know what happened here."
Daryl shook his head. "Don't."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard how you became mayor. You shot everyone who threatened those people like some sorta Clint Eastwood type."
"You want me to do the same to your brother without even thinking twice about it?"
"I don't know about him. But the rest of 'em?" Daryl asked, and then nodded to his own question.
I sighed. "It's a responsibility I don't mean to take advantage of."
"I can respect that. But choose your next steps carefully."
"Let's head back to Macon."
…
When Daryl and I stood on our bikes in front of the wooden gates, I saw Hershel comforting Annette. Maggie looked deeply distressed.
A few people I'd placed in charge of protecting St. Johns were there, a few were wounded.
When I walked inside, Lily briefed me quickly.
"Bandits attacked the farm during a supply exchange, they captured Beth and a few others."
"How many others?"
"Patricia, Mary, and Yzer," Lily said. "They were some of the farmhands."
A crowd was already gathering.
Donnie was instantly already at my side, I decided to take charge.
"Doug."
He appeared, putting a walkie talkie away. "Yeah?"
"Ring the bell, the whole town needs to hear this."
Doug all but ran to signal all of Macon to gather.
Beth didn't appear to be with the people Merle had kidnapped earlier today. This meant that they were likely taken elsewhere.
…
Andrea had healed successfully from her wounds, barely, she was sitting in a wheelchair, still resting when I gathered everyone in city hall's main room for meetings in the town hall.
There instantly was an uproar.
"These fucking people brought nothing but problems!" shouted Larry, pointing to Lori and then Daryl. "First the army, and now the bikers. Everything was fine before they showed up!"
"Atlanta and the rest of the state would be the same regardless if we gave them a place to stay." said Glenn, correctly I might add.
"Maybe we should kick you out Larry." said Lee.
"Agreed." Kenny crossed his arms.
"Gentlemen." There was less yelling when I spoke out. "This not the right time to panic."
"This is the perfect time to panic!" said Larry. "The army has firebombs and who knows what the fuck else to the north, and our women and children are being stolen by raiders."
Lily stood up out of her chair. "I motion that we move against the bikers."
Several people yelled in agreement, a few disagreed.
"We take our best guns and smoke them out, get our people back." Lily hit the table. "Now."
I looked at Shawn throughout the hubbub, surprised he was able to hold his own when previously he fell more into the Ben and Travis camp. I guess when his sister was in danger, I wasn't too surprised he flipped a switch.
"After we just lost our first fight with them?" asked Andrea weakly.
"Better than waiting here all day for nothing to happen," Lily replied.
"Ultimately the decision falls to Marcus," said Glenn at the table with Vernon, myself and Lily.
"What is this, a dictatorship?" someone asked.
"You don't know what a dictatorship is," Lori replied. "My husband is about to have the plug pulled on him by a real dictatorship. And we're sitting here bickering like children."
"What do you want us to do?" asked Larry. "Pick a fight with the damn army just for your sake?"
"Enough!"
The entire town was in attendance, and I decided to state the facts.
"Our position here is compromised. Daryl and I spent the day scouting, I'm pretty sure we know where Beth and the others might've been taken. There is something else I must note."
I cleared my throat.
"The entire city of Atlanta, or what's left of it. Live in fear, they don't have to deal with bandits or Infected. But they're robbed of basic rights, they can't vote or petition the government. They have a say in nothing and anyone who isn't viewed as useful or compliant is killed. That is not the way we do things."
It might've been obvious but it bared repeating.
I used the name Lori gave me. "Rick Grimes is not the only person in danger in Atlanta. Hundreds of people, just like all of you, are also in danger. We have parents here, sick, and old. I want to create a state out of what's left of Georgia. All of you have lived here your entire lives, and I only ask one thing from you to help me rebuild it."
"Which is?" asked Glenn.
"Trust. I need you all to trust me, tonight I can get our people back. And in the morning, we will ride out in full force and remove the bandits as a threat."
I truthfully would need their help this time around. A compound like Merle's I'd at least need snipers on the treeline picking off what they could.
Lee nodded slowly. "Alright then, I'll trust you."
A few others murmured in agreement.
"Thanks, now if you'll excuse me, I have some people to rescue."
The moment I stood up and began to leave, several began to follow.
I saw a sad sight out of the corner of my eye, outside, Katjaa had patched up Otis, very likely wanting to get revenge for his wife. But he was unable to move, his leg in no shape to walk.
This only hardened my resolve.
…
Lily was wearing a bandolier as over a dozen people prepared to leave with Daryl and I.
Dale, Glenn, Lily, Kenny, and many others were seriously pissed off by what happened and I didn't even need to ask when I prepared to get back our folks.
"Where are we heading?" was Lily's only question.
"Daryl?"
"They've got two outposts. I say we hit both, don't matter if our people are in one, we move to the next." responded Daryl.
He mounted his motorbike, and everyone got into their trucks.
I decided to go with the same dirtbike I had, it served me well, had good traction, and it was a fun way to show off stunts I guess.
…
Everyone formed up in the trees by the old freight depot a large storage facility for where goods by train passed through years ago we'd driven to in the south.
"So, what's the plan of attack?" wondered Glenn, asking me. "Marcus, you gonna give us an opening?"
"I have a plan: attack."
I drew the attention of the few guards posted out front when I drew my pistol and blasted off the lock.
When they had just begun to raise their rifles, I used hip fire with my revolver and shot them both right between the eyes.
I reloaded in under half a second and sprinted at full speed into their compound.
A guard turned around the corner of the run down building, and before he could even react I blew his legs off. My pistol damage was just that high.
I drew Molotovs I had stored in my [Inventory] and killed the bikers with fire.
I smashed open doors with a kick, only needed a single second to tell from my minimap if anyone in the room was friendly, and then I killed them.
Eventually, I reached a larger room with tables set out, that I guess amounted to their cafeteria.
