million dollar man | twd

ᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴏᴜs

[ precious ]
꧁꧂

The next morning, Vanessa approached Morgan, who was practicing his Aikido movements in the yard. The soft morning light filtered through the trees, casting a serene glow on his focused figure. Vanessa watched him for a moment, taking in the grace and precision of his movements.

"You're pretty good at that," Vanessa remarked, her voice tinged with genuine curiosity.

Morgan paused mid-motion, turning to face her with a serene smile. "A man I met on the road taught me. It's been a journey, learning to control both my body and my mind."

Vanessa shifted her weight, clearly intrigued. "I saw you the other day, with those wolves. You were trying not to kill them."

Morgan's expression grew somber. "I don't kill people anymore. I've chosen a different path."

Vanessa looked down, grappling with his words. She took a deep breath before speaking. "I don't like it either. But sometimes we have to."

Morgan nodded slowly, understanding her inner conflict. "You know, I ran into your brother a while back. I pulled a knife on him, even stabbed him. But he didn't try to kill me. He let me live. And because of that, I was able to help Aaron and Daryl. But if I hadn't been there... if they had died... maybe those wolves wouldn't have been able to come back here."

Vanessa's face tightened as she absorbed his words. "But then Aaron and Daryl would be dead."

Morgan's gaze was distant, reflective. "Exactly. I don't know what's right anymore. I wanted to kill those men; I knew I could end their threat. But I also believe people can change. All life is precious."

"So you save people and just hope they don't kill you for it?" Vanessa asked, her tone a mix of skepticism and curiosity.

Morgan's eyes met hers, a flicker of sadness and resolve in them. "I've thought about letting the idea go. Maybe it's easier to just fight back, to kill when necessary. But deep down, I don't want to give up on this path. I don't want to stop believing that there's a better way, even if it's dangerous."

As wood cracked loudly, and everyone's heads snapped toward the sound. Vanessa's heart sank as she watched in horror as the tower toppled over, crashing into the wall and sending debris flying. The impact caused a shudder through the remaining structure, and the wall buckled, collapsing into rubble.

Panic erupted around her. Walkers began flooding through the breach, their groans growing louder, more insistent. Vanessa's body was paralyzed with fear for a split second before adrenaline kicked in.

"Get into the houses!" Rick's voice cut through the chaos, commanding and urgent. He shouted again, his face taut with fear and determination.

Vanessa snapped out of her daze and ran. She saw Rick, Michonne, Carl, Gabriel, Ron, and Deanna heading for the nearest house. Vanessa's eyes darted around, searching for any sign of everyone else. As she sprinted toward the group, the walkers closed in, their moans growing more insistent.