Don't Fear The Reaper (R. Grimes & D. Dixon)

60

The group split into two, kit and the Dixons following Jerry and the rest following Richard to supper. The space itself was on the top floor and very dusty compared to the converted housing apartments below them. Kit briefly looked around, digging the papers out of the inside pocket of her jacket. "Thank you, Jerry" kit smiled, thankfully turning to him.

"If you need me, just holler out the window; I keep in hollering range. Dueces!" He widely grinned, holding two fingers in the air and walking away. Merle snorted, walking off muttering about a screw loose. Kit went the other way, and Daryl followed, grabbing a metal cart. She removed the sheets as she grabbed everything she needed, which took a couple of trips given they had to unload everything on their chosen workstation. Merle walked in with two totes of his own as kit hooked up the burner to the small propane tank for the round bottom flask.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you twos were making meth," Merle said, heaving his stuff onto his workstation.

"Aint meth," Daryl said Sourly, glaring briefly at his brother before going back to pouring everything into the measuring beakers per the instructions.

"The hell you doing anyway?" Kit asked, tying her apron and then moving to tie Daryl's that was just dangling from his neck.

"Making pipe bombs," he said proudly. Kit and Daryl both stopped to look at him.

"Pipe bombs?" Kits asked again, wanting to make sure she heard him right

"Sure thing peaches," he said, digging in the box on the table "ya gots ya tubes, caps, improvised fuses-" he said, taking multiple of each item out and laying it on the table "- and aluminized ammonium nitrate" he kicked the tote on the ground. Kit clicked her tongue as she opened her mouth "screws," he huffed, leaving again. Kit and Daryl looked at each other similarly, low chuckling. "That's your crazy brother."

"Yours now too," Daryl huffed, lightly bumping their shoulders.

Jody and who they now knew as Benjamin, entered next visually awkward. "Sup, kid?" Daryl asked squinting

"We uh want to help," Jody said shyly, peaking at ben. Kit watched the two boys for a moment before holding up her mask. "Gonna need a ventilation mask and an apron."

"Right," they said, rushing out of the room

"3rd door on the right!" Daryl yelled after them

"Grab yours too, Merle!" Kit shouted

"Ya ya," he grumbled from wherever he was searching.

It took four hours to get a sizable amount of fulminated mercury in varying good-sized chunks that looked like white glass. Around midnight, Kit and Daryl had sent Jody and Ben off to bed, moving over to assist Merle, Sasha, Rosita, and rick. Sometime around 2 am, they were finally done. They had 50 pipe bombs to show for their efforts and a sack of deadly rocks.

At daybreak, they all met outside the kingdom for a test trial; they walked a reasonable distance, not wanting to draw walkers back with them. "Alright, I think this is good," rick said, seeing a group of 10 walkers. Kit carefully dug in the sack, pulling out a piece and handing it to Daryl.

"Care to do the honors" he took it briefly, looking at it before winding his arm back and throwing. Upon impact, there was a loud pop, white dust filling the air, the windows from the nearby cars shattered, three walkers that were the closest fell dead, the next 4 lost at least one limb, and the last three just stumbled around.

"I'd say it worked," Rick chuckled, rubbing his jaw "you could-"

"Fire in the hole!" Merle shouted; everyone dove to the ground, startled as Merle launched his test bomb. Kits ears rang from the resounding bang, blood and limbs rained from the sky, and the doors to the cars were heavily dented.