Solitary {2} : The Walking Dead

Chapter Forty-two.

Together.

"You see these fingers? Not much to look at, right? But together, they make a mighty weapon. That's who we are...

Alexandria...

Hilltop...

Oceanside...

People of the Kingdom."

"Is that enough?"

"I'm not done yet."

"Who's that for?"

"The others. The ones that aren't here...

Those that might find us help...

Or come here and help...

Together, we will fight...

And that's how we will survive...

Together."

............

"Our plan is the same. Lead the horde away, just not from Oceanside as we had planned. Once the walkers are clear, we evacuate to Rendezvous Point B." Gabriel explains "Luke. We ready?" he asks the man, "Yeah, yeah. Uh, technically." Luke says, standing up.

Iris chews on the inside of her cheek, "Okay. So, these are the final pieces that we need to connect to the wagon. But in order for it to do the pied piper thing that we need it to do over the cliff, we gotta get from A to B, and I gotta plug and plug, and then we should be good to go." Luke explains.

"That wagon is on the other side of the horde." Magan says "So... someone's gotta go through it? With skins in there?" Jerry questions "Four groups. Two in each. One carries the cargo, one protects. I'll be there as well for extra protection." Iris says, "It's crucial that all the equipment makes it to the wagon." Gabriel adds, standing next to Iris.

"We can make it through. I'll help." Lydia says, looking over at Iris, the redhead nods to the girl, "We're willing. But not if she goes. And we know she's earned trust with you, but... Oceanside isn't ready. Not with this." Rachel says.

"That's fine. As it happens, Lydia's role is in here." Gabriel says "Look, we're not all gonna make it through. But this is the only way." Daryl says, "If Daryl and Irs are going, then so am I." Kelly says, Iris looks over to Daryl, the man nods to her.

..........

Iris zips the raincoat up, taking a deep breath before rubbing the walker's guts and blood on herself, Iris grabs some and helps Kelly with covering herself, Daryl hands Kelly one of the skins masks, 'why?' Kelly signs, 'protection' Daryl signs back.

Iris stands in front of Kelly and looks her in the eyes, 'you okay?' she signs, Kelly nods yes to Iris, "Hey." Daryl snaps, Iris looks over to him, stepping over to Negan "Why you clean?" Daryl asks "I ain't going." Negan answers, "You've done this more'n any of us." Daryl says, "I am on the tip-top of every skins' kill list. Especially fee fi fo asshole. So if the idea is to get through without drawing a shitload of attention, then I am the last person these people want standing next to them." Negan explains.

"That's a bunch of bullshit." Iris snaps, walking over to the men, "You wanna be a part of this? You gotta put your ass on the line. Just like everybody else." Iris says before walking away with Daryl.

Iris stands next to Daryl as he holds onto her hand, "It's time." Gabriel says, slowly opening the first door, the group slowly walk out, closing the door behind them, Iris looks back at Judith and Lydia, burying her anxieties before turning away.

Iris pulls her hood over her head, pulling out her knives and looking up at Jerry, watching as he opens the door, Iris stays still as the walkers fill the room, she slowly starts pushing through the walkers and making it out of the building, Daryl and Kelly staying close.

Iris looks at the walkers as they get close to her, snapping their teeth before walking away, she grips her knives when she notices a whisperer pull out a knife, before it can get them an arrow lands in their shoulder, sending it to the floor to be pulled apart by the dead.

Kelly grabs onto Iris and Daryl as they start to get knocked around, Iris slowly slides one of her knives into her belt, reaching back she grabs onto Kelly's hand, holding it tight.

Iris looks down at the others, finding them hiding in the meeting spot, "Where's Carol, where's Beatrice?" Daryl asks, Iris looks back at the horde, trying to spot the familiar faces, suddenly screams rib through the groans of the walkers, Iris goes to make her way back into the horde but Daryl grabs her, holding her tight against his body.

Panic sets into Iris, her mind spinning as she wonders if the scream was Carol, Daryl holds Iris back as she tries to fight her way back into the horde, "stop" Daryl whispers into her ear, "you cant" he begs, Iris stops fighting, grabbing onto his hand. Iris lets out a relieved sigh as she watches Carol and Lydia walk towards them, the group get up and they carry on with the plan.

"Need to start soon. They're not up yet, but they will be." Gabriel's voice sounds through the walkie, "Yeah, right on it. But Luke's duct taped a bunch of wires to a tape deck so..." Daryl says into the walkie, "My prayers are with you." "Gonna need 'em." Daryl says

"Ah. Watch out. You might get what you're after. Boom babies. Strange but not a stranger. I'm an ordinary guy. Burning down the house. Hold tight. Wait till the party's over. Hold tight. We're in for nasty weather. There has got to be a way"

Iris cant help but smile as they walk along the road with the wagon, she looks back at the horde as it stumbles behind them, she holds onto her sword, looking over at Daryl walking next to her.