𝖣𝖺𝗋𝗄𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖪𝖾𝖾𝗉𝗌 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖬𝖾 | ᴅᴀʀʏʟ ᴅɪxᴏɴ ³

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ

«FOR ADAM»

LEAVING TOM BEHIND and making their way to Hilltop weighed heavily on Chloe's conscience. Along the journey, waves of guilt threatened to pull her back, tempting her to turn around multiple times. But Alpha was coming. A war was looming, and they had to prepare.

"Any sign of them?" Magna greeted the group of six as they emerged through the gate.

"We didn't make it that far," Daryl replied.

"What do you mean?" Kelly asked, her eyes shifting to Chloe searching her face, but there was no reaction. Chloe was numb. "What happened?"

"We need to talk," Logan announced.

"D, I'm sorry," Luke interjected, ignoring Logan and directing his words to Daryl. "We gotta find our people, man."

"No," Lydia interjected firmly. "You can't go out there. My mother's coming."

Earlier that day, Aaron, along with Judith, Mary, and a few others, had made the journey from Alexandria to Hilltop. With Rosita also present at Hilltop, the meeting convened with a substantial number of attendees.

Chloe remained silent, her mind elsewhere as the group debated the best course of action to confront whatever Alpha had planned for them.

"You heard them out there," Lydia urged the group. "We have to go. Even if you took out half the herd in that cave, she's got thousands left. You can't stay here."

However, trust in Lydia was scarce, particularly from Aiden, who held her responsible for Enid's demise.

"The skins could march straight to Alexandria for all we know," Earl pointed out.

"Yeah, we're right in their way," Daryl chimed in, leaning beside Chloe on the back of the couch where Earl sat.

"Maybe she goes around us," Earl proposed, glancing at Daryl.

"She doesn't need to go around you," Lydia countered. "She'll just run through you."

"Should've taken her out when we had the chance, but you folks wanted to play it safe. Now look where playing it safe has gotten us!" John interjected, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"I'm not running again," Jerry declared from across the room. "Hell, no."

"Lydia's right," Dianna said. "We can rebuild anywhere."

"Yes, we gotta save ourselves," Logan nodded.

"Come on," Earl argued. "We can't."

Addressing Aaron, who stood in silence, Earl questioned, "How many scouting missions have you been on, son? Hundreds? Have you ever encountered a place like Hilltop?"

"No," Aaron admitted with a scoff.

"We have a few dozen capable fighters here," Magna pointed out.

"Capable fighters?" Merle scoffed.

"Maybe. You like those odds? 'Cause I don't."

"Neither do I," Aaron muttered. "Now, we don't have to die here."

"We're going to have to fight, and if we die, we die fighting for a place that means something," Earl asserted.  "Can you think of a better way to go?"

"Well, Earl, I could think of a few," John muttered.

"Yeah," Aaron retorted. "We go with my daughter's life intact. And Judith's and Ezra's and Adam's. You want me to keep going?"