It's high noon.
Six bikers were shot right through the skull, some sitting and eating their dinners, a few quick enough to turn and see me, but all dead.
The last one there, leaning against the wall enjoying a cigarette wasn't as lucky as his pals. I reloaded my revolver by the time he blinked and I was already standing directly in front of him, using my super speed to blur up to him.
In one shot, I had blew his whole head apart, a single bullet at point blank range being enough for his skull, brain, eyes, and nose to basically form a chunky Jackson Pollock on the wall behind him.
I heard gunshots behind me, my group must've already started clearing out whatever I left behind.
Out in the hallway, a biker opened a door and tried to shoot me. I stepped out of range by moving off angle, disarming him by just pulling the rifle from his hands, and then beating him to death with it with just one blow.
Dale was standing there, the tip of his rifle smoking, in complete shock.
"What in the hell are you?" he asked in complete disbelief.
"Some sort of super soldier, the army experimented on him." Lily reloaded, pointing her rifle around the interior of a room I'd already cleared out. "I just tend not to question it."
"Glad you're on our side then." Dale said, half in disbelief, and the other half in gratitude.
Glenn ran up to us. "They're not here, we should get going."
[You've gained +4 LVs from clearing out a Bandit Warehouse!]
[You've gained the Perfect Reload perk!]
Hm, wonder what that was, tell me [Status.]
[Perfect Reload - You instantly reload when picking a new target. Pistols and revolvers only, higher round weapons need manual reloading.]
Huh, glad I enjoyed the use of my Colt .45 Peacemaker so much.
I guess perks this broken would start showing up now that I was at LV 207.
…
"Hey!"
Daryl went for his crossbow the moment he saw one of the bandits trying to get away on one of their bikes.
He already started off, and the bolt missed.
It was decently dark out and Lily was still trying to shoot him by the time he was a decent ways away down the road.
I merely had to arm myself with a rifle of my own, and I was able to shoot him through the nape at two hundred yards the moment he came into view past some trees.
Dale was still stunned, until I gave him more orders.
"You and Lily can stay and scavenge some supplies, the rest of us will be moving on."
Daryl didn't need to be told twice, already prepared to rumble off towards the next outpost.
Dale on the other hand, still looked at me strangely, before following Lily back inside the old warehouse.
…
The next biker settlement was easier to attack, I guess because Glenn and I were already used to the prior ones, so Daryl just led everyone else through the flanks of the building.
Within minutes we shot our way right into the interior of the compound, and it was there were I found a biker, female holding Beth hostage when Glenn and I entered a room.
She was putting a knife to Beth's throat, glaring at us. Her appearance reminded me heavily of the lady who ripped off one of Jessie Pinkman's drug dealers in Breaking Bad.
"You boys killed all my friends out there? Didn't you?"
Glenn and I said nothing, keeping our guns trained on her.
The gunshots in the background of the cold dingy room was enough of an answer.
"It seems I should repay the favor, kill one of your own friends." the woman biker said.
"It's okay." Beth said. "Run."
"Sh, sweetheart. They'll be gone in a second."
Beth kept gasping, obviously afraid for her life.
Glenn lowered his pistol. "No it's okay, just let her go. Let her go and we'll leave."
"Drop your guns then, go on. Drop 'em!" she snarled.
Glenn sighed, putting his pistol on the floor.
I, however, was so accurate with my revolver that I blasted the bandit through both eyes.
Beth screamed, shaking when the lady dropped, and I had saved her life.
"See if you can get the others."
Glenn picked up his gun from the floor. "Right." he said, a bit unsettled.
I checked up on Beth, who was crying on the floor, clutching her knees.
"Are you alright?"
"I-I."
"Did they hurt you, beat you, or, anything else?"
Beth shook her head, sniffling.
This poor girl.
I wiped the blood and tears from her face. "Come on, Dale can get you back home and Vernon will get you fixed up."
I helped Beth up from the floor, who was in such shock I had to carry her outside.
…
There was nothing useful any of Merle's people could tell us, especially because Daryl and I had already scouted their main base. So I had told everyone to kill every bandit they could find.
Every biker was shot and killed, if they weren't burned by Molotov cocktail attacks.
I had found a decent number of supplies in both outposts, Dale helped bring them all back when Daryl and I drove back the ones from the base we found Beth in.
Maggie's sister had no sign of any injuries, even the kind I suspected Merle's people would inflict. Vernon cleared her.
Glenn broke the news to Otis and a few of the others. Everyone except for Beth had been beaten to death or fed to the Infected.
…
The following morning, I again, had no issues finding volunteers.
Our best fighters all followed Daryl again as he led us to Fort Gaines, or rather, the base that Merle Dixon had set up.
The plan was simple, under a white flag, Daryl and I were going to enter the base, and then demand Merle's surrender.
If he refused, we'd shoot our way out, and the twenty eight people I'd posted outside the walls hidden within the treelines would attack with sniper fire and then Molotov cocktails I'd armed them with.
A biker on the walls recognized Daryl as he approached, I think he must've been a close friend of Merle's because no one else at the other two outposts said anything.
"Is that you!?"
Daryl nodded. "Yeah it's me."
"Who's that with you?"
"A friend of mine."
"We don't like your friends Daryl! Not too sure if we still like you!"
He spoke up to the guard posted on the wall. "You gonna let us in, or what?"
The guard on the wall appeared hesitant.
Daryl and I weren't sitting ducks, I had my eyes on the bikers manning every inch of this side of the bandit fort. Even at this range, I could kill or disable them all with [Hip Fire].
He disappeared from view, and instead of shooting at us, or sounding some sort of alarm. The biker helped open the gates for us.
Inside, were some of the meanest and ugliest motherfuckers I've ever seen.
Just by looking around, no wonder Daryl didn't want to join them.
