The Dead Studios: Season 11

Chapter 5: Laws of the Dead

     Jax and the Roamers continued their journey to Rhode Island, as they entered the state of Massachusetts, leaving the bunker behind in Vermont. Jax walked onward next to Caroline and the others, along side Caroline's old friends, Timothy Jones, Molly Williams, Kevin Fletcher, and Jax's friend Devon Blake. Alpha walked at the very front of the group, Delta and Omega closely following behind her.

"So, how long have you known Alpha?" Jax asked, as he walked next to Kevin.

"Alpha? Ever since she took control of The Decayed. She came into the group about a day after Clinton passed." He said, as he walked along side Jax.

"How did he die?" Jax asked, as he looked at him.

"Got bit." Kevin said as he shrugged, walking ahead of Jax, as he sighed.

Colton sprinted up ahead, joining the others. "So, I've got a question." He said, as Timothy and Devon looked at him. "According to wolf packs and the Greek alphabet, Beta comes after Alpha, not Delta." He said, as Devon suddenly grabbed him, putting a hand over his mouth.

"Do not, say that name." Devon said quietly, as the walkers and the rest of the group passed.

Devon lifted his hand up, as Colton took a step back. This caught Jax's attention, as the rest of them stopped.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked, as they approached the scene.

"There's something you have to know about this group. It has rules, laws. You can't just go around saying things you don't understand. Got it?" Devon said.

'What're you talking about?" David asked.

"The word and name..'Beta' is permanently prohibited. You can't say it or discuss anything about it." Devon said.

"How come?" Colton asked.

"There was once a Beta." Devon said.

"We're gonna go join the rest of the group. We've already heard the story." Timothy said, as Molly, Kevin and him walked up to the group.

"What happened to him?" Jax asked.

"He died. About 2 years ago, maybe less." Devon said. "Alpha and him were close, so she didn't see anyone fit to replace him in the role of Beta."

"Well, why banish the name all together?" David asked.

"It's a sensitive subject for her." Devon said. "She didn't want to be reminded of him, ever." He said. "Come on, we need to catch up." Devon said as he turned, walking towards the large group of infected and people.

Jax watched as Molly, Kevin, and Timothy followed behind him.

"What the hell did we get ourselves into." David said. "We never should've left Olivia and Chloe and the bunker!" He said as he turned to Jax, who stood there watching them walk away.

"This was my decision." Jax finally said. "And all of you decided that it was the best decision, right?" He asked.

"It seemed like a good opportunity at the time, but I don't trust Alpha." Smithy said. "And especially not her... fuckin' bodyguards, whatever the hell their names are. There's still time to turn back." He said.

"I trust her." Caroline joined in. "Half of those people, were my people. If they trust Alpha, then so do I." She said.

"Then it's settled. No turning back." Jax said as he began to walk towards the ongoing group.

Caroline followed behind him, as did Colton, not caring about the situation he was in.

"Keep an eye on Alpha and the others." David said as he stood beside Smithy. "We both have a common interest here, and if things go south, we need to get back to the bunker." He said, as Smithy looked at him and nodded, as they both began to walk to the rest of the group.

Colton walked up to Timothy, walking beside him. "So why are you all looking for a community? It looks like you've adapted pretty well. Why change it?" He asked.

"Our group isn't like yours. We have our leaders, our loyals, and the rest is history."

"The rest is history? What's that supposed to mean?" Colton asked.

"People come and go. This isn't a group of friends or family, it's a group of people trying to survive. We rely on each other, but we rely mostly on the dead. They're our protectors." Devon said.

"You still haven't answered my question, why do you guys want to go to a community?" Colton asked.

"Not all of us enjoy this way of life." Devon said, as he stopped and faced Colton. "We do it for them." He said.

Colton stopped in his tracks as Devon stood in front of him. "Everything okay?" Jax asked, as Devon glared over at him. 

"Yeah. Everything's fine." He said, as he turned around, continuing to walk. 

Smithy walked behind Colton, listening to their conversation the whole time. He walked ahead, getting closer to Alpha, as she lead them through the woods. As he walked through the walkers and the other groups of people, he began to hear other people's conversations. He turned around, going back to the others. "We need to talk." He said, approaching Jax.

"What is it?" He asked as he stopped, Caroline stopping aside him.

"I've heard some things." Smithy said, as David walked up to them.

"What'd you hear?" He asked.

"Alpha isn't going to the community for her people. I think she's going there to destroy it." He said.

"What're you talking about?" Caroline asked. "You're just paranoid. She wouldn't have asked a few strangers like us to join her if she was going to destroy the place she's trying to get us to. You know how crazy that sounds, right?"

"She only asked us to go because she thinks she can gain our trust, she thinks we'll fight with her." Smithy asked.

"Okay Smithy, that's enough." Caroline said.

"Maybe he's right." David said, as Caroline glared at him.

"Are you shitting me? You hear him right? He sounds delusional." Caroline said. 

"Think about it. These people adapted to this new world in a way we've never seen before. Sure we've walked with the dead, but they do it night and day! They act as a source of transportation. They have no use for a community." Smithy said.

"He has a point." David said. "It doesn't make too much sense."

"She's doing it for her people." Caroline said.

"Her people? You mean the strangers who come and go everyday?" Smithy said. "She's not doing this for anyone, she's doing it for herself. She doesn't believe in communities, she believes in the dead, and that everyone should either join them, or become one of them." 

Caroline looked at Smithy as if he was crazy. "Smithy--"

"Caroline. He makes a good argument." Jax budded in suddenly.

"What?" Caroline said, looking at Jax with a disappointing face. "You're seriously going to take his side on this?" 

"I'm not taking sides." Jax said. "All I said was that he makes a good argument, but so do you. You used to know some of these people, and if you trust their word then we should too."

Caroline looked at him, then back at Smithy, who sighed obnoxiously. "Whatever, believe me or not. But when these people turn on us, I won't be here to watch you all die." He said as he turned away, catching back up with the group.

Caroline sighed, as she walked after him. David watched as the two of them walked off, as he turned his attention to Jax. "Jax, you don't seriously believe that these people want to live in a community, right? Does Emilia or Alpha or whoever she is, do you really think she's the kind of person to do this sort of thing for strangers that she found in the middle of the woods?"

"No. I don't. But I believe she'd do it for herself. I see right through her, David. She's hurt on the inside. She made a fucking law to banish the word "Beta". That's fucking crazy." He said. "I don't trust her, but if this community is real, we need to make it there. That's our first priority here. Not to debunk this group but to use it for what it is. Transportation." Jax said, as he walked off towards the group.

David stood there and sighed for a moment, until he finally walked back to the group.