Solitary {2} : The Walking Dead

Chapter Seventy.

Just watch.

Iris walks with Mercer, holding her rifle as they walk through the woods, "We'll scare all the food away stomping around like this. I'll go with Maggie, and you boys pair off. I'll take officer Wolf with me, General. We'll be fine." Pamela says.

Iris looks back to Daryl, nodding to him before walking behind Maggie and Pamela, she stays a couple feet behind, looking around and making sure it's clear, "How did things get so bad?" Pamela asks.

"How do they ever? I've met so many communities, and I still can't figure out what makes some lucky and able to fight off the world while others can't." Maggie explains, "I don't believe in luck." Pamela says.

"That's interesting." Maggie says, "I'm sensing more of an opinion." "I mean, luck is about opportunity. I don't know anybody who's had more opportunity than you." Maggie says.

"Well, since we're being honest... Cards on the table, Maggie.I didn't want to come on this tour. I have thousands of people under my care and that responsibility keeps me up at night. That's the price of leadership. Everything costs something. For me, it's sleep. You know what I think about at three A.M.? Who can we trust? How do we stay safe?" Pamela questions.

"Your communities are small by our standards. I wasn't sure the risk of going back and forth would be worth it." the woman says, "Then why are you here?" Maggie asks, "The right allies make us stronger. This world belongs to us, not the dead. Meeting all of you, hearing all your stories, has confirmed what I've always believed." Pamela explains.

"There is a natural order to things that has vanished, and that order needs to be restored. It provides a future for our kids. million little city-states fighting each other for power and resources is never going to be able to provide that kind of stability. I'm offering you the same thing your mutual protection pact with Oceanside did. Someone who has your back." she continues.

Maggie looks back at Iris as Pamela starts walking away, the women share the same unsure look, before following Pamela again. Iris stands a few feet behind the women as they sit on a log and talk.

She looks over as a walker starts to stumble towards them, she pulls out her sword and slices her blade through its neck, she looks behind her as a gunshot echos, Pamela lowers her gun from one of the other walkers.

Daryl makes his way over to Iris as she walks up to the camp, "how'd it go?" he questions, "it was fine" Iris says, the pair walk together and start helping with setting up camp, "Daryl! Iris!" Lydia smiles, Iris turns to the girl as she walks over to them.

"Hi." the girl grins, "Hey." Daryl says, hugging the girl "Was wondering when you'd come back." the girl says, "How you holding up?" Daryl asks, pulling away and going back to building the tent, with Iris.

"Uh, it's okay. We're doing our best." Lydia says, helping them with the tent, "Yeah?" "Just feel like maybe some things just can't be fixed, you know? Just feels kind of pointless sometimes." the girl explains "I hear you." Iris says, keeping her focus on the tent.

"How do you know when?" she asks, "When what?" Iris asks, "Just when it's time to walk away?" the girl says, "Is that what you wanna do?" Iris asks.

"Hey, Maggie, is it okay if we hand out some supplies? We have more than enough. Food, fuel." Lance says, Iris turns and looks back at the man, "Sure. Thank you." Maggie says, "Great. We're on it. Uh, you three. Come with me." Lance says.

Iris and Daryl start to make their way to the supplies, "Hey, Daryl, Iris, look what I got." Hershel says, "looking cool dude" Iris says, looking at the boy wearing Mercer's helmet, "Oh, my God." Daryl says, tapping the boy's head.

"Hey, we're gonna pass out some food. You wanna help us?" Daryl asks, "Yeah." the boy says, "You take the big one." Daryl says handing one of the crates to another guard, "Hey, give this to Elijah." he says, handing a smaller one to Hershel.

"Okay." the boy says, walking away from them, Iris smiles at the boy as he leaves, "Must be hard to be a kid out here." Mercer says, "He grew up on the road. He's a different kind of kid." Iris says, "Your friend. She like torturing herself out here?" Mercer asks.

"This place used to be really special. Different. It's going through hard times now, but it'll be back up and running." Daryl says, "Just watch." Iris adds, turning and grabbing a crate, "I guess not all places are as lucky as Alexandria." Mercer says.

"Not all places are as lucky as Commonwealth." Daryl says, "Are you coming around?" their boss asks, Daryl scoffs, "I wouldn't go that far, but you guys, uh, have done good stuff for us, so, I don't know, I'll give you that." Daryl says.

"Commonwealth ain't perfect, though." Mercer says, "that what, you think?" Iris asks, "Just don't get too comfortable. The only reason you two are out of your armour is because someone thought it'd be good for appearances. You got your roles to play, and I got mine." the man says, walking away.

Iris carries the supplies up to the gate, handing them to one of the people, she stops and looks around at the community, looking at how it's changed, "Swarm incoming!" Iris turns and looks at the walkers stumbling towards the camp.

She pulls out her sword and runs towards the woods, she comes across walkers in traps and starts driving her blade through the walkers heads, " Fire!" Mercer orders, the CA's line up and shoot all the walkers.

Iris grabs onto the walker's feet Dragging it out of the woods, and into the piles of bodies, "Formation!" Mercer orders, "Let's go!" he shouts, Iris drops the walker and stands in the line, "Dixon. Fall in." Mercer says.

"Hold up." Daryl says, Iris watches Mercer walk over to Daryl and say something to him quietly "Left face. Forward march." the man shouts, Iris and Daryl follow behind the line of soldiers.

..........

"Here. I got something for ya." Daryl says, reaching into his bag and pulling out a jar, "It's from Judith." he adds handing it to Maggie, "She said in case you're making Hershel eat more horse meat." Iris laughs, "Oh, God." Maggie laughs.

"It was good to see you." the woman says, pulling Daryl into a hug, "Yeah. Be careful. If you need us, you know where to find us." Daryl says, pulling away from the hug, "Same for you." Maggie says, pulling Iris into a hug, "stay safe" Iris says, holding Maggie tight.

"You too" the woman says, Iris pulls away and looks at her friend, not wanting to leave again, "i love you" Iris smiles, "i love you too" Maggie says, Iris walks away, following Daryl.