I already got a very similar vibe from the bikers at the warehouse and the abandoned freight depot, but at least they seemed to be following orders to some degree as part of some sort of cult.
The biker on the walls had left the metal barricades, following us holding an AK-47. "What made you wanna come back?"
"What else?" he murmured. "Blood."
"Yeah I get that, but who's this guy? The hell does he need?"
"Let Merle worry about it."
The man who recognized him, said nothing.
…
We were led inside the main building of the biker settlement made out of Fort Gaines, and into an office.
"These people wanted to see you boss." the guard escorting us inside said.
"Daryl!"
Merle chuckled, and I wasn't surprised by his appearance. An evil post apocalyptic Yondu Odonta.
He chuckled with a low scratchy rumble, and hugged Daryl. It was a sentiment barely appreciated.
Merle smiled. "Glad you finally came to your senses. Who's this?"
"Name's Marcus."
He offered a hand to shake.
Given the things I'd seen, I was tempted to refuse it. But technically, this was a peace talk.
"Pleasure." I painfully accepted his handshake.
"Pleasure's all mine." Merle gave me a toothy grin full of very dirty incisors. "Thanks for letting them in Eric. Take the day off, find yourself a bunny."
"Bunny?" I asked, confused.
Merle gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk and nodded. "We got two kinds of people working 'fer us. Bulls, and bunnies. Bulls do all the heavy lifting and grunt work, and the bunnies the neater kind. You know, tidying up the place, and all, here let me show you."
He snapped his fingers loudly and a girl, with a decent bit of grime on her face, entered the room, carrying a tray and some glasses, as well as some scotch.
This complicated things, if there were innocents within these walls, I couldn't just have my people throwing fire everywhere the moment we attacked if this went south.
The girl poured us all some scotch, and Merle placed a hand directly on her skirt, through her rear end. "You get what kinda work they do now?"
"Yes." I said quietly.
"Good, we can find one for you if you work hard enough. Daryl here's more than earned his keep just by showing up." Merle smacked the girl on the ass. "That'll be enough."
Without another word, she left, and Merle sipped his scotch, not even hesitating to light a cigar he had in his desk.
[Merle Dixon LV 84 - Bandit King]
LV 84 huh? I suspect the Gamer still limited the capacity to not have the levels of speed, skill, or strength, as I did if you didn't have the Gamer. But Merle's level didn't surprise me, he beat the hell out of a ton of people in one episode of The Walking Dead.
It took Rick pulling his revolver on Merle to arrest him if I remember correctly.
"So, Marcus right?"
"Yes."
"You're here to join our little enclave?"
I shook my head. "I'm afraid I'm not of the biker variety."
"You don't have to be to join. Just gotta be willing to learn how to ride and wear the right colors."
"Still, I'm not joining you."
Not in a million years.
Merle looked curious, finishing his glass of scotch. "Then why're you here?" I heard the glass scrape the top of his wooden desk when he pushed it forward a little.
"To talk."
"About?"
I glanced at Daryl and then at Merle. "I represent the people of Macon."
"Represent? What're you, a diplomat?"
I contemplated my answer for a moment.
"They elected me mayor."
Merle laughed again, I could see the gold filling he had over one of his front teeth. His scratchy and dry chuckle ended and he looked up at me from the ground. "Alright then Mr. Baby Face, tell me. What does Macon want with me?"
"There was a struggle. Some of the survivors working on our farm were captured by your people. We were able to rescue the only person who survived last night."
Merle paused.
"Where did you find them?"
"Those other outposts of yours," now Daryl spoke up, surprising me. "They're gone."
I added to his honesty. "None survived."
Merle was appalled. "This how you treat your family, boy?"
"I can't allow this type of savagery." I spoke honestly. "You're acting like a bunch of animals, and it stops now."
"I had over eighty people manning those posts. You killed every single of one of them! And we're the animals!?"
I saw Merle's chair make a scraping sound when he stood up, and began to reach downward, likely for either a gun or a knife. But it didn't matter, I already took my revolver out and aimed at him.
"Sit," I ordered.
"You weren't patted down?"
I didn't answer. Yes it was true, the guards outside didn't let us enter with any weapons. But my [Inventory] was out of their reach. Daryl didn't question this.
He didn't even blink when I aimed a revolver directly at his brother.
"Sit." I said, firmer.
Merle did so.
"You know." I sighed, thinking to myself. "It's interesting. Ever since I met him, Daryl didn't plead your case to me. Not once did he say, no, he's my family. He'd never do this, he can be reasoned with. He just said, do what must be done."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah." Daryl murmured.
"I don't want to kill you." I admitted, in half truth. Push came to shove, he'd be the hundredth bandit I'd need to shoot. "But I want to create a more civilized society than the one we got here."
"A more civilized society?"
Merle smiled, shaking his head. "Son, we got dead folks running after us. Eating us alive, turning us into whatever the hell they are. The government didn't save us, hell, they burned and killed everything that stood in their way to go hide in Atlanta. And you believe in civilization?"
"I sure as hell believe in more than this place."
"This place is the only way things should be run."
"With slavery, murder, and theft? A world without rules or mercy?"
"Mercy!?"
Merle laughed even louder than he did before.
Merle leaned forward on his desk. "There's only one rule left in this world kid. And that rule is, eat. Or be eaten."
"You can't-"
"I can!" said Merle, raising his voice. "You think anyone in this world really cares about you? Or that they just use you when it suits them. Because there ain't no such thing as love anymore in this world."
I decided to listen to him.
"My whole life no one gave a damn about me. Sure, fine. But the day people turned, we reverted back to the laws of nature. You survive for yourself. Take what you can, and if you find people who aren't strong enough to hold on to what they got. Be it food, water, or whatever in the world you want. You take it from them."
"And if they don't let you?" I asked.
"You take it from them anyway," Merle said instantly.
I looked at Daryl. "Do you concur with your brother?"
