You were hoping not to leave these solid walls after a long time and instead you're here. Backpack on shoulder, Katana in hand, weapon in holster. The clothing? Well, the same one you had as you arrived the. You had to be credible. You looked like you had been through a lot. You were curious, you really longed for the meeting, you wanted to get to know their faces, their secrets. But you also feared failing not to be accepted... Still, it was a mission and nothing else. You had to give up the desire to take revenge and cut throats. The details, the discipline, you had to take care of these aspects. The Governor, Milton, and Woodbury were counting on you. Crowley, one of the Governor's army men, approached you.

"Are you ready?"

"I guess so."

He smiled slightly and greeted you with bright eyes. You knew how he felt, he didn't want to see you go. This man liked you as if you were his sister. But he didn't want to talk to you, because the trip you had decided was also against him. You went but stopped at the threshold of the gates. Martinez didn't speak to you. Was he still insulted? You also wondered if he knew what had happened to Merle... The inhabitants of the city looked at you both melancholy and grateful. You risked not to return. You tried to show yourself positively and smiled, but your stomach was in turmoil. Damn nerves... You were stressed, tired. You hadn't fully recovered yet. But you were eager to reach your destination. Milton didn't show up and you couldn't wait any longer. The gates were opened after checking that the area was safe. The Governor accompanied you for a while, remained silent and thoughtful. It wasn't pleasant to hear the crunch of the dried leaves again. Although it was summer, many trees were already bare. As you looked at the bare branches, which were entwined and intertwined, Philip addressed you.

"Y/N..."

He held you gently to him. You felt his warm breath on your neck and a shiver ran down your back, so much that you had to hold your breath. You both stayed as if you were waiting.

"If something goes wrong or the situation gets too complicated, come back. We can not accept the idea of ​​losing you."

"It will not happen, trust me."