He was silent for a second, and then shook his head. "No," he said in his low voice.
"That's not the way things are going to be. That's not what I was chosen for."
"You're Marcus right?"
I nodded.
"I thought you might've been familiar. A few of the folks who joined us mentioned they were from your group in the past. You're supposed to be some sorta superhuman, you move quick as hell, shoot like some sorta action hero?"
I didn't see a reason to hide it. "Yup."
Merle shook his head. "Wish we asked who you were before letting you in, not that it would've mattered anyway."
I was surprised by his reaction. Granted in this world, I doubted the idea that the government could produce meta-humans was that far fetched after the dead could run.
He sighed. "Shoot me. Get it over with."
"No, surrender Merle."
"And then what? You really think I'll let you hold all my people prisoner? I've lost, the moment I let you kill half of my folks. It was over."
I shook my head. "I'm not asking."
He clearly could hear me click the hammer of my pistol in place.
Merle poured himself another glass of scotch, and then downed it. The way he was looking at it, it seemed he was starting to accept that it could be his last.
"Then I guess I'm not asking neither."
Having twenty times the reaction speed of any person, I easily dodged the glass when he hurled it at me. Before anything else could happen, I spun out of my chair and loosened four barrels right through Merle's shoulder.
The guy was so tough that he didn't appear to be in that much pain, despite having four .45 rounds pass directly through his body.
Merle chuckled at me. "Best get a move on, now." he grinned, lightly holding his bloody shoulder.
"Merle! What the-!"
Daryl popped out and pinned the guard to a wall after smacking the rifle from his hands.
He kicked the guy when he was on the ground.
Merle, despite his size, was kicked out of the way when I bumped him over on his desk chair. I instantly began to rifle through his desk and found a walkie talkie.
Doug taught me how to find our special frequency and soon I began to radio in.
"Hello? Anyone there? Lily?"
I heard her voice. "Yeah. What the hell's going on? You get them to surrender?"
"Uh, negative." I could see Merle laughing at me quietly. "They've got hostages."
"What do you mean?"
"These people have slaves of some kind, probably dozens all throughout this compound. Whatever you do, don't use the Molotovs."
"Fuck." I heard Lily say. "Are you gonna be okay anyway?"
"I'll do my best."
I shot Merle's guard right in front of him, neither him nor Daryl said a word. We found some rope, and tied him up.
"Guess we'll figure out what to do with you later."
Merle looked like he had something smug to say but I hit him so hard in the face he got knocked out cold.
Daryl again, didn't say anything.
"You good with anything but your crossbow?"
"Good 'nuff I guess." he replied.
…
The attack on Merle's base got off to a rocky start.
Daryl and I were pinned down under heavy fire, a lot of his guards had AKs. While they weren't particularly good shots, there were a lot of them.
We were taking cover behind a few trucks, and I could use the reflection in one of their mirrors to spot where a lot of them were shooting from.
Even with a split second to jump out of cover well into the air, and aim, I rifled all eight of the dudes.
There were so many of these bandits, and they had such strong combined fire, I actually had to use an automatic rifle instead of my revolver.
I already got separated from Daryl when I was forced to melee some bikers that emerged from some nearby buildings with pistols.
I bashed ones skull in so hard with the butt of my rifle he went flying back and hit his buddy. I shot him on the ground while exchanging fire off the railing with more bandits approaching from a large shed.
Damn, this combined AK fire is fucking annoying. I actually took some damage and was forced to retreat into the buildings.
The interior of the building was clear, except for one bandit guarding what appeared to be all the survivors Merle's group began to enslave.
I lifted my gun and began to fire, the guy already saw me coming because I killed his buddies outside.
It didn't matter, because of [Perfect Reload] I rifled him in seconds.
I quickly ran into an issue when I freed all the hostages in the building.
I was starting to run out of bullets, I guess I was being too liberal with how many shots I had used to kill all these bandits.
I had to use my high [Looting] skill to grab bullets from the bodies of dead bandits, limit myself to one headshot, or two shots to the torso or legs apiece.
It was a bit frustrating, but I vented it instead on the bandits outside.
I confronted one biker with a huge machete, this guy was twice my size, easily over three hundred pounds and beefy as fuck. And I lifted him by the belt like he was nothing with my rifle free hand and hurled him into a group of bikers.
All five men were knocked over like bowling pins, before any of them could get up, I riddled their body with bullets when I borrowed a fallen guard's AK for ammo.
I was about to cross out of the alleyway where we were fighting and across the main plaza of Merle's base, but my minimap alerted me in time there were about a dozen bandits who had taken cover and were ready to fire.
I dragged out some trucks from nearby and used them for cover, drawing out hails of bullets from assorted handguns and AK-47s when I yelled out.
"Daryl! You okay?"
I don't think he could hear me. Either way, I was worried for him.
"Daryl!"
I decided to kick the truck forward with all my strength. It went flying like a tin can and squashed or dispersed all the bikers that had been shooting at me.
I ran forward to the otherside of the settlement.
I breathed a bit easier when I saw Daryl on the minimap as a single blue dot, currently passing through waves of enemies.
I noticed all the guards on the walls were dead, Lily and the other snipers had done their duty.
In fact, I realized this battle was over when they crashed through the central gate with an armored truck I'd rigged an extra strong cow catcher to.
The people in the trunk of the truck and others all poured through.
What few bikers were left instantly surrendered.
We had won.
…
Merle's base had a total of sixty eight people, I still couldn't believe that, sixty eight people all serving as slaves for him, as these awfully named 'Bulls' and 'Bunnies'. People who either worked, served him and his friends booze, food, cleaned and cooked and pleasured all of them fully against their will.
The outside of the base was bad enough, that anyone could stoop this low shocked me a little.
The prisoners we took numbered nine. Merle, and eight of his cronies when three preferred to have been shot than surrender.
Lee was shocked, when Lily found out what had happened and obliged them in front of everyone.
…
I approached the cell where Merle had been locked up alone, handing him the only bits of food I'd been permitted to give him.
"Thanks." he took the plate that had been slid beneath the bars of the cell in the food slot.
"Be lucky they were willing to give you anything at all. Some argued you should've starved."
"Did you?"
I shook my head.
Choosing not to react to this, Merle swallowed his food off the plate in one quick gulp.
He leaned back, chained to the wall, laying on the ground. "So. Mayor." he said tauntingly. "What sorta trouble did you get in to have to feed such a lowly prisoner?"
I spoke honestly. "The entire town is now calling for your execution."
Merle shrugged, not remotely fazed by this. "Better get on with it I suppose."
"You don't want to call for a trial. You have that right."
"Bullshit." Merle snorted, pushing the plate back out. "What sorta case would I argue?"
"That you at least deserve life in prison, and not to be killed."
"Would you be my lawyer?" joked Merle.
I shook my head again.
"As soft as all of you might seem, at least you seemed to have some balls. As well as some brains I guess." Merle actually seemed comfortable in this shithole of a cell we'd found in the basement of an old house. "Ah." he rested his hands atop his head.
"So, how will you do it? Firing squad? Cyanide pill?" Merle asked.
I said what everyone else requested. "They want to hang you from a tree and then burn your body so you don't turn."
"Why don't you let them?"
"You're a prisoner of war. As much as I disagree with you and am disgusted by what you've done. You would deserve a fair trial."
Merle scoffed. "Fair trial. There ain't gonna be a jury in this town that would let me live son. Not that I care at this point."
"And why not?"
Merle turned, looking at me.
The only bits of light in the room were the single candle I brought down.
"Because I lost. Who gives a shit where I go or what I do? At this point, you seem to be interested more in what I have left to offer this world than I do."
It appeared that shooting Merle and defeating him wounded his pride more than anything else.
"You really think you can civilize the world at this point? People love each other when it suits them, steal from each other when it suits them. And they will kill each other when it suits them. The outbreak just dropped the curtain on the lie anyone cared to do better."
"People believed the story I told them, gave them hope. That's why they chose me to be mayor."
"They chose you because you shot anyone who threatened them," said Merle quietly. "And I don't care if you can shoot a fly moving off a donkey's ass with your left nut, there's no changing the way the world is."
He wasn't wrong. The Gamer let me be so skilled with shooting that unless you had a tank or a fighter jet, it was pretty hard to kill me. That was the only reason I needed to plan for how to take down the PGU.
But what he said couldn't be true. I wasn't just a gun to Macon was I?
"How would you choose to execute someone? When you ran things when you were in charge of all of those bikers? How did you kill your enemies?"
Merle, for all of his faults, spoke honestly. "We'd cut someone's guts from their belly with a knife, and feed them to the Infected."
"And what I claim is uncivilized."
"You're dealing with the army now right?" Merle's chains clinked, I saw him through the candle light. "Well today it's the army. Then it'll be a pack of undead. And then tomorrow another group of survivors that ain't so friendly. Guess what boy? You'll be fighting their battles forever."
"And the alternative? Run? I can find a way to fix this world."
At least, that was what the Gamer implied. For all I knew, the Gamer was wrong. The cure was only a 'potential' after all.
"You'll never fix anything son, ever. And not cause you're too weak, no. It's just the way the world is." Merle's face moved next to the cold steel bars of the cage, I saw him shake his head. "It's not your fault. The sooner you admit that truth to yourself and the others, the sooner y'all can move on."
I stood up, starting to leave.
"You try to be this oh so great leader right? Well I have a dying wish o' sorts. Let my death be painless. That's how I want Daryl to remember me."
"A painless death might not change that."
"I know. But it's all I ask for."
There was silence in this basement before I began to leave.
I didn't say yes, I didn't say no.
…
Doug appeared the moment I exited the old house.
"Marcus!" he gasped for air, not the most in shape of people. "Marcus! You gotta-"
"What is it?"
"You better come quick."
He appeared nervous, all but running back to city hall.
There, he led me to his office and switched on the broadcast.
Doug had tapped in to a government broadcast, he all but lived on it when he wasn't doing work for me.
He played the reading on speaker phone, making sure the door was locked.
The reading was static-ey at first, but Doug honed the frequency and it was clear.
"QZ-GA, QZ-GA do you copy?"
"We copy."
"Your appeal for moving the execution date for all prisoners has been denied. Insurrection has been detected nearby."
"Negative. Our entire area was cleared weeks ago, Georgia is clear sir."
"Our intel says otherwise General. You are to remove all Provisional Government resources and evacuate by next Monday morning. The rest of the Atlanta Quarantine Zone is to be cleared."
"Understood. We'll get that underway as soon as possible. Summary execution of all non PGU assets will begin this Saturday at noon."
Doug switched off the broadcast.
I sort of got what they were implying. "Wait, cleared? Like destroyed?"
Doug explained, keeping a notebook nearby. "PGU procedure according to all of my records means a complete firebombing of the entire city."
"What about the citizens?"
"Again, their procedure means whoever they can't take with them will be left behind."
I was quite offput by this, keeping my resolve due to [Gamer's Mind] I continued.
"Alright. I'll let everyone know we might have to accelerate our plans about Atlanta."
If we were going to do anything at all. It should be left up to a vote. And even then, we'd need one hell of a plan to win.
The win against the bikers wasn't that tough due to it mostly coming down to a shootout. But even I couldn't outshoot a totalitarian version of Uncle Sam.
Even Gamer powered bullets couldn't defeat a tank or a fighter jet.
"That's," Doug gulped. "Not all."
"Okay."
He was quiet.
"Say it, what is it?"
Doug appeared grave. "About the insurrection, that isn't what you think it means."
"They were talking about us right?"