Worry and fear were clearly visible on his face. You would show everyone what you're capable of. You then went away as if nothing had happened. And so you returned to nature, to danger, to reality. It was frustrating to trace this melancholy path, to notice the marks on the bark and cores of a rotten apple on the ground. The worms gathered hurriedly and convulsively around the remains. As you stared in disgust at the fruit flesh, two Walkers noticed you. They removed their teeth from the carcass of an animal and their jaws stuck out. Luckily, they were far apart. You held your breath and went to kill them one after another. What a nice feeling. You loved fighting with the katana, it was more satisfying. Using a firearm was easier of course, if you were faced with a herd, an AK-47 would have been much more convenient, faster, and more effective. The sword was not suitable for all situations, but when the opportunity came, you used it. As soon as you were done you looked at the map on which the route was marked. A big X marked the prison. You thought of the night before, of Philip's confession. Merle is dead. He killed him for no apparent reason. Yes, that was a little personal revenge. The Governor hadn't forgiven Merle, he didn't care that he had come back to sort it out. As Martinez said, he betrayed you all... You had not lost faith in this man at all, but you had realized what he was capable of. You hoped the conquest of the prison would mollify the beast in him. But Merle's twisted fate destroyed you. He had found his brother again... Milton had explained his hypothesis after leaving the Governor's house. He was convinced that he felt guilty. He would live in the prison with the enemy, without remorse. But the Governor... He couldn't let him go, he wouldn't let himself be turned away from him. He had chosen them. His choice, his conviction... That's how he had declared himself innocent. With a smile, satisfied with himself, he had said: Everyone is the architect of his own destiny. You had a bitter taste in your mouth. You couldn't do anything. Who knows how they did to him and his brother... You regretted it a little and it would have been difficult for you to kill his brother. You would see Merle's face in his face... Anyway, you tried to escape your tense thoughts and concentrated on a blood-soaked tent in the distance. Carefully, you slipped into the tent with the weapon already drawn. The stench of the rotting body was unbearable... A hole in his head, a magnum in his hand. The person committed suicide. You rummaged among the objects in the tent and found only empty bottles and food that was more than expired. Then you rummaged in his pockets. A lighter and a torch. A relatively good prey. So you got out again and went your way. It was not a simple lighter, but an engraved Zippo. It said: FUCK YOU. Somehow ironic... But finally you saw a tower in the distance between the trees and bit your lip. The time had come to begin your mission. When you were close enough to seek protection, you watched the movements within the fences. An elderly man was watering a piece of cultivated land. He rested on crutches. The leg... He was probably injured during the attack... A boy with a sheriff-hat and an young Asian man leaned against the fence, working on trunks and making sure they were able to counterbalance the weight of the many Walkers. You moved again, looking for a different view. From the new perspective you could see other individuals. A young woman chuckled with another young woman. The blonde held something in her arms, but you couldn't tell what it was. Suddenly a red iron door from Block C opened. The result was a man with slightly wavy dark brown hair. His hands were clenched in fists. He was wearing a shirt with rolled-up sleeves and dark trousers. Everyone turned to him and he approached the entrance to the fence, only to check the work of the young man and the child. Watchful eyes, attentive to every detail. You had no doubt, he is the boss. Rick... Only these few people were present in the prison yard. The others could have been inside, or engaged in a search for supplies. But the general situation seemed peaceful. They had organized themselves well, the prison had become practically a home. Vegetable garden, pigs, barrels full of water, boxes full of weapons and ammunition. Not bad... Were they really that dangerous? They did not look like the people the Governor warned you about. To get closer without having to deal with dozens of undead, you would have to smear yourself with their blood and guts. You descended from the easy elevation and circled the perimeter of the fence, which for the most part remained hidden among the many branches. You quickly killed a Walker and dipped your hands in the stinking mixture of blood and rotten organs. You didn't know why, but you held your breath while you passed through this lazy mass of the living dead. None of these monsters took care of you. Suddenly a woman saw you that you hadn't noticed before. You had your eyes fixed on hers. She had very short and gray hair and looked at you until she decided to turn around and speak to Rick to take a look. He looked at you confused and suspicious. You stopped motionless while the Walkers moved around you and produced their usual grunts. Yet you had to fight to hide the hatred you felt for him and his people... It seemed like you communicated without words. The name 'Carl' sounded, and the boy ran to activate the mechanism of the strange gate they had created. That was the signal. He had decided to let you in. Exceeding this threshold meant opening a dialogue. The gray-haired woman aimed a rifle at your temple. The others positioned themselves behind you. No one opened his mouth and Rick kept staring at you. His eyes seemed almost lost. He took a few steps forward and put his hands on his hips.

"Who are you and what is your name?"

You had to stay calm, to seem harmless. He had not decided yet...

"My name is Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N...", you answered and your voice was firm, but quiet.

"Are you alone or do you have a group nearby?"

"I'm alone."

You looked at the rifle and Rick understood. He nodded and the woman lowered the weapon. You also noticed that the old man wasn't hurt, but he had lost a leg.

"Y/N, now I'll ask you three simple questions, answer me sincerely and you'll prove yourself... If you want that."

The armed woman didn't seem to agree. Again she raised the rifle: "Rick, why? You don't even know who she is, you can't let her in just like that!"

"Carol, lower the gun..."

"Why should she stay with us? It could be dangerous, Dad!", said the boy named Carl and looked threateningly at you.

"And why shouldn't we?", the old man said. "After all, she's alone, what harm could she do?"

The brunette girl nodded: "My dad is right."

So the old man was the father. The gray-haired woman's name was Carol and the stubborn child Carl...

"Dad, why?", Carl shouted in a louder tone.

"Carl, we need help. We need people who are willing to fight with us if the Governor attacks us again."

At that moment, you wanted to throw yourself to the ground with laughter. Damn, what an absurd situation... Carol withdrew the rifle and went away indignantly. The old man looked at Rick and smiled.

"Back to the topic... How many Walkers have you killed?"

So that was the first of the three questions...

"Too many to count."

He tilted his head slightly...

"How many people have you killed?"

Your family...

"My family, I had to kill the past."

He shrugged and looked down...

"Why?"

His eyes returned to you...

"They were infected."