"Potentially. The PGU considers anyone who doesn't abide by quarantine laws and zones to basically already be bitten by default. In these cases, they won't just firebomb Atlanta. They'll firebomb every town they haven't already destroyed, and they might start before they even leave."
I remembered the map, the marks I made. Macon was the only town left that wasn't totally uninhabitable.
"I'll tell everyone to start moving," I said.
"Where the hell are we going to go?"
It would be difficult to fit so many people, but I had one idea.
Doug looked even graver, if that was possible. "There is something else too man. I wish it wasn't so but."
"What?"
…
Outside, I was done talking to Lori and Dale.
They both confirmed that there was a safe place to have clean water and an enclosed area that offered three hundred and sixty degree vision to never allow unwanted visitors, whether Infected or not.
It was the quarry campsite off the highway from Atlanta, where originally they had stayed hidden. However, after a small breakoff group from a horde of Infected attacked, almost all of them were forced to flee.
With ten times the numbers they originally had, Dale gave me enough information to confirm it was a potentially good option.
Because the next place I wanted everyone to go was Atlanta.
I told Doug to ring the bell, and in the middle of the night, everyone gathered.
"I have some bad news to share," I said. "We intercepted a communication from PGU headquarters. Within the next few days, Savannah, Macon, and any town deemed habitable is going to be firebombed."
There was no point beating around the bush, not with people who trusted me with their lives.
After many reactions of shock, disbelief, and despair, Glenn asked. "Why?"
"They must've gotten reports people were still alive in big groups." explained Lori quietly.
"So where do we go?" Lee wondered.
I looked out over the group. Almost two hundred people had gathered here to hear my words.
Forseeably, all that remained of the state of Georgia. Not under the yoke of a dictatorship that is.
All of them were ready to follow me, at least, that was the question I would ask before I answered Lee's question.
"This would mean the abandonment of this town of course. All of you placed a great deal of trust in me to protect you. Yourselves, your families, and to keep you fed and safe. And the truth is, we can't go far. Not out of state that is."
"Why's that?" asked Lily.
"Doug and I have the entire eastern seaboard mapped out. Every major coastal city is a quarantine zone or has been bombed out of existence or sectioned off. He also has shared that the PGU will plan to hit the entire midwest and mountain states with nukes tomorrow morning."
This fact upset everyone so much that a few began to sob.
Carol Peletier was crying, along with a few others.
"It is the PGU's intention to make everywhere that isn't one of their quarantine zones impossible to live in, at least. For at least a decade, if not more. And there's no changing this. People like Merle Dixon, who took advantage of the desperation of Georgia, will show up more. The roads will get harder to cross, and foraging for supplies even harder as well."
I spoke truthfully. "There is no running from this. We have to create our own state here."
"I don't understand," admitted Glenn. "What's stopping them from nuking Atlanta if that falls as well?"
"They can't." Doug said. "They only send those missiles to states with low populations and without major cities. For some reason, they seem insistent firebombs alone work with lost cities."
I suspected they knew more about the truth of the virus than we did being the reason. Possibly that nuclear fallout was less likely to affect the virus than sheer firebombs or lack of oxygen. Whatever the reason was, Doug's notes and research was enough to tell me what the plan was:
"This new government is merciless. It's cowardly, and it's incapable of protecting anyone outside of the quarantine zones in New York, Atlanta, and Chicago. We can run forever, from one town to the next."
Lily crossed her arms, shifting her posture from her left foot to her right. "Or?"
"Or, we can build our own government. Within a few days, Georgia and the rest of the deep south is going to be abandoned by the PGU, and they'll flatten whatever's left with bombs. After the four bandit bases I've been able to loot, we have almost two hundreds guns in storage."
The EXP was one thing, but the hundred and fifty or so bikers, bandits, and raiders I'd killed did provide me with an absurd arsenal. More guns than I'd ever need on my own, and I suppose it was time to put it to good use.
A few people murmured, others silent, still listening.
"Rifles, handguns, a few grenades. I'm going to lead a small team inside Atlanta," I said. "And we're going to arm the entire populace, or, whoever we can, to rise up. Dozens of people are going to be executed Saturday at noon, and then, Monday morning, the military is just going to leave and destroy whatever it can in its wake."
I imagined by helicopter or plane, I still wasn't sure.
"It's a very good plan," admitted Dale, then pointing out. "And how do you plan to do all of that exactly?"
"We only have two days to figure it out. It's Thursday already," the sun was going down already. "And I think the prisoners they want to kill by Saturday are our best shot at finding what can pass for allies anymore."
Now there was a lot of murmuring, Carol was wiping her tears aside. The sentiment was shared.
Everyone seemed scared, everyone really had no idea how we were going to survive. They all appeared to look to me for guidance.
Amidst all the murmuring, I heard Clementine ask Lee.
"Are we going to be okay?" she pulled on his shirt.
"I'm not too sure sugar." he answered.
I spoke calmly. "It's still dark out, we're only going to get one shot at moving out secretly before all the reconnaissance and bombing can start. I'm going to a safe location near Atlanta right now and finding a small base to set up operations, the rest of you are free to join me."
…
Macon had six RVs, about a dozen working cars and trucks, and a whole lot of motorbikes. The entire town was able to move out just at around ten o'clock, and Lori gave me directions.
I drove at the front of the caravan, with a truck I'd rigged with loads of extra horsepower and a cowcatcher with my [Engineering] skill.
With sheer guts we made it to the quarry, where we set up a makeshift camp.
Tents, RVs, and other makeshift buildings lined the entire quarry. This campsite originally held no more than twenty people according to Lori when they'd abandoned it. We cleared it of any Infected the moment we arrived, and now almost nine times as many people occupied it.
It appeared only about fifteen or so people decided to question my leadership and try their luck at moving out west.
I wished them the best, but for now, I don't think running from Georgia was going to work.
There was only one way forward, and that was staying, and fighting.
Doug and I watched from the roof of the main RV stationed at the front entrance.
We could see the firebombs go off in the distance, the entire state of Georgia, the few towns not already burnt to a crisp or annihilated by the army already were being destroyed.
"You think we're gonna make it? You can shoot your way out of the gates of hell itself man, but." Doug tutted. "How are we going to figure out how to survive in a world this fucked up?"
"I haven't failed you until now."
"Haven't fought the PGU until now." countered Doug.
Touché.
"Hey." Shane appeared, his hand on his hip above where his pistol was holstered. "They're uh, they're ready for you."
I nodded.
…
Andrea was out of a wheelchair now, still missing one arm, and everyone in my group was watching.
Merle Dixon was tied to a pair of huge cement bricks, standing on the edge of the quarry.
He looked at me. "Thought you said my death was going to be painless."
"Never said that Merle."
"And the trial?"
"Quick show of hands." I spoke loudly enough for the dozens of people witnessing Merle's execution from their tents, standing around, and a few near the bottom of the quarry. "Will anyone vouch for sparing Merle's life? And locking him up in prison?"
No?
Let's see. One third of the group were those raped, murdered, beaten, and enslaved by Merle's crew of maniacs, recently added to my group for the short minute before we fled Macon.
Another third were women and children, as well as the old, probably the more merciful of my group, but who likely weren't going to say anything knowing who Merle was. And the last third were those closest to Patricia and the others the bikers killed, as well as Beth, who was still recovering from what she'd seen.
"Doug."
He handed me a short paper.
"By the free people of Georgia, and the survivorship of our group. I find you guilty for the crimes of kidnapping, murder, slavery, and sexual abuse. As well as allowing the same crimes to be committed by the dozens under your army, committed against dozens more."
I put the paper away in my pocket. "If you have any last words, I believe you can share them now."
"The rest of my people you captured? Where are they?"
I was going to take the best fighters out of my camp to confront the most competent enemy left in the entire world. No way was I going to leave a bunch of women and children with the kind of savages who were in Merle's faction.
When everyone needed a short break on the road to refresh themselves and use the bathroom between Macon and this spot a few clicks away from Atlanta, I ordered Lily to take them all into the woods and execute them by firing squad.
"Right." Merle noticed my silence. "Get on with it then."
He snarled, smiling in Daryl's direction. He said nothing.
With a single kick, I sent Merle flying into the quarry. Committing him to drown and become reanimated, where he'd spend eternity at the bottom of the lake tied down to bricks.
I suspected his body could rot after enough time and he could technically escape as a Runner, but I tied the cement over his shoulders and torso, making it so there was no way he could leave.
"I'm sure you've all wondered why I didn't allow Merle to be hung," I said, raising my voice. I could practically hear it echo around the quarry. "His crimes were unforgivable, and his punishment needs to serve as a reminder. That if you do not follow, you lead."
"I aim to lead all of you. If you do not lead nor follow, and if you wander, if you kill or steal, or abuse the innocent. Then your fate will match Merle Dixon's, or it can be worse. These are the realities of our world. Follow me tomorrow morning into Atlanta."
…
Around a small table, Kenny, Shane, Doug, and I all tried to gather the logistics necessary to lead the strike on Atlanta.
It would be impossible to lead a direct assault, even with me at the helm. We'd be wiped out in moments, and even if we somehow broke through, there was the matter of facing all the soldiers inside.
Infiltrating the city via the subways and ruined buildings by zipline was a much safer option. There were makeshift communities started through the rooftops that could be useful too, ones that had ladders, sorts of bridges of all kinds built between Atlanta's buildings before the PGU showed up in full force.
"You guys see this army base?" he pointed to a map of Atlanta we'd found, updated with all the information Doug had found through monitoring PGU radio frequencies. "This is where they launched tonight's air strikes. I was able to pin point the exact place the scramble order was given."
"That airbase would be armed to the teeth," said Kenny. "They'd probably leave a tank or two near that air field in case anyone would be stupid enough to go near it."
"So how do we stop those jets from getting off the ground when we attack?" asked Shane.
I looked at the map, using the figurines we had.
I placed the one with our strike team, composed of our best fighters and those most skilled with stealth deep within Atlanta.
Myself, Lily, Shane, Daryl, Kenny, Lee, Mark, Dale, and two others, everyone who'd shown the highest amount of prowess in supply runs and combat.
I only used data Doug provided, or LVs the Gamer gave me.
"We arm the citizens, and then we build a second group."
I placed two figurines with different combat units near the air field Doug had marked. "When the attack begins, their tanks and a lot of their forces will be drawn towards the city to deal with the fighting. Then we lead an attack to disable the pilots."
"Wouldn't they send those fighter jets the second the fighting breaks out?" Shane asked.
I shook my head. "No, remember, those are vital assets to the PGU. They need them for carpet bombing whatever they need and in case things get really hectic. They have no idea we still have people outside the city waiting to attack, they'd most likely send the majority of whoever's defending the airbase to Atlanta when the fighting heats up. Doug will be monitoring their radio and will be communicating between all of us."
"I think this might actually fuckin' work." Kenny chuckled. "Just have to find the right part of the city to bypass their defenses and then we just have to go for it."
"That's a wrap. We have a mission tomorrow gentlemen, get some rest."
Doug wrapped up the map and ham radio he used for communication and I closed the plastic fold up table, walking towards my tent.
"Hey, Marcus." Lee approached, Clementine shyly following him. "Clem here had something she needed."
"Yes?"
She stepped forward into the lamplight from the roof of a nearby RV.
"Why did you kick that man into the lake? With those cinder blocks all over him?" Clementine asked.
I hesitated, wasn't it Lee's responsibility to raise this very young child?
I looked at him, the man shrugged. "She said she needed to talk to you specifically."
"I already told everyone else when it happened Clementine. It was for our survival."
"You said he was a bad man, but people don't die anymore. They come back again. Wouldn't he suffer after he drowned?"
"He would, that was his punishment. A man who did the things he did deserves such a fate."
"But why?"
I knelt to the girl. "He did the worst kinds of things any person can do, worse than you can possibly imagine. While I spend day and night as you just saw when you walked over, strategizing and planning to help innocent people the best I can. He did the opposite, trying to do his best to harm them, to exploit them."
"But that guy who showed up back in town, the one you were spending all that time with." Daryl, right. "Wasn't he his brother? Why didn't he do anything?"
"Family is everything. But some people were born right, even when their family was raised wrong. If that makes sense."
"I guess it does." Clementine then asked. "But then, where is your family?"
Even I didn't have the answer to that. "I think that's enough questions for one night, is that okay?"
"Sure, come along Clem."
She took Lee's hand and walked off.
…
That night, I watched off in the distance in thought at the fires in the horizon of Georgia.
Clementine's question was rattling me.
Where was my family?
Mine, so the one I was born with, in a different dimension. But those of Marcus Liederman, technically, I had no idea.
I woke up alone in that house back in southern rural South Carolina, and I really had no interest in going to look for them. But oddly, now, I felt that who Marcus Liederman was mattered.
The ethics he had, or I had, mattered. The choices I made, the person I became. Why?
Because with every passing month, more and more people relied on me for safety.
First Hershel's family, then the motel group, then a settlement, and now, over a hundred and eighty people.
They followed me because they had faith they wouldn't be safer out on their own.
I wondered, why not attack the air field right now by myself? Power level my [Sneaking] skill a little bit and steal a fighter jet?
Well I'd need to learn how to fly one first, but why not just attack the base? I was practically [LV 210] I moved with the skill, speed, and strength of twenty one people. They wouldn't stand a chance.
Right?
And then, just now, right now, I realized something. I had killed more people who were alive, than those who had already turned.
I killed maybe a hundred Infected. Tops? Just one horde, and then a couple here and there since then.
But I had done [Annihilation] missions for the Save Lots Bandits, two biker outposts, and Merle Dixon's settlement at Fort Gaines. At least forty bandits from Save Lots, forty at each of the outposts, totaling one hundred and twenty, and maybe between fifty and sixty when I attacked Merle's base.
Sure all of them were raiders, people who had no problem with murder, rape, and stealing from the innocent, but still. They were alive, I gave them no quarter.
I gunned them down like this was in fact the video game.
And now, the night before a massive assault took place, I began to wonder to myself. Were these army guys that different?
They technically stood for order, but they stood by while the sick and the old were hung. Dissidence was punished equally so for protesting this inhumane treatment of civilians, and technically if a soldier asked a civilian for a potato or something and they didn't have it.
By the rules of the PGU, the soldier could shoot them or report them and have their rations cut or hung or something.
So while they weren't as bad as Merle's people, they were only following orders. But again, many dictatorships in history tried to use that same excuse.
Merle's words made me think.
How many more people was I going to have to kill just to achieve safety and freedom for my group?
When I was playing GTA 5, you could check the number of cops, military, and SWAT officers you killed. But this wasn't a video game, I was going to mount an assault against real breathing humans.
Did they question their orders at times? Did they find it wrong the kinds of things they did?
Did the ends justify the means so long as I kept my people safe?
Until I realized I'd be attacking soldiers for the first time, not bandits, I had never considered this.
It was something I'd have to leave postponed until tomorrow, but for now, the PGU would rue the day they turned their backs on everyone.
I was going to make them pay. Not the troopers, no. The higher ups, I was going to win this battle no matter what, and then I was going to return Atlanta back to the people it belonged to.
[Quest Alert!
Fight against the Provisional Government of the United States in a two pronged assault.
Bonus Objective: Arm the populace in time and prevent a complete collapse of the remains of the state of Georgia.
Rewards: +20 LVs, potential access to PGU nuclear, aerial, and armored units. Higher intel and faction power.
Accept: Y/N]
I hadn't hit accept on a quest so fast in a long time.
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
MiyazakiFan_18
MiyazakiFan_18 So I’ve gotten a few comments between last week and now. And yes, I think I plan on maintaining this weekly upload schedule on either Friday and or Saturday evenings PST.
I literally try to fix that in the next chapter.
People have mentioned OOC, that they’re frustrated that Marcus treated the world like a video game where he hides his abilities. Again, I’ve tried fixing that by including A/Ns in various chapters, as well as new ones where the girls seem to be manipulating Marcus with sex in order to be with the top dog in this group of survivors.
Admittedly, I can see where they’re coming from. I can also see where some comments are coming from saying it “ruins everything” by having zombies run and this strictly not being a TWD story.
However, if this was a strictly TWD story, someone with the Gamer would burn a path right to the CDC and develop a cure in a single chapter. What kind of story is that, what sort of tension or character development is there?
The entire story would string from the MC having a cure, and the Walking Dead show did a pretty good job of at least building up a solid season of television before giving a pretty definitive answer on if there even was a cure for the virus or what it even was.
All I’m trying to say is that even if I heavily modified the world of the Walking Dead, I at least wanted to be faithful to the characters. As for all the other complaints, I really am doing my best to write the best story.
And if it’s not good enough, I don’t think this fic is awful anyway.
After a chapter or two focusing on Atlanta, this would reach the time pacing wise if this was an actual TV show or video game/light novel type that the main characters would reach the CDC. There were only six episodes of the first season of the Walking Dead and there have been almost five to six chapters of this story, most paced out at around 11k words.
That being said, the arc with the CDC is coming up, where I will explain just why I changed so much about the virus. Of course people have and are going to complain anyway, but at least it will provide some explanation.
Thank you all so much for reading, and stay safe. Peace